Transcript: Discovering Christmas Joy with Harry the Hobo and Annie | True Meaning of Christmas

It is a blessing to be able to bring these characters to people. Just a kind of little background of these characters that we created many, many years ago. It was kind of an interesting, it was only meant to be a one-time thing. And it was supposed to be just about two hobos that met a pastor on Christmas, and he changed their lives through the love of Jesus. But we performed these characters one Christmas in Louisville, Kentucky, and people fell in love with the characters of Harry and Annie. and when next Christmas came around they were, as it was getting about October they started talking and everybody started saying are we going to see Harry and Andy again this year and my dad said to me, well I think you're going to have to write another one and I was like what? It's October, I got October, November, December I mean I ain't got a whole lot of time to come up with all of them and before long I had written and produced We had written and produced probably a good, oh, probably 20 different scripts during our time. Well, Pastor Allgood was played by my dad. Well, Pastor Allgood, my dad's no longer with us. But Pastor Allgood is still in the production. Just we don't see him. He's still there with Harry and Annie. He still loves Harry and Annie. And he still takes care of them. Pastor Allgood was a widower. and he had no children. And so he's kind of all alone for Christmas. That's why he puts his love into Harry and Annie and buys them stuff and takes care of them, because he kind of takes them as his own family. Well, this Christmas season, Pastor Allgood has something he has to do, but he made sure that Harry and Annie were taken care of. He got them a beautiful Christmas tree Presents under the tree And he gave them a huge Christmas dinner That they can prepare and enjoy for themselves So today, this time around We're going to bring you another edition Of the Adventures of Harry the Hobo and Annie And this time it is called The Christmas Blessing Thank you. Jingle on the way. Oh, what fun to ride in a one-horse wagon. What a jingle bell. Hello. Hello. Eddie. Eddie, Eddie, Eddie, Eddie. How are you? Merry Christmas, my good friend. How are you? I'm doing fine. How are you? I'm excited. We got pastor all the guys, all the food. I got the food up on the fire and it's getting all warm. Turkey's getting good. All the stuffing is in and getting good. And boy, I'm hungry. I sure hope you're a good good. I think I'm getting pretty good. We'll see. What's she got there, Andy? That's a gift for you. Oh, give it to me. Now give it to me. You can't have it till after we eat. Why not? I hope we sure we have to enjoy it. Why don't we open it down? Come on, Andy. How much supper's going to be? A little bit. What's a little bit? A little bit. Can you listen to me? I'm listening. I'm a little bit. It's just so after we eat. Hey, do you eat anything at the store or anything? Uh, you... Will you please answer me? Okay. Um, hmm. Well, I'll tell you what. Pastor Olga gave me some stuff to make some, uh, nauggy egg. Nauggy egg? Nauggy egg? Oh, okay. I had that backwards. Okay. Anyway, anyway, he gave us some stuff to make that, but I don't see no, maybe, what's that called? Yeah, yeah, I need some of that. Could you go get that at the store for me? Okay, I'll be right back. Don't you touch the gift. I ain't gonna touch the gift. Don't. I ain't gonna touch the gift then. Not to ask yourself. I'm not gonna touch the gift. I'm going to the store. I'm getting in the kitchen. Oh, fine. Don't need to catch me. Crazy. You'll never know. I like that. Now see, that's right. I knew I couldn't trust you. Oh, you're a fireman to talk about trust. You said you was going to the store. Well, I knew I couldn't know because I knew I couldn't. Now what are we going to do with that naugier? We just want to know because we couldn't trust you. Oh, put it under the tree. No, I ain't trusting you no more. I'm hanging on to it. Oh, sit down. What are we supposed to do until the... I don't know. It's going to take a little bit because it's still not done. So we'll just have to sit down and look at one another and stare at one another. What do you say? What have you been doing all morning? I've been doing it. I put it under. What are you doing? Look, I even did something like that. I got a nice pillow for you. to even sit on them. See that? Sit down and have a seat. We might as well sit and talk. I guess we'll just sit here and look at one another. No, thank you. Well, I don't know what to do. I don't know. But we got to do something. And your hands are cold Where your gloves It cold outside It cold in here But that don mean nothing That why I got gloves I don live in a house with a lot of heat and all that you know Well, neither do I. Where do you think I'm living? That's why I got these. I got these out in the garbage. You could have got a pair, couldn't you? Well, why didn't you give me a pair