Episode Nine: Waiting

Summary

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A Christmas Carol: “Episode Nine: Waiting”

Presented by The Merry Beggars
Release Date: December 9, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode, “Waiting,” continues Ebenezer Scrooge’s journey on the night he encounters the supernatural. Following his harrowing visit from the ghost of Jacob Marley, Scrooge is left in a state of anxiety, confusion, and mounting anticipation as he waits for the arrival of the first spirit foretold by Marley. The episode dramatically explores his inner turmoil over whether the entire spectral ordeal was real or a product of imagination. Through atmospheric narration and authentic period detail, the story builds suspense as the hour approaches.

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Key Discussion Points & Story Developments

1. Marley’s Departure and the Apparition of Other Ghosts (00:42 – 03:08)

• After parting words, Marley binds his jaw and floats to the now-open window, beckoning Scrooge to witness the supernatural world beyond.
• Atmospheric Description: The air is full of “phantoms, wandering hither and thither in restless haste and moaning as they went. Every one of them wore chains like Marley's ghost… None were free.” (01:58)
• Scrooge regonizes faces among the ghosts and is struck by their helpless misery, especially one spirit weighted down by a heavy iron safe, who “cried piteously at being unable to assist a wretched woman with an infant.” (02:30)
• All the spirits vanish into the mist, their voices fading, and the night returns to normalcy.

2. Scrooge’s Disbelief and Weariness (03:08 – 03:50)

• Scrooge checks the door (still locked) and mutters “Humbug,” though he can hardly finish the word. Emotionally drained, without undressing or even closing his bed curtains, he falls instantly asleep.

3. Disorientation & Doubt After Waking (04:12 – 06:52)

• Awakening in darkness, Scrooge doubts his senses, wondering if his experience was a terrible dream—perhaps indigestion from “spoiled beef.” (04:16)
• He is disconcerted by the clock, which strikes twelve when it could only have been a few hours since he went to bed:
  • Scrooge (Astonished): “12. 12. No, no, that can't be right. It was only past two when I went to bed. The clock must be wrong. An icicle must have got into the works. 12.” (05:05)
• He checks by touching the repeater:
  • Scrooge (Counting): “1, 2, 3, 4. That's 6, 8, 10, 11, 12. That is impossible.” (05:32)
• Perplexed by the darkness and silence outside, Scrooge rationalizes—perhaps a dream, perhaps indigestion—but his mind cannot settle.

4. The Agony of Uncertainty & Anticipation (06:52 – 07:57)

• Marley’s ghost and the whole experience preoccupy him; his mind “flew back again, like a strong spring released to its first position… Was it a dream or not?” (07:09)
• He recalls Marley’s warning that the first spirit would visit at one o’clock and resolves: “I'll just stay awake. I'll stay awake until one and then fall asleep, just to... just to make sure.” (07:46)

5. Waiting for the Ghostly Hour (07:57 – 09:06)

• Scrooge lies awake, impatient as each quarter-hour passes:
  • Scrooge (Clockwatching):
    • “A quarter past.” (08:19)
    • “Half past.” (08:23)
    • “A quarter to it.” (08:27)
• As one o’clock nears, tension surges. The bell tolls, and suddenly, “One light flashed up in the room upon the instant and the curtains of his bed were drawn.” (08:42)
• This cliffhanger moment ends the episode with the approach of the first spirit.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the fate of the condemned spirits:
  “The misery with them all was clearly that they sought to interfere for good in human matters, and had lost the power forever.” (02:30)
• Scrooge confronting reality:
  “Still locked both of them. Nothing changed, nothing disturbed.” (03:14)
• Self-doubt and rationalization:
  “It was just a terrible dream. Some… beef, no doubt. Spoiled. Spoiled beef.” (04:16)
• Skepticism in the face of the supernatural:
  “That is impossible. I can’t have slept through a whole day and far into another night. It’s as black as pitch in here. Completely dark.” (05:50)
• Philosophical musing:
  “Was it a dream or not?” (07:09)
• Emotional suspense:
  “The quarter was so long that he was more than once convinced he must have sunk into a doze unconsciously and missed the clock.” (07:57)
• Climax:
  “One light flashed up in the room upon the instant and the curtains of his bed were drawn.” (08:42)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp (MM:SS) | Segment | |-----------------------|--------------------------------------------------| | 00:42 – 03:08 | Marley's ghost departs; Scrooge sees condemned souls | | 03:14 – 03:50 | Scrooge in disbelief; “Humbug”; falls asleep | | 04:12 – 06:52 | Scrooge awakes, disoriented by time and darkness| | 06:52 – 07:57 | Scrooge agonizes over supernatural experience | | 07:57 – 09:06 | Wait for one o’clock; buildup to spirit’s arrival|

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Tone & Atmosphere

The episode maintains Dickens’ somber, suspenseful, and psychological tone. Scrooge is portrayed with authentic vulnerability as he oscillates between disbelief and fear, his skepticism gradually being eroded by the relentless strangeness of the night. The voice acting and soundscapes mirror the eerie, haunted quality of the classic tale.

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Summary for New Listeners:
Episode Nine: “Waiting” digs deep into Scrooge’s psyche in the wake of his ghostly visitation. Haunted by Marley’s warning and struck by supernatural occurrences that defy explanation, Scrooge spends a restless night filled with dread and anticipation for what is to come. Ghostly apparitions, chilling time anomalies, and Scrooge’s battle with his own skepticism set the stage for the spectral visitations ahead.

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Next Episode Teaser:
The stage is set for the arrival of the first spirit—anticipation and dread in equal measure as Scrooge’s journey of transformation truly begins.

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Transcript

[Narrator/Host]

Have you ever wanted to text Ebenezer Scrooge? Well, now's your chance. Text Scrooge to 914914 and get free episodes of A Christmas Carol every day of Advent. Text Scrooge to 914-914.

