LKHFF'S Leo's Christmas Carol

LKHFF'S Leo's Christmas carol

It was the evening of the second LKHFF Christmas Panto and everyone was getting ready the Jungle team were helping people in their seats and the madagascar team wearing severing our snacks and programs, meanwhile backstage everyone was getting ready  to put on the show Rafiki poked his head out from behind the curtain to see it was a full house.

"Is everyone ready?" he called to the actors "Ready as always," said Dagnino Great i'm going to start the show and with that Rafiki headed on stage and the lights dim and the curtain draws back and Rafiki stands at a podium and speaks out loud.

"Greetings everyone we at LKHFF would like to tell you a story it's about Christmas but it's not the usual Christmas story for it's a scary one with Dragons and ghosts as the curtains opened on a snowy city

Chapter one: Dagnino the miser

It was a snowy Christmas Eve in good old London. Everyone was doing whatever he or she could to get ready for Christmas. Shoppers were shopping, beggars were begging, and children were playing. A lot of the citizens loved the holiday season and Christmas. Well... Almost everyone.  

That someone had despised the holiday season with all his heart, letting his greed consume him. His name was Dagnino Tiger. His usual attire consisted of  a gentleman's clothes that were black in color and brown shoes. Now, Dagnino liked the cold. He was hard and sharp as a flint secretive; self-contained and solitary as an oyster.

The tiger walked along the streets- wearing a gray snowcoat, along with a black hat over his typical attire-, past all the people enjoying getting ready for Christmas. And seeing that annually made him despise the holiday even more. He soon came across a group of beggars, one in particular spotting Dagnino almost walk past him.

"Give a penny for the poor, guv'nor." The shivering person begged as he held out his hand, "Penny for the poor."

Dagnino just stared at them in disgust, then just growled as he continued to walk off. Minutes later, he came to his destination, his counting house. Since all he ever seemed to care about was work, this was the one place he liked to be. The tiger stopped short when he looked up at the snow-cover sign that hung over the door. The only part of the sign that wasn't covered was the word 'Marley', which was crossed out.

"Hmm. My partner, Prince Hans Marley..." Dagnino mused, looking at the snow-covered sign, "Dead seven years today."

"Ah, he was a good one." Dagnino spoke with a smirk, "He tried to rule Arendelle and tried to kill it's ruler Queen Elsa." With a chuckle, he lifted his cane and hit the sign, letting the snow fall off of it, revealing the full words; 'Tiger and Marley' as he continued, "In his will, he left me enough money to pay for his tombstone." Then he finished happily, " Ha! And I had him buried at sea!"

With that said, the tiger opened the door to the shop marked with that sign and walked inside. Inside the shop, a young lion stood near the fireplace, crouching as he got ready to put a piece of coal in. He had blue eyes, and wore only a simple jacket, brown shoes, an unbuttoned red coat and a blue scarf. This was Dagnino's overworked, underpaid employee, Leo Lionheart. Although he was not paid that much, Leo was very thankful to have a paying job, since times were tough for his family.

The lion was just about ready to put the piece of coal in the fireplace. However, at the same time, he heard the door open. Thinking fast, Leo spun around to see his boss, Dagnino, walk in while the former hid the piece of coal behind his back.

"Ohh.... um... good morning, Mr. Tiger!" Leo greeted with a nervous grin.

"Lionheart! What are you doing with that piece of coal?!" Dagnino demanded angrily.

Chuckling nervously, Leo took the coal out from behind his back as he spoke, "I was just trying to... thaw out the ink."

To prove his point, Leo gestured to a frozen bottle of ink on top of the fireplace. He was right; the ink was literally frozen.

Dagnino, rolling his eyes in annoyance, walked up to Leo, "Bah" "You used a piece last week!"

On "week", the tiger hit the coal out of Leo's hands, making it land into a near empty bucket of coal.

"Now, get on with your work, Lionheart!" Dagnino ordered sternly as he pointed his cane towards the desk Leo worked at.

Nodding, Leo obliged by walking over to his own desk. Just as he got ready to sit down, he thought about something. He knew his boss might be reluctant at first, but it was worth a try. Summoning the courage, the lion spoke up, as he looked at his boss.

"Speaking of work, Mr. Tiger sir, tomorrow is Christmas, and I was wondering if I could have...ha...have a day off?" Leo suggested a bit nervously.