for Christmas? Hey, I didn't get you a gift for Christmas You didn't even think of me for Christmas And I thought of you I'm so sorry, Amy I was thinking of cooking Hey, never mind, this is for either boy or girl I'll keep it myself Thank you Hey Now I'm hurt You know what, I can enjoy this very much You're right Hey, by the way Why don't we just tell stories or something? Oh, tell stories. I've got a good story. This better be a good story. I've got a good story. I heard a good story, and I was going to tell you a good story. It better be mine. It's great. It's great. It's all about a man named Stooge. Oh, who wants to hear about Stooge? And furthermore, that's supposed to be Scrooge. What? How do you know that? Because I've heard it before. So you don't want me to tell this story? No, I'm sure your person is going to be a whole lot different than what it is. I'm sure. Well, I don't know about that. But anyway, I'm going to tell you. I'm going to tell you. It was really. I'm going to tell you the story of Ebikiser Stooge. That is not the name. His name is Scrooge. Well, anyway, there was an old man named Ebikiser Stooge. Just listen. Listen. Now, see, Advertiser Stooge, he was a, he was a, what are you going to do, read a book? Well, I'm going to read a book. You go ahead and tell your story. Well, you're supposed to, anyway, this is the Westland Church. Hey, that's not bad. Tell your story. Well, anyway, Advertiser Scrooge, Scrooge, I see, I said it right that time, Scrooge, then you said, are you listening to me? Yes, go ahead. Well, you're talking over me. Now, listen to me. He was a mean old man. He's a mean old man. Okay? Sort of like a male version of you. Anyway. No, no, no, no. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I didn't mean that. I didn't mean that. That wasn't your Christmas spirit. I apologize. Anyway. But anyway. He was a mean old man. And he had a man that worked for him. And his name was Bob Thatcher. Bob Cratchit. Are you going to interrupt me through this whole thing? Until you get it right. Anyway, but Bob Thatchett had a family, okay? And he had a bunch of kids and he had a wife. And he had a boy named Tiny Tom. His name was Tiny Tim. Anyway, but Tiny Tim or Tiny Tom or whatever his name was. He was, okay, he was 200 pounds, and he was like a rich house. 200 pounds. His dad carried him. I was going to carry a 300 pound kid. Who's telling this story? Well, you're not telling it too good. Well, just listen to me. He has a 102-year-old man, and he's carrying a son, 250. And I don't make no sense. Just listen to the story. It's a good story, Eddie. Anyway, so. Just listen. So here he is. He got all this family, and they're poor. Because old stooge won't give them no money. Scooge won't give them no money. He won't give them no money, so they can't do nothing. And so anyway, he sits there, and he says, Bob Fatchett tells him, he says, he tells him, he says, sir, I would like to have Christmas off, if that would be okay with you. And he said, Christmas, ah, bar, bar, humduck, you know, and everything. Well, anyway, but he said, you know, what is Christmas but for making another man poor on Christmas by having to give away all kinds of money? And he was mad. He was mad. But he said, I guess you have to have Christmas off anyway. So he gave him the day off. What is he nice? Yeah, you heard you, God, right? Yeah, yeah, well, anyway, so he goes home and everything, and Stooges goes home, and Scrooge goes home. Anyway, and he sits there and he comes to his house, and there was one of these things that they have that you used to do like that, you know, on the door. There's like a little face, and it has like, okay, okay, but anyway, and when he looked at it, what do you think he saw? A doorknob with a knock on it. No, no, no, no, no, no. He saw a face. And guess who it was? It was the face of Jacob Hartley. You're just telling me. Anyway, anyway. It was his old partner. And his old partner got in the house. I don't know how he got in. But he was in there. You know how he got in? I'll tell you how he got in. You just said you don't know how he got in. I know how he got in. I thought you didn't know. But listen, I know how we got in. Then why did you say you don't know how we got in? Why did you say I don't? Don't overthink things, baby. Don't overthink things. I'm telling the story. Just enjoy it. Will you get it? Okay. So he gets in there, and his partner comes up, and he goes, oh. And he's real scary. And you know what? It's a story going to happen. It's going to take a long time. Brother, never going to die. It's not a long time. I've got things I've got to do. Just listen to the story. He said, he said, you tonight don't want to be visited by three ghosts. You know how he knew that? Because he was a ghost, Annie. He was a ghost. He was a ghost. Are you listening to me? He was a ghost. And he said, you're going to be visited by three ghosts. You know, he was all scared. He was all scared. He said, I don't want to be