the adventure of sherlok holmes

8/6/2019 The Adventure of Sherlok Holmes

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THE ADVENTURE OF SHERLOCK HOLMESIt was the month of April. Spring was round the comer. Earlyone morning, an interesting visitor came knocking at a door in

Baker Street of London. Dr. Watson, sleeping in his chamber,was surprised and a little annoyed at being woken up by hisfriend Sherlock Holmes. UsuaUy Sherlock Holmes was a lateriser but today he was up and dressed quite early."We have a visitor, dear Watson, who is in urgent need of ourservices! ' said Holmes and the good doctor at once jumped outof bed and got dressed. A lady dressed in black, with a veil overthe face, awaited them in the study.'Good morning, Madam", said Holmes cheerily. "Please


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come near the fire. You are shivering"."It's not the cold but fear that makes me shiver, Sir", replied thelady, throwing up her veil, She was about thirty but already therewas grey in her hair. Her face looked tensed. "A friend has

recommended your name and I hope you will help me"."If you tell us what is wrong, then po sibly we can dosomething about it" countered Holmes.The lady began her strange story."My name is Helen Stoner. I live with my step-father, the last

of the oldest Saxon families in England, the Roylotts of StokeMoran in Surrey. The family was, at one times, among the richestinEngland. But gradually the wealth became less and less as thesons of the family wasted away the wealth one by one. The lastheir, my step-father Dr. Roylott, took a loan from a relative and


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studied medicine. Then he went out to Calcutta and eamed afortune. But, in a fit of temper, he beat his butler to death inCalcutta and had to go to prison for a long time. He came out aruined and frustrated man. Wb iIe in J ndia he mani ed my motherMrs. Stoner, the young widow of Major-General Stoner, Mysister Julia and I were twins, just two years old then. My motherhad a good income 1000 a year and this she gave to Dr. Roylottwhile she lived with him with a condition that a portion would goto each sister OJ] her marriage. Shortly after am return toEngland, my mother died in a train accident.Dr. Roylott left bis practice in London and moved to Stoke

Moran with us. He was a man of indent temper and quarrelledwith all our neighbours. He did not like u to make friends either.So, we lived in the manor house, shut out from the world. We had


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for company the strange animals that were sent to Dr. Roylott bysomeone from India. Currently he has a Cheetah and a mosthorrible baboon patrolling the grounds ofthe manor freely.My sister Julia visited my aunt Miss Honaria Westphail, ourmother's sister, for Christmas. There she met and got engaged toa nice man. This happened two years ago. Dr. Roylott leamt ofthe engagement after my sister' return but offered no objections.But a fortnight before she was to be married, Julia died undermysterious circumstances. 'Julia used to sleep in the bedroom next to Dr. Roylott's and mybedroom is the next one. That night Dr. Roylott retired to bed

early but did not sleep. Julia could smell hi strong Indian cigar.She came to my room for a chat an d sat till eleven. When she gotup to go, she asked me if I whistled in my sleep. This was a


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strange que tion. When Iasked her to explain, she told me thatfor the past few days she was hearing somebody whistle at aboutthree in the morning.After this she went to her room. It was raining heavily and astorm was blowing too. Suddenly I heard a wild scream ofterror

and then a clanging sound something metallic had fallen. As I randown the passage, I saw my sister's door open and Julia appear inthe doorway. Her face was white with terror. She swayed fromside to side and collapsed. I ran to her and saw her writhing inpain. I bent down to hear her soft whisper "Oh, my God! Helen!It was the band! The speckled band!" She pointed towards thedoctor's room but before she could continue, she died. I canedloudly for my step-father. When he came rushing out, he tried torevive Julia but it was of no use".


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"Was your sister dressed?" asked Sherlock Holmes.'No, she was in her night gown", replied Miss Stonercontinuing her story."There was an inquiry but nothing could be found. Julia's door

had been locked from the inside. The windows were blocked byiron bars and shutters. The walls were solid. The chimney iswidebut barred. So, my sister was all alone in her room. There was notrace of poison. So, her death was a mystery. Since then I havebeen very lonely without Julia. But amonth ago I got engaged toPercy Armitage and my rep-father offered no objections. We areto be married in spring. Two days ago repair work has beenstarted in the manor house. r have had to move into Julia's roombecause mine is being repaired. Imagine my terror whensuddenly I heard a whistle last night. I remembered Julia's words


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andso Iru bed to you for help","Will it possible for you to show us your entire today?" askedHolmes."Ye , my step-father will be away for the day", repliedMiss Stoner.Holmes prepared to visit her inthe afternoon and then she left.As Holmes and Dr. Watson sat discussing the whole matter, adangerous looking man entered the study."I am Dr. Grimesby Roylott of Stoke Moran. My step-daughter has just been to see you. Don't meddle in my affairs. I

am a dangerous man!" barked the stranger and rushed out withthese words.Holmes and Watson were left speechless.Holmes went out for a short while and 011 his return told


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Watson that he had read Mrs. Stoner's will. Each girl was to have250 a year after marriage. So, Dr. Roylott has a lot to gain if thedaughters do not marry or die before marriage.After this they left for Stoke Moran.Miss Stoner learnt of her step-father's visit to Baker Street.

Then she took them on tour of the house. Holmes examined thetwo rooms carefully, asking Miss Stoner a number of questions.He, however, did not wish to enter Dr. Roy lott's chamber. Hespent a lot oftime in Julia's rOOID."Where does that bell communicate with?" He asked, pointingto a thick bell-rope which hung down beside the bed, the tassleactually lying upon the pillow."To the housekeeper's room", replied Miss Stoner."It looks quite new", commented Holmes.


