The Cricket on the Hearth

By: Charles Dickens

The Cricket on the Hearth is the third of Dickens's five Christmas books. It tells the story of John Peerybingle, a carrier, who lives with his young wife Dot, their baby boy and their nanny Tilly Slowboy. A cricket chirps on the hearth and acts as a guardian angel to the family. One day a mysterious elderly stranger comes to visit and takes up lodging at Peerybingle's house for a few days."The kettle began it! Don't tell me what Mrs. Peerybingle said. I know better. Mrs. Peerybingle may leave it on record to the end of time that she couldn't say which of them began it; but, I say the kettle did. I ought to know, I hope! The kettle began it, full five minutes by the little waxy-faced Dutch clock in the corner, before the Cricket uttered a chirp.As if the clock hadn't finished striking, and the convulsive little Haymaker at the top of it, jerking away right and left with a scythe in front of a Moorish Palace, hadn't mowed down half an acre of imaginary grass before the Cricket joined in at all!Why, I am not naturally positive. Every one knows that. I wouldn't set my own opinion against the opinion of Mrs. Peerybingle, unless I were quite sure, on any account whatever. Nothing should induce me. But, this is a question of fact. And the fact is, that the kettle began it, at least five minutes before the Cricket gave any sign of being in existence. Contradict me, and I'll say ten."

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1533616809
• ISBN13: 9781533616807
• Release Date: June 2016
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 62 Pages
• Weight: 0.32 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 6.0" x 9.0"