Burlington International Readers a a he Rue Morgue B Burtington BooksThe Murders in the Rue Morgue and other stories Edgar Allan Poe Retold by Kate O'Brien B Burlington BooksThe Murders in the Rue Morgue and other stories by Edgar Allan Poe Retold by Kate O'Brien Burlington Books P.O. Box 54411 3721 Limassol Cyprus Burlington Books is an imprint of the Burlington Group. The publisher gratefully acknowledges the following for providing photographs: © Alamy: pages 60, 61 (Hitchcock), © Pictorial Press Ltd / Alamy: page 61 (King); © Shutterstock, Inc.: cover, page 17, 61 (background), 63 ‘The publisher would like to thank M@ Araceli Guerrero Garcia. All rights reserved by the publisher. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means - electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise ~ without permission in writing from the publisher. ISBN 978-9963-51-609-4 ‘This simplified version copyright © 2016 Burlington Books International Reader No. 1B1 .03(oS About the Author / Background The Masque of the Red Death Chapter 1: The Terrible Plague Chapter 2: A Strange Masked Figure The Pit and the Pendulum Chapter 1: After the Trial Chapter 2: Some Light to See the Horrors Chapter 3: The Pendulum Chapter 4: Salvation The Murders in the Rue Morgue Chapter 1: Facts from the Crime Scene Chapter 2: Dupin Gets to Work Chapter 3: Dupin’s Observations Chapter 4: The Sailor’s Story Glossary Cross-Curricular Focus Final Project 8 36 40 16Asout THE AUTHOR Edgar Allan Poe is credited with inventing the detective novel and writing macabre tales. Poe was born in Boston in 1809 to parents who were actors, but he lost both of them before he was three years old, He was adopted by John and Frances Allan of Richmond, Virginia. John was a wealthy tobacco merchant and wanted Poe to become a businessman like himself. But Poe longed to be a writer and had no interest in tobacco. In 1826, Poe went to university in Virginia, but John gave Poe only a third of the money he needed. Poe gambled to try to raise money, but by the end of his first term, he had to burn his furniture to keep warm, Humiliated and angry, Poe returned home, but he was unable to get along with John and he left to find adventure and become a writer. At the age of 18, he published his first book, Tamerlane and Other Poems. He then joined the army to achieve his other goal; to find adventure. Poe was accepted at the prestigious West Point military academy, but was soon thrown out because he paid little attention to his duties, Although he published another book, he was broke and alone. He went to live with his aunt and her daughter, Virginia, in Baltimore. Poe fell in love with young Virginia and married her in 1836. In the late thirties, Poe published several collections of stories, including Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque. He then started developing the first detective story and published The Murders in the Rue Morgue in 1841. Poe became famous when he published The Raven, a supernatural poem, in 1845. Although now famous, Poe was still poor and things became worse when Virginia died in 1847. Poe developed problems with alcohol and his health declined. In 1849, Poe disappeared for five days and was then found in a public bar and sent to hospital where he died, at the age of 40. After his death, a literary rival, Rufus Griswold, wrote a harsh obituary to portray Poe as a drunken madman. He hoped his attacks would cause the public to ignore Poe and his works. But, it had the ‘opposite effect and sales of Poe's work increased. Even today, Poe's stories have the ability to shock, surprise and move his readers. For more background informatioy 60-63.BackGROUND ‘THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH This story is a fantasy which was first published in 1842 in an issue of Graham's Magazine, where Poe worked as an editor. Many of Poe's short stories, including this one, are considered horror classics. ‘masque’ is a word from the 16th century which describes a type of ball, where the people are disguised and wear masks. THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM. The Spanish Inquisition This story is set against the background of the Spanish Inquisition which was established by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella in 1478, as a way to unite the country under one religion. Courts were set up under the authority of Friar Tomas de Torquemada, the Grand Inquisitor. Inquisitors tried people suspected of not being faithful to Christianity. De Torquemada, as the head, devised harsh rules and methods to extract confessions from those accused and had them enforced rigorously. Those who refused to confess were often condemned to death. The Inquisition officially ended in 1834, although the worst period was during the late 15th and early 16th centuries. In the past 20 years, Popes have apologised for the cruelty and injustice of the Inquisition. Toledo Toledo was the headquarters of the Inquisition and the capital of Spain in the 16th century. Then in 1561 Philip Il made Madrid the capital, although it appears to be a mystery why, because at the time it was just a small town. ‘THE MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE This story is regarded as the first moder detective story. It was written and published at a time when police investigations into crime were becoming more organised. A professional police force had been established in London and, in the USA, the police were trying to use more methodical ways of proving guilt. