STAGE

Sherlock Holmes
1 and the Duke’s Son
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Introduction

This ungraded summary is for the teacher’s use only

and should not be given to students.

The story
The story begins with Dr Huxtable coming to see
Sherlock Holmes, the great detective, at his house in
Baker Street. Huxtable is the headmaster of the famous
Priory School in Mackleton in the north of England.
One of the boys in the school is Arthur, the son of the
Duke of Holdernesse, a Government Minister.
One night the boy has disappeared, and Sherlock
Hayes to run away – but in fact the police arrested him
Holmes (and his friend Dr Watson) agree to return
at the railway station. However Holmes agrees not to
to the school with Dr Huxtable and help to look for
tell the police about James Wilder; instead the Duke
him. Before reaching the school, Holmes and Watson
arranges for him to go and live in Australia.
discover some more important facts behind the case.
At the end of the story, Holmes is happy to take
The Duke is separated from his wife – she lives in
the twelve thousand pounds reward for finding the
France. One of the teachers, a German teacher called
boy, and giving the Duke the name of the kidnapper
Heidegger is also missing. And so is a bicycle
– even though the Duke already knew the answers to
When they arrive at the school the Duke, and his
these questions.
secretary Mr Wilder, are waiting for them.
Holmes assumes that wherever the boy went he Background to the story
must have crossed the moor behind the school. So
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote a large number of
the next morning, Holmes and Watson walk across
stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, most of
the moor, looking for bicycle tracks. After several hours
them set in Victorian England. Although not all of the
searching they find some tracks, but they are not from
stories are about rich and powerful people, many of
the right bicycle. Then, finally, they find the right tracks
them are. The Duke, like many men of his time, wants
and follow them, finding both the bicycle – and the
the world to think that he is a good family man, when
German teacher. He has been attacked and killed.
in fact he has an illegitimate child and he is living apart
Holmes supposes that Heidegger was following the
from his wife. It is almost more important to him to
boy on his bicycle and was killed by the kidnapper.
keep his reputation than it is to find his son.
The two men then stop at the Green Man, an inn,
and talk to the owner, Reuben Hayes, who says that Before Reading
he knows nothing about the kidnapping, although he Here are some ways to help your students approach
did once work for the Duke. the story:
At the end, Holmes discovers the full story, with 1 Give students the title of the book and show them
the Duke’s help. James Wilder is not only the Duke’s the picture on the cover. Ask them to try and guess
secretary – he is also his illegitimate son. He was very what kind of the story it is.
jealous of young Arthur, who will get all the Duke’s 2 Give students a copy of the text on the back
money when he dies. With Hayes’ help he kidnapped cover of the book, and of the story introduction
Arthur and took him across the moor to the Green on the first page. When they have read the texts,
Man. Hayes killed Heidegger, who was following ask them a few questions about the story, or use
them. James had not wanted anyone to get hurt, so the Before Reading Activities in the back of each
he had gone straight to the Duke and told him the Bookworm.
whole story. 3 Use the pre-reading activity in this worksheet.
The Duke didn’t want the whole world to know 4 If there is a recording of this title, play the first few
about his problems, so he and Wilder arranged for pages and stop at an interesting point.

121 © OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

 STAGE
Sherlock Holmes
1 and the Duke’s Son
Pre-reading activity

What’s going to happen?

This story happens in England more than one hundred years ago.
It is about a boy who disappears.

Which of these things do you think you will read about in the story?

YES NO WHY / WHY NOT

1 A detective in a plane ?SP]PbP]PYZ[WLYP^L__ST^_TXP

2 A man on a horse
3 A man on a bicycle
4 An important man in the government
5 A film star
6 Blood
7 A woman reading the newspaper
8 A man watching television
9 Rain
10 A murderer
11 A journey on a train
12 A journey by car
13 A map of the north of England
14 A stable with horses in it
15 A man with a secret
16 Footprints in the mud
17 A cheque for twelve thousand pounds

To the teacher

Aim: To pre-teach some of the vocabulary and to could look up any difficult words in their dictionaries.
help students begin to understand the context of the Ask the students to mark whether they think these
story. things will happen in the story and, if possible,
Time: 20 minutes. to give a brief explanation. When everyone has
Organization: Tell the students the title of the story finished, discuss the answers with the class. Give no
and explain that it happens in England more than one indication as to whether the students have guessed
hundred years ago. Give one copy of the worksheet correctly or not.
to each student or each group of students. Check Key: Yes: 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17. No: 1,
through the sentences and check any unknown 5, 7, 8, 12.
meanings with the class. Alternatively, the students

PHOTOCOPIABLE © OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 122

 STAGE
Sherlock Holmes
1 and the Duke’s Son
While reading activity

Where was he going?

Look at the map and tick the answers to the questions.

1 Where did a At Holdernesse Hall

Heidegger start b At the White Horse Inn
his journey?
c At the Green Man Inn
d At the Priory School

2 Where do you a To Holdernesse Hall

think he was b To the White Horse Inn
going?
c To the Green Man Inn
d To the Priory School

3 Where did Holmes a Near the river

and Watson find b In the river
Heidegger?
c Near the Chesterfield
road
d In the hills

4 Holmes and a Holmes thinks that

Watson are going Arthur is there
to the Green Man b Holmes thinks that
Inn. Why? Heidegger’s murderer is
there
c Holmes wants a drink
d Holmes thinks that
Heidegger was going
there

To the teacher

Where: At the end of Chapter 4. to look at the questions and tick the possible
Aim: To check that students understand the story up answers. Note that they should know the answers to
to this point and can think about how it will develop. Questions 1 and 3, but they can only make intelligent
Time: 15–20 minutes. guesses about Questions 2 and 4.
Organization: Give each student, or group of Key: 1d, 3a
students, a copy of the worksheet. Ask the students

123 © OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS PHOTOCOPIABLE

 STAGE
Sherlock Holmes
1 and the Duke’s Son
After reading activity

Who, where, what, and why?

Fill in the spaces.
WHO WHERE or WHAT WHY
Dr Huxtable came to London because he wanted see Sherlock
Holmes.
Sherlock Holmes because he wanted look for
Arthur.
to help his friend Holmes.

The Duke of Holdernesse

went out of the window

went across the moor on his

bicycle
because they wanted to look
for bicycle tracks.
went into the stables at The
Green Man
asked the Duke for twelve
thousand pounds
The police

killed Heidegger

James Wilder

Sherlock Holmes because it was the most

interesting thing in the north of
England.

To the teacher

Aim: To consolidate comprehension of the story Organization: Give each student, or group of
Time: 15–20 minutes. students, a copy of the worksheet. Ask them to add
as much information as possible in the blank spaces.

PHOTOCOPIABLE © OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 124