cricket on the hearth

We find brass "crickets" constantly in stores that sell folksy things or things for the hearth and home. In old folklore, having a cricket in the house is supposed to be good luck. I wondered for years how this "folklore came about. I found that it came from a story by Charles Dickens. Hmmm. I even asked my cousin who is the University Librarian in Adelaide, South Australia, and the most well-read person I knew. He didn't have a clue!

I ordered the book from Amazon, which included both the stories "The Christmas Carol" and "Cricket on the Hearth." The story "The Cricket on the Hearth" is actually a love story, and I enjoyed reading it! My shot of culture for the year, maybe.


This is my "Cricket on the Hearth". He was given to my Mom from an aunt years ago. Don't ask me why he looks like an alligator.

And this is a picture of a brass cricket I found online. Looks much more like a cricket than mine.