The Mystery

Commissionaire Peterson bursts into Holmes' apartment with the Blue Carbuncle, a priceless diamond stolen from Countess of Mortar 5 days earlier. The Diamond was found in Peterson’s goose that he recovered after a man dropped it on the street. The mystery in question is finding out how the diamond wound up in the goose's throat.

Characters

Watson: Sherlock’s Sidekick

Holmes: The main character and detective

Peterson: one accused of breaking shop window; called on Sherlock Holmes; his wife found the Blue Carbuncle in the goose's neck

Ryder: Hotel manager, Blamed plumber for theft of blue carbuncle

Countess of Mortar: Original owner of the blue carbuncle

John Horner: Plumber who was blamed for theft of the diamond

Henry Baker: The person believed to be the owner of the hat and goose

The Outcome

Holmes tracks the diamond and finds out Ryder was the thief all along. In the spirit of Christmas and out of a bit of sympathy, Holmes decides to let Ryder free. Ryder flees the country and Horner is eventually freed.

Important Quotations

“My name is Sherlock Holmes. It is my business to know what other people don’t know”.

This quote is signature of Sherlock’s outside the box style. Holmes is a brilliant detective that uses quanta observations to deduce brilliant conclusions. He does this not by using normal detective techniques but rather through the observation of small details that everyone else sees but choose to ignore. So it is that Sherlock’s business literally revolves around his ability to recognize what others can not.

"I suppose that I am commuting a felony. but it is just possible that I am saving a soul. This fellow will not go wrong again; he is too terribly frightened. Send him to jail now, and you make him a jail-bird for life."

In this, Sherlock is letting a felony go but in the intent to avoid turning another one time criminal into a lifetime felon. This is reflective of Holmes' intuitive nature. Holmes used the same mental tools he uses to catch criminals to deduce that this criminal would be no harm to anyone again, and that by sending him to jail would actually teach him more about the criminal world than he already knew.

Academic Vocabulary

Logical appeal is heavily prevalent in this story as it is what Holmes uses to deduce his observations. From the hat to locating Ryder, Holmes used logic and reason to figure his way through this adventure.

Doctor Watson is the perfect Foil of Holmes throughout all of Doyle’s stories. Where Holmes is more reserved, unafraid to state what's on his mind, and logical, Watson is more timid, and caught in the moment.

True/False Quiz

1. True/False The hat belonged to a Henry Baker.

2. True/False Henry Baker found a use for the spare goose parts.

3. True/False The Landlord of Alpha recommended Holmes to the salesman.

4. True/False Ryder was arrested.

5. True/False The story takes place in the summer time.

6. True/False Holmes didn’t think they’d find Henry Baker.

7. True/False The Salesman was quick to tell where he got the geese.

8. True/False Ryder gave up easily.

9. True/False Ryder begged for mercy.

10. True/False Geese have crops.

Answer Key

1. True 2. False 3. True 4. False 5. False 6. True 7. False 8. True 9. True 10. False