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"Yes. It's been put there only a couple of years ago. We neveruse it though," said Helen.Holmes looked at the bell-rope, then gave it a tug."Why, it's a dummy", said he. "It is not attached to a wire. Thisis very interesting. It is fastened to a hook just above the littleopening for the ventilator"." otice that the ventilator of this room open into the otherroom and not outside", continued Holmes."That, too, is anew addition" said Helen.Then they went into Dr. Roylott's room. Itwas a plain room

with a camp-bed, a wooden shelf fuJI of books, au armchair, aplain wooden chair, a round table, and a large iron safe.Holmes examined everything carefully."Is there a cat in the house?" asked Holmes, holding a small


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saucer ofmilk which stood on top ofthe safe."No. we don't keep cats", was the reply.Holmes then looked in surprise at a dog-lash hanging in onecorner. Then they all walked out.Itwas then decided that Holmes and Dr. Watson would spend

the night in Helen's room. That night when Dr. Roylott hadretired to bed, Helen let them into her room. Holmes had broughta long thin cane with him which he placed on tbe bed besidehimself. He instructed Watson to sit in a chair and be sure not tofall asleep. We waited for hours and then saw a glimmer oflightin the ventilator. Someone in the next room had lit a lantern. Weheard some movement from next door and then a gentle hissingsound. The instant we heard the hissing sound, Holmes sprangfrom the bed, struck a match and lashed furiously with his cane at


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e bell-rope. At the moment when Holmes had struck the matchr. Watson had heard a whistling sound and then, the bri ght lightf the lantern blinded him.Holmes gazed up at the ventilator when a horrible screamhattered the stillness of the night ..Dr, Watson stood gazing atolmes. The scream went on and on and then stopped."What can it mean?" asked a shivering Dr. Watson."Itmeans that it is all over," HoLmes answered. "Now, let's goDr. Roylott's room".When we entered the room a horrible sight awaited lLS. On theble was a dark lantern with the shutter half open. The door ofe iron safe was open. Beside the table, in the chair sat Dr.oylott dressed in a dressing gown. Across his lap lay the dogsh. His chin was cocked upward and his eyes were fixed in a


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dreadful glare. Round his brow was a peculiar yellow band withbrownish speckles, tied tightly round his head. There was nosound from him."The band! The speckled band l" whispered Holmes.In an instant the band began to move and reared itself from

among his hair, the diamond-shaped lead of a serpent."It is a swamp adder!" cried Holmes, "the deadliest snake inIndia. Let us drive it into its resting place and inform the police".Then with the help of the dog lash he shoved the snake into theiron safe and closed the door. Then Holmes explained the plotRoylott had hatched to kill his step-daughters before they marriedand took away a substantial portion from his wife's legacy.Dr. Roy lott would put the snake through the ventilation into thenext room with the help of the dog lash ..There the snake would


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climb down the bell-rope and land on the bed biting the occupant.Then, before morning light he would recall the snake with awhistle. Ithad been trained, no doubt with the help of a saucer ofmilk they had found on top of the safe. The victim could escapebeing bitten when the snake was sent every day. The metallicsound that Miss Stoner had heard must have been the sound of theiron safe door being closed. Julia must have seen the snake in faintcandl e Iight and mistook it for a speckled band.When Holmes had looked out at the snake, it must haveclimbed back into Dr. Roylott's room. Being maddened with painit must have bitten the first person it carne across and that was Dr.Roylott. Thus was solved the case oftbe Speckled Band and MissHelen Stoner was now free to many.


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. .1. Veil2. Countered3. Fortune4. Manor house5 . Swayed6. Collapsed7. Writhing8. Speckled9. Barred10. Meddle11. Tasselnug13. Dummy14. Glimmer15. Hissing16. Lashed17. Furiously18. Shattered19. Cocked20. DreadfuJ glare:21. Adder22. Hatched23. Substantial24. Legacy

GLOSSARYa. covering of a very thin transparent rna terialworn, especially by women, to hide the face.response to somebody.a large amount of money.a large country house surrounded by land thatbelongs to it.moved slowly from side to side.fell down suddenly.moving your body without stopping, often becauseyou are in great pain.covered with small marks or spots.blocked a path so that nobody can pass.to become involved in something that does notconcern you.a bunch of threads that are tied together at oneend.a sudden hard pull.a thing that seems to be real but is only a copy ofthe real thing.a fain unsteady light.making a sound like a long's'.hit with great force.with great speed.made(the stillness of night) break.raised (the chin) so that itis upright.very unpleasant look.a small poisonous snake with diamond shapedmarks on its backcreated a plan, especially in secret.large in amount or value.money or property that is given by somebodywhen he/she dies.

The explanations of words in the glossary are not comprehensive, Thewords have been explained according to the context in which they wereused in the story.


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CLASSIC ADVENTURE TALESSince the beginning of times Man has sought adventure and tales of theseadventures have been a legacy for mankind down the ages. Our ClassicAdventure Tales series is a collection of tales of adventure and courage whichhave entertained readers for generations.The stories have been adapted by experienced authors and illustrated byour creative team. The adaptation have retained all of the rich. traditionalflavour while incorporating dialogues in a lucid style to further reading andlearning. The text is easy to read and has a modern feel about it.Itis hoped that this series will help develop a thirst for reading in ourchi Idren and improve their knowledge of Eng.lish.We Sincerely hope our efforts will find favour in the eyes of parents andgive our readers hours of delightful reading,

Titles 1.n The Series Aladdin and the Magic Lamp Black Beauty Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves Heidi The Voyages of Sinbad Tom Sawyer The Jungle Book Treasure Island Gulliver's Travels in Lilliput Swiss family Robinson Robin Hood The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes

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the adventure of sherlok holmes

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