sherlock holmes - short stories 3ª parte and activities

The Five Orange Pips

1

The Story of Unele Elias

I n September 1887 m y w i f e was v i s i t ing some o f her

f a m i l y , so I was s taying w i t h m y oíd f r i e n d Sherlock

H o l m e s i n Baker Street. I t was a w i n d y , s t o r m y

evening, a n d the r a i n was f a l l i n g heavily outside.

Suddenly there was a k n o c k at the d o o r .

I l o o k e d at m y f r i e n d i n surprise. ' W h o can this be?'

I asked.

' I f he comes o n business i n this weather , i t ' s

i m p o r t a n t , ' said Sherlock H o l m e s . ' C o m e i n ! ' he

cal led.

A y o u n g m a n carne i n . H e l o o k e d w e t , t i r ed a n d

w o r r i e d . T v e come t o ask f o r he lp , ' he said. T v e heard

o f y o u , M r H o l m e s . People say y o u k n o w everything. I

d o n ' t k n o w w h a t t o d o . '

' W e l l , sit d o w n , ' said H o l m e s , ' a n d te l l me a b o u t yoursel f . '

T h e y o u n g m a n sat d o w n , a n d p u t his w e t feet near

the fire. ' M y ñame is J o h n O p e n s h a w . M y father,

Joseph, had a brother , m y únele Elias, w h o w e n t t o l ive

i n A m e r i c a w h e n he was y o u n g . H e made a l o t o f

money there. H e d i d n ' t l ike the black Amer icans , so

d u r i n g the C i v i l W a r he f o u g h t against the men f r o m

The Five Orange Pips 29

the N o r t h , a n d with those f r o m the South. But w h e n

the South lost the w a r , and there was equal i ty f o r black

people, Unele Elias lef t A m e r i c a . So i n 1869 he carne

back t o England and w e n t to l ive i n a large house i n the

c o u n t r y . H e was a strange, u n h a p p y m a n .

' H e d i d n o t w a n t any f r iends , ' John Openshaw

w e n t o n , ' and he of ten d r a n k a l o t . But he l i k e d me,

and w h e n I was twelve , I moved t o Unele Elias's house.

H e was very k i n d t o me. I c o u l d go anywhere i n the

house. But there was one smal l r o o m at the t o p o f the

house w h i c h was always locked. N o b o d y c o u l d go i n t o

this r o o m .

' O n e day Unele Elias got a letter f r o m Pondicherry

i n I n d i a . " I d o n ' t k n o w anyone i n P o n d i c h e r r y ! " he

said, b u t w h e n he opened the envelope, five l i t t l e

orange pips fe l l o n t o his píate. I began t o laugh b u t

stopped w h e n I saw m y uncle's w h i t e face.

' " K . K . K . ! " he cr ied . " O h m y G o d , m y G o d , they've

f o u n d m e ! "

' " W h a t d o y o u mean, únele?" I asked.

' " D e a t h ! " he cr ied , a n d ran upstairs .

' I l o o k e d at the envelope, w h i c h h a d three Ks o n the

back. There was no letter. W h o sent it? A n d w h y was

m y únele so afraid?

'Unele Elias w e n t immedia te ly t o the secret r o o m

and t o o k o u t a b o x w h i c h also h a d three Ks o n i t . H e

b u r n t al l the papers i n the b o x , and said t o me, " John ,

I k n o w t h a t I ' m g o i n g t o die soon. M y b r o t h e r , y o u r

30 Sherlock Holmes Short Stories

father, w i l l have a l l m y money and m y house after m y

death, and you w i l l have i t a l l w h e n he dies. I hope y o u

can enjoy i t , but i f not , give i t t o y o u r w o r s t enemy. I 'ra

a f ra id that m y money brings death w i t h i t . "

' I d i d n ' t understand w h a t he meant , and n o t h i n g

happened f o r a few weeks, so I d i d n o t feel so w o r r i e d .

But m y únele was very a f r a i d . H e stayed i n his r o o m

most o f the t i m e , a n d d r a n k more than before. H e

always locked a l l the doors careful ly . T h e n one n i g h t

he d r a n k very heavily and ran w i l d l y o u t of the house,

a n d i n the m o r n i n g we f o u n d h i m dead i n a r iver . T h e

pólice said he k i l l e d himself , b u t I k n e w he was a f ra id

t o die , so I d i d n ' t t h i n k that was t r u e . '

H o l m e s stopped the y o u n g m a n f o r a m i n u t e . ' T e l l

me , ' he said. ' W h e n d i d y o u r únele get the letter f r o m

I n d i a , and w h e n d i d he die?'