The tiger paused at this after he had just taken his coat and hat off and placed them on a coat-rack. In the meantime, Leo braced himself for the worst.

"Christmas, huh?" Dagnino asked, before he pulled a few sacks of money out of a coat pocket as he thought about this, "Well...... hmm..." The lion slowly shifted his eyes to his boss, who then decided a bit hesitantly, "I suppose so."

Hearing that, Leo smiled. After all, that was the answer he was hoping to get. Perhaps his boss had started to be more kind for the first time in years. But that faded all on one spot, for Dagnino added one more thing.

"But I'll dock you half a day's pay." Dagnino informed his underpaid employee. Then he began thinking about the usual salary he gave him as he said, "Now, let me see. I pay you two shillings a day, and..."

"That's three shillings and a haypenny, sir." Leo added.

"Oh, yes!" Dagnino exclaimed, realizing about that payment, "I gave you that raise three years ago."

Leo nodded as he added quietly with a smile, "Yes Sir When I started doing your laundry."

"All right, Lionheart." Dagnino said with a stern look in his eyes, "Get busy while I go over my books." He was about to walk to his desk before he realized something. He picked up the big sack he took with him earlier as he said, "Oh, and speaking of laundry, here's another bundle of shirts for you."

Leo held out his arms for the catch. Luckily, the sack landed right in his arms.

"Yes, sir." Leo answered as he looked at his boss.

With that done, Dagnino walked to his desk and began looking over his accounts for he loved his job; looking over at the money he got.

He took out a pen as he spoke out loud while writing on a paper, "Now, let me see. Fifty pounds, ten shillings from McDuff." Then he added as he brought two stacks of coins together, "Plus his eighty percent interest compounded daily." He laughed at this as he played with the coins before he put them down.

At that moment, the door opened as the bell rang. In walked a Siberian Tiger, a Jaguar ans a Sealion. Held in tiger's right hand was a Christmas wreath with a red ribbon.

"Merry Christmas, everyone." the tiger greeted with a grin. That certainly put a frown on Dagnino's face, as he recognized the tiger as his own cousin, Vitaly his wife Gia and his friend Stefano.

"And a Merry Christmas to you, Vitaly." Leo greeted back with a smile as he got off his work spot.

All Dagnino did was glare in the trio's direction, and turned back to his work, grunting, "Bah. Humbug."

"Merry, Christmas, cousin Dagnino!" Vitaly said once again, much to his cousin's annoyance as the former closed the door.

Glaring, Dagnino closed his book as he slowly walked up to the four, "And just what is so merry about it? I'll tell you what Christmas is; it's just another work day."

As the tiger spoke on, Leo, Gia and Stefano backed up nervously.

"And anyone who thinks otherwise should be boiled in his own pudding." Dagnino finished grumpily.

Vitaly, on the other hand, gulped upon hearing his cousin speaking like that. Leo took his opportunity to speak up.

"But, sir. Christmas is a time for giving. A time to be with one's.... family.” the lion said in concern.

Family. The thought made Dagnino grunt in his head. "I say bah. Humbug!" Dagnino remarked with a scowl as he walked back towards his desk.

"Well cousin i never care about what you say about it." Vitaly insisted a bit annoyed, "I say 'Merry Christmas.' Merry Christmas!"

He said the second 'Merry Christmas' with a proud smirk on his face as he crossed his arms.

"Well said, Master Vitaly!" Leo applauded happily as he clapped his hands.

"Lionheart! What are you doing?!" Dagnino demanded angrily as he glared deathly at his underpaid employee.

At that moment, Leo returned to his nervous state. The lion chuckled nervously, "I... was just trying to keep my hands warm, sir." With that, leo went back to his work.

The lion's boss scoffed before he glanced at Vitaly as he demanded, "And what are you doing here with your family, cousin?"

"we came to give you this wreath," Gia answered, handing her husband's reluctant cousin the wreath, "And invite you to come to Christmas dinner with us."

Being invited over for Christmas dinner. Dagnino should've guessed his cousin would pull something like this.

"Well." Dagnino said in a seemingly interested tone before he asked with a smile, "If I didn't know better, I think you're going to have plump goose with chestnut dressing?" Nothing like a little humor to butter a relative up, as one would say.

With a smile, Gia nodded. "That's right."

Continuing with what seemed to be excitement, Dagnino asked, "And will you have plum pudding and lemon sauce?"

"Yeah! Boy, oh, boy!" Stefano Cried

"And candied fruits with spice sugar cakes?"

