Some Short Christmas Stories

1 SomeShortChristmasStoriesCharlesDickensA AsWe 's 's 's 's TCHR I S T MA SST OR I E SA ChristmasTreeI havebeenlookingon,thisevening,ata merrycompanyofchildrenassembledroundthat prettyGermantoy, a greatroundtable, wasbrilliantlylightedbya multitudeoflittleta-pers; ,hidingbehindthegreenleaves;andtherewere realwatches(withmovablehands,atleast,and anendlesscapacityofbeingwoundup)dangling frominnumerabletwigs;therewereFrench-pol ishedtables,chairs,bedsteads,wardrobes,e ight-dayclocks,andvar-iousotherarticleso fdomesticfurniture(wonderfullymade,intin ,atWolverhampton),perchedamongtheboughs, asif inpreparationforsomefairyhousekeeping;th erewerejolly, broad-facedlittlemen,muchmoreagreeablein appearancethanmanyrealmen andnowonder, fortheirheadstookoff,andshowedthemtobefu llofsugar-plums;therewere ddlesanddrums;thereweretambourines,books ,work-boxes,paint-boxes,sweetmeat-boxes, peep-showboxes,andallkindsofboxes;therew eretrinketsfortheeldergirls,farbrightert hananygrown-upgoldandjewels;therewerebas ketsandpincushionsinalldevices;therewere guns,swords,andbanners;therewerewitchess tandinginenchantedringsofpasteboard,tote llfortunes;therewereteetotums,humming-to ps,needle-cases,pen-wipers,smelling-bott les,conversation-cards,bouquet-holders;r ealfruit,madearti ciallydazzlingwithgoldleaf;imitationappl es,pears,andwalnuts,crammedwithsurprises ;inshort,asa prettychild,beforeme,delightedlywhispere dtoanotherprettychild,herbosomfriend, Therewaseverything,andmore.

2 Thismotleycollectionofoddobjects,cluster ingonthetreelikemagicfruit,and ashingbackthebrightlooksdirectedtowardsi t fromeveryside someofthediamond-eyesadmiringit werehardlyona levelwiththetable,anda fewwerelanguishingintimidwonderontheboso msofprettymothers,aunts,andnurses madea livelyrealisationofthefan-ciesofchildhoo d;andsetmethinkinghowallthetreesthatgrow andallthethingsthatcomeintoexistenceonth eearth,havetheirwildadornmentsat ,andalone,theonlypersoninthehouseawake,m ythoughtsaredrawnback,bya fascinationwhichI donot2 SOMESHOR TCHR I S T MA SST OR I E Scaretoresist, begintoconsider, whatdoweallrememberbestuponthebranchesof theChristmasTreeofourownyoungChristmasda ys, ,inthemiddleoftheroom,crampedinthefreedo mofitsgrowthbynoencirclingwallsorsoon-re achedceiling,a shadowytreearises;and,lookingupintothedr eamybrightnessofitstop forI ob-servein thistreethesingularpropertythatit appearsto growdownwardtowardstheearth IlookintomyyoungestChristmasrecollection s!

3 Alltoysat rst,I , amongthegreenhollyandredberries,is theTumblerwithhishandsinhispockets,whowo uldn't liedown,butwheneverhewasputuponthe oor, persistedinrollinghisfatbodyabout,untilh erolledhimselfstill,andbroughtthoselobst ereyesofhistobearuponme whenI affectedtolaughverymuch, ,outofwhichtherespranga demoniacalCoun-sellorina blackgown,withanobnoxiousheadofhair, anda redclothmouth,wideopen,whowasnottobeendu redonanyterms,butcouldnotbeputawayeither ;forheusedsuddenly, in a highlymagni edstate,to youtofMammothSnuff-boxesindreams, thefrogwithcobbler's waxonhistail,faroff;fortherewasnoknowing wherehewouldn't jump;andwhenhe ewoverthecan-dle,andcameuponone's handwiththatspottedback redona greenground blue-silkskirt,whowasstoodupagainsttheca ndlesticktodance,andwhomI seeonthesamebranch,wasmilder, andwasbeautiful;butI can't sayasmuchforthelargercardboardman,whouse dtobehungagainstthewallandpulledbya string;therewasa sinisterexpressioninthatnoseofhis;andwhe nhegothislegsroundhisneck(whichheveryoft endid),hewasghastly, andnota rstlookatme?

