The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding: Question Answers Meanings Summary Class 6

Get here question & answers and summary of ‘The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding’, a lesson given in the class 6 English textbook Wind Chimes. Click here for its word meanings and explanations.

Summary

The great detective Hercule Poirot is summoned by an unnamed prince and Mr Jesmond, an English diplomat, to help them solve a delicate matter. The prince, who is engaged to be married soon, is entranced by a charming young lady and lends her his precious wedding jewel, the Heart of Fire, for an evening. She disappears with the ruby, leaving behind only the words the prince overheard her say: ‘King’s Lacey, December 21’. King’s Lacey is the old manor house where Desmond Lee-Wortley, a man with a known interest in international jewel trading, is staying for Christmas.

Despite being reluctant to leave London during the holiday season, Poirot eventually agrees to go to King’s Lacey, under the guise of wanting to experience an old-fashioned English Christmas. There, he meets the elderly hosts, Colonel and Mrs Lacey, and the other guests: their granddaughter Sarah, teenage grandson Colin, Colin’s school friend Michael, Bridget, Mrs Lacey’s great niece, Diana, Mrs Lacey’s young cousin and a widow, and David Welwyn, a family friend. Desmond Lee-Wortley and his sister, Rebecca, who is unwell, are also present.

On Christmas Eve, Poirot observes the other guests closely and tells Jesmond that he suspects Sarah, who is infatuated with Desmond, and Rebecca, whom he has not been able to read at all. Michael and Bridget plan a prank for Boxing Day to test Poirot’s detective skills. Bridget pretends to be dead in the snow with fake blood around her, and Poirot is expected to identify who caused her death.

On Christmas Day, Poirot discovers a note on his pillow warning him not to eat the plum pudding, which he finds intriguing. During the meal, he notices that the pudding has small tokens for the guests, and he receives the bachelor’s button. When Colonel Lacey finds a red jewel in his pudding, Poirot identifies it as the Heart of Fire ruby and discreetly pockets it. Later, he discovers that the pudding was made with the New Year’s recipe because the Christmas pudding mould was broken. He also switches coffee cups with David to avoid being drugged.

On Boxing Day, Poirot investigates Bridget’s supposed death and reveals that it was a setup. Bridget was in on the prank, and her pulse was slowed with a tourniquet. The bauble found in her hand was the ruby, and Desmond had conspired with Sarah to steal it from the prince. Sarah was innocent, and Desmond’s accomplice was Rebecca, who had been wearing Sarah’s perfume when she broke into Poirot’s room. Poirot had hidden the ruby in plain sight on the Christmas tree.

Poirot discovers that Anne, the cook’s assistant, had left him the note, overhearing the criminals plotting against him. Poirot leaves King’s Lacey promising Anne a luxurious vanity box and admitting he has warmed up to the idea of Christmas, especially if it involves Mrs Ross making the pudding.

Question & Answers (The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding)

Comprehension

A. Answer these questions in brief.

1. What was on fire and what did Poirot have to do before the flames died out?
2. How many puddings did Mrs Ross make and why?
3. Which pudding was served on Christmas Day and why?
4. Who came looking for Poirot in the morning and why?
5. Why could Rebecca not see Desmond’s reaction when the ruby turned up on the Colonel’s plate?
6. Why did Poirot think that it was Sarah who had come into his room at night?
7. What was the relationship between Rebecca and Desmond?

Answers:

1. As the pudding went up in flames, Poirot quickly made a wish before it burned out completely.
2. In preparation for both Christmas and New Year, Mrs Ross baked two large pies and two small ones.
3. Due to a broken mould, the New Year’s pie was used as a substitute for the original Christmas pie.
4. Michael sought out Poirot in the morning after discovering Bridget lying in the snow outside.
5. Rebecca feigned illness, resulting in her absence from dinner where the ruby was found on the Colonel’s plate.
6. Rebecca purposely wore Sarah’s perfume to mislead Poirot and throw him off her trail.
7. Rebecca and Desmond were a dangerous duo, partnering in criminal activities.

B. Answer these questions with reference to the context.

1. It means you’re always going to be a bachelor…
   a. Who says this and to whom?
   b. What does ‘it’ stand for?
   c. What was found?
2. ‘But I kept to the old custom.’
   a. Who is the speaker?
   b. What ‘old custom’ is being referred to here?
   c. Who participated in the old custom?
3. ‘Is this another one of your silly stunts?’
   a. Who say this and to whom?
   b. What does the stunt refer to?
   c. Was it really a stunt? Give reasons.

