If you got to read the "Tiny Tim" segment from "Dickens' Dream Children," the 1901 volume by Mary Angela Dickens, I'm sure you found it a pleasant light read.
But, now's where we dissect what was meant to be cute little story for kids!
It's kinda sorta an excerpt from "A Christmas Carol," but it changes a few things as originally penned by Mary's grandfather, one Charles Dickens.
It starts off with an introduction of Scrooge in a very conversational manner. The omniscient narrator says Scrooge had "some wonderful and disagreeable dreams" before moving on to Tiny Tim.
Now, of course, those weren't dreams, being that "A Christmas Carol" is "a ghosts story of Christmas," but, hey, this book is aimed ta kids, so we'll let it go!
The narrator says that we're going to see how Tiny Tim spent Christmas Day. We then have an edited version of the Cratchit's Christmas dinner with the goose and pudding as seen by Scrooge with the Ghost of Christmas Present (no ghost mentioned here, though).
Aha! That's NOT how Tiny Tim spent Christmas Day! That's how Tiny Tim would have spent Christmas Day! The Cratchit family actually had a ginormous turkey for Christmas dinner! Plot hole!
Amongst some other details, the narrator says that this was first time that Bob had taken Tiny Tim to church, which is not implied in the original book.
Because the focus is on Tiny Tim, most of Scrooge's encounters with the spirits are omitted, but we do get a "dream" sequence form the future where Tiny Tim has died.
What's interesting here is that the "dream-spirit" talks to Scrooge, saying, "Tiny Tim died because his father was too poor to give him what was necessary to make him well; you kept him poor." Harsh words from a spirit who doesn't usually talk!
The idea that Tiny Tim could possibly get better if Scrooge gave Bob a raise is only implied in the original book, but it's often stated outright as it is here in various adaptations, including Howdy Doody's version. Does that need to be spelled out for kids?
But, Scrooge does indeed give Bob a raise and Tiny Tim did not die - "not a bit of it."
The text here says that Tiny Tim was the main catalyst for Scrooge's reformation. Fair enough.
So, this is an interesting little story, aimed squarely at kids, probably younger ones not ready for the whole "A Christmas Carol" yet.
No doubt good entertainment for early twentieth century kids!
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