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie based their famous detectives, Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot, on Poe's character August Dupin.PRE-READING ACTIVITIES 1 Complete the paragraph about a serious epidemic with the words below. court * crowd * grew red » deadly + evil» look after * sealed “YOU MUSE sen the Prin ~ the population,” the advisors told but the Prince didn’t like this at all, His face With anger. The * outside the castle was furious because the Prince had done nothing about the 8 ----n-nm plague. The people tried to enter the castle, even though the doors were ° shut, “The Prince 5 © sn seonnnenn!" they shouted, Frightened, the Prince stood up and quickly left his ” - courage a. entera place narrow visitor guest vw. strong, grey-coloured metal set foot awd. ability to do something dangerous a even if you are afraid spread smn, passed from one area to another not wide 3. How would you react if you found out that some people in your town or city had a serious infectious disease?Te The Terrible Plague The Red Death had devastated the country for a long time. There had never been such a deadly plague, or such a horrible one. First, the victim felt intense pains and experienced dizziness. Then, blood began to pour from his skin, The red marks on the body, and especially ‘on the face of the victim, were the signs that he had the Red Death. Of course, nobody wanted to know him then, Nobody would go near him, The whole process, from catching the plague to dying, only took half an hour. But Prince Prospero was happy and unaffected by the misery of his people: Alter half of his population had died, he called together 1,000 healthy, carefree friends from his court and took them far away, to one of his distant castles. “We'll be safe here,” he told his friends. The castle was a magnificent building, The Prince, with his unusual but The victim felt intense excellent taste, had planned it himself. ains and experienced There was a strong high wall around it, — and gates of iron. Once everyone was inside, the servants scaled the huge gates shut so that nobody could enter or leave. There was plenty of food in the castle, and the Prince provided all kinds of entertainment ~ clowns, musicians, ballet dancers and plenty of wine. The Prince and his fri xls believed they could escape the terrible plague outside the castle walls, The world could look after itself; they would not worry, or think about it, The people inside the castle were safe. The Red Death was outside and far away. Five or six months later, while the plague continued killing thousands of people in the outside world, Prince Prospero invited his friends to a masked ball, It was held in a suite of seven roomsThe people inside the castle were safe. The Red Death was outside and far away. In many palaces, suites are built in a straight line. But here it was very different, for the Prince, you will remember, had very strange taste, There was a sharp turn every ten metres so that you could only see one room at a time. In the middle of each wall, was a tall narrow window. This looked out onto a corridor which ran alongside the rooms. The windows were made of stained glass, and the colour of the glass varied according to the decor of the room. In the room at the east end, for example, everything was blue, and the windows were also bright blue. In the second room, everything was purple, as were the windows. The third room was green, the fourth orange, the fifth white and the sixth violet. In the seventh room, everything was covered in black velvet. Only in this room, the window was a different colour from the decor ~ it was scarlet, the colour of blood. On the night of the ball, no candles were placed in any of the seven rooms. However, in the corridor opposite cach stained glass window, there stood a three-legged table holding a dish of fire. The firelight shone through the coloured glass and produced a strange and wonderful effectws In the black room, however, the cffect of the firelight streaming through the blood-coloured glass was truly horrible, The light gave such a wild look to the faces of those who entered this room that very few of the guests were brave enough to set foot there at all In this black room stood a huge lock. Its pendulum swung with a heavy, monotonous sound. Clang ... clang ... clang Every hour, the clock struck, giving a loud clear sound. It was such a strange sound that the musicians of the orchestra stopped playing to listen. The dancers stopped dancing, and the whole party became afraid The people forgot their happiness. With each strike of the clock, the Prince’s guests felt time moving closer and closer towards them, But as soon as the sounds stopped, the laughter started again. The musicians smiled and promised that they would ni stop playing the next time the clock struck. But, 60 minutes later wher the clock made the same sound, ai the people reacted the same wayee A Strange Masked Figure The ball was magnificent, The Prince understood colour and strange effects. He had planned the dramatic decor of the seven rooms for the ball, and had also decided what everyone should wear. And stranger, more bizarre costumes were never seen! They were grotesque! It was a collection of dreams that moved around the rooms. These dreams danced to the wild music from room to room, changing colour according to the colour of the room they entered. Suddenly, the clock in the black room struck the hour and for a moment, everything was still, except the sound of the clock. lang ... clang ... clang ... But the chimes only lasted an instant, and quict laughter could be heard once more. The music began again, and the masked people danced more wildly than before, taking their colour from the