"Yes! So does that mean you'll be coming?" Vitaly asked, hoping for the best.

"Are you daft man?" Dagnino asked angrily as he opened the door.

Suddenly, the tiger's happy look melted away from hearing that. It took him a good second to realize that his cousin was just buttering him up. Overhearing this, Leo looked over his shoulder with a look of concern.

"But sir Master Vitaly brought us a Christmas wreath will you let me hang it on our door?"

"You dare and i'll hang one on you Dagnino Said sternly as he turn to his cousin.

"You know I can't eat that stuff." Dagnino said coldly before he put the wreath around the tiger's waist. Then he turned him around as he shouted while opening the door all the way, "Now out, out, OUT!!!"

With that said, he kicked all three out, sending them flying before he slammed the door.

"Bah. Humbug." The tiger scoffed as Leo cringed while holding his head, bracing himself. With that said, Dagnino walked back to his desk.

Fortunately for Vitaly, he wasn't one for giving up. He quickly came back with the wreath in hand. At the same time, he hung the wreath on the doorknob as he called out.

"Merry Christmas!" The Siberian tiger exclaimed, and with that, he left, closing the door behind him.

"And a 'Bah, Humbug' to you!" Dagnino responded angrily as he turned around, glaring at the door Vitaly left from.

Leo chuckled as he worked, "That Vitaly. Always had a heart of gold."

"Hmm. Yes, he always was a little peculiar with that little hobby of his." Dagnino admitted. He glared in the direction of the door as he heard it open once again. "AND stubborn!"

However, coming through the door was someone different. Well, seven someones, actually. they were a Family of five and their dogs wearing a winter jacket each. They were the Griffin family Peter, Lois, Chris, Meg, Stewie and their dogs Vinnie and Brian, in order.

"Ooh!" Dagnino exclaimed in delight as he chuckled to himself with a smile while rubbing his hands, "Customers!"

Before Leo could make a move, the tiger held out his arm as he said to him while walking up to the family, "I'll handle this, Lionheart."

With that, the tiger came over to the Griffins as he said, "Yes, what can I do for you today then?"

Peter's wife Lois responded as she explained, "Sir, we are soliciting funds for the, uh, indigent and destitute."

"The what?" Dagnino inquired, raising an eyebrow. Perhaps he had forgotten that indigent and destitute meant poor and penniless.

"In other words, we're collecting for the poor." Their son Chris said, putting it simply.

"Oh." said the tiger in an understanding tone, until speaking in a seemingly concerned tone, "You realize if you give money to the poor, they won't be poor anymore, will they?"

Meg looked into the empty cup. She had never thought of that. "Well-."

Dagnino continued as he grabbed Stewie by the red pants before letting him go, making him run back to Brian and Vinnie. "And if they are not poor anymore, then you wouldn't have to raise money for them anymore."

"Well, I suppose not, and-." Brian started.

"And, if you didn't have to raise money for them anymore, then you would be out of the job." continued the Tiger in false sympathy, showing the family out the door, "Oh, please, Ladies and gentlemen. Don't ask me to put you out of a job- not on Christmas Eve."

"Oh, now, we wouldn't do that, Mr. Dagnino." Vinnie said with Peter shaking his head in agreement.

Finally looking annoyed and picking up the wreath Vitaly left him, Dagnino snapped, "Well, I suggest you give this to the poor, and be gone!"  As he said that, the tiger gave them the wreath. "so your'e not mad that brian left a little Present by your desk." Peter said as Dagnino got annoyed.

"Alright!" The Lot of you Out! Out! OUT! and take you pennies for the poor with you Dagnino said as he threw the cup at the Griffins and slammed the door behind them. The Griffins just stared in confusion, wondering why he would act like that all of a sudden as they laid in the snow. Along with that, Brian had the wreath around his nose and Peter had a bump on his head were the cup hit him.

After what he did, the tiger sighed in exhaustion and frustration as he slid down the door with a hand to his eyes, moaning, "What's this world coming to, Lionheart?"

Leo stopped working and turned to his boss as he continued with his hands to his face, "You work all your life to get money," then he continued with a look of his despair in his eyes as he held his arms out while finishing, "and people want you to give it away."

With that said, Dagnino walked back to his desk to resume his work. Leo just sighed as he shook his head and he went back to his work.  Perhaps the chance of his boss having a heart of gold would not be likely at all.