FELBERG ENGLISH READERS

THREE ADVENTURES
OF

SHERLOCK HOLMES
SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE

SIMPLIFIED EDITION

FELBERG ENGLISH READERS

Three
Adventures
of Sherlock
Holmes
Simplified edition of stories by
SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE

LOWER INTERMEDIATE LEVEL

Adaptation and Exercises:

Dorota Chromiska and Anna Kowalczyk
Series Editor: Adam Wolaski

Warsaw 2001

Reviewers:
Jadwiga Bieniek-Rybczyska
Aldona Stepaniuk
Copy editor:
Natica Schmeder
Production editor:
Barbara Gluza
Cover designer:
Andrzej-Ludwik Woszczyski
Illustrator:
Dariusz Miroski
DTP:
A.L.W. GRAFIK

Text and illustrations copyright by FELBERG SJA

Publishing House, 2001

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be

reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior
written permission of the publisher.

Printed in Poland
ISBN 83-88667-04-1

THE ADVENTURE
OF THE MAZARIN STONE

It was pleasant to Dr. Watson to be once more in the untidy

room of the first floor in Baker Street. In the past this room
had been the beginning of so many remarkable adventures. He
looked round and finally his eyes noticed the fresh and smiling
face of Billy. Billy was a young but very wise and tactful boy
who worked for the great detective.
It all hasnt changed a lot, Billy. You dont change, either.
I hope the same can be said of him?
Billy looked at the closed door of the bedroom.
I think hes in bed and asleep, he said.
It was seven in the evening of a lovely summer day, but Dr.
Watson, who knew his old friends strange habits quite well,
wasnt at all surprised.
That means a case, I suppose?
Yes, he is working very hard on it just now. I worry about
his health. He gets paler and thinner, and he eats nothing. When
would you like to eat, Mr. Holmes? Mrs. Hudson asked, the
other day. Seven-thirty, the day after tomorrow, said he. You
know his way when he concentrates on a case.
Yes, Billy, I know.
Hes following someone. Yesterday he was dressed up as a
workman looking for a job, and today an old woman.
But what is it all about, Billy?

remarkable nadzwyczajny; case sprawa; dress up przebiera si

Billy whispered, I can tell you , sir, but dont tell anybody
else. Its this case of the Crown diamond.
What!the hundred-thousand-pound burglary?
Yes, sir. They must get it back, sir. Yesterday the Prime
Minister and the Home Secretary visited Mr. Holmes. Mr.
Holmes was very nice to them and promised to do all he could.
Then Lord Cantlemere came as well.
Ah!
Yes, sir, you know what that means. Hes so serious, sir, if
I may say so. I like both the Prime Minister and the Home
Secretary, but I cant stand Lord Cantlemere. Neither can Mr.
Holmes, sir. The Lord doesnt believe in Mr. Holmes and hopes
that Mr. Holmes will fail.
And Mr. Holmes knows it?
Mr. Holmes always knows everything.
But, Billy why is that curtain hanging across the window?
Mr. Holmes asked for it. Weve got something funny behind it.
Billy showed Dr. Watson what was behind the curtain. Dr.
Watson was shocked because there was a dummy of his old
friend wearing a dressing-gown. Billy took the head and held it
in the air.
We put it at different angles, so that it seems more real.
When the curtain is up you can see this head from across the
street.
We used something like that in the past.
Before my time, said Billy. He looked out into the street.
Good gracious, there is somebody watching us from over there.
Have a look for yourself.
Watson took one step forward when the bedroom door
opened, and Holmes appeared. His face was white but he was
as lively as usual. With a quick jump he was at the window, and
he pulled the curtain down.
Thats enough, Billy, said he. Your life was in danger. Well,
Watson, it is good to see you at my place once again. You come
at a critical moment.
whisper szepta; crown korona; burglary wamanie; cant stand nie
znosi; dummy kuka