rooms. But none of the dancers dared to go into the black room, as the light streaming through the windows was redder and bloodier than ever, and the room appeared even more terrifying, ‘The other rooms were full of guests, enjoying themselves at the Prince's party. None of them thought about the suffering and death of the people outside the castle Then, the clock struck midnight. The music stopped and the dancers were still. The clock sounded its twelfth chime, and a strange masked figure entered the blue room. The news of the stranger's arrival spread quickly throughout the suite, At first, people felt surprise and disapproval. Who was this uninvited guest? Then, they showed their horror. ‘There were many bizarre costumes at the party that night, but everyone agreed that the stranger's costume w was tall and thin, and he was dressed from head to foot in the clothes at (oo far, The figure of death. His mask looked like the face of a dead person, and it was hard to tell if it was real or not. The masked stranger had dressed as the Red Death ~ his clothes were dripping with blood, and there was, blood on his face and forehead.The stranger moved slowly among the dancers. When Prince Prospero first saw him, he shook with terror, but then his face grew red with anger ‘The music stopped as he started to speak. “Who dares to insult us like this?” he cried. “Who dares to come here and make fun of us? Hold him and take off his mask so that we can see who it is. We will words echoed through the seven hang him at sunrise!” The Prince's rooms, for he had a loud authoritative voice. While he was speaking, some of the dancers moved towards the stranger. A terrible fear took hold of them, and nobody could put out his hand and touch the masked figure, While all the dancers moved back against the walls of the seven rooms, the stranger walked slowly from the blue room to the purple room, from the purple room to the green room, then to the orange, to the white and on to the violet. Nobody tried to stop him. Then, Prince Prospero, angry with himself for his fear, ran quickly through the six rooms after the stranger. The Prince pulled out his sword and ran to attack the masked figure. The stranger reached the black room, and then, he turned suddenly. There was a loud cry, the sword dropped onto the black carpet, and Prince Prospero fell to the floor ... dead. A crowd of furious dancers found the courage to attack the stranger. They grabbed the masked figure and pulled off his mask and costume. They looked in horror. The mask and costume were empty! There was nobody inside! Everyone understood that the stranger really was the Red Death. He had come like a thief in the night to steal their hope, their happiness and their lives. One by one, the dancers died. Nobody escaped the terrible death. The castle had no defense against the evil plague. Soon, the seven rooms were filled with blood. When the last dancer died, the clock stopped, and the fires in the corridor went out There was nothing left but darkness, decay and the Red Death,CHAPTERS 1-2 ACTIVITIES We use the skill of COMPARING and CONTRASTING to understand how people and things are similar or different. 1 Contrast the lives of the people inside the castle to those outside the castle at the beginning of the story. 2 Mark the false sentences about Prince Prospero with an X. Then correct the false sentences below. Do not make the sentences negative. 1. He was worried about the effect of the plague on the population. 2. He had excellent taste. 3. He was amused at first by the strange guest. 4, He ran away from the stranger. 3. Mark the false sentences about the stranger at the masked ball with an X, Then correct the false sentences below. Do not make the sentences negative. 1. He arrived in the blue room after the last chime at midnight 2. He stood silently in the corridor, looking at the people. 3. Under his costume, there was a body covered in blood. 4, The guests understood that the stranger was the Red Death,{. Complete the sentences about the story. 1. The room was lit by 2, The firelight in the black room made the guests 3. When the huge clock struck ro 4, The stranger was dressed 5. The Pri spoke loudly to the stranger and declared that he would 5. In The Masque of the Red Death, which of the following techniques does Poe use to present the story? 1. dialogue 2. suspense 3. powerful description 4, detailed interaction between characters 6 Answer the question: your notebook. 1. Why do you think Poe chose the name “Prospero” for the Prince? 2. How did the Prince use his wealth to protect himself and bis friends? 3. What was the atmosphere of the masked ball before the stranger’s arrival? 4, How did a group of the guests react after the Prince fell dead to the floor? 5. What happened to the guests at the end of the story? If the Prince invited you to the castle, would you go? Explain your answer.STW NT 1 Complete the sentences with the words below. whispered * coward * weakness + troubled « fearless * strength + buried A person who doesn’t care about danger is 2. After a person thinks about all his problems, he / she may become very 3, A person needs and a positive attitude in difficult situations. 4, After the old lady died, they her next to her dead husband 5. A person who is brave isn'ta... 6. Never show to your enemy. ToD nnn in my ear, so nobody else could hear. 2 Complete the paragraph about how a person would feel in a difficult situation with the words below. despair « struggle « fate + courtroom « breathe The eseeennmnnnn WaS completely silent after the trial [felt fear and 1 found it difficult to * Iwas confused and 1 Was it * anmnmenmnene BECAUSE My situation was hopeless. What punishment would the judges give me? What would be my * j-nennee ? Lene that I would HAVE 10 seem to survive. 