' T h e letter arr ived o n lOth M a r c h 1883, a n d he died

seven weeks later, ' answered John Openshaw.

' T h a n k y o u . Please go o n , ' said H o l m e s .

' A f t e r m y uncle's death, m y father moved i n t o the

house. O f course I asked h i m t o l o o k careful ly at the

locked r o o m , but we d i d n ' t find a n y t h i n g i m p o r t a n t . '

More Pips

' E v e r y t h i n g w e n t w e l l u n t i l a year later, ' said John

Openshaw. 'But one m o r n i n g my father opened a letter

t o find five orange pips inside i t . " W h a t does this

mean, John?" he asked. H i s face was w h i t e .

'What does this mean, John?' my father asked.


' " L o o k ! " I said. "There 's K . K . K . o n the envelope.

Those letters were o n Unele Elias's envelope t o o ! " W e

were b o t h shaking and a f r a i d .

' "Yes, a n d this t ime i t says 'Put the papers i n the

g a r d e n ' . "

' " W h i c h papers? T h e papers i n Unele Elias's box? H e b u r n t t h e m ! " I said.

' " A n d where has this letter come f r o m ? " m y father

said. H e l o o k e d at the envelope. " D u n d e e , Scot land.

W e l l , I d o n ' t k n o w a n y t h i n g about pips o r papers. P m

n o t g o i n g t o d o a n y t h i n g . "

' "Father , y o u must te l l the pó l i ce , " I said.

' I remembered m y uncle's letter f r o m I n d i a , and I

was very w o r r i e d .

' " N o , t h e y ' l l l augh at me. Let's just forget a b o u t i t , " he repl ied .

'Three days later m y p o o r father w e n t t o vis i t an oíd

f r i e n d w h o l i v e d some miles a w a y . B u t he never carne

back. T h e pólice said that he was w a l k i n g home i n the

dark w h e n he fe l l d o w n a h i l l . H e was badly h u r t , a n d

he d ied soon after . T h e y decided i t was an accident,

but I d i d n ' t agree. I t h o u g h t i t was murder , a n d I c o u l d

not forget the five orange pips and the strange letters t o

m y únele a n d m y father .

'But Pve t r i e d t o forget , a n d Pve l ived alone i n t h a t

house f o r nearly three years n o w . T h e n yesterday I g o t

th i s . '

T h e y o u n g m a n showed us an envelope w i t h K . K . K .


o n the back, a n d five smal l orange pips . ' Y o u see?' he

said. ' I t comes f r o m East L o n d o n , a n d i t says " P u t the

papers i n the g a r d e n " . Those are the w o r d s that were

i n the letter t o m y father . '

'So w h a t d i d y o u d o next? ' asked H o l m e s .

' N o t h i n g , ' answered Openshaw. H e p u t his head i n

his hands. ' I d o n ' t k n o w w h a t t o d o . P m a f r a i d . '

' N o t h i n g ? ' cr ied H o l m e s . ' Y o u n g m a n , y o u must d o

something fast. Y o u ' r e i n danger! '

' W e l l , Pve ta lked t o the pól ice , ' said Openshaw

u n h a p p i l y . 'But they laughed at me. T h e y t h i n k that

there's n o t h i n g t o w o r r y about . '

' H o w s t u p i d they are!' cr ied H o l m e s . ' A n d w h y

d i d n ' t y o u come t o me immediately? Y o u r enemies

have h a d almost t w o days t o make a p l a n . H a v e n ' t y o u

f o u n d a n y t h i n g w h i c h w i l l help us?'

' W e l l , I f o u n d this i n the locked r o o m , ' said John

Openshaw. H e showed us a smal l , h a l f - b u r n t piece o f

paper. ' I t was w i t h m y uncle's papers. I t 's his w r i t i n g .

L o o k , i t says:

M a r c h 7 t h 1869 Sent the pips t o three people,

B r o w n , R o b i n s o n a n d W i l l i a m s .

M a r c h 9 t h B r o w n lef t .

M a r c h l O t h W i l l i a m s left .

M a r c h 12th V i s i t e d R o b i n s o n a n d finished business

w i t h h i m .

