Produced by Chris Curnow, Emmy and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) THE CRICKET ON THE HEARTH. [Illustration] [Illustration: THE CRICKET ON THE HEARTH A FAIRY TALE OF HOME] LONDON: Bradbury & Evans, 90, Fleet Street. & Whitefriars. 1846. THE CRICKET ON THE HEARTH. A FAIRY TALE OF HOME. * * * * * BY CHARLES DICKENS. =ELEVENTH EDITION.= =London:= PRINTED AND PUBLISHED FOR THE AUTHOR, BY BRADBURY AND EVANS, 90, FLEET STREET, AND WHITEFRIARS. * * * * * MDCCCXLVI. LONDON: BRADBURY AND EVANS, PRINTERS, WHITEFRIARS. TO LORD JEFFREY THIS LITTLE STORY IS INSCRIBED, WITH THE AFFECTION AND ATTACHMENT OF HIS FRIEND, THE AUTHOR. _December_, 1845. ILLUSTRATIONS. _Engraver._ _Artist._ FRONTISPIECE _Thompson._ D. MACLISE, R.A. TITLE _G. Dalziel._ D. MACLISE, R.A. CHIRP THE FIRST _G. Dalziel._ R. DOYLE. THE CARRIER'S CART _T. Williams._ C. STANFIELD, R.A. JOHN'S ARRIVAL _E. Dalziel._ J. LEECH. JOHN AND DOT _Swain._ J. LEECH. CHIRP THE SECOND _E. Dalziel._ R. DOYLE. CALEB AT WORK _G. Dalziel._ J. LEECH. BOXER _T. Williams._ E. LANDSEER, R.A. TILLY SLOWBOY _Groves._ J. LEECH. MRS. FIELDING'S LECTURE _E. Dalziel._ J. LEECH. CHIRP THE THIRD _T. Williams._ R. DOYLE. JOHN'S REVERIE _Groves._ J. LEECH. THE DANCE _Swain._ J. LEECH. [Illustration: CHIRP THE FIRST] 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.