> - co iO , Marcel and the’O é Letters Stephen RableyMarcel is a French mouse, He's a detective and he lives in Paris, But Marcel doesn’ live in Paris all year. Every November he visits London, His old friend ~ Heney — has 2 small lat ehere ‘Marcel loves London. The beautiful buildings... the big black taxis... the museums and shops, He loves Pats, but hie loves London too. ‘This story is about one of Marcel’: November holidays. It starts at three o'clock on a Tuesday afternoon, Marcel is walking from Knighsbridge station to Henrys fat. He has towo heavy bags with him. PEARSON EDUGATION S.A, MUESTRA 484 EVALUACION, PRONIBID4 SU VENTA © comenciaLizacion@ x { ni L 4 Henry’ address is 42 Old Wilton Street, Marcel Looks at HM kd ey the mumiers~ 36 ~ 38 ~ 40.es, here it, Number 42 i He sees sign Iesays: Profesor } T.Barton’ Marcel looks ac icand think, Thats new Then he goes down to Henry's 4 F tee Henry opens the door nd smiles, ‘Marae ye Come iy "Hello Henry’ Marcel ss, “How at you? is Englsh iswery good) “Tn ery ell And ou? “ental “Good, god Henry takes Marcel conto eset have some ea The two friends sit in big chairs. They drink tea and talk [At five o'clock Marcel says," There a new person sn number 42, What’ bis sname? Burton? Barnam?” “Barton, Henry siys Professor Barton. He's very, ery clever. And that's not al ‘After tomorrow he’ going to be famous, too!” “Famous?! Marcel looks at his English friend. "Why? “Wes a very interesting story! Henry says. ‘He has some letters. They were under the floor of an old woman's house in Oxford? And ...?’ Marcel says “And they from Shakespeare to his son Henry says *Shakespecret “Yes! Henry smiles. “Shakespeare.The old lady celephoned. Professor Barton, and the Professor visited her. They talked about the letters and she sii, “I want t give them to the British Muscum in London. Can you do that for me?”“And Professor Barton said ye? "That's right! "Where are the leters now?” Marcel asks. “In the profesor’ fat. He’ going to give them to the British Meseum tomorrow morning at ten o'clock. lot of | journalists and TV people are going to be there? Suddenly there’s a big BANG! and then a long wHIzz2Z! ‘What’ that noise? Marcel asks. He goes to the window. ‘Then he remembers.'Oh — fireworks, OF course, i the 5th of November ~ your “Guy Fawkes Day i i ‘Then a man walks down the steps from 42 Old Wilton Steet. Marcel looks at him. "Is that Professor Barton?” be asks “Yes! Henry answers “He always goes to the cinema on Tuesday evenings? “Aha!” Marcel sys. ‘Why do you ay ‘Aha!"?" Henry looks at his French friend. ‘Then suddenly he understands. "Oh, you ‘want to look at the Shakespeare levers? He 9 smiles."OK, Why noe” After tea the two mice vist Professor Barton's at. There’ a simll hole near the front door. Henry stops in front of it. “Here we are? he says."Do you want to go in first “No, no. After you; Marcel says. At5.55 they're in the professor’ Rat es very big, with 2 lot of old chairs and books, There are some beautiful pictures, 00, “Come with me! Henry sys He walks across the Goor. Then he starts to climb a very tall bookcase, Marcel s behind hi. They go up and up and ‘up for a long time.Then Marcel sts on Charles Dickens’ book, Litle Dorit. He can hear a lot of fireworks in the “BANG! BANG! BANGI they go. ‘WHET WHOOSH? :E! POW! There’ a smal, white button in the bookcase Henry les at Marcel, and presse t, Sudden some of the books start “Why are they moving?” Marcel says ‘Then he understands. “Ab, Funderstand ‘There’ a safe“Yes! Henry says."Now, you stay here. 'm going to open | He takes some blue paper from his jeans. Then he climbs down to the safe. There are some numbers on the paper. He starts to read them. ‘55 ~ 14 ~ 62 29 ~8.¥es chat’ right? After cha, he puts his hands on the sae and moves the dial to the left.55/ he says. Then he moves the dial to the right."14. Suddenly there’ a very ser big, BANG!!! “Woe!” Marcel says "That was a big firework? Henry doesnt stop."62; he says 29. And!" He moves the cla] again.