THE BLUE CARBUNCLE (PROSE)

ANSWER KEY
C. Short Questions (Answer in about 40-50 words)
1. Peterson wanted to give the goose back to the owner but faced a problem. What was the
problem?
The problem was that the goose had a name tag of Mrs. Henry Baker tied to its left leg. The hat
also had the initials HB inscribed on its inner lining. Peterson was confused as there were
thousands of Bakers in the city and many hundreds of those were Henry Bakers.
2. “The man is clever, middle aged and uses lime cream in his hair”. How did Holmes come
to each of these conclusions?
Holmes came to this conclusion as the size of the hat was big. From this he deduced that the man
to whom it belonged must have a large head and this in turn meant that he had some brains.
There was some fine grey hair in the hat’s lining so he concluded that the man must be middle-
aged. Also, there was a fine whiff of lime from the hat so he deduced the man used lime cream.
3. “Ha, this may save us a visit to Brixton Road.” Why did Holmes say this?
Holmes and Watson had made plans to go to Brixton Road to visit Mrs. Oakshott. Holmes knew
that the culprit was Ryder, the hotel attendant and Mrs. Oakshott’s brother. At the time when
Holmes said these words, they were with Mr. Breckinridge, the goose seller. They saw the goose
seller shaking his fist at Ryder. Since Ryder, the culprit was present at hand, Holmes felt that they
did not need to go all the way to Brixton Road to search for him.
4. Describe these characters from the story in two or three sentences each.
a. Mr. Baker- Mr. Baker was an innocent man who just wanted his goose back. He was not
involved in the theft of the blue carbuncle. He was timid and did not attempt to fight back the
rough men.
b. Mr. Holmes- Sherlock Holmes was a clever and observant detective who solves the mystery
of the Blue Carbuncle with ease. Holmes' famous deductive and observation skills and his usual
intelligence are brought out very clearly through the manner in which he solves the mystery. The
steps he takes in order to find the owner of the hat and person who had stolen the precious gem
reveals his intelligence and careful planning.
c. Dr. Watson- Dr Watson was not only a dear friend of Holmes, but also was quite interested in
the cases which interested Holmes. He was a good company with whom Holmes discussed his
deductions and findings with ease and comfort. He was Holmes’s trustworthy companion.
d. Mr. Ryder- James Ryder, brother of Mrs. Oakshott was an attendant at Hotel Cosmopolitan.
He had stolen the precious ‘Blue Carbuncle’. He was shrewd and deceitful as he falsely accused
the plumber of stealing the gem so he could get away with stealing it and hiding it in a goose's
throat.
e. Mr. Peterson – Peterson, a commissioner plays a big part in this story because he brought the
evidence of the case to Holmes which uncovered a big crime. Peterson becomes a part of the
mystery when he tries to help Mr. Baker who was attacked by rough men. This proves he was a
dutiful man. He was an honest man, as he brings the gem, he and his wife found in the goose to
Holmes.
E. Long Questions. (Answer in about 50-60 words)
1. How do you think Mrs. Oakshott must have felt when she heard about Mr. Ryder’s
involvement in the theft?
Mrs. Oakshott was a simple woman who made her ends meet by rearing and selling geese. She
had lovingly promised to give him a fine goose for Christmas and had indeed done so. She must
be heartbroken and ashamed to know that her brother had stolen a precious gem and had given
evidence against a poor plumber.
2. What do you think happened to Mr. Ryder in the end?
Any relevant response will be accepted
Extrapolatory Question
"Evidence plays a critical role in solving a mystery."
Holmes is famous for his wit and intelligence in solving complicated mystery. He deduced
rather shocking conclusions after analyzing the hat in the story 'The Blue Carbuncle'.
Explain how Holmes' wit and intelligence played a vital role in uncovering the mystery in
this story.
For reference:
Sherlock Holmes is famous for using the Science of deduction in order to solve mysteries.
Deduction involves gathering the available evidence and using it to slowly narrow down
potential solutions to a problem. He is highly intelligent, capable of solving complex problems
with ease. Also, he is trained in the art of deductive reasoning. He knows how to identify which
details are important to solving a crime and which are irrelevant.
Holmes’ wit and intelligence played a very crucial role in solving the mystery of the Blue
Carbuncle. The hat looked very old, tattered and ordinary. When Holmes examined it, he made
so many shocking deductions about the owner of the hat. On the other hand, it was the goose that
owner was carrying that poses the mystery. Inside the goose is the famous blue carbuncle, a
valuable gem that was recently stolen which gave Holmes a clear way to move forward with the
case. This is how the evidence played a major role to help uncover the mystery.