' T h a n k y o u , ' said Sherlock H o l m e s . ' A n d n o w y o u


must h u r r y home. Put this paper i n t o y o u r uncle's b o x ,

p u t i n a letter w h i c h says that y o u r únele b u r n t a l l the

other papers, and p u t the b o x outside i n the garden. I

hope y o u r enemies w i l l be h a p p y w i t h tha t , and then

y o u w o n ' t be i n danger any m o r e . H o w are y o u go ing

home?'

'By t r a i n f r o m W a t e r l o o s ta t ion , ' replied Openshaw.

' T h e r e ' l l be a l o t o f people i n the streets, so I t h i n k

that y o u ' l l be a l l r i g h t . But be care fu l . '

' T h a n k y o u , M r H o l m e s , ' said O p e n s h a w . T i l d o

everything y o u say.' H e w e n t o u t i n t o the d a r k n ight ,

the w i n d and the r a i n .

3

K.K.K.

Sherlock H o l m e s sat s i lent ly , a n d watched the f ire .

T h e n he said t o me, ' John Openshaw is i n real danger.

W h y d i d his Unele Elias have t o leave America? Because

he had enemies. W h e n he carne back t o England he

was a f r a i d . T h a t ' s w h y he l ived a lonely l i fe and locked

al l his doors so careful ly . N o w where d i d those letters

come f rom? D i d y o u see?'

' T h e first f r o m Pondicherry i n I n d i a , the second

f r o m Dundee i n Scotland and the t h i r d f r o m East

L o n d o n , ' I answered.

'Does t h a t te l l y o u anything? ' asked H o l m e s .


Sherlock Holmes sat silently, and watched the fire.

'They ' re al l sea ports . T h e w r i t e r was o n a ship when

he w r o t e the letters, ' I repl ied . I was pleased w i t h m y

answer.

' V e r y g o o d , W a t s o n , ' said H o l m e s . 'Somebody sent

some pips f r o m I n d i a , a n d arr ived seven weeks later t o

k i l l Unele Elias. T h e n he sent some pips f r o m Scotland

a n d arr ived three days later t o k i l l John's father. D o

y o u see w h y I ' m w o r r i e d now? H e has sent pips t o


John from London! John's enemy is i n L o n d o n

already! '

' G o o d G o d , H o l m e s ! ' I c r ied . ' W h o is this man?'

' M o r e t h a n one m a n , I t h i n k . T h e y belong t o the K u

K l u x K l a n . T h a t explains the " K . K . K . " . H a v e n ' t y o u

ever heard o f it? I t 's a very secret g r o u p of Americans

f r o m the South. T h e y w a n t e d t o stop equali ty for black

people and t o k i l l anyone w h o d i d n ' t agree w i t h t h e m .

T h e pólice c o u l d n ' t stop t h e m . But i n 1869 Unele Elias,

w h o belonged to this secret g r o u p , suddenly left

A m e r i c a w i t h a l l their papers, and so the g r o u p c o u l d

n o t go o n . O f course the g r o u p w a n t e d t o get the

papers back. Y o u remember the h a l f - b u r n t paper?

T h a t was Unele Elias's A m e r i c a n d i a r y . W h i l e he was

w o r k i n g for the K . K . K . , he sent the pips t o f r i g h t e n

those three men. T w o left the c o u n t r y , but one d i d n ' t ,

so the K . K . K . " f in ished business w i t h h i m " , o r k i l l e d

h i m . T h e K . K . K . always w o r k e d l ike t h a t . '

' W e l l , I hope they w o n ' t k i l l y o u n g O p e n s h a w , ' I

said.

The Last Deaths

But they d i d . T h e next m o r n i n g w e read i n the

newspaper that John Openshaw was dead. A policeman

f o u n d h i m i n the r iver near W a t e r l o o s ta t ion . T h e

pólice said i t was an accident, b u t H o l m e s was very

angry about i t .

' H e carne t o me f o r help a n d those men m u r d e r e d

h i m ! I ' m g o i n g t o find t h e m , i f i t ' s the last t h i n g I d o ! '

he said t o me, a n d he h u r r i e d o u t o f the house.

I n the evening, w h e n he carne back t o Baker Street,

he was t i r e d , b u t pleased. ' W a t s o n ! ' he said, i k n o w

the ñames o f Openshaw's enemies! A n d n o w I ' m g o i n g

t o send t h e m a surprise! T h i s w i l l f r ighten t h e m ! ' H e

We read in the newspaper that John Openshaw was dead.


t o o k five pips f r o m an orange and p u t t h e m i n an

envelope. O n i t he w r o t e ' S . H . f o r J .C. '

T m sending the pips, n o t f r o m the K . K . K . , b u t f r o m

me, Sherlock H o l m e s , to C a p t a i n James C a l h o u n . H i s

ship is called the Star. H e and his men are sai l ing back

t o Georgia , U S A , n o w . '

' H o w d i d y o u find h i m , Holmes? ' I asked.

