The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle: Questions and Answers, Summary, and Meanings | Wind Chimes Class 8

Class 8 Wind Chimes Chapter ‘The Adventures of Blue carbuncles’ Question and Answers are given here. It is a short story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Word-meanings, summary and question-answers have been given to help the students understand the lesson well.

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Word Meanings

Vocabulary Notes containing some words and phrases from The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle with their meanings in English and Hindi:

Word / Phrase	Meaning in English	Meaning in Hindi
pile	A heap or stack of things (here: newspapers).	ढेर (जैसे अखबारों का ढेर)
clue	A piece of evidence or information that helps solve a mystery.	सुराग, संकेत
deadly crime	A very serious or dangerous crime.	खतरनाक या जानलेवा अपराध
knot	A small group of people standing close together.	छोटा समूह (लोगों का)
rough men	Violent or dangerous men.	गुंडे या असभ्य आदमी
smashed	Broken with force or violence.	तोड़ देना, चकनाचूर करना
roughs	Uncivilized or violent people.	बदमाश, गुंडे
How on Earth…	A phrase to show surprise or disbelief.	भला कैसे…, आश्चर्य जताने के लिए
deduce	To find out something by using logic and clues.	निष्कर्ष निकालना, समझदारी से पता लगाना
loop	A small band to hold or attach something (here: for holding the hat).	टोपी को सिर से बाँधने का पट्टा या फंदा
fairly	Quite; to some extent.	कुछ हद तक, काफी
self-esteem	Respect or value for oneself.	आत्म-सम्मान
bother	To take trouble or make an effort.	ध्यान देना, कोशिश करना
stains	Spots or marks that are hard to remove.	दाग
Countess of Morcar	A high-ranking noblewoman in the story.	मोरकार की काउंटेस (एक रईस महिला)
ascertain	To find out or make sure.	पता लगाना, सुनिश्चित करना
recourse	Another way or option if the first fails.	दूसरा उपाय
felt hat	A hat made of soft cloth called felt.	फेल्ट (मुलायम ऊनी कपड़े) की टोपी
devour	To eat quickly and eagerly.	तेजी से खा जाना, निगल जाना
pray	A polite or formal way to say “please”.	कृपया (आदरपूर्वक)
retained	Kept or held back.	अपने पास रखना
at a loss	Not knowing what to say or do.	उलझन में, समझ नहीं आना
shamefaced	Looking guilty or embarrassed.	शर्मिंदा, झिझकता हुआ
shilling	An old British coin (used before decimal currency).	ब्रिटेन की पुरानी मुद्रा
assaulted	Attacked violently.	हमला किया गया
bore	To trouble or annoy someone with long talk or details.	बोर करना, परेशान करना
fancier	A person who is interested in a special kind of thing (here: birds).	शौकीन व्यक्ति (यहाँ पक्षियों का शौकीन)
prodding	Pushing or encouraging someone to talk or act.	उकसाना, टोकना
cut short	To stop suddenly or before it finishes.	बीच में रोक देना
fiercely	In a very angry or aggressive way.	गुस्से में, उग्रता से
whingeing	Complaining in an annoying way.	रोना-धोना, शिकायत करना
flitted	Moved quickly and lightly.	फुर्ती से भाग जाना
striding	Walking with long, confident steps.	लंबे और तेज़ कदमों से चलना
lounged	Relaxed or stood lazily.	आराम से खड़ा होना या घूमना
flaring	Brightly lit or glowing.	तेज़ चमकता हुआ
quavering	Shaky or trembling (usually of the voice).	काँपती हुई (आवाज़)
blandly	In a calm or mild manner.	शांति से, बिना भाव के
for the table	For eating or serving as food.	खाने के लिए पालित (जैसे हंस)
waylaid	To stop or attack someone unexpectedly.	घात लगाकर हमला करना
hoodlums	Criminals or gangsters.	गुंडे, बदमाश
convulsive sobbing	Crying uncontrollably with body shaking.	हिचकियों के साथ रोना
branded thief	A person who is now known to all as a thief.	बदनाम चोर, जिसकी पहचान अब चोर के रूप में हो गई है
Heaven bless you!	A way of showing deep gratitude or thanks.	भगवान आपको आशीर्वाद दे! (आभार व्यक्त करने के लिए)
clatter	A loud, rattling noise.	खटखटाहट की आवाज
crisp	Clear and sharp (here, refers to footsteps sound).	तेज़ और साफ आवाज (जैसे कदमों की)
gaol-bird (jailbird)	A person who has been in jail often.	जेल का आदती कैदी, हमेशा जेल जाने वाला व्यक्ति