I thought so.
Im expecting something this evening.
Expecting what?
That somebody will murder me, Watson.
You are joking, Holmes!
Even my limited sense of humor could produce a better
joke than that. But while waiting lets smoke a pipe. I do it
instead of eating.
But why not eat?
Because I need all powers of my brain now. When I eat, part
of the blood goes to my stomach but I need it all for my brain.
But this danger, Holmes...
Ah, yes, if this murder happens, you should know the name
and address of the murderer. You can give it to Scotland Yard,
with my love. The name is SylviusCount Negretto Sylvius.
Write it down, man, write it down! 136 Moorside Gardens,
N.W. Got it?
But cant you tell the police to arrest this man?
Yes, Watson, I can. Thats what worries me so.
But why dont you?
Because I dont know where the diamond is.
Ah! Billy told methe missing Crown jewel!
Yes, the great yellow Mazarin stone. Ive cast the net and I
have my fish. But I have not got the stone. What is the point of
taking them? Its the stone I want.
And is this Count Sylvius one of your fish?
Yes, and hes a shark. He bites. The other is Sam Merton,
the boxer. Not a bad fellow, Sam, but the Count has used him.
Sams not a shark.
Where is this Count Sylvius?
I was following him all the morning. I followed him to old
Straubenzees workshop in the Minories. Straubenzee makes
light gunsand I think such a gun is in the opposite window at
the moment. Well, my dummy may get a bullet through its
beautiful head at any moment. Ah, Billy, what is it?
count hrabia; missing zgubiony; cast the net zarzuci sie; workshop
warsztat; bullet nabj

The boy came into the room with a calling card. Holmes
looked at it with a smile.
Count Sylvius himself! I didnt expect this. Possibly you
have heard that he is a famous sportsman, excellent at shooting.
Shooting me could be a wonderful ending of his career. His
visit here means that he feels I am too close to him.
Send for the police.
I probably will. But not just yet. Would you look out of the
window, Watson, and see if there is anyone suspicious in the
street?
Watson looked carefully round the edge of the curtain.
Yes, there is one dangerous-looking man near the door.
That will be Sam Merton. Where is this gentleman, Billy?
In the waiting-room, sir.
Ask him to come in when I ring.
Yes, sir.
Ask him to the room no matter if I am in the room or not.
Yes, sir.
Watson waited until the door was closed, and then said in a
worried voice.
Look here, Holmes, this is simply impossible. This is a
desperate man, who isnt afraid of anything. He may come to
murder you.
I should not be surprised.
I want to stay with you.
You would be horribly in the way.
Well, I cant possibly leave you.
Yes, you can, Watson. This man has come for his own
reasons, but he may stay here for my reasons. Holmes took
out his notebook and wrote a few lines. Take a cab to Scotland
Yard and give this to them. Come back with the police. They
will arrest the man.
Ill do that with pleasure.
Before you return I may have just enough time to find out
where the stone is. He touched the bell. I think we will go
out through the bedroom. This second exit is very useful. I would
suspicious podejrzany; find out dowiedzie si

like to see my shark but I dont want him to see me. I have my
own way of doing it.
Billy asked Count Sylvius to an empty room. This famous
sportsman was a big man with a dark complexion with a small
mustache over a cruel, thin mouth and with a crooked nose. As
the door closed behind him he looked round carefully because
he was afraid that it was a trap. Then he was very surprised
when he saw a figure sitting in the armchair near the window.
Suddenly, murderous ideas crossed his mind. Once again he
looked round, making sure nobody else was in the room, and
slowly started to walk towards the figure. He raised his thick
stick and was about to hit the figure with it when he heard a
cool, sarcastic voice:
Dont break it, Count! Dont break it!
The assassin moved back and for a moment he aimed his
stick at Holmes but after a while he put it down.
Put your hat and stick on the side-table. Thank you! Would
you be so kind as to put your revolver there, as well? Your visit
comes at a very good time because I wanted to have a few words
with you.
The Count looked at Holmes angrily.
I, too, wished to talk to you, Holmes. That is why I am
here. I wont deny that I just tried to kill you.
Holmes relaxed a bit.
I suspect that you would like to do that, said he. But
what do you have against me?
Your men were following me.
My men! I can give you my word that it isnt true!
Nonsense! I know there were your men, Holmes.
It is a small point, Count Sylvius, but I would be grateful if
you called me Mr. Holmes.
Well, Mr. Holmes, then.
Excellent! But I must tell you are wrong about my agents.
Count Sylvius laughed ironically.
complexion karnacja; crooked krzywy; assassin zamachowiec; deny
zaprzeczy