3 In the Inquisition in the 15th century, the Inquisitor pu people that he believed were not good Christians. How would you feel if you lived at a time when people weren't allowed to follow their religion? Write the answer in your notebook.Members of the Inquisition were all around me in the courtroom when they sentenced me to death. Death! The word repeated itsy again and again in my head. The voices of my tormentors lost ai meaning for me, and I heard nothing at all. could still see, though was strange and exaggerated. The lips of the judges in fotesque as they pronounced my everythin their black robes were thin and g fate. Though I could not hear what else the judges were saying, the words echoed. Death! I saw those lips form the syllables of my name and | trembled with fear. : For a few moments of delirious horror, 1 thou, the table looked like thin, white angels who were there to save me Suddenly, something icy cold took hold of my spirit, and I felt every fibre in my body vibrate. The idea entered my mind that there would tht the candles on be sweet rest in the grave1 suddenly knew I was going to faint. Darkness surrounded me, followed by silence and stillness. I don’t know how long I was "unconscious, but slowly, motion and sound started to come back to me. 1 felt I was being carried down lots of stairs, then ... nothing ‘more. I could hear my own heartbeat, so I knew I was alive. Slowly, I felt the terror as I remembered what I was, and where I was, I could move. Everything came back to me ~ the trial, the judges, the sentence and the darkness as I fainted. I wanted to forget again, So far, I had not opened my eyes. I knew that I was lying, untied, on my back. I put out my hand, and it fell heavily onto something damp and hard. 1 tried to imagine where I could be. I wanted to look around me, but the idea frightened me so much that I kept my eyes closed. I was scared of seeing something terrible, but even more afraid that perhaps there was nothing to see. Finally, | opened my eyes, and my worst thoughts were confirmed. The blackness of eternal night was all around me. I tried desperately to breathe and not to panic. I lay quietly and made an effort to think. I remembered the torture and the Inquisition. 1 only needed to discover what had happened since the trial. Where was I? ‘When someone is condemned to death, the execution is usually at the autos-da-fé, and one of these had taken place on the night of my trial, For some reason, they had chosen not to kill me then, Maybe they wanted to wait for the next ceremony which would be in three months’ time. But that was impossible; they wanted victims now. Anyway, if that were the case, I would be in a condemned cell — all of the condemned cells in Toledo had some light. Not like here. Suddenly, I had a terrible thought. 1 stood up, trembling, and waved my arms in every direction, I felt nothing, and at first, didn’t have the courage to move in case I found the walls of my tomb, Eventually, the suspense proved too much for me, and I started to move forward, I walked slowly, my arms in front of me. My eyes desperately tried to find the smallest ray of light. I walked three, four, five ... ten steps. Everything was dark and empty. I stopped trembling. At least, they had not buried me alive!There were a thousand rumours about the horrors of Toledo. I knew that my destiny was a terrible death, of that I had no doubt ~ the Inquisition showed no mercy. But when, and /iow would I die? My outstretched hands finally found something solid ~a smooth, cold stone wall. In order to establish the dimensions of my dungeon, { tore off a fragment of cloth at the bottom of my robe and placed it ‘on the floor next to the wall Very slowly, I put my hands on the wall and followed it with the ‘uncertainty of a blind man. 1 hoped that, in this way, I would find my point of departure when I completed the circuit. However, I had not counted on the size of the dungeon, or my own weakness. The ground was damp and slippery. I groped my way for some time, and then 1 fell to the ground. I did not have the strength to stand up again, and exhausted, I fell asleep. When I woke, I found a loaf of bread and a jug of water next to me. I ate the bread in seconds, but drank the water more slowly. 1 continued my tour around the dungeon, After what seemed an eternity, I found the fragment of cloth on the ground. Until I fell, Thad counted 52 steps; now I counted 48 more, before I found the end of the cloth. So, my cell was 100 steps around. However, with the many angles in the wall, I could not guess the shape of the room, Ce Some Light to See the Horrors Curiosity made me continue my exploration, though there was no real reason to do so. I eft the wall and decided to try and walk across the cell, AL first, I moved very cautiously because the floor was wet and seemed dangerous. I moved in as direct a line as possible and had advanced ten or twelve steps when I stood on my torn robe and fell ‘o the ground, face down, Something was very strange. My body and chin lay on the floor of the Prison, but my lips and forehead touched nothing. [could smell decayed fungus. I put out my hand and there was nothing in front of me. To my horror, I understood that { had fallen just before I stepped into a pit.Thad no idea how big the pit was, so 1 took a small stone from the floor and dropped it into the abyss to f ind out. 1 listened for man long seconds, and finally there came the sound of stone hitting water, followed by echoes. At the same time, there was a noise like a door closing and a sudden weak light over my head I saw clearly the death they had planned for me which t had escaped by good fortune. One more step before my fall and I would have dropped into the pit in the centre of my prison, For the Inquisition’s vietims, there was the choice of death by the worst physical agonies, or death by terrible mental horrors. 