Summary

Here is the summary of “The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, in both English and Hindi:

Summary in English:

The story begins after Christmas, when Dr Watson visits Sherlock Holmes. Holmes is examining an old hat and a goose that was found by a security guard named Peterson. The goose had been dropped by a man after a small street fight.

Holmes uses clues from the hat to guess many things about its owner, Mr Henry Baker. They advertise in the newspaper, and Mr Baker comes to collect his lost hat and a replacement goose. He doesn’t know that the goose he lost had something valuable inside it.

Later, Peterson finds a blue gem (carbuncle) inside the goose’s stomach. Holmes realizes it is the famous blue carbuncle stolen from the Countess of Morcar. It had been missing for days, and a plumber was wrongly blamed for stealing it.

Holmes traces the goose back to a seller, who bought it from Mrs Oakshott. A suspicious man named Ryder appears, and Holmes discovers that Ryder himself stole the gem and hid it in one of his sister’s geese. But by mistake, he picked the wrong goose.

Ryder begs for mercy, and Holmes lets him go, believing the man is truly scared and ashamed. Holmes says Christmas is a time for forgiveness and that jail would turn Ryder into a permanent criminal.

Summary in Hindi:

कहानी की शुरुआत क्रिसमस के बाद होती है, जब डॉक्टर वॉटसन शरलॉक होम्स से मिलने आते हैं। होम्स एक पुरानी टोपी और एक हंस की जांच कर रहे होते हैं, जो एक चौकीदार पीटरसन को सड़क पर मिले थे। यह हंस एक आदमी ने झगड़े के दौरान गिरा दिया था।

होम्स टोपी से सुराग निकालते हैं और पता लगाते हैं कि यह मिस्टर हेनरी बेकर की है। वे अखबार में विज्ञापन देते हैं और मिस्टर बेकर आकर अपनी टोपी और नया हंस ले जाते हैं। उन्हें यह नहीं पता होता कि उनके पुराने हंस के पेट में कुछ कीमती चीज़ थी।

बाद में पीटरसन को हंस के पेट में एक नीला हीरा (ब्लू कारबंकल) मिलता है। होम्स को पता चलता है कि यह वही प्रसिद्ध ब्लू कारबंकल है जो मोरकार काउंटेस से चोरी हुआ था। चोरी का आरोप एक प्लंबर पर लगा था, लेकिन असली चोर कोई और था।

होम्स हंस बेचने वाले दुकानदार के पास जाते हैं, और वहाँ एक संदिग्ध आदमी राइडर आता है। जांच में पता चलता है कि राइडर ही असली चोर है। उसने हीरे को अपनी बहन के पाले हुए एक हंस में छुपा दिया था, लेकिन गलती से गलत हंस उठा लिया।

राइडर रोते हुए माफी माँगता है और कहता है कि वह अब कभी कोई गलती नहीं करेगा। शरलॉक होम्स उसे माफ कर देते हैं, क्योंकि वह बहुत डरा हुआ और शर्मिंदा होता है। होम्स कहते हैं कि क्रिसमस माफ करने का समय है, और जेल भेजने से वह हमेशा के लिए अपराधी बन सकता है।

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Questions and answers from ‘The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle’ in the Wind Chimes textbook for Class 8.

In-text Question and answers:

Q. Why does Sherlock call it a ‘prize’?
Ans. Sherlock calls it a ‘prize’ because the old hat might help him discover something interesting, even though it is not related to any serious crime. He finds it valuable for observation and learning.