Other people can observe as well as you. Yesterday there

was an old man. Today it was an elderly woman. They have
observed me all day.
Really, sir, you compliment me.
It was youyou yourself? But why?
Come now, Count. You used to shoot lions in Algeria.
Well?
But why?
Why? The sportthe excitementthe danger!
And, no doubt, to free the country from a pest?
Exactly!
So these are also my reasons, you may say!
The Count jumped from his seat, and his hand moved back
to his hip-pocket.
Sit down, sir, sit down! There was another, more practical,
reason. I want that yellow diamond!
Count Sylvius relaxed in his chair with an evil smile.
Really! said he.
You knew that I was after you because of that. The real
reason why you are here tonight is to find out how much I
know about the matter and if it is necessary to kill me. In my
opinion it is necessary because I know all about it, except one
thing, which you are about to tell me.
Oh, indeed! And just tell me, what is this missing fact?
Where the Crown diamond is now.
The Count looked sharply at Mr. Holmes. Oh, you want to
know that, do you? How on earth should I be able to tell you
where it is?
You can, and you will.
Indeed!
Now, Count, if you are reasonable we can do business. If
not, you will get hurt.
Holmes looked at him like a master chess-player planning
his final move. Then he opened the table drawer and took a
notebook out of it.
Do you know what I keep in this book?
pest szkodnik; evil zy

No, sir, I do not!

You!
Me!
Yes, sir, you! You are all hereevery action of your evil and
dangerous life.
Damn you, Holmes! cried the Count with fire in his eyes.
There are limits to my patience!
Its all here, Count. Evidence of your dishonest and criminal
activities.
What has all this talk to do with the jewel which you
mentioned?
Be patient, Count. Let me do it my own way. I have a clear
case for the Crown diamond against you and your partner.
Really!
I have the cabman who took you to Whitehall and the
cabman who brought you away. I have also another person who
saw you near the case. I have Ikey Sanders, who didnt want to
cut the diamond up for you and he gave you away. So the game
is up.
The veins became thicker on the Counts forehead and he
tried to keep his emotions under control. The Count tried to
speak, but he simply couldnt.
So I have just put all my cards on the table, said Holmes.
But one card is missing. I dont know where the stone is.
You will never know.
No? Now, be reasonable, Count. You and Sam Merton will
go to prison and you are going to get nothing out of your
diamond. But if you hand it over, you can go free so long as you
behave yourself in the future. We want the stone, not you or
Sam.
But if I refuse?
Well, then I am sorry to say that it must be you and not the
stone.
Billy appeared in answer to a ring.
evidence dowd; cabman takswkarz; give away wyda; vein ya;
hand over odda

