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The Cricket on the HearthCharles Dickens

Classic Christmas fiction

The Cricket on the Hearth

by Charles Dickens

Book 3 of the Christmas Books series

Carrier John Peerybingle shares a modest but happy home with his much younger wife Dot, their baby, and the cricket whose song seems to bless the hearth. A mysterious elderly lodger and the cruel suspicions of toy merchant Tackleton make John believe Dot has betrayed him. The stranger's identity instead reveals a plan to reunite Caleb Plummer's presumed-dead son Edward with May, the woman Tackleton intends to marry. Cozy and sentimental, this Christmas novella suits readers who enjoy Victorian households, mistaken appearances, faithful marriages, returning loved ones, and domestic tales where listening to compassion prevents jealousy from turning into irreversible harm.

Paired for this story

Orchard Mulled Cider + Prospector Porter

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At a glance

Know what you're getting into

Spice0 of 5
Suspense1 of 5
Creepy0 of 5
What do these symbols mean? →

No surprises at chapter twelve

Content notes

Victorian attitudes and brief emotional distress

Alcohol-Free Pour

Orchard Mulled Cider

Orchard spice suits a lively, lighthearted reading mood.

How to mix it

  1. Warm the cider with spices and fruit for 5–10 minutes without boiling. Strain if desired and serve hot.
  2. Garnish: Cinnamon stick or orange slice.
  3. Glassware: Mug.
21+

Cocktail Pour · 21+

Prospector Porter

For adults of legal drinking age. Please drink responsibly.

A pint of porter brings dark, toasty comfort to the end of a long day.

What you'll need

  • 12 oz Porter

How to mix it

  1. Pour into a clean pint glass and serve at the appropriate cool serving temperature.
  2. Garnish: None.
  3. Glassware: Pint glass.

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