Notes For All Chapters – English Class 7
About the Story
Author: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, known for his Sherlock Holmes series.
Main Characters:
- Sherlock Holmes: A famous detective with sharp observation and deduction skills.
- Dr. Watson: Holmes’ friend and the narrator of the story.
- Jabez Wilson: A pawn-broker with bright red hair.
- Vincent Spaulding: Wilson’s assistant, later revealed to be a criminal.
- Duncan Ross: A representative of the “Red-Headed League,” who is also a criminal.
- Mr. Merryweather: A banker.
- Mr. Jones: A Scotland Yard officer.
Part 1: Mr. Wilson’s Story
1. The Advertisement:
- Mr. Jabez Wilson, a red-haired pawn-broker, sees an advertisement for a job paying £4 a week for minimal work.
- The job is offered by the “Red-Headed League,” supposedly founded by Ezekiah Hopkins, an American millionaire, to help red-haired men.
2. Getting the Job:
- Encouraged by his assistant Spaulding, Mr. Wilson applies.
- Despite fierce competition, Duncan Ross immediately hires Wilson for the job.
3. Job Details:
- Wilson is required to copy the Encyclopedia Britannica daily from 10 AM to 2 PM.
- Spaulding assures Wilson he will manage the shop during Wilson’s absence.
- For eight weeks, Wilson diligently completes his work and receives regular pay.
4. The Sudden End:
- One day, Wilson finds the office closed and a note stating that the “Red-Headed League is dissolved.”
- Suspicious and confused, Wilson seeks Holmes’ help.
Part 2: Holmes Investigates
1. Initial Observations:
- Holmes visits Wilson’s shop and observes the area.
- He notices that Spaulding often goes to the cellar and has wrinkled, stained trousers, indicating digging.
2. The Plan:
- Holmes deduces that Spaulding and his accomplices are digging a tunnel to rob the bank behind Wilson’s shop.
- He organizes a team, including Mr. Merryweather and Mr. Jones, to catch the criminals.
3. The Capture:
- At night, the team hides in the bank’s cellar, which contains French gold.
- The criminals, Spaulding (real name John Clay) and Duncan Ross, emerge from the tunnel but are caught.
- Holmes explains the clever trick of the “Red-Headed League” to get Wilson out of his shop while the criminals dug the tunnel.
Key Themes and Ideas
Crime and Detection: Highlights Holmes’ deductive reasoning and observation skills.
Curiosity and Deception: How people can be misled by clever schemes.
Teamwork: Collaboration between Holmes, Watson, and law enforcement.
Important Vocabulary
League: A formal group or association.
Pawn-broker: A person who lends money in exchange for valuables.
Cellar: A storage room below ground.
Foiled: Prevented a crime or plan.
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