By Alejandro Buendía Roca

Arthur Conan Doyle was born on 22th may 1859, in Edinburgh, Scotland.

His childhood was hard: his father was alcoholic and his mother had to work.

He studied medicine in the Edinburgh’s university and graduates as a naval doctor. While he was studying, he started to write short stories. In 1891 he moved to London to practise as a ophthalmologist, but nobody entered in his clinic.

In 1902 he received the treatment of ``sir´´.He got married to Louise Hawkins until 1906 when she died

because of tuberculosis. One year later, he got married to Jean Leckie.

He died on 7th July 1930 because of a heart attack, in Crowborough.

Sherlock Holmes: he is one of the most intelligent detectives, he can deduce a lot of things of a person only seeing him and he plays violin well. He smoke in pipe and he is a good boxer.

John Watson: he is a doctor, graduated at the London university, friend of Sherlock. He helps Sherlock when he needs something.

Wilhelm Gottsreich Sigismond von Ormstein, King of Bohemia: he goes to Sherlock’s house to ask him for help. He needs a photo that Irene Adler has.

Irene Adler: she is a young singer at the Imperial Opera of Warsaw and at La Scala. She has a photo of the king of Bohemia.

Godfrey Norton: he is a handsome lawyer married to Irene Adler. Helen Stoner: she is Dr. Grimesby Roylott’s stepdaughter. She goes to

Sherlock’s house to ask for help. Dr. Grimesby Roylott: he is Helen’s stepfather and the last member of a rich

family. He uses a snake to kill Helen’s sister and he died because of the same snake.

John Openshaw: he is a young man who received a letter with three k’s and five orange pips. He goes to Sherlock’s house and he died that night.

A Scandal in Bohemia: A man sent a letter to Sherlock, that night a masked man went to Sherlock’s

house, he was the king of Bohemia. He wanted Sherlock to get back a photo of him and Irene Adler, this photo could ruin the king’s wedding with the daughter of the king of Scandinavia.

Sherlock discovered that she will get married to Godfrey Norton and he made a plan to get the photo with Watson’s help.

She discovered his plan and escaped with the photo, but she promised that she would not show the photo to anybody.

The Speckled Band: One day a lady entered in Sherlock’s house. She asked him for help, her sister

died two years ago after hearing a whistle a night before. She was sleeping the previous night in her bedroom and heard the whistle.

Sherlock and Watson went to her house to investigate but her stepfather threatened them and Sherlock made a plan. They waited in the opposite hotel and when Helen made a sign they went to the house and waited in her room with a stick. When they heard the whistle Sherlock put the stick in the ventilator and Helen’s stepfather shouted. They ran to his room and discovered a snake next to his dead body. They catched the snake and told everything to the police.

The Five Orange Pips: A young man entered in Sherlock’s house. He told them his

uncle lived in America and moved to Horsham. One day, when John, the young man, was in his house, he received a letter. It had written three red k’s and had five orange pips. He died seven weeks later. John’s dad received the same letter and he died three days later. When John received the letter he went to ask for help to Sherlock.

Sherlock told him that he had to put a paper telling that his uncle burned the papers the murderers needed into a metal box and it on a sundial. Sherlock knew the murderers were the Ku Klux Klan, an American group of men in the Confederate army.

The next day, they saw in the newspaper John had died the night before. Sherlock decided to set a trap for them. He sent a letter to them to Savannah Port and he told everthing to Savannah police but they died drowned when they sailed.

Bohemia Transport The bell cord The Ku Klux Klan: is an organization which

have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy

1. What qualities do you think make a good detective? Which of these qualities does Sherlock Holmes have?

- A Detective must be very intelligent and fit. He is very intelligent and he knows a lot of things of a person only seeing him/her.

2. What is Dr. Watson’s role in the investigations?- He helps Sherlock and he writes his cases.

3. Describe Sherlock Holmes. What habits does he have? Why do you think he is good at what he does? Give examples from the text.

- He is one of the most intelligent detectives, he can deduce a lot of things of a person only seeing him. He plays a violin, smokes in pipe and is a good boxer. Because he always solves the mysteries.

4. What methods does Sherlock Holmes use to analyse his clients when he first meets them? Give examples from the text.

- He observes his clients very well and he thinks about all he can detect. In ``A Speckled Band´´ he guesses how Helen arrives to his house because of the splashes of mud.

5. Describe Dr. John Watson. In what ways is he a good friend and how is he useful to Sherlock Holmes? Give examples from the text.

- He is a doctor, graduated at the London university. He helps Sherlock when he needs something. In ``A Scandal in Bohemia´´, he helps Sherlock to discover where the photo is.