4 Whoputit on,andwhywasI sofrightenedthatthesightofit is anerainmylife?It is nota hideousvisagein itself;it is evenmeanttobedroll,whythenwereitsstolidf eaturessointolerable?Surelynotbecauseit hidthewearer's much;andthoughI shouldhavepreferredeventheapronaway, it wouldnothavebeenabsolutelyinsupportable, theimmovabilityofthemask?Thedoll's facewasimmovable,butI wasnotafraidofher. Perhapsthat xedandsetchangecomingovera realface,infusedintomyquickenedheartsome remotesuggestionanddreadoftheuniversalch angethatis to3 SOMESHOR TCHR I S T MA SST OR I E Scomeoneveryface,andmakeit still? ,fromwhomproceededa melancholychirpingontheturningofa handle;noregimentofsoldiers,witha muteband,takenoutofabox,and tted,onebyone,upona stiffandlazylittlesetoflazy-tongs;nooldw oman,madeofwiresanda brown-papercomposition,cuttingupa piefortwosmallchildren;couldgivemea permanentcomfort,fora anysatisfactiontobeshowntheMask,andseeth atit wasmadeofpaper, ortohaveit xedface,themereknowledgeofitsexistencean ywhere,wassuf cienttoawakemeinthenightallperspirationa ndhorror, with, OI knowit's coming!

5 Othemask! I neverwonderedwhatthedearolddonkeywiththe panniers thereheis!wasmadeof,then!Hishidewasrealt othetouch,I thehorsethatI couldevengetupon Ineverwonderedwhathadbroughthimtothatstr angecondition,orthoughtthatsucha horsewasnotcommonlyseenat nocolour, nextto him,thatwentintothewaggonofcheeses,andco uldbetakenoutandstabledunderthepiano,app eartohavebitsoffur-tippetfortheirtails,a ndotherbitsfortheirmanes,andtostandonpeg sinsteadoflegs,butit wasnotsowhentheywerebroughthomefora ,then;neitherwastheirharnessunceremoniou slynailedintotheirchests,asappearstobeth ecasenow. Thetinklingworksofthemusic-cart,Idid ndout,tobemadeof quilltooth-picksandwire;andIalwaysthough tthatlittletumblerin hisshirtsleeves,perpetuallyswarm-ingupon esideofa woodenframe,andcomingdown,headforemost,o ntheother, rathera weak-mindedperson thoughgood-natured;buttheJacob's Ladder, nexthim,madeoflittlesquaresofredwood,tha twent appingandclatteringoveroneanother, eachdevelopinga differ-entpicture,andthewholeenlivenedby smallbells,wasa mightymarvelanda !

6 TheDoll's house! ofwhichI wasnotproprietor, don't admiretheHousesofParliamenthalfsomuchast hatstone-frontedmansionwithrealglasswind ows,anddoor-steps,andarealbalcony greenerthanI everseenow, exceptatwateringplaces;andeventheyafford buta once,theentirehouse-front(whichwasa blow, I admit,ascancellingthe ctionofa staircase),it wasbuttoshutit upagain,andI could4 SOMESHOR TCHR I S T MA SST OR I E ,therewerethreedistinctroomsin it:a sitting-roomandbed-room,elegantlyfurnish ed,andbestofall,a kitchen,withun-commonlysoft re-irons,a plentifulassortmentofdiminutiveutensils oh,thewarming-pan! anda tinman-cookinpro le,whowasalwaysgoingtofrytwo donetothenoblefeastswhereinthesetofwoode nplatters gured,eachwithitsownpe-culiardelicacy, asa hamorturkey, gluedtightontoit,andgarnishedwithsomethi nggreen,whichI recollectasmoss!CouldalltheTemper-anceSo cietiesoftheselaterdays,united,givemesuc ha tea-drinkingasI havehadthroughthemeansofyonderlittleseto fbluecrockery,whichreallywouldholdliquid (itranoutofthesmallwoodencask,Irecollect ,andtastedofmatches),andwhichmadetea,nec tar.

7 Andif thetwolegsoftheineffectuallittlesugar-to ngsdidtumbleoveroneanother,andwantpurpos e,likePunch's hands,whatdoesit matter?Andif I didonceshriekout,as a poisonedchild,andstrikethefashionablecom panywithconsternation,byreasonofhavingdr unka littleteaspoon,inadver-tentlydissolvedin toohottea,I wasnevertheworseforit,exceptbyapowder!Up onthenextbranchesofthetree,lowerdown,har dbythegreenrollerandminiaturegardening-t ools,howthickthebooksbeginto ,inthemselves,at rst,butmanyofthem, ! Awasanarcher, andshotat a frog. ,andthereheis!Hewasa goodmanythingsin histime,wasA,andsoweremostofhisfriends,e xceptX,whohadsolittleversatility, thatI neverknewhimtogetbeyondXerxesorXantippe likeY, whowasalwayscon nedtoa Yachtora YewTree;andZ con-demnedforevertobea Zebraora Zany. But,now, theverytreeit-selfchanges,andbecomesa bean-stalk themarvellousbean-stalkupwhichJackclimbe dtotheGiant's house!Andnow, thosedreadfullyinteresting,double-headed giants,withtheirclubsovertheirshoulders, begintostridealongtheboughsina perfectthrong, hownoble,withhisswordofsharpness,andhiss hoesofswiftness!