Q. What does this reveal about Sherlock Holmes’ personality?
Ans. This shows that Sherlock Holmes is curious, observant, and enjoys solving even small and strange problems. He pays attention to tiny details and finds joy in solving mysteries, no matter how simple they seem.

Q. What does Sherlock mean by ‘making deductions’ here?
Ans. Sherlock means that just looking at something is not enough. We must think carefully about what we see and try to find clues or meanings from it. ‘Making deductions’ means using small details to understand or guess something bigger or more important.

Q. Do you agree with Sherlock Holmes here?
Ans. Yes, to some extent we can agree with Sherlock Holmes because he is using careful observation and logical thinking. He does not guess blindly—he studies clues like the size of the hat, the condition of the cloth, and other details. However, not everything he says can be fully proven just by a hat, so some of it might be assumptions.

Q. Why do you think Sherlock said that?
Ans. Sherlock Holmes said this as a joke. Peterson was acting very excited about the goose, so Sherlock playfully asked if the goose had come back to life and flown away. It shows Holmes has a sense of humour, even when dealing with a serious or mysterious situation.

Q. Why were the deductions ‘little’ earlier, but ‘important’ now?
Ans. Earlier, the deductions were about a lost hat and goose, which seemed like a simple and harmless mystery. But now they have led to the discovery of a famous and very valuable stolen diamond. That’s why the case has become serious and important, and the deductions are no longer small or innocent.

Q. Do you think Sherlock was actually praising the goose or he wanted to know something else?
Ans. Sherlock was not just praising the goose. He cleverly asked the question to find out where Mr Henry Baker got the goose from. Sherlock already knew the diamond was inside the goose, so he wanted to trace the chain — from Baker to the seller — to find out how the stolen diamond reached there.

Q. Why do you think Sherlock said that?
Ans. Sherlock said that because the man who claimed the goose was his had shown up by himself. Sherlock and Watson were planning to visit Mrs Oakshott to find more clues, but now this little man could be directly connected to the stolen diamond. Since he appeared on his own, they might get all the answers from him without going to Brixton Road.

Q. Why do you think Ryder blessed Sherlock?
Ans. Ryder blessed Sherlock because Sherlock did not hand him over to the police. Ryder knew he had done something wrong and was feeling guilty and scared. But when Sherlock forgave him and let him go, Ryder felt very relieved and thankful. That is why he said, “Oh, Heaven bless you!”

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End-of-the-chapter exercise questions and answers.

Comprehension

A. Mark these sentences as true (T) or false (F).

1. A young plumber was accused of stealing a jewel.               ……………
2. The stranger ran away when Peterson approached him.   …………..
3. Dr Watson came to see Sherlock after Christmas.                ……………
4. Peterson found a brilliant red stone inside the goose.      ……………
5. James Ryder found the stone at his sister’s house.              ……………
6. The best geese were sold at Baker Street.                          ……………
7. Henry Baker visited Sherlock Holmes because he wanted to see the remains of the goose that Sherlock had eaten. ……………
8. The Countess told Ryder to hide the precious stone.          ……………

Answers:

1. T, 2. T, 3. T, 4. F, 5. F, 6. F, 7. F, 8. F

B. Answer these questions with reference to the context.

1. ‘You’re busy,’ I said; ‘perhaps I’m disturbing you.’
   a. Who is the speaker?
   b. Who is he speaking to?
   c. Why does the speaker say so?
2. ‘But you’re not thinking about what you see.’
   a. Who is the speaker here?
   b. Who is ‘you’ here ?
   c. What is the listener able to see but unable to think about?
3. ‘I did not care to spend more money in a hopeless attempt at recovering them.’
   a. Who is the speaker here?
   b. Who is he talking to?
   c. Which ‘hopeless attempt’ is he talking about?