1 had been given the second choice’. My nerves were torn to pieces because of my suffering, and I trembled at the sound of my own voice. I had become the perfect subject for the tortures they wanted to inflict on mshaking, I groped my way back to the wall. I preferred to gi, rather than risk the terror of the pit. What was in there? 1 imag there were more pts in the dungeon. IF had been ina differen sa of mind, | might have had the courage to end my misery immedi and throw myself into the abyss. But I was now the worst of cowards Horrible thoughts kept me awake for what seemed a Tong in managed to fall into a troubled sleep, and once again, there ya ; loaf of bread and a jug of water next to me when I awoke. Hw did they bring these things to me? I savv and heard og, enter, I was so thirsty that I drank the entire jug imn diately, ‘The water must have had something in i, because from the money, I finished drinking, 1 could not Keep my eyes open. T slept some more ... a sleep like death. 1 don’t know how long I slept, but when I opened my eyes, 1 could see objects around me forthe fist time. There was now a strange light, and I could see the size and shape of my prison, I had completely miscalculated the size of the room. The entire circumference of the walls was no more than 25 metres. This errop disturbed me, and I tried to discover the reason for it. Of course! jn iy first attempt at exploring the dungeon, I had counted 52 steps before I fell. I must have landed on top of the fragment of cloth, When I woke up, I continued walking, This meant I had completed two circuits of the walls but thought I had walked around only once T had also been completely wrong about the shape of the dungeon. I found many angles when I felt my way around the walls, but the effect of total darkness plays games with the mind, so I had exaggerated these angles. They were no more than small inregularities in the walls. In fact, the prison room was square. Also, what T had thought was stone was iron in enormous panels in the wall. The entire surface of this metallic cell was covered in figures of wild and angry demons, skeletal forms and other terrifying images The floor was stone. In the centre was the circular pit - the only pil in the dungeon. { saw all this with great difficulty, because my situation had changed while I was sleeping. How long had I slept?Tnow lay on my back on a low wooden bed. I was securely tied by a long leather strap. 1 could move only my head and left arm from the elbow down, At least, I could feed myself from a plate on the floor, but the water jug was gone, and T was terribly thirsty again. ‘This was my torturers’ objective because the food on the plate was heavily spiced. looked up at the ceiling 10-12 metres above me. Like the walls, it was metal. A figure painted on one of the panels caught my eye. It was a figure with red eyes, holding what looked like a huge pendulum in its mouth. The pendulum was hanging from the ceiling directly above me. ‘As I looked, I thought I saw the pendulum move a little, Seconds later, it moved again very slowly. I watched for some minutes, half in fear and half in wonder.aS ACTIV! The NARRATOR is the person who tells the story. We understand the events in the story from his point of view. 1 a The events of the story are told in the first person from the Perspective of the narrator. Do you think this makes the story more or less frightening? Explain your answer. b Would you feel differently if you knew the narrator's name and background? Explain your answer. 2 All the sentences below are false. Underline the mistakes and correct the sentences on the line below. 1. The narrator was among friends in the court.3 Answer the questions in your notebook. 1, What was the narrator's state of mind as the story opened? 2. Why did the narrator keep his eyes closed after he b the prison? yecame conscious in 3, What was ironic when he finally opened his eyes? 4, Why did the narrator miscalculate the size of the room? The SETTING refers to the background in which the story takes place. It can include the time period, place, social context or atmosphere of the story. In this story, the main setting is a dungeon. 4, Compare the two descriptions of the dungeon: one before the narrator had enough light to see clearly, and one after there was enough light to see the size and shape of the room. Was the room more or less frightening after the narrator could see clearly? Why do you think Edgar Allan Poe doesn't tell readers what criAsli of them running across the floor. They had come from the pit! While nt noise suddenly attracted my attention. Rats! I saw several I watched, more crawled out — one, two, soon there were (oo many to count. They all came towards me, tempted by the smell of meat on the plate beside me. It took all my strength to keep them away. Pethaps half an hour passed before I opened my eyes and looked again, What I saw confused and amazed me. The swinging of the pendulum had increased, and it was moving much faster now. It had descended somewhat, and I could see that the i-circle of steel about 30 cm wide. Even from this distance, I could see that it was sharp ~ sharp as a edge of the pendulum was a s& razor. Hanging from an iron pole attached to a panel above me. It looked very, very heavy. More frightening still, I could hear it as it swung through the airSo, this was the new death my torturers had planned for me. The agents of the Inquisition knew I had escaped the horrors of the pit - they saw everything. 