Answers:

1. a. Sarah.
   b. ‘It’ stands for the bachelor’s button in the pudding.
   c. The Heart of Fire was also found in the pudding.
2. a. Mrs Ross is the speaker.
   b. The old custom being referred to here is one of all members of the house stirring the Christmas
   pudding whilst making a wish each.
   c. Everyone, including Michael, Bridget, Sarah, Diana, Desmond and David, participated.
3. a. Sarah says this to Michael.
   b. The stunt refers to Bridget lying in the snow.
   c. It was really a stunt because Bridget was only playing at being dead. However, it was not a trivial, but a very deliberate one orchestrated by Poirot.

C. Answer these questions.

1. What did Poirot infer from Desmond bringing coffee for him?
2. What was Poirot thinking of when he said that there are many things that are unbelievable?
3. Yes, someone has turned a comedy into a tragedy.
   What did Poirot mean when he said that?
4. Why does Poirot persuade Bridget to play the part that she and Michael were planning?
5. What two things did Poirot do without anyone noticing?
6. Who are Rebecca and Sarah and what is their connection with Desmond?
7. What did Anne misunderstand and why did Poirot still reward her?
8. Briefly describe how Poirot solved the case of the stolen ruby.
9. Describe how Desmond plotted to take the ruby away from the country.
10. Using examples from the text, show how some lucky accidents helped Poirot solve the case.

Answers:

1. He believed that he was being drugged to ensure that he would sleep through the night.
2. Poirot may have been making a snarky comment, suggesting that he was one step ahead of Desmond in their game of cat and mouse.
3. Pretending that a joke had turned into a serious situation, Poirot acted as if Bridget was actually dead.
4. Poirot had a realization that by placing the Heart of Fire into the hands of Bridget, who was pretending to be dead, the thief/thieves would likely panic and reveal themselves.
5. During dinner, Poirot secretly placed the authentic Heart of Fire in his pocket. Later that night, he exchanged the cup of coffee that Desmond brought him with David’s.
6. Rebecca is Desmond’s accomplice who stole the ruby from the prince, while Sarah is the granddaughter of the Laceys, who Desmond charmed to gain access to Kings Lacey.
7. Although Anne thought that Poirot’s pudding was poisoned, he still recognized her good intentions and great presence of mind by rewarding her.
8. Poirot’s first move was to enlist Bridget’s help in turning her Boxing Day prank into a trap for the thief/thieves. Bridget pretended to be dead with a fake Heart of Fire, which caused Desmond to panic. However, at Christmas dinner, Poirot discovered the real Heart of Fire in the pudding, which had been served early because of Anne’s mistake. Poirot narrowly escaped being drugged by Desmond and Rebecca’s attempt to steal from his room, and the next morning Desmond confessed and Rebecca was revealed to be the true thief. Poirot then revealed that the real jewel had been hidden on the Christmas tree all along.
   Short Answer:
   Poirot used Bridget’s prank to trap the thieves. She faked her death with a fake jewel, causing Desmond to panic. Poirot found the real jewel in the pudding and avoided being drugged by Desmond and Rebecca. Desmond confessed, Rebecca was exposed, and the jewel was revealed to be hidden on the Christmas tree.
9. Desmond chose Kings Lacey because of its proximity to an airfield, which would make for a quick getaway after stealing the ruby.
10. Three fortunate events helped Poirot solve the case: Anne overheard Desmond and Rebecca’s plan to harm Poirot, Poirot overheard Michael and Bridget’s prank, and the Christmas pudding was served early, revealing the true location of the Heart of Fire.

Vocabulary

A. In small groups, use a dictionary to find out the meanings of these commonly used French terms in English.

1. cliché
2. cul-de-sac
3. déjà vu
4. faux pas
5. sauté
6. vis-à-vis
7. en masse
8. bon appétit

Answers:

Meanings of French terms in English:

1. Cliché: a phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought.
2. Cul-de-sac: a street or passage closed at one end.
3. Déjà vu: the feeling that one has experienced the present situation before.
4. Faux pas: an embarrassing or tactless act or remark in a social situation.
5. Sauté: fried quickly in a little hot fat.
6. Vis-à-vis: in relation to; with regard to.
7. En masse: in a group; all together.
8. Bon appétit: enjoy your meal.

OR

1. cliché: an idea or phrase that has been used so much that it is not effective or does not have any meaning any longer
2. cul-de-sac: a road which is closed at one end, so that there is only one way in and out; an unhelpful situation in which you cannot make any more progress
3. déjà vu: the feeling that what is happening now has happened before in exactly the same way
4. faux pas: an embarrassing mistake in a social situation
5. sauté: to cook something in a little hot oil or fat
6. vis-à-vis: in relation to or in comparison with something or someone
7. en masse: if people do something en masse, they do it together
8. bon appétit: said to someone before they start eating a meal, to tell them you hope they enjoy their food.