8 AgainthoseoldmeditationscomeuponmeasI gazeupathim;andI debatewithinmyselfwhethertherewasmoretha noneJack(whichI amlothtobelievepossible),oronlyonegenuin eoriginaladmirableJack, theruddycolourofthecloak,in which 5 SOMESHOR TCHR I S T MA SST OR I E Sthetreemakinga forestofitselfforhertotripthrough,withhe rbasket LittleRedRiding-HoodcomestomeoneChristma sEvetogivemeinformationofthecrueltyandtr eacheryofthatdissemblingWolfwhoatehergra ndmother, withoutmakinganyimpressiononhisappetite, andthenateher, feltthatif I couldhavemarriedLittleRedRiding-Hood,I ,it wasnottobe;andtherewasnothingforit buttolookouttheWolfintheNoah'sArkthere,a ndputhimlateintheprocessiononthetable,as a 's Ark!It wasnotfoundseaworthywhenputina washing-tub,andtheanimalswerecrammedin at theroof,andneededtohavetheirlegswellshak endownbeforetheycouldbegotin,eventhere andthen,tentoonebuttheybegantotumbleouta tthedoor, whichwasbutimperfectlyfastenedwitha wirelatch butwhatwasthatagainstit!

9 Considerthenoble y,a sizeortwosmallerthantheelephant:thelady- bird,thebutter y alltriumphsofart!Considerthegoose,whosef eetweresosmall,andwhosebalancewassoindif ferent,thatheusuallytumbledforward, ,likeidiotictobacco-stoppers;andhowthele opardstucktowarmlittle ngers;andhowthetailsofthelargeranimalsus edgraduallytoresolvethemselvesintofrayed bitsofstring!Hush!Againa forest,andsomebodyupin a tree notRobinHood,notValentine,nottheYellowDw arf(I havepassedhimandallMotherBunch's wonders,withoutmention),butanEasternKing witha !twoEasternKings,forI seeanother,lookingoverhisshoulder!Downup onthegrass,atthetree's foot,liesthefulllengthofa coal-blackGiant,stretchedasleep,withhish eadina lady's lap;andnearthemis a glassbox,fastenedwithfourlocksofshinings teel,inwhichhekeepstheladyprisonerwhenhe is Theladymakessignstothetwokingsinthetree, is , ; ower-potsarefulloftreasure,witha littleearthscatteredonthetop;treesarefor AliBabatohidein;beef-steaksaretothrowdow nintotheValleyofDiamonds,thattheprecious stonesmaysticktothem,andbecarriedbytheea glestotheirnests,whencethetraders,withlo udcries,6 SOMESHOR TCHR I S T MA SST OR I E ,accordingtotherecipeoftheVizier'ssonofB ussorah,whoturnedpastrycookafterhewasset downinhisdrawersat thegateofDamascus.

10 CobblersareallMustaphas,andin thehabitofsewinguppeoplecutintofourpiece s, theentranceto a cavewhichonlywaitsforthemagician,andthel ittle re,andthenecromancy, ,withwhoseshellthemerchantknockedoutthee yeofthegenie's ,concerningwhichtheCommanderoftheFaithfu loverheardtheboyconductthe ctitioustrialofthefraudulentolivemerchan t;allapplesareakintotheapplepurchased(wi thtwoothers)fromtheSultan'sgardenerforth reesequins, ,reallya transformedman,whojumpeduponthebaker's counter, andputhispawonthepieceofbadmoney. Allricerecallsthericewhichtheawfullady, whowasa ghoule,couldonlypeckbygrains, , thereheis,withhisnostrilsturnedcompletel yinside-out,indicativeofBlood! shouldhavea peginhisneck,byvirtuethereofto yawaywithme,asthewoodenhorsedidwiththePr inceofPersia,in thesightofallhisfather's ,oneveryobjectthatI recogniseamongthoseupperbranchesofmyChri stmasTree,I seethisfairylight!WhenI wakeinbed,atday-break,onthecold,dark,win termornings,thewhitesnowdimlybeheld,outs ide,throughthefrostonthewindow-pane,I hearDinarzade.