1 had no idea how, Now, a different death awaited me closer and closer to me, I needn't describe the agony of those long, terrible hours after I realised what the pendulum could do. { counted the swings of the pendulum right ... to left... to right as it descended closer, little by litle It felt as though days had passed. I began to feel the air moving as the pendulum swung closer to me, The smell of steel reached me. I prayed over and over that death would come quickly to stop my agony. 1 became desperate. I tried to force my body up towards the knife edge. I would do anything to end this misery. Then, suddenly, Tbecame quiet and calm, and smiled up at the instrument of death. T think it was then that reason left me completely. I craved any food, and I ate a small portion of the spicy meat left by the rats. I suffered even greater agonies from the terrible thirst which followed, but as 1 ate the meat, an idea entered my mind ... an idea which gave me hope, What right had I 10 hope? T knew the swing of the pendulum came at right angles to my body and that the blade was designed to cut across my heart. First, it would have to cut through my robe, so I began to think I could stop the pendulum there. I imagined the sound the pendulum would make as it cut the cloth. I thought and thought until L almost believed it was going to happen. I laughed and cried in turns as I moved from blind hope to despair. The pendulum was very close to me, and I struggled furiously to free my left arm, still tied at the top. IT could break the strap holding my arm, I could stop the pendulum. But deep inside myself, 1 knew it would be easier to stop an avalanche than this swinging, deadly steel. | gasped and struggled at each swing. My eyes followed the blade as it went up, then I closed them as it descended. Death would be an escape, but hope made me shrink away from the blade, causing all of my nerves to vibrate. Hope the condemned, but it was obvious. as the terrifying pendulum swung mains during torture and whispers to even in the dungeons of the Inquisition,1 knew that ten or twelve swings would bring the steel into contact with my robe. With this observation, I suddenly felt the total calm of complete despair. For the first time in many hours, or perhaps days, I tried to use my brain, I had been obsessed with the idea that the blade must cut my robe first, but now I realised that the strap tying me down was simply that ~ one long strap. The first swing of the blade across any part of the strap would free me! I would be able to ‘untie it with my left hand and escape the pendulum’s blade. But 1 knew the steel would be too close, and the smallest struggle would mean death, Sad to find my last hope frustrated, I raised my head and looked down at my body. 1 should have known. The strap was tied around me in all directions except in the path of the blade! [As soon as I dropped my head back onto the pillow, a thought flashed through my mind ... though it was a weak and only half sane idea. With the nervous energy of despair, I attempted its execution. You must understand that for many hours the area around me had been covered with rats, They were wild, fearless and hungry. Hundreds of red eyes watched and waited for me to stop moving They were already anticipating their feast of my dead body. “What food have they been accustomed to in the pit?” I thought, Perhaps it was better not to answer that question. CHAPTER 4 Salvation The rats had eaten almost all the meat on the plate next to me, in spite of my efforts to stop them, I had fallen into an automatic waving motion with my left hand over the plate. In their enthusiasm, the rats frequently bit into my fingers, Now, T began to rub the strap wherever I could reach it with the oily meat juice remaining on the plate. When I finished, I raised my hand from the floor and lay still. Suddenly, all movement ceased. At first, the hungry creatures were confused. A moment later, one or two jumped up onto the wooden bed. This seemed to be a signal ~ hundreds of rats jumped onto me. | ay still, fighting my revulsion. Avoiding the swinging pendulur they ran over my throat, their cold lips looking for my own. Theyran over me and started to bite at the strap. 1 could hardly breath of So many rats. Terror choked im I would faint or be; from the weig and I thought in (o struggle and scream. Yet one more and I believed this torture would end ninute, could see the strap start to move, and knew my idea had succeeded - they had eaten through it! Patience ~ that was what I needed, I had to live with this for onl few more seconds. With greater determination, I lay still 1 ay stil, fighting my revulsion. [was not wrong. I had not suffered in vain. 1 was free. The strap was torn and no longer held me down. But the pendulum pressed ind a sharp sense of pain hit every nerve. The moment of escape had arrived. on my chest. It had already cut my robe, Twice it swung, ‘Ata wave of my hand, the rats ran away. With a steady, slow sideways movement, | lowered myself from the bed and out of reach of the deadly blade. For the moment, at least, Iwas free! Free ... but still in the hands of the Inquisitio Thad only just moved from the wooden bed when the motion of Julum stopped. I saw it go quickly upwards, pulled by some the p invisible force, and disappear into the ceiling!lesson which I took