*...8. There ~ charsit) He smiles at Marcel and opens the safe. But chen suddenly his mouth falls open. “Oh no!” he says. “Whats wrong? Marcel asks “They're not here Heary 5335. akespeare leters. They're noth Marcel climbs down the bookcase and looks. His friend is right, The letters aren't in the safe.’But that’s not all’ Taye’ a big hole at the back of the safe, and a lot of Marcel looks at Henry. Henry looks at Marcel. Them they climb into the safe ‘Look, Marcel ays, He can see a room in number 40 Old Wilton Street. He can see a person, 00 ~ 2 tall woman in a red dress, She’ sitting at a table and talking on che telephone. "Do you think..." Henry stars ‘Ssshh’ Marcel says. The two mice si and listen. “That right! the woman says.‘'m going to New York ‘Yes this evening’ She wiites on 2 notepad."Tank you! She puts down the telephone. ‘There’ a bag on the bed infront of her. In it Marcel can see some letters, ‘The woman closes the bag. AR that, she walks to the door. She" ‘opens it and then closes it Dohind her.Henry looks 2t Marcel in che hot, dark safe." What are we going to do? he asks. ‘That woman's got the letters, Lets telephone che police” “No, there isn't time? Marcel says.'Do you know her?” "The woman? No, don't! “Who usually lives in that Rat?” “Two old women, but they're on holiday in Spain. Oh ‘Marcel, what are we going to do” ‘Marcel looks into the dark flat.‘Come with me he says. He climbs into the old women’s fat. Henry is behind dhim The two mice tun across ehe floor-Then they climb up a table, On the table there’ a yellow light and a small, white notepad, Marcel looks a it under the lig. “What ate you doing?” Henry aks Marcel doesn't answer-Then he says, “Aha! was right. Can yout see?" Henry smiles. "Yes, ean, Not very well, bur... it says, *Cononde = 7.20"! ‘Marcel puts down the notepad and looks at his watch. Ie six o'clock. Then he tats co tun down the leg of te table, Henry rans down the leg ofthe table, to0."Where are we going now? he aks “Heathrow Airport, of course, Marcel sys. At 6.03 the to mice are in Old Wilton Street. les disk. and cold. They walk quickly to Knightsbridge station There are a lot of fireworks, ‘BANG! WHEEE! POP! WHOOSH? Marcel watches them. Then he remembers the very big BANG!" in the professor’ ft. “That was clever, he chinks. "Very, very clever! ‘There are hundreds of people at Knightsbridge station Marcel and Henry run under their legs and bags. Marcel can bear a noise. “Quick, Henry’ he say.*A train’ coming’ He's right, A tain is coming into the sation. A sign on, the font of it sys, ‘Heathrow’, The doors open and the ice get on,Henry looks at Marcel in che hot, dark safe,'What are we going to do? he asks. ‘That woman's got the letters, Lets telephone che police” “No, there isn't ime} Marcel say. Do you know her?" "The woman? No, done! “Who usually lives in that at? “Two old women, bur they’te on holiday in Spain. Oh ‘Marcel, what are we going to do?" ‘Marcel looks into the dark flat.‘Come with me? he says. He climbs into the old women’s fiat, Henry is behind hhim The two mice tun across ehe floor.Then they climb up table, On the table there’ a yellow light and a small, white notepad. Marcel looks a it under the ligh. “What are you doing? Henry aks Marcel doesn't answer. Then he says, “Aha! was right. Can yout see?” Henry smiles. "Yes, ean, Not very well bur... it says, Concorde = 7.20"? ‘Marcel puts down the notepad and looks at his watch. Ie six o'clock, Then he stats to run down the leg of the table, Henry rans dovin the leg ofthe table, too."Where are we going now?” he aks “Heathrow Airport, of course’ Marcel sys. At 6.05 the eo mice are in Old Wilton Street. Ie’ dask. and cold. They walk quickly to Knightsbridge station There are a lot of fireworks, “BANG! WHEEL! POP! WHOOSH? Marcel watches them. Then he remembers the very big BANG!" in the professors Bat. “That was clever, he thinks. "Very very clever! ‘There are hundreds of people at Knightsbridge station. Marcel and Henry run under their legs and bags. Marcel can bear a noise “Quick, Hen he siys."A train's coming” He's tight, A tain is coming into the sation. A sign on: the font of it sys, “Heathrow. The doots open and the mice get on.