I think, Count, your friend Sam should be here now with

us. Billy, you will see a large and ugly gentleman outside the
front door. Ask him to come up.
What are you going to do now? asked the Count as Billy
disappeared.
My friend Watson was with me just now. I told him that I
had a shark and a fry in my net; now I am slowly closing the net
and now they are coming together.
You wont die in your bed, Holmes, the Count said getting
up from his chair.
A sudden light blinded the criminal. Holmess figure appeared
to be taller as he grew tense and ready.
Dont use your revolver, my friend, Holmes said in a quiet
voice. You know perfectly well that you wouldnt risk using it
even if you could. Ah! I think I hear the steps of your partner.
Good day, Mr. Merton. Rather boring in the street, isnt it?
Whats that all about now, Count? What does this man want?
Whats wrong? His voice was deep and unpleasant
The Count shrugged his shoulders, so Holmes answered.
In short, Mr. Merton, everything is wrong.
The boxer still talked only to his partner.
Is this chap trying to be funny, or what? Im not in a funny
mood myself.
No, I expect not, said Holmes. And you will feel even less
funny in a while. Now, look here, Count Sylvius. I am leaving
you to explain to your friend what the situation is. I will play
my violin a bit and in five minutes I will return for your final
answer. You understand the choice you haveeither you or the
stone.
Holmes left and a few minutes later his music came quietly
to the room.
What is up, then? asked Merton in an angry voice. Does
he know about the stone?
He knows too much about it. Im not sure if he doesnt
know all about it.
Good Lord! The boxers face turned whiter.
fry potka; blind olepi; tense spity; shrug wzruszy; chap facet

10

Ikey Sanders has given us away.

He has, hasnt he? Ill close his mouth.
That wont help us much. Weve got to decide what to do.
Just a moment, said the boxer looking suspiciously at the
bedroom door. Hes a cunning chap. I suppose hes not
listening?
How can he be listening with that music?
Thats right. Maybe somebodys behind the curtain. As he
looked round he suddenly saw for the first time the dummy in
the window and stood too amazed to say anything.
Dont worry! Its only a dummy, said the Count.
Oh, leave the curtains! We are wasting our time, and there
isnt much of it left. He can order the police to arrest us because
of the stone.
I am sure he can!
But hell let us go if we only tell him where the stone is.
What! Give it up? Give up a hundred thousand pounds?
We have got to choose.
Merton thought for a moment.
Hes alone in there. Lets finish him off. If he died, there
would be nothing to be afraid of.
The Count shook his head.
He is armed and ready. And most probably the police know
what he knows about us. Hallo! What was that?
There was a quiet sound which seemed to come from the
window. Both men turned around but there was nothing except
the dummy.
Something in the street, said Merton. Now look, you
have got the brains. Surely you can think of something.
Ive managed to fool better men than he, the Count
answered. The stone is here in my secret pocket. I wouldnt
leave it anywhere. It can be out of England tonight and cut into
four pieces in Amsterdam before Sunday. He doesnt know about
Van Seddar.
I thought Van Seddar was going next week.
cunning chytry; the brains tga gowa

11

He was. But now it must be sooner. One of us has to take

the stone to him and tell him.
But the false bottom of the suitcase isnt ready.
Well, he must take it as it is and hope he will be lucky. We
have no time to lose.
As for Holmes, he continued, I will lie to him about where
the stone is, telling him it is in Liverpool. So before he realizes
it isnt true, the stone will be in Holland and we will be out of
the country. Come over here, here is the stone.
You are a brave man not to be afraid to carry it.
It is safest with me. If we could take it out of Whitehall,
someone else could, with no problem, take it from my place.
Lets have a look at it.
Count Sylvius hesitated for a moment.
Whatdo you think I am going to run away with it?
Well, well, sorry, Sam. Come over to the window if you
want to see the beauty properly. Now hold it to the light! Here!
Thank you!
With a quick move Holmes jumped from the dummys chair
and grasped the valuable jewel. He had it now in one hand, and
a revolver pointing at the Counts head in the other. The two
criminals were completely shocked and before they could react
Holmes pressed the electric bell.
Stay calm, gentlemen! The police are waiting below.
The Count was totally surprised.
Your surprise is very natural. You most probably didnt know
that the second door from my bedroom leads behind that curtain.
You heard me when I was taking the dummys place but you
didnt notice the change. I could listen to your conversation
with you thinking that you were alone.
The Count eventually gave up.
I believe you are the devil himself.
It took Sam Merton some time to understand what happened
so in the end he said:
But what about that violin music? I heard it.
bottom spd, dno; hesitate waha si; grasp zapa

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