"A Christmas Carol, The Chimes, and The Cricket on the Hearth" contains three of Charles Dickens most popular Christmas-time stories. In "A Christmas Carol" we have the classic story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly old man who is visited by ghosts prior to Christmas to show him the error of his ways. In "The Chimes" we have the story of Toby Veck, a poor working-class man who has lost his faith in human nature. On New Year's Eve he is visited by spirits who show him that nobody is born evil, but rather that crime and poverty are constructs of man. In "The Cricket on the Hearth" we have the story of John Peerybingle and his family who have a guardian angel in the form of a cricket who is constantly chirping on the hearth. These classic holiday tales will delight readers of all ages.