'Ship's papers, ' he said. T v e l o o k e d at hundreds o f

t h e m today . O n l y one ship, the Star, was i n the three

ports at the r i g h t t imes, and this m o r n i n g the Star left

L o n d o n t o sail back t o Georgia . I f o u n d o u t that the

captain a n d t w o o f his men , al l Amer icans , weren ' t o n

the ship last n i g h t , so I ' m sure they k i l l e d p o o r John

Openshaw. W h e n they arr ive i n A m e r i c a , t h e y ' l l get

the pips and then the pólice w i l l catch t h e m ! '

Sherlock H o l m e s is a very clever detective, b u t he

can d o n o t h i n g a b o u t the weather . T h e w i n t e r storms

at sea t h a t year were worse t h a n ever, and so the Star

never arr ived i n Georgia , and n o b o d y saw the captain

o r his men again. T h e murderers o f John Openshaw

d i d n o t get the pips , b u t , i n the end, death carne t o

t h e m .

3 9

G L O S S A R Y

air-vent a hole, usually on an outside wall, to bring air into a

room band a thin, narrow piece of material to put round something

(e.g. the neck or head) bell-rope a long piece of thin rope, fixed to a wall; you pulí it to

ring a bell captain the most important person on a ship

civil war fighting between the people in one country

corridor a long narrow place in a house with doors which open

into rooms

Count (n) a title ('Dr', 'Mrs ' , 'King' are titles) in front of a

ñame

envelope you put a letter inside an envelope equality when black people and white people can live and work

together with no difficulty, there is equality find out to ask questions and learn about something fixed if something is fixed, it is not possible to move it frighten to make somcone afraid gipsies wild people who don't live in houses, but travel round

the country God (Good G o d , O h my G o d , Thank God) words which

people say to show they are surprised, happy, thankful, etc.

hope (v) to want something to happen king the most important man in a royal family lawyer a person who helps someone with difficult business, and

keeps their important papers

majesty (Your Majesty) words that you say when you speak to a king or queen

maskfnj something to hide the face metal something hard; gold, silver, steel, etc. are metáis

40 Glossary

pip a small white seed inside fruit like oranges poison (n) something that will kill you or make you very ill if

you eat or drink it port a city or town by the sea where ships arrive or leave from royal of a king or queen

scandal unkind talk about someone, which is bad for that person

servant someone who works in another person's house snake a long thin animal without legs; many snakes are

dangerous

speckled with small round marks of one colour on top of another colour

stepfather your mother's second husband (not your real father) throw (past tense threw) to make something move through the

air

únele the brother of your father or mother violent strong and dangerous

whistle (n) a high sound made not by the voice but by air

through the lips witness (n) somebody who sees something happen, and who

writes their ñame to show that it really happened worried (adj) afraid that something bad will happen

Sherlock Holmes Short Stories

A C T I V I T I E S

42

A C T I V I T I E S

Before Reading

1 H o w much do you k n o w about detective stories? T h i n k about these questions.

1 Have you read any stories about famous detectives?

What are their ñames? Are they always policemen or

policewomen?

2 Have you seen any films or televisión programmes

about detectives? Which ones? Which f i lm or T V

detective do you like best, and why?

3 In books or films, does the detective usually catch the

criminal? Is the detective always 'good' and the criminal

always 'bad'?

2 Read the story introduction on the first page of the book, and the back cover. What do you k n o w now, or what can you guess, about Sherlock Holmes? T i c k one of the boxes. YES N O PERHAPS

1 He was a real person. • • • 2 He often worked w i t h a fr iend. • • • 3 He always carried a gun. • • • 4 His fíat was in Baker Street. • • • 5 He worked in an office evcry day. • • • 6 He looked at people and things very

carefully. • • •

43

A C T I V I T I E S

While Reading

The Speckled Baña

Read Chapter 1 , then answer these questions.

Who

1 . . . killed a servant?

2 . . . died in an accident eight years ago?

3 . . . died t w o years ago?

4 . . . was afraid of the w i l d animáis and the gipsies?

Read Chapter 2. Here are some untrue sentences. Change them into true sentences.