[Announcer]

The merry beggars at relevant radio present.

Episode 9 wa.

[Narrator/Reader (Scrooge's perspective)]

When Marley had said these words, the spectre took its wrapper from the table and bound it round its head as before. Scrooge knew this by the smart sound its teeth made when the jaws were brought together by the bandage. He ventured to raise his eyes again and found his supernatural visitor confronting him in an erect attitude. With its chain wound over and about its arm, the apparition walked backward from him, and at every step it took, the window raised itself a little, so that when the specter reached it, it was wide open.

[Scrooge]

Come.

[Narrator/Reader (Scrooge's perspective)]

It beckoned Scrooge to approach, which he did. When they were within two paces of each other, Marley's ghost held up its hand, warning him to come no nearer. Scrooge stopped, not so much in obedience as in surprise and fear.

For on the raising of the hand he became sensible of confused noises in the air, incoherent sounds of lamentation and regret, wailings inexpressibly sorrowful and self accusatory. The specter, after listening for a moment, joined in the mournful dirge and floated out upon the bleak, dark night.

Scrooge followed to the window. Desperate in his curiosity, he looked out. The air was filled with phantoms, wandering hither and thither in restless haste and moaning as they went. Every one of them wore chains like Marley's ghost. Some few they might be go to. Governments were linked together. None were free.

[Scrooge]

That's John Harris and Thomas Carter. No, it can't be. Charles. Charles.

[Narrator/Reader (Scrooge's perspective)]

He had been quite familiar with one old ghost in a white waistcoat with a monstrous iron safe attached to its ankle, who cried piteously at being unable to assist a wretched woman with an infant whom it saw below upon a doorstep. The misery with them all was clearly that they sought to interfere for good in human matters and had lost the power forever. Whether these creatures faded into mist or mist enshrouded them, he could not tell. But they and their spirit voices faded together, and the night became as it had been when he walked home.

Scrooge closed the window and examined the door by which the ghost had entered.

[Scrooge]

Still locked both of them. Nothing changed, nothing disturbed.

[Announcer]

Humb.

[Scrooge]

Humbug.

[Narrator/Reader (Scrooge's perspective)]

He tried to say humbug, but stopped at the first syllable, and being from the emotion he had undergone, or the fatigues of the day, or his glimpse of the invisible world, or the dull conversation of the ghost, or the lateness of the hour, much in need of repose, went straight to bed without even so much as drawing the bed curtains closed, without undressing, and fell asleep upon the instant.

[Scrooge]

I don't see her.

[Announcer]

I can't.

[Scrooge]

I swear. It's never.

Who is it?

[Narrator/Reader (Scrooge's perspective)]

Huh?

[Scrooge]

It was just a terrible dream. Some. Some of that. Some of that. Beef, no doubt. Spoiled. Spoiled beef.

[Narrator/Reader (Scrooge's perspective)]

When Scrooge awoke, it was so dark that looking out of bed, he could scarcely distinguish the transparent window from the opaque walls of his chamber. He was endeavoring to pierce the darkness with his ferret eyes when the chimes of a neighboring church struck the four quarters. So he listened for the hour.

To his great astonishment, the heavy bell went on from 6 to 7, and from 7 to 8, and regularly up to 12, then stopped.

[Scrooge]

12. 12. No, no, that can't be right. It was only past two when I went to bed. The clock must be wrong. An icicle must have got into the works. 12.

Hold on, let me check it. Here we go. My clock. Let me just touch the repeater and press and hear.

1, 2, 3, 4.

That's 6, 8, 10, 11, 12.

That is impossible. I can't have slept through a whole day and far into another night. It. It's as black as pitch in here. Completely dark. It isn't possible that anything has happened to the sun. And this is 12 at noon.

Ah, here's the window. Now.

[Narrator/Reader (Scrooge's perspective)]

He was obliged to rub the frost off with the sleeve of his dressing gown. Before he could see anything and could see very little. Then all he could make out was that it was still very foggy and extremely cold, and that there was no noise of people running to and fro and making a great stir, as there unquestionably would have been if night had beaten off bright day and taken possession of the world. Scrooge went to bed again and thought and thought and thought it over and over and over and could make nothing of it. The more he thought, the more perplexed he was, and the more he endeavoured not to think, the more he thought.

[Scrooge]

It must be a dream and the clock must have been wrong. And I must. I must. I must have had some manner of indigestion, of irritation or discomfort from a meal. It must have. It must have.

[Narrator/Reader (Scrooge's perspective)]

Marley's ghost bothered him exceedingly. Every time he resolved within himself after mature inquiry that it was all a dream, his mind flew back again. Like a strong spring released to its first position and presented the same problem to be worked all through. Was it a dream or not?

[Scrooge]

A quarter to one. A quarter to one. Why, that's when Jacob said the first spirit would come. But that's. That's but a dream. Enough. Enough of that.

Yet. Yet.

I'll just. I'll just stay awake. I'll stay awake until one and then fall asleep, just to. Just to make sure.

[Narrator/Reader (Scrooge's perspective)]

Scrooge resolved to lie awake until the hour was past. And considering that he could no more go to sleep than go to heaven, this was perhaps the wisest resolution in his power. The quarter was so long that he was more than once convinced he must have sunk into a doze unconsciously and missed the clock. At length it broke upon his listening ear.

[Scrooge]

A quarter past.

Half past.

A quarter to it.

The hour itself and nothing else.

[Narrator/Reader (Scrooge's perspective)]

He spoke before the hour bell sounded, which it now did with a deep, dull, hollow melancholy. One light flashed up in the room upon the instant and the curtains of his bed were drawn.

[Announcer]

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