B. Make a mind map of words and expressions associated with Christmas.

Answer: Here is an example of mind-map in words.

Christmas

• Decorations: Christmas tree, ornaments, lights, tinsel, wreath, stockings
• Festive Food: Christmas pudding, roast turkey, mince pies, gingerbread, eggnog
• Traditions: Gift-giving, caroling, nativity plays, mistletoe, stockings
• Seasonal Feelings: Joy, warmth, love, togetherness, generosity
• Characters: Santa Claus, elves, reindeer, the Grinch
• Religious: Jesus’ birth, manger, shepherds, wise men, star of Bethlehem
• Weather: Snow, snowflakes, winter, cold, frost
• Colours: Red, green, gold, silver, white

OR

Central Theme: Christmas

1. Religious: Jesus, Nativity, Bethlehem, Star of Bethlehem, Three Wise Men, Mary, Joseph, Shepherds, Angels, Church, Carols
2. Decorations: Christmas Tree, Ornaments, Lights, Tinsel, Wreaths, Holly, Mistletoe, Candles, Stockings
3. Activities: Gift Giving, Decorating, Baking, Caroling, Family Gathering, Christmas Dinner, Parties, Santa Claus
4. Feelings: Joy, Happiness, Love, Peace, Hope, Generosity, Warmth
5. Symbols: Santa Claus, Reindeer, Elves, Snowman, Gingerbread House, Candy Cane, Presents, Chimney, Fireplace

OR

Decorations

• 🎄 Christmas tree
• ✨ Ornaments, lights, tinsel, wreath, stockings

Festive Food

• 🍰 Christmas pudding
• 🦃 Roast turkey, mince pies, gingerbread, eggnog

Traditions

• 🎁 Gift-giving
• 🎶 Caroling, nativity plays, mistletoe, stockings

Seasonal Feelings

• ❤️ Joy, warmth, love
• 🤝 Togetherness, generosity

Characters

• 🎅 Santa Claus
• 🦌 Elves, reindeer, the Grinch

Religious

• 👶 Jesus’ birth
• 🌟 Manger, shepherds, wise men, star of Bethlehem

Weather

• ❄️ Snow, snowflakes
• 🌬️ Winter, cold, frost

Colours

• 🔴 Red, green
• 🟡 Gold, silver, white

Grammar

A. Mark these groups of words as phrases (P), clauses (C) or sentences (S).

1. In the pudding
2. A major scandal has been averted.
3. A very happy Christmas.
4. I wish you a very happy Christmas.
5. Until it turned up inside the pudding
6. To steal a ruby
7. Where the young lady will hand over the ruby
8. We are planning to fly to Paris.

Answers:

1. P, 2. S, 3. P, 4. S, 5. C, 6. P, 7. C, 8. S

B. Change these sentences from direct speech to indirect speech.

1. The teacher said to Gurmeet, ‘Call your parents and visit a doctor at once.’
2. The doctor said to the patient, ‘Take your medicine regularly.’
3. Shahnaz said, ‘Mummy, I will be very careful with your sari.’
4. Rahul said, ‘Ms Benedict, it is my mistake.’
5. The tourist asked the receptionist, ‘May I have a single room for tomorrow?’
6. Tanmay said to the security officer, ‘The thief has run away.’

Answers:

1. The teacher told Gurmeet to call her parents and to visit a doctor at once.
2. The doctor told the patient to take her/his medicine regularly.
3. Shahnaz assured Mummy that she would be very careful with her sari.
4. Rahul apologised to Ms Benedict and said that it was his mistake.
5. The tourist requested the receptionist if he could have a single room for the next day.
6. Tanmay informed the security officer that the thief had run away

C. Change these sentences from indirect speech to direct speech.

1. Malavika said that she might meet them there.
2. Aziz complained that his washing machine had still not been fixed.
3. The captain urged his teammates to not give up and follow his instructions.
4. I replied that I had been trying to reach her since the day before.
5. Arun told Mala that he wished he lived in Kolkata.
6. The teacher asked the students if they were all free for the picnic the day after.

Answers:

1. Malavika said, ‘I may meet them there.’
2. Aziz said, ‘My washing machine has still not been fixed.’
3. The captain said to his teammates, ‘Do not give up and follow my instructions.’
4. I replied, ‘I have been trying to reach her since yesterday.’
5. Arun said to Mala, ‘I wish I lived in Kolkata.’ 6. The teacher said to the students, ‘Are you all free for the picnic tomorrow?’