to heart. They were watching every 1 How blind I was! I had only escaped death in one This was move I made. Free! form to be subjected to a new and different torture. I had triumpheq over the pit and the pendulum — what awaited me now? With that thought, I looked nervously around the walls of my cell. Something had changed. I didn’t know exactly what it was, but Desperately, I looked around and sensed something was differe above me. Then, I saw that the figures on the walls were now clearer and their colours more vivid. Demon eyes threatened me from the walls, shining with the red glow of fire. They were so real that I could not ignore them. The smell, too, was very real ~ the smell of heated iron. The red eyes of the figures on the walls became deeper and deeper. I gasped for breath ... there was no doubt about my torturers’ new objective. Trembling, 1 shrank from the glowing metal of the walls towards Demon eyes threatened me the centre of the cell, towards the coolness of from the walls. the pit. 1 looked down into the hole, and in the weak light from the roof, I saw what was below. For a moment, my spirit refused to understand, But the meaning forced its way into but the my brain, into my soul ... and what horror! Now I knew horror ... any horror but this! With a shout of despair, I ran from the edge with my face in my hands, crying desperately and bitterly. The heat rapidly increased, and again I trembled as though 1 had a violent fever. There was another change in the cell. The shape had altered again. The walls had moved in towards the centre and the square had become a rectangle, I had escaped twice, and now, my torturers were impatient, The burning walls moved inwards with a low sound, I couldn't bear any more horror. “Death!” 1 cried. “Any death but that of the pit!” Fool! I should have known they wanted to force me into the pit Could I resist the heat of the walls? Could I stop them from pushing me to the edge and down into the hole? The room became narrowerand narrower. The burning walls pressed me towards the centre ‘There was nothing I could do to stop them. Finally, there was hardly any room to stand on the floor of the cell, My burning, suffering body writhed against the red hot w I struggled no more, but the agony of my Jong, final scream of despair. I felt myself the edge of the pit, and I closed my eyes, There were voice falls. soul escaped in one loud, almost losing balance on There Was a loud sound of trumpets! There was a violent noise like a thousand thunders! The buming walls moved back suddenly and an outstretched hand caught my arm as I started to fall towards the abyss. It was the hand of General Lasalle Salvation! I've got you,” he announced. ‘The French army had entered Toledo! The Inquisition was in the hands of its enemies!(one Oe NS TIES The PLOT of a novel, film or play is the sequence of events which make up the story. 1 Number the sentences in the correct order. The narrator rubbed meat juice on the strap. ‘The narrator noticed rats in his cell. The rats ate through the strap. ‘After laughing and crying from mental stress, the narrator began to use his brain, ‘The narrator felt a hand catch his arm. He realised what the pendulum was going to do, 2 Read the description below. Then answer the questions. 1 looked nervously around the walls of my cell. Something had changed. I didn’t know exactly what it was, but sensed that something was different. Desperately, I looked around and above me, Then, I saw that the figures on the walls were now clearer and their colours more vivid, Demon eyes threatened me from the walls, shining with the red glow of fire, They were so real that I could not ignore them. The smell, too, was very real ~ the smell of heated iron. ‘The red eyes of the figures on the walls became deeper and deeper. 1. Which words create a feeling of fear and danger? 2. This was the third torture that the narrator had faced, How do you feel at this point in the story?The RESOLUTION is the conclu problems have been solved, and all n of the story, when all the the questions answered. 3 Answer the questions about the conclu n of the story. 1. What was the resolution at the end of The Pit andthe Pendulum? 2. We knew from the beginning that the narrator had survived because he told us the story. So, why is the ending still surprising? 4. Answer the questions in your notebook, 1. Why was the appearance of the rats a good thing in the end? 2, How did the narrator's feelings change from moment to moment? | 3. How did the narrator feel when he realised that “they” were watching him? 4, What do you think the pendulum represented in the story?August Dupin GryPRE-READING ACTIVITIES 1 Complete the paragraph with words from the list below. solving * reported + involved « is worth * rush + guilty » clues + relatives AAs soon as a murder is * wun to the police, they 0 the scene and search for » left by the criminals. They talk to neighbours and * and fo anyone Who MAY Be ® vernnsmwnieneann iN some way with the ViCtIM, © eens a murder takes time and hard work but it? --ou it if, in the end, they find the person of the crime and bring him or her to justice. 2 Match the words in A to the definitions in B. A B embarrassed .have a logical explanation locked person qualified to give legal advice . astonishment uncomfortable and awkward . awful . terrible . make sense -¢. closed with a key or bolt . lawyer | great surprise 3. What conclusions would you come to in the following crime scene situations? Write the answers in your notebook. 1, No money or valuables were taken from the victim. 