1 D r Roylott d id not need the girls' money.

2 Something was wrong w i t h Helen's bedroom w a l l .

3 Helen and Julia often used the bell-rope.

4 The air-vent was outside the t w o bedrooms.

Before you read Chapter 3 (Death in the Night), can you guess what is going to happen? T i c k one box each time. YES NO

1 D r Roylott kills Helen. • •

2 Watson kills a cat. • •

3 D r Roylott dies. • •

4 Holmes finds the killer. O D

5 The gipsies k i l l Dr Roylott . • •

44 ACTIVITIFS: While Reading

A Scandal in Bohemia

Read Chapters 1 and 2. Are these sentences true (T) or false (F)?

1 Sherlock Holmes loved Irene Adler.

2 Watson and Holmes agreed to keep a secret.

3 Irene Adler had a photo of herself and the King.

4 Irene was happy to hear that the King was going to

marry Clotilde.

5 The King gave Holmes t w o thousand pounds.

6 Holmes found out a lot f r o m Irene Adler's servants.

7 Four taxis drove to the church of St Monica.

8 Holmes helped Irene to marry Godfrey N o r t o n .

Read Chapters 3 and 4. Choose the best question-word for these questions, and then answer them.

Who I Where I Why I What

1 . . . fe l l , w i t h blood running d o w n his face?

2 . . . did Irene bring Holmes into her house?

3 . . . did Watson throw the smoke-stick into the room?

4 . . . happened next?

5 . . . d id Irene hide the photo?

6 . . . said, 'Good night, M r Sherlock Holmes'?

7 . . . was the King happy in the end?

8 . . . did Holmes ask the King to give him?

ACTIVITIES: While Reading 45


Read Chapters 1 and 2. W h o said or wrote this?

1 T v e come to ask for help.'

2 ' I don't know anyone in Pondicherry!'

3 'He kil led himself.'

4 'Put the papers i n the garden.'

5 'Let's just forget about i t . '

6 ' Y o u must do something fast.'

7 'Sent the pips to three people.'

8 T i l do everything you say.'

Before you read Chapter 3 (K. K. K.) and Chapter 4 {The Last Deaths), can you guess the answers to these questions?

1 Are the K. K. K. Americans?

2 Where are the K. K. K. now?

3 W i l l they come to John Openshaw's house?

4 W i l l they k i l l John Openshaw?

5 W i l l Sherlock Holmes find the killers?

6 W i l l Sherlock Holmes need D r Watson's help?

7 H o w many people are going to die?

8 W i l l i t be the end of the K. K. K?

46

A C T I V I T I E S

After Reading

1 Look at these possible new titles for the three stories. M a t c h all the titles w i t h the stories. Which one do you like best for each story? Explain w h y .

The Speckled Band

A Scandal in Bohemia


1 The King's Photograph

2 Death in an Envelope

3 Money isn't Everything

4 A Dangerous Room

5 Finished Business

6 A l l for Love

7 Death in the Country

8 A C l e v e r W o m a n

9 A n Unexpected Death

10 A Dark Secret f r o m the Past

11 Money Matters

12 In the W r o n g Hands

ACTIVITIES: After Reading 47

2 I n The Speckled Band, perhaps the pólice asked one of the gipsies what he saw and heard on the night of D r Roylott 's death. Use these words f r o m the story to complete the conversation. (Use each w o r d once.)

anyone, hedroom, box, dead, friends, garden, happened, head, help, hours, light, listened, night, ran, saw, speckled, terrible, through, what, where, whistle, wife

PÓLICE: Tel l me, where were you at midnight last ?

GIPSY: I was outside i n the , sitting round a small fire

w i t h my and child, and some of our .

PÓLICE: D i d you see moving around in the garden?

GIPSY: Yes, I t w o men. They crossed the garden and

got into the house Miss Stoner's window.

PÓLICE: I t was dark then. Were they carrying a ?

GIPSY: N o , but there was a light in the room, so they could

see to go.

PÓLICE: A n d what next?

GIPSY: N o t h i n g happened for about three . I waited

near the house and . Then I heard a quiet ,

and after that a cry f r o m D r Roylott 's room.

PÓLICE: D i d you see was happening i n his room?

GIPSY: Yes, I to his w i n d o w and looked i n . The t w o

men were there. They were looking at a metal .

A n d I saw D r Roylott sitting in a chair, w i t h a

yellow band round his . Then I ran away.

PÓLICE: Thank you for your . You can go now.