Answers:

1. a. Dr Watson is the speaker.
   b. He is speaking to Sherlock Holmes.
   c. He says so because he sees Sherlock examining a hat very carefully.
2. a. Sherlock Holmes is the speaker here.
   b. Dr Watson is ‘you’ here.
   c. He is able to see the hat but unable to note the features that can tell him whom the hat
   belongs to.
3. a. Mr Henry Baker is the speaker here.
   b. He is talking to Sherlock Holmes.
   c. He is talking about the attempt to recover his hat and the goose

C. Answer these questions.

1. When did Watson visit Sherlock Holmes?
2. What was Mr Holmes doing when Watson went to see him?
3. What all did Sherlock discover about the owner of the hat? How did he arrive at his conclusions?
4. Why did Sherlock Holmes suspect that the hat was involved in a crime? Explain.
5. Describe the incident in which the tall man lost both his hat and his goose.
6. Why was Peterson not able to return the hat and the goose to the rightful owner?
7. Why did Holmes give Peterson the goose?
8. What did Sherlock Holmes deduce about the man’s hair?
9. What did Sherlock do to find Henry Baker?
10. Analyse the character of Sherlock Holmes. Give details from the story to support your answer.
11. Do you think Peterson was too naïve? Comment.

Answers:Two sets of answers are available to help students.

Answer Set – 1

1. Watson visited Sherlock two days after Christmas.
2. Holmes was sitting with his pipe on the coffee table and a pile of newspapers next to him. Beside the sofa was a wooden chair with a very dirty old hat hanging on the back. His magnifying glass was lying nearby, and Holmes had been studying the hat.
3. According to Sherlock the owner was an intelligent man with a large head. He had been fairly rich within the three years but he had lost a lot of recently. His hat was expensive and three years old. The man could afford to buy an expensive hat three years ago, but he hadn’t bought a new one since then. Therefore, Holmes guessed he had less money now than when he bought the hat. The owner of the hat was careful and liked to plan things, but less now than in the past. The loop on the hat told Holmes so. Now that the loop was missing and he hadn’t replaced showed that he wasn’t careful anymore. He also had some self-esteem since he tried to hide the hats stains with ink. He was middle-aged, had curly hair and used hair cream. And he’d had his hair cut within the last few days. The lining of the hat told Holmes that the hat had small hairs cut by the hairdresser’s scissors. The hairs were grey and there was the smell of hair cream. It had fine dust on it which showed that he stayed at home most of the time. And finally, the marks on the inside showed that the owner sweated a lot, so he couldn’t be very fit. The candle stains on the hat pointed to the fact that he didn’t have gas lighting in his house.
4. When Sherlock learnt that the goose had the blue carbuncle in it, he realised the fact the man with the hat also had the goose. That pointed to the fact that the goose and the hat were related and the person with the initials H. B. might be related to the stolen carbuncle in some way.
5. Peterson, was walking home when he saw a tallish man carrying a white goose over his shoulder. When they reached the end of the street, an argument started between the tall man and a little knot of rough men. One of them knocked the man’s hat off. He raised his stick to defend himself and accidentally smashed the shop window behind him. Peterson came forward to protect the stranger from his attackers. However, the man was obviously worried about breaking the window. He thought Peterson was a policeman as he was wearing his uniform, so he dropped the goose and ran off down a side street. The roughs also ran away and the tall man lost both his goose and his hat.
6. There was a small card tied to the bird’s left leg with, ‘For Mrs Henry Baker,’ written on it. The initials ‘H. B.’ could be seen inside the hat. But as there were thousands of Bakers, and hundreds of Henry Bakers in this city, it was impossible to find the rightful owner of the hat and the goose.
7. He gave him the goose because it showed signs that it should be eaten immediately.
8. He deduced that the man had curly hair that had been cut recently. Also, the man had used hair cream.
9. Sherlock posted an advertisement in the evening newspapers saying – ‘Found at the corner of Goodge Street, a goose and a black hat. Mr henry baker can have the same by applying at 6:30 this evening at 221B, baker Street’.
10. Sherlock Holmes was a very famous detective. He observed and analysed proofs and clues very attentively. He was intelligent clever to find the culprits from the clues left behind them. He started with confidence that he would, surely, find the criminal. In this story, He had the hat the only clue. He deducted so many information from that hat. He posted an advertisement and successfully got the rightful owner of the hat and the goose.
11. In my opinion, Peterson was very sincere person and sincerity is part of naivety. The story also mentions that he was a sincere guard. He rushed to save the stranger from the gang of the roughs. He very naively comes and tells about the ‘Blue Carbuncle’ though he could have kept it and no one would know about it. So, he was really a naive.

