Horrid Henry's Christmas Carol

Stave 4 - The Spirit of the Future

HENRY is entirely alone for a long moment. He is frightened by the darkness and feels it approaching him. Suddenly he stops, senses the presence of the third spirit. It is Miss Battle Axe, dressed in a black hooded robe

HENRY:
Miss Battle Axe! Is that you?

MS. BATTLE AXE: I'm afraid not, Henry. You shall refer to me as the Ghost of Christmas Future

HENRY: Speak to me. Tell me what happens in the future—to me, all of us. 

MS. BATTLE AXE: Want me to tell you? I'll show you! (Battle Axe points. Light illuminates the shadows of Henry's house.) 

HENRY: I know it. I know it too well, cold and cheerless. It is mine. (Moody Margaret and Sour Susan are dimly visible in Henry's house.) What is...? Those bogey brains! Thieves! There are thieves in my house! (He starts forward to confront them, but Battle Axe stops him.)

BATTLE AXE: No, Henry! You cannot interfere with the future. 

HENRY: But they're stealing my stuff! (He rushes into the house to claim his belongings and to protect them. The two girls do no notice his presence.) 

MARGARET: Would you look at that! His diary! All mine. And him all dead!

SUSAN: Yeah. Him all dead.

STEVE: Lookin' for someone, ladies?

MARGARET: Oh look! A comic collection! Looks like that old rubbish can't get them now because he's dead. Good riddance.

SUSAN: Yeah! Good riddance!

HENRY: Spirit. Is there no tenderness connected to any death? (Battle Axe directs his attention to Miss Lovely's house; the children are sitting together near Miss Lovely, who is sewing a coat. Spotless Sam reads by the light of the coals.)

SAM:
"And he took a child and set him in the midst of them."

MS. LOVELY: It must be near his time now.

GOODY GOODY GORDON:
Past it, I think, but he walks slower than he used to.

MS. LOVELY:
I have known him to walk with Tidy Ted next to him very fast indeed. But he was very light to carry and Peter loved him, so that it was no trouble, no trouble. (She hears PETER approaching.) Smiles, everyone, smiles.

PETER:
(Entering.) Sorry I'm late. How is my new coat?

MISS LOVELY: (Handing him the coat.) Nearly done. 

PETER: Yes, good, I'm sure that it will be done long before Sunday.

MISS LOVELY:
Sunday! You went today then, Peter?

PETER:
Yes. I promised him that, that I would walk there on Sunday...often. But remember, when that day does come—as it must—we must none of us forget poor Tidy Ted and this first parting in our family... (cries)

HENRY: He died! Alright! (Battle Axe looks at him disgustedly) I mean.. Oh no. That's sad. (He steps back and the scene disappears; he moves away from Battle Axe.) But Spirit! Is there anyway that I can still make a change? (The two walk in a cold and dark graveyard) Why are we at the cemetery Spirit (trips on a grave) Ow! Spirit.... who's died? Am I the one in that grave

BATTLE AXE: See for yourself, Henry ya horrid boy. 

Henry cleans the grave and realises that the writing on the gravestone is spelled "Horrid Henry" 

HENRY: (gasps loudly) No! Spirit! I'm not who I was in the past! Please let Ted and me live! I promise to change my ways! I promise! Don't tell me it's too late! 

BATTLE AXE: Well, it is for you Horrid Henry! Now DETENTION! (pushes Henry down a hole that leads straight to hell)

HENRY: NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!