48 ACTIVITIES: After Reading

3 Here is a conversation between the King of Bohemia and Irene Adler (see page 18 in A Scandal in Bohemia). The conversation is in the wrong order. Write i t out in the correct order and put i n the speakers' ñames. The King speaks first (number 3).

1 'Irene, please! You k n o w that I cannot marry you.

I must marry a woman of royal blood. '

2 ' I think that I want to keep i t . Perhaps I ' l l look at

it every day, and remember our love.'

3 'Irene, Tve come to ask you for that photograph. '

4 'Don ' t talk about money! I ' m not interested in

that at al l ! Lea ve me alone! Leave this room at once!'

5 ' T h i n k of my ñame and my family, Irene! There

must be no scandal. I loved you, yes, I d i d , but that's finished n o w — '

6 'Wel l , i f I am not good enough for Your Majesty,

no other woman w i l l be. I ' l l send the photograph to

Cloti lde! '

7 'But I must have i t , Irene! I f Clotilde von Saxe-

Meningen ever sees that photograph—'

8 'Finished? So, I ' m like an oíd coat that you don't

want to wear any more! What a fine friend you are!'

9 ' N o ! Irene, how much do you want for the

photograph?'

10 ' A h ! If she sees i t , perhaps she w i l l not marry you!

A n d there w i l l be a scandal!'

ACTIVITIES: After Reading 49

4 I n The Five Orange Pips perhaps Elias Openshaw kept a diary. Here is what he wrote at the end of lOth M a r c h 1883. Use the l inking words below to complete his diary for that day. (Use each w o r d once.)

then I but I so I because I and I if I when I while I which I immediately I who

It's night-time now, and I feel afraid, I've locked all

the doors very carefully. Today I received the five orange

pips f rom the K. K. K.! I've been safe f r o m them for the

last fourteen years, now I k n o w that it's the end.

This morning I was at the breakfast table w i t h young

John the servant brought in the post. There was a

letter carne f r o m Pondicherry in India. A t first, I was

surprised, I don' t know anyone lives there.

I realized that i t meant death! The five orange pips

were in the envelope, they fell on to my píate.

, I hurried upstairs to fetch the K. K. K. box f r o m

the locked room. John was watching, I burnt all the

papers in the box. But it's no good, I know that they w i l l

find me and k i l l me! A n d poor John gets my money

one day, he w i l l die too!

50 ACTIVITIES: After Reading

5 What do you think about Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson? Think about these questions.

1 D o you think Sherlock Holmes is a clever detective?

What is he specially good at?

2 Why do people ask Holmes for help? Does he always

keep them out of danger?

3 What do you think about D r Watson? Is he as clever as

Holmes? Does Holmes really need him?

4 Is Holmes ready to k i l l someone who has killed another

person (like D r Roylott)? Is Holmes himself a killer?

5 Does Holmes always find the answer? Is he always

cleverer than the other people in the stories?

6 Which story d id you like best, and which did you l ike least? Can you explain why? Write a short review of one of the stories. Use these words to help you.

/ liked I didn't like this story because . . .

. . . nobody died

. . . could I couldn't guess the answer

. . . the murderer(s) was (were) killed

. . . a good person was murdered

. . . somebody was cleverer than Sherlock Holmes

. . . happy I unhappy ending

51

A B O U T T H E A U T H O R

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He studied medicine and worked as a doctor for eight years. Because he wanted to earn more money, he started wri t ing, and soon people were reading his stories in weekly magazines.

In the opening pages of his first novel, A Study in Scarlet (1887), Sherlock Holmes appeared for the first time - a strange, coldly intelligent detective, who smokes a pipe, plays the viol in, and lives at 221B Baker Street in London. He can find the answer to almost any problem, and often explains how easy it is to his slow-thinking friend, Dr Watson ('Elementary, my dear Watson!'). Readers began to show great interest in Holmes when The Sign ofFour was published in 1890, and short stories about him, in the Strand magazine, were very popular.

Conan Doyle himself preferred w r i t i n g novéis about history, like The White Company (1891), and he soon became bored wi th the Sherlock Holmes character. So, in The Final Problem (1893) he 'ki l led' h im, when Holmes and his famous enemy, Moriarty, fell to their deaths in the Reichenbach falls. But because people wanted more stories about Holmes, Conan Doyle had to bring him back to life, in The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902), and many more stories.

You can read Sherlock Holmes stories in almost any language, and there are many plays and films about the great detective.

sherlock holmes - short stories 3ª parte and activities

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