"The Cricket on the Hearth" is Charles Dickens 1845 novella, which marks the third of five Christmas books written by the author between 1843 and 1847. It is the story of John Peerybingle and his family who are visited by a guardian angel in the form of a cricket who is constantly chirping on their hearth. A delightfully fantastic story, «The Cricket on the Hearth» was the best-selling of Dickens five Christmas books and is a perfect little tale for the Christmas holiday season.
"The Gift of the Magi" is a short story, written by O. Henry (a pen name for William Sydney Porter), about a young married couple and how they deal with the challenge of buying secret Christmas gifts for each other with very little money. As a sentimental story with a moral lesson about gift-giving, it has been a popular one for adaptation, especially for presentation at Christmas time. The plot and its «twist ending» are well-known, and the ending is generally considered an example of...
"The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain" is Charles Dickens 19th century novella that concludes his series of five Christmas books written between 1843 and 1848. It is the story of Professor Redlaw, a chemistry teacher who is constantly brooding over the grief caused by past wrongs done to him. Redlaw is haunted by a spirit who takes from him these painful memories, which leaves him unexpectedly bitter. Ultimately the conflict of the novella is resolved in an uplifting way which...
