Nephew Fred

Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol Feature - Scrooge (1951)

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"'A merry Christmas, uncle! God save you!' cried
a cheerful voice. It was the voice of Scrooge's
nephew, who came upon him so quickly that this was
the first intimation he had of his approach.

Bah!' said Scrooge, Humbug!'

He had so heated himself with rapid walking in the
fog and frost, this nephew of Scrooge's, that he was
all in a glow; his face was ruddy and handsome; his
eyes sparkled, and his breath smoked again.

'Christmas a humbug, uncle!' said Scrooge's
nephew. 'You don't mean that, I am sure?'

'I do,' said Scrooge. 'Merry Christmas! What
right have you to be merry? What reason have you
to be merry? You're poor enough.'

'Come, then,' returned the nephew gaily. 'What
right have you to be dismal? What reason have you
to be morose? You're rich enough.'

Scrooge having no better answer ready on the spur
of the moment, said 'Bah!' again; and followed it up
with 'Humbug.'

'Don't be cross, uncle!' said the nephew.

'What else can I be,' returned the uncle, 'when I
live in such a world of fools as this? Merry Christmas!
Out upon merry Christmas! What's Christmas
time to you but a time for paying bills without
money; a time for finding yourself a year older, but
not an hour richer; a time for balancing your books
and having every item in 'em through a round dozen
of months presented dead against you? If I could
work my will,' said Scrooge indignantly, 'every idiot
who goes about with "Merry Christmas" on his lips,
should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried
with a stake of holly through his heart. He should!'"

- A Christmas Carol, Stave 1: Marley's Ghost

The character of nephew Fred is performed by Brian Worth

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