Answer Set – 2

1. When did Watson visit Sherlock Holmes?

Answer: Watson visited Sherlock Holmes two days after Christmas.

2. What was Mr Holmes doing when Watson went to see him?

Answer: Mr Holmes was sitting on the sofa, wearing a purple dressing gown. He was studying an old dirty hat using his magnifying glass.

3. What all did Sherlock discover about the owner of the hat? How did he arrive at his conclusions?

Answer: Sherlock found that the man was intelligent, once rich but had lost money, was middle-aged, had curly hair, used hair cream, didn’t go out much, and was not very healthy.
He arrived at these conclusions by closely observing the hat – its size, dust, hair inside, broken loop, and stains.

4. Why did Sherlock Holmes suspect that the hat was involved in a crime? Explain.

Answer: At first, Holmes didn’t think there was any crime. But later, when a valuable gem was found inside the goose, he realised that the hat and goose were connected to a serious theft. That made the case important.

5. Describe the incident in which the tall man lost both his hat and his goose.

Answer: On Christmas morning, a tall man was carrying a goose when some rough men started a fight with him. His hat fell, and he broke a shop window by mistake while trying to protect himself.
Seeing a uniformed Peterson, he got scared, dropped the goose, and ran away. The roughs also ran away, leaving the hat and goose behind.

6. Why was Peterson not able to return the hat and the goose to the rightful owner?

Answer: Peterson could not find the owner because the name on the goose’s tag was “Mrs Henry Baker”, and there were too many people with that name in the city.

7. Why did Holmes give Peterson the goose?

Answer: Holmes gave the goose to Peterson because it was going bad and needed to be eaten quickly. So, Peterson took it home for his family.

8. What did Sherlock Holmes deduce about the man’s hair?

Answer: Holmes saw short grey hairs stuck inside the hat. They were freshly cut and smelled of hair cream, so he guessed the man had curly hair, used cream, and had a recent haircut.

9. What did Sherlock do to find Henry Baker?

Answer: Sherlock gave an advertisement in the evening newspapers, saying that a goose and a black hat were found. He also asked the owner to visit his address at a given time.

10. Analyse the character of Sherlock Holmes. Give details from the story to support your answer.

Answer:
Sherlock Holmes is very smart, observant, and kind-hearted.
He could guess many things just by looking at a hat. He was also forgiving, as he let the real thief go because it was Christmas time, and the man was truly scared and ashamed.

11. Do you think Peterson was too naïve? Comment.

Answer: No, Peterson was not too naïve. He was a loyal and honest man. When he found the hat and goose, he didn’t steal anything. Instead, he brought them to Holmes, hoping to find the real owner.

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Vocabulary

A. Now, use the highlighted words given above to complete these sentences.

1. When the ducks saw the other birds, they began to loudly.
2. The butterfly came and sat on the ………………………… of my hand.
3. The entire ………………………… of the play has gone for a picnic.
4. Rice and dal is the ………………………… diet of many Indians.
5. He visited his father’s ………………………… quite often as he missed him a lot.
6. We are all looking forward to our ………………………… to the Andaman’s.

Answers

1. quack 2. palm 3. cast 4. staple 5. grave 6. trip

B. Match the words in Column A with their antonyms in Column B.

Answers

1. h 2. f 3. a 4. g 5. b 6. c 7. e 8. d

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Grammar

A. Complete these sentences with appropriate noun clauses.

1. I can see …………………………………………………………………………………………….
2. She said …………………………………………………………………………………………….
3. I understand …………………………………………………………………………………………….
4. She told me …………………………………………………………………………………………….
5. …………………………………………………………………………………………… makes me happy.
6. You can drink …………………………………………………………………………………………….
7. Do you know …………………………………………………………………………………………….
8. I am sure …………………………………………………………………………………………….
9. I know …………………………………………………………………………………………….
10. She does not know …………………………………………………………………………………………….

Answers

1. that she is hurt

3. what you want

4. what she writes

7. who wrote this book?

