The Evening Read-In: A Christmas Carol Part 5

Have you done all your Christmas shopping and made all of your festive preparations? If so then you've deserved a well-earned rest and if not then take some time out, sit down and relax anyway, as it won't take you long at all to listen to the conclusion of A Christmas Carol and the final part of the very first Evening Read-In (it'll help put a seasonal spring back into your step...).

We're having a shared reading Christmas party while listening so please get involved -  tweet your thoughts by using the #eveningreadin hashtag and join our Tweet Party (Party Hashtag: #eveningreadin; Party Host: @thereaderorg)

Also, if you've missed any of the previous parts you can get everything Evening Read-In related right here : what better way to spend some time over the festive period than listening to the most classic Christmas story of all being read aloud?

Click here to listen to A Christmas Carol - Part 5 audio

Read along with the story here

Part 5 Synopsis:

Scrooge is overjoyed to find that everything in his room is as it once was and is especially happy and grateful to Marley and the Three Spirits for everything they have shown him. He is very much an altered man and pledges to show his gratitude for the second chance he has been given by embracing the spirit of Christmas and life itself. He is quite giddy and unsure of how long he has been gone, he calls out to a boy and asks him what day it is. The boy replies that it is Christmas Day. He then instructs the boy to go and buy the biggest turkey in the butcher’s shop – saying he will pay him to do so – so it can be delivered to the Cratchits’ house.

Once he is ready, Scrooge goes out into the street and wishes everybody he sees a Merry Christmas. He comes across one of the gentleman who had called at his office the day before campaigning on behalf of the poor and needy. He apologises for his actions and promises to donate many large sums of money to the charity to make up for his past discrepancies. He passes through the streets, as joyful as it is possible for any person to be. He arrives at Fred’s house, where he is welcomed with open arms to dinner and the family’s Christmas party.

The next morning Scrooge arrives early at his office purposely to catch Bob Cratchit coming in late. Scrooge adopts his old demeanour as a disguise and chastises a flustered Bob for his lateness, before saying he will raise his salary – something that Bob initially does not believe. The two men drink to Christmas and from that day Scrooge becomes a close friend to the entire Cratchit family – especially to Tiny Tim, who prospers. Scrooge truly is a changed man and continues to keep Christmas as well as any man can.