You've probably seen one of the many versions and adaptions of A Christmas Carol (a a search at IMDB turns up quite a few; my favorite is George C. Scott's) or perhaps you saw the cartoon version (Scrooge McDuck!). Or maybe you even read a short, abridged version of the novella. Most of you are familiar with the story, but I'm willing to bet a few shillings that few of you have actually read the original.

I certainly hadn't. And now I know what I missed.

A Christmas Carol is fantastic! It's a downright rippin' good read. Right from the beginning, "Marley was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that," to the end, "He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world." You know exactly what's going to happen and when it's going to happen, but Dickens's book is timeless. His words carry you along as if you had never heard of the story before.

This is definitely one of those cases where the book is better than the movie(s), and it's definitely a case where the original is the best one of all. I'm really glad I picked it off my shelves.

What are you waiting for? Here's the complete text.

Meet the Yule Dynasty---the world-wide family of Gift Bringers who've been handling Christmastime holidays for years, in secret. Ever think there's no way Santa can cover the entire globe in one night? You were right! He doesn't. He only covers his own country. And when the time comes, he passes the tradition down to his son. Except Kriss Kringle, Santa of the US, doesn't have a son. He only has his daughter, Christine. And he'd very much like to be able to hand the job down to her. It's an idea he knows all the female Gift Bringers will support, but he's worried about his fellow men. Still, he's made up his mind to bring up the motion at this year's annual Yule Conference.

After winning over some of the men, and getting help drafting his motion into the kindest words possible (the tradition only passes to a female if there is no male heir), Kriss is ready to make his request. Unfortunately, right after doing so, the Yule's discover, much to their horror, that a small town in England has actually gone and banned Christmas for the year. An emergency that surpasses his personal dilemma, to be sure, and so his motion must be put aside.

While the Yules at large begin trying to keep the world's press from carrying any anti-Christmas stories, Christine and her new friends, Nick (of England) and Little K (of Japan) are working on their own plan. A plan to go to Plinkbury and save Christmas. And with the help of the female Gift Bringers, its a plan rather easily put into motion, right under they Dynasty's nose. By the time the rest of them catch on, Christine and pals have already saved the day.

This was definitely a cute story, though at times a little cumbersome. Some things seem over-explained while others are under-explained, but eventually you'll be so caught up in the goings on that you'll stop noticing. And kids will likely really enjoy a story with multiple Santa's and where kids are the heroes.