9. what you said

2. that she was ready

4. what her mother said

6. whatever you like

8. that you will come

10. what to do

B. Combine these sentences together to make one sentence each. Put the adjective clause after the noun that it describes. You may use who or that to put the clauses together.

1. We sent a gift to my aunt. She lives in Pune.
2. The man works as a doctor. He lives in the house next to mine.
3. That’s the article. She is writing it.
4. We bought some books. Our cousin told us they were on sale.
5. The car runs very fast. I got it repaired last week.
6. I lived in an apartment. It did not have a lift.
7. You should see a vet. He can help your dog better.
8. The movie was brilliant. It was directed by Castro.
9. We saw the boy. He has long hair.
10. My mother bought me a dress. It is beautiful.

Answers

1. We sent a gift to my aunt who lives in Pune.
2. The man who works as a doctor lives in the house next to mine.
3. That’s the article that she is writing.
4. We bought some books that our cousin told us were on sale.
5. The car that I got repaired last week runs very fast.
6. I lived in an apartment that did not have a lift.
7. You should see a vet who can help your dog better.
8. The movie that was directed by Castro was brilliant.
9. We saw the boy who has long hair.
10. My mother bought me a dress that is beautiful.

C. Combine these sentences to form one sentence each using an adverb clause.

1. I waited for my sister. I waited till she arrived.
2. He hid behind the bushes. The police could not find him.
3. I saw her. She had walked into the room.
4. He was not there. I left a message with his secretary.
5. We wish to do well. We work hard.
6. She was very tired. She could barely walk.
7. Don’t play with that knife. You could hurt yourself.
8. He started late. He finished in time.
9. You must tell me everything. Otherwise, I will not be able to help you.
10. We watched the sparrows. They laid their eggs in this nest.

Answers

1. I waited for my sister till she arrived.
2. He hid behind the bushes where the police could not find him.
3. I saw her when she walked into the room.
4. As he was not there, I left a message with his secretary.
5. As we wish to do well, we work hard.
6. She was so tired that she could barely walk.
7. Don’t play with that knife as you could hurt yourself.
8. Though he started late, he finished in time.
9. You must tell me everything so that I can help you.
10. We watched the sparrows who laid their eggs in this nest.

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Character sketches of the main characters in ‘The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle’ by Arthur Conan Doyle.

Here is a brief character sketch of the main characters from The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

1. Sherlock Holmes

• Sherlock Holmes is a famous detective known for his sharp mind and power of observation.
• He can find hidden clues and solve mysteries by just looking at small details.
• In this story, he learns many things about a man just by examining his hat.
• He is also kind and fair. Even though he finds the real thief (Ryder), he forgives him because it is Christmas and believes the man has learnt his lesson.
  ➡️ Qualities: Intelligent, observant, logical, kind, forgiving.

2. Dr. Watson

• Watson is Sherlock Holmes’s close friend and assistant.
• He is a good listener and always supports Holmes in his investigations.
• He is sometimes surprised by Holmes’s thinking, but he respects him deeply.
• In this story, Watson watches Holmes solve the mystery and asks helpful questions.
  ➡️ Qualities: Loyal, curious, supportive, honest.

3. Peterson

• Peterson is a security guard. He is honest and helpful.
• He finds the hat and goose and brings them to Holmes instead of keeping them.
• He is surprised when he finds the blue gem inside the goose.
  ➡️ Qualities: Honest, loyal, trustworthy.

4. Henry Baker

• Mr Henry Baker is the man who lost the hat and goose during a street fight.
• He is poor and gentle, and feels embarrassed when he comes to get his lost things.
• He does not know about the gem inside the goose, so he is not a suspect.
  ➡️ Qualities: Polite, honest, simple.

5. James Ryder

• Ryder works at the hotel from where the blue carbuncle was stolen.
• He is the real thief who hides the gem inside a goose.
• By mistake, he hides it in the wrong goose, which is how the mystery starts.
• When caught, he begs for mercy and promises not to do wrong again.
  ➡️ Qualities: Weak-minded, scared, guilty, regretful.

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