visited by three ghosts. Get out of here. Ghosts and rocks. But he didn't do that. Anyway. But anyway. He sat there and he said, he said, I don't believe in you. I think you are nothing but a bit of gravy. Oh gravy Gravy Yeah thinking of that when are you going to get this food on the table I getting hungry my stomach I'm too glad, the gravy made me hungry. It's driving your story on me. I know, I know, okay, anyway. But I'll fast forward, I'll fast forward. Hurry it up. Okay, so, fast forward, here we go. Okay, now, it's later in the night. The third night comes. No, the first one has to come. So the first ghost comes, and it's the ghost of Christmas long ago. Okay? The ghost of Christmas long ago. And she says to him, she says, Stooge, come with me. We're going to look at your past. And he said, but I don't want to go. I've already been there. But she wouldn't take no for an answer, so she broke it. And so he went and he looked at all his past and all that type of stuff, and he was not happy because his past was bad. He had a bad past. He had a lot of stuff he didn't care for. But anyway, okay, okay. But anyway, so she sat there and hurt him real bad. He was about to cry, but he couldn't cry anymore. So anyway, fast forward. Then guess what comes next? Number three. It's the third guy. No, no, number two comes next. Now, you're trying to mess my story up. No, number two comes next. And this was the ghost of Christmas here and now. Okay? So he comes along and he says, come and meet me, screw. Know me better, man. And he goes, let's go look at the world right now. And he goes and he shows him his clerk, Bob Fackett. And he says, look at this. Look at their family. Isn't this something? And they're sitting there. You're not listening to my story. Yes, I am. Okay. Well, anyway. I'm fasting. I'm fasting right now. Anyway. No, but anyway. He sits there and he says, come and look. And so he takes him all around and he sees little tiny tongs, all 200 pounds of him. And he says, oh, my heart hurts, that poor little child. And so then before he even knew it, guess what happened? He saw a little bony hand come and go. Ouch. That hurt my fingering. Will you just get to the floor? But he saw this little pony hand go like this, right? And guess what that was? That was the ghost of Christmas down the line. Future. Future, okay. Anyway, he goes like this. And the ghost. We're on three now? Yeah, we're on three now. We're on three now. This is a good story. So he points and he says, look there. Well, he actually didn't talk because he didn't talk. But he pointed and he said, hmm. And so Stooge goes and he looks and he's in the graveyard. now. He's in the graveyard. Amy, and he goes like that. Stop. He goes like that, and he goes and he looks and he says, you want me to look at that? And so he goes over and he looks, and he sees a gravestone. And you know what's on that gravestone? The name... Eat before you die. Amy, you're messing up my story. Listen to what I'm saying. He looked at the gravestone, and And guess what name was on that gravestone? It said, Appetizer Stooge. Well, then he didn't have to worry, did he? Because it wasn't his name. His name is Scrooge, and that's Stooge. So he didn't have to worry. He was still on live. Yeah, that's not my story, eh? Anyway, anyway. Anyway, let's get to the good part. Yeah, now we're getting to the good part. Now we're getting to the good part. Now we're getting to the good part. Well, listen. See, Stooge wakes up, right? and he finds himself back in his bed. And he sits there and he says, Wow, was it all a dream or was it real? I don't really care. Something has happened to my heart. I have changed inside. And so he goes out and he goes and buys a whole bunch of food and he sends it to Bob Thatch's family. Well, who were they? That's the people that worked for him. His name was Cratchit. Why are you messing up my story? Just listen to me. Anyway, he sits there and he does this. And then he says, okay, now I'm going to send it to Bob and his family. Well, lo and behold, this happens. Listen to this. The next day, he's got full of the Christmas spirit. And he's all happy inside. And he sits there and he says, he says, Bob. And Bob comes in late. Ooh, shame. He comes in late. And he sits there and he says, Bob. I am so fond of the Christmas spirit. I am going to endeavor to help. Oh, I got a good word there. Endeavor. That was a good word. I don't know what it means, but it's a good word. But anyway, he said, I'm going to endeavor to help your struggling family. And he said, I'm going to help your little son. And we're going to get him well. And you know what happened? Tiny Tom got better. But Tiny Tim wasn't too good, is that it? He fixed the wrong kid, huh? And you are messing up my story. Anyway, so, so, so, anyway, this whole thing goes to the point of this. And guess what, little, little, little, little, tiny, I'm not going to say his name because you messed up. Tiny Tim. Whatever. Anyway, guess what he said? He