It was a cold winter evening in London. Sherlock Holmes sat by the fireplace in his famous apartment at 221B Baker Street. His friend Dr. Watson was reading the newspaper nearby. Holmes had not had an interesting case for several weeks. He was becoming restless and bored. Suddenly, there was a loud knock at the door. Mrs. Hudson, their landlady, opened it and announced a visitor. A young woman rushed into the room, looking extremely worried. 'Mr. Holmes, you must help me!' she cried. Holmes immediately sat up, his eyes bright with interest. 'Please, sit down and tell me everything,' he said calmly. The woman introduced herself as Miss Emily Parker. She explained that her father, a wealthy businessman, had disappeared three days ago. 'The police have searched everywhere, but they cannot find any trace of him,' she said tearfully. Holmes listened carefully and then asked several questions about her father's habits and business dealings. 'Did your father have any enemies?' Holmes inquired. 'There was one man, a former business partner named James Blackwood,' Miss Parker replied. 'They had a terrible argument last month about money.' Holmes stood up and put on his coat. 'Watson, get your hat. We have work to do,' he said with excitement. They took a carriage to Mr. Parker's large house in the wealthy part of the city. Holmes examined the house carefully, paying attention to every small detail. He found muddy footprints near the back door that the police had missed. 'These footprints tell an interesting story,' Holmes remarked to Watson. 'The person who made them was tall and walked with a slight limp.' Next, they visited the office of James Blackwood in the business district. Blackwood was a nervous man with shifty eyes. 'I had nothing to do with Parker's disappearance,' he insisted. Holmes noticed that Blackwood's shoes had mud on them, similar to what he found at the house. He also observed that Blackwood walked with a slight limp. 'Tell me, Mr. Blackwood, where were you three nights ago?' Holmes asked sharply. Blackwood's face turned pale. 'I was at home, alone,' he stammered. Holmes and Watson left the office and hailed a cab. 'What do you think, Holmes?' Watson asked curiously. 'Blackwood is clearly lying, but I do not believe he worked alone,' Holmes replied. 'We need to find out who helped him.' They returned to Baker Street to examine the evidence more carefully. Holmes spent hours studying the footprints and a torn piece of cloth he had found. Suddenly, he jumped up from his chair. 'I have solved it, Watson!' he exclaimed triumphantly. 'This cloth is from a very expensive tailor, and only one person in this case would wear such fine material.' Holmes quickly wrote a message and sent it with a messenger boy. 'We shall have visitors tonight,' he said mysteriously. That evening, Miss Parker arrived at Baker Street, accompanied by her brother George. George was a well-dressed young man with an arrogant expression. 'I came to see what progress you have made,' George said dismissively. Holmes smiled and offered them tea. 'I have indeed made progress, Mr. Parker,' Holmes said calmly. 'In fact, I know exactly where your father is.' Miss Parker gasped with hope, but George's face showed a flash of panic. 'Your father is being held in an abandoned warehouse by the river,' Holmes continued. 'And I know exactly who put him there.' Holmes turned to face George directly. 'It was you, Mr. Parker. You and James Blackwood planned this together.' 'That is absurd!' George shouted, but his voice was shaking. Holmes held up the torn piece of expensive cloth. 'I found this at your father's house. It matches your coat perfectly, Mr. Parker.' George's face turned red with anger and fear. 'You wanted to control your father's fortune,' Holmes explained. 'So you hired Blackwood to help kidnap him and demand a ransom.' Emily stared at her brother in complete shock. 'George, how could you do this to our own father?' she cried. George tried to run toward the door, but Watson blocked his path. At that moment, two police officers entered the room. 'I sent for them earlier,' Holmes explained. 'They have already arrested Blackwood, who confessed everything.' The police officers took George away in handcuffs. Holmes immediately called for a carriage to rescue Mr. Parker from the warehouse. They found the elderly businessman tied to a chair but unharmed. 'Thank goodness you found me!' Mr. Parker exclaimed when he saw Holmes. 'I cannot believe my own son would do this to me.' Emily helped her father into the carriage, holding his hand tightly. Back at Baker Street, Mr. Parker expressed his deep gratitude to Holmes. 'How can I ever repay you, Mr. Holmes?' he asked. 'Seeing justice served is payment enough,' Holmes replied with a slight smile. After the Parkers had left, Watson turned to his friend. 'Holmes, how did you solve the case so quickly?' he asked in admiration. 'Elementary, my dear Watson,' Holmes replied, lighting his pipe. 'The evidence was there from the beginning. We just needed to look closely.' 'The footprints told me the kidnapper was tall and limped.' 'When I met Blackwood, I noticed he matched that description.' 'But Blackwood was too poor to plan such a crime alone.' 'The expensive cloth from George's coat confirmed my suspicions.' 'He was at the scene of the crime, working with Blackwood.' Watson shook his head in amazement. 'You make it sound so simple, Holmes.' 'Observation is the key to everything, my friend,' Holmes said thoughtfully. 'Most people see, but they do not observe.' 'The smallest details can reveal the biggest secrets.' Outside, the snow had begun to fall gently on London's streets. Holmes looked out the window at the peaceful scene. 'Another case solved, Watson,' he said with satisfaction. 'But I wonder what mystery tomorrow will bring.' Watson smiled at his friend's endless curiosity. He knew that for Sherlock Holmes, there was nothing more exciting than a good mystery. And in London, there was always another mystery waiting to be solved.
English Story (B1)A Sherlock Holmes Adventure
This B1 English story is designed for intermediates learning English. It includes simple vocabulary and short sentences to help you improve your reading and listening skills. Click any word to see translations and hear pronunciation.
About this story
On a cold winter evening, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson receive a visit from Miss Emily Parker, whose wealthy father has mysteriously disappeared. Holmes examines the evidence, including muddy footprints and a torn piece of expensive cloth. His investigation leads him to suspect not only James Blackwood, a former business partner, but also Emily's own brother George. In a dramatic confrontation at Baker Street, Holmes reveals that George and Blackwood conspired together to kidnap Mr. Parker for his fortune. The police arrest the criminals and Mr. Parker is rescued from an abandoned warehouse, grateful for Holmes's brilliant detective work.
Translations in English
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Comprehension Questions
4 questions
1
What did Holmes find at Mr. Parker's house that the police had missed?
2
Who was James Blackwood?
3
What evidence proved that George Parker was at the crime scene?
4
Why did George Parker kidnap his own father?
Vocabulary
48 words from this story