‘There ae fieen sations bak Beatrow. Brey time, oe ‘At Heahow the mice get of, Mave looks Tee and right.“Where do we go now?" he asks. cys He ook et nd ight 100 ee sedis ecw xtc tok’ Tht bie sen “ou! Nar He er i ‘Thence sar vo an in ‘Mare Henny hate bagenionrst hoo = the woman but en whet Teco back” Wael andes ‘Wie nde ‘They come to a door. It says, ‘CONCORDE’, but its closed. Henry and Marcel stop in front of it. “Oh no! says Henry [Buc then two men with big bags open the door and go in. The mice go in, coo. “Good Marcel ays. He looks atthe people in the room “Now ...can you see her?" "No, ean‘ Henry says ‘Marcel smiles"l ean’ he says Where?” “There. In font of us! Henry looks. Marcel is right. The American woman is sitting on a chaie and listening to her Walkman. She’ reading a newspaper, too. Her bag is on the foot “OK ~ lets go, Marcel sys, He takes a small knife fiom bis coat." Walk behind me, Henry ~ bar be very, ery quiet?He sarts to walk across the room, Henry walks behind his iiend. Marcel’ a detective! he thinks. ‘les going to be OK, He knows his job. He does this every day. Yes... going —to =be-O-K! Marcel stops infront of the American woman’ bag. He looks at Henry ‘Ssh he says." Wait here! Then he climbs up the bag. ‘Aficra shore ime he starts to:make a hole in it ‘with his knife. Henry swatches. His mouth is ‘open. He looks at the ‘American woman. She's listening to musi and reading, She doesn't look down, ‘Marcel climbs into the bag. Ie dark, He closes his eyes and opens thei again [Now he can see some jeans ~ 4 radio ~ some books. Then suddenly he sees the ‘Shakespeare lettes.‘Good! he thinks, He puss the Jetters on his back and stars to climb down, again, Henry sees Dhim and sms, Bur then the mice bear a “Bing bong! The American ‘woman looks at her watch. Then she takes off her ‘Walkman and starts €0 put it in her bag “Hey! she says What ..?Two mice! What’ thst” ‘Quick, Henry ~ catch! Marcel sys. He gives the lettezs co Henry. Then he climbs down the bag. The mice un very quickly with che Shakespeare le«ers. They can hear the American woman behind them, She's running very quickly too. ‘The door is open. A man is coming in. He’ fa and he thas two bags. The mice run wnder his legs, Then Marcel hhears a big noise! He looks behind him. The American woman is a the floor, and the man is talking to her. “Sorry, he says."Are you OK?" ‘The woman stands up."No!” she says. Then she looks for the mice, but she can't see them,[At nine o'lock Marcel and Henry ae buck 2 Professor Dareon’s fat in Old Wilton Sect. Theyke very happy. ‘Marcel i sitting on the table. The Shakespeare lees are in font of im, He’ reading ther, Henry i standing at che window. He's watching the fieworks. Suddenly he sees man in a brown coat. Is Profeswor Barton. He coming home: "The professor i smiling, Then he walks into his Bat suddenly he stops smiling. Marcel and Henry are sanding bbchind chait They watch hin He goes tothe safe. Is open. He looks in and sys, “Ohno! ‘Then he ses the Shakespeare lewets on the able “But..." fe puts one hand on his head. ll He puts one hand — “I don't understand? He looks a the safe. Then he looks at the letters ~ and then he Jooks at the safe again. "Why sce the letors here? he sis, “When ...? How ...? Tdon' understand” In the morning, Henry and Marcel go to the British Museum. Ie. cold day, and its raining. In the museum chere area lot of Journalists and'TV people. They re ‘waiting for Profesor Barton, He arrives at ten o'clock. “Good morning! he says to them. He starts to talk about the Shakespeare letters Them he sives the leters to 4 man from the museum. “Thank you very much, Professor; the man says. Henry and Marcel are standing at the back of the room, Henry smiles a his French friend “and chank you, Marcel?ACTIVITIES. a Th ec | 1 Answer these questons. 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