remarked and said something special. He said, God bless us, everyone. How would you like it if I hit you? Out of the whole story, you got one phrase right. Ooh, that's good. You better tell them stories. Usually you don't need any. This one, you got one. Hey, that wasn't a bad story. Oh, now you're going to say it's not a bad story after you sat there and interrupted me all the time and corrected me through the whole thing. Sit there and interrupt my story. I got a bitter story. Oh, yeah? What's that? What's your story? My story is, do you know what Christmas is really all about? Oh, Jesus. Oh, yeah, that's right. That's what Christmas is all about. We are so up about all this other stuff. You've got to tell stories about Bob Cratchit, and you've got to worry about fitting gifts, and you've got to do all that. That's not how Christmas is. That don give you the joy and the satisfaction and all of that of Christmas That not what it all about Christmas is forgiving not receiving And Jesus knew that, and he gave to us. You know why? So that we would have eternal life. That means, well, excuse me, we would have life forever. Because you probably don't know what eternal life is. But that means you will live forever in heaven, if you accept that little baby. Why did that? Well, then you know what Christmas is all about. I just forgot. I just forgot. And you know what breaks my heart? What's that? Is we have Mrs. Smith who lives in the church or comes to church all the time. Oh, yeah. Yeah, I know her. Well, she lost her husband. And she's been struggling and trying to get everything and do everything. I just sit and wonder what is she doing at Christmas time with those little kids? Do they have gifts? Do they have a dinner? Do they have things that they need? You know, that's up to us to see to it that they're taken care of and that they have things nice. I mean, and you're worried about your gift and all that. But what about them that don't? They may not have none. And they may not have anything to eat. and you know we should be doing it Pastor Algood gave us some Christmas this year he gave us turkey and mashed potatoes and stuffing and green beans and biscuits I bet it's about done now I was wondering what if we get I go get the turkey and all that and put it in the bag, and you get the gifts, and we go and visit her, Miss Smith and her kids, and we spend Christmas and take the dinner over to them, and we can all spend Christmas together. Well, I can't believe it once you have a good idea. Well, it had to happen sooner or later. I'm glad it happened sooner than later. Oh, well, so that's okay with you if I go get the food and do all that. Because I'm going to put this in there too. Hey, that was mine. Oh, we were just talking about how we should give. Oh, fine. I won't have nothing this year. Yes, you will. Well, I have. You will have the joy of seeing the smiles and the laughs on the little kids' face and all that when they get gifts. And they go and sit down and they have a piece of turkey and all that. you have the joy in knowing these children. Well, they can have the joy with the turkey, but that's my gift, wouldn't they? Okay, okay, I know you're saying I'm an advertiser stooge. I got it, I know. Okay, they can have my gift. I'll just not have one this year. You know what? Huh? That's not really a gift. That's just saying, well, I don't know. You can have it, but you really don't want to give. You're supposed to say, oh, okay, if it's going to help that little boy enjoy Christmas, hey, he can have mine. I don't care. What's the joy of giving? You know what, Annie? I've got a place to live. I've got food. You know what? You're right. He can have it. He can have my gift that you got me. I need you now. That's exactly it. Well, I'll tell you what. I'll tell you what. You get the gifts, I'll get the food. And then we'll go. And don't you eat while you're out. I'm not going to eat. I'm getting the stuff out. Get the gifts, Andy. Get the gifts. All right. And the gift. Oh, it smells good, Amy. Oh, it smells so good. Well, I can't wait. I'm starving. Hurry up. I got it. All right. And we're ready. Ready? I'm ready, Amy. I got all in here. Oh, I tell you. You know what, Amy? I feel good inside. I really do. I told you that. I do. I feel good inside. Merry Christmas, Annie. Merry Christmas. To you, too. And it's wonderful. It is. Because I have a spirit to know that Jesus died, that we might have life in our life. I like it. I like it. Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas. And you know what? I think we should say Merry Christmas to them, don't you think? Oh, there was people out there listening? Yeah. Look like that. Oh, and I know that. I would have been stage fright and would have been able to talk. Yeah, go right out there. No, that's all right. I think I'm just saying that's like, Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas, everybody. Come on, Andy. Let's go. Let's go. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. you