Charles Dickens 
The Cricket on the Hearth 
and Other Christmas Stories

With the publication of
A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens almost single-handedly created the genre of the ‘Christmas story.’ And while that beloved classic remains among the best known in the field, Dickens also wrote a number of other delightful tales associated with Yuletide.

This volume features three of the best. Combining realism with fantasy, and with kindness and affection for the poor a dominant theme, they include the title story, a charming tale of a pleasant and simple home life; ‘The Holly-Tree, ‘ a lighthearted story of love reclaimed in a quiet country inn; and ‘The Haunted House, ‘ an entertaining account of a belligerent ghost’s effect on the lives of those with whom he shares a home.

Written with Dickens’s familiar flair for characterization, comic incident, and the picturesque, these stories will delight readers with their unusual charms and nostalgic re-creation of Victorian Christmases past.

Table of Content

Contents

The Cricket on the Hearth Chirp the First Chirp the Second Chirp the Third

The Holly-Tree

I. The ·Guest

II. The Boots

III. The Bill

The Haunted House

I. The Mortals in the House

II. The Ghost in Master B.’s Room

III. The Ghost in the Comer Room

About the author

After a childhood blighted by poverty, commercial success came early to Charles Dickens (1812-70). By the age of 24, he was an international sensation whose new novels were eagerly anticipated. Two centuries later, Dickens’s popularity endures as readers revel in the warm humanity and rollicking humor of his tales of self-discovery.