2. The door to the victim’s house was locked from the inside.Facts from the Crime Scene It was in Paris, in the summer of 1840, that I met August Dupin. He was an unusually interesting man with a brilliant mind. He loved solving mysteries, using his powers of logic and observation, and the police often asked for his help in solving particularly unusual cases. One morning, Dupin showed me a curious article in the newspaper. I read that an old woman and her daughter, who lived alone in a house in the Rue Morgue, had been killed very mysteriously in the middle of the night. The article went into a lot of detail. One morning, Dupin showed me a curious article in the newspaper.Paris, 7th July 1840 | Sa ee [At three o'clock this morning, lying on the floor. In front of the the inhabitants of the Rue fireplace, there was some long Morgue heard terible cries from gray hair also bloody, which had the house of | Madame been pulled from a human head. LEspanaye and her daughter, On the floor, they found a Camille, Several neighbours valuable necklace and two bags rushed to the house to help. containing nearly 4,000 gold They broke down the door and —franes. centered the house, noticing that the awful cries had stopped. As Searching the room carefully, they rushed up the stairs, they they discovered the dead body of heard two voices from the top Camille, She had been pushed of the house arguing angrily. up the chimney, feet fist. Her The men ran from room to room body was still warm. There was until they reached a locked door blood on her face, and deep cn the 4th floor of the house. The marks on her neck which seemed key was on the inside, so they to have been made by strong forced the door open, and a fingers trying to strangle her. horrible spectacle met their eyes. After searching the house The furniture had been thrown without finding anything else, about, and much of it was the men went outside, Behind broken, The bed clothes had — the building they found the body bees removed from the bed of Madame L'Espanaye. Her av thrown into the middle throat had been so badly cut that ol ‘ae floor. There was blood when they tried to move the everywhere, on the floor, on the body, her head nearly fell off. So bed and on the walls. A sharp far, there have been no clues to razor, covered with blood, was explain these horrible murders.“How awful,” I said. “Those poor women had such violent deaths, “Yes,” replied Dupin. “The police have no idea how to proceed with this case. They've interviewed a lot of people but they all have different versions. Today's paper gives more information. Look!” | took the second newspaper and read it curiously, Jules Mignaud, a banker, told the police that Madame LEspanaye had opened an account with his bank eight years earlier, Three days before her death, she took out 4,000 franes in gold from her account, Pauline Dubourg, a laundress, has worked for the two women for the past three years, She reported that the old woman and her daughter got on well with each other, She thought Madame L’Espanaye ‘was quite rich, though they had no servants. She had never seen any visitors in the house, Isidore Muset, a policeman, stated that he had been called to the house about three o'clock in the ‘ ‘morning by the neighbours. He was there when they forced the door open, and as he started to go upstairs he heard two loud voices. One was quite deep, definitely not female, and was speaking French ‘The other was higher and very strange. He couldn't understand what it was saying, but thought it might have been speaking Spanish, Henri Duval, a neighbour, thought the deep voice was speaking French and the high voice was speaking Italian, but he was not sure if it belonged toa man ora woman,Odenheimer, a restaurant owner from NE exam, 5 pasing the hovse when he head srs and also entered the building. He thought 1 voice was that of a Frenchman and it > dee te scared, a8 Well a angry. sounded s waliam Bird, an Englishman, was one of the first to go upstairs. He heard the voices arguing and the sounes of fighting. He was sure that the high voice wine speaking German, and believed it might have een a woman’s voice. ‘Alfonso Garcia, a lawyer living in the Rue Morgue, did not go upstairs, because he was too nervous. He thought the deep voice belonged to a Frenchman and the high voice was speaking English, although he himself did not speak English. Dr Paul Dumas examined the bodies early in the moming, Camille’s body was terribly bruised and cut below the chin. Her eyes looked terrified and she had almost bitten off her tongue. Dr Dumas believed that Camille was strangled by an unknown person of great strength, ‘The mother’s body had been horribly mutilated and her right arm and leg were broken, Dr Dumas thought the murderer was a man because no woman would have been strong enough to cause such injuries. Madame L’Espanaye’s head was almost separate from the body, because her throat had been cut with a very sharp instrument, probably arazor,L ghbours confirmed that no visitors came 19 yh. 1 new ifthe wornen had any relatives. The frony bias and the ones at the back were always ¢y.™® in the back room on the 4th floor L “a the reports confirmed that the door of the room cpl’ boy was found fad been Tocked from the isi, ae theron vas empty when they forced their Way i. Al the wing vee lose and bolted from the inside. Chimneys on the agg ve ten narow fora human 10 pas UBFOU, SO NO one could jy vecaped that way, and there were no back stairs to escape from, seaca total mystery, and of course, Dupin was determined to sol, several nei and nobod were rarely open pt for the windows i! Dupin Gets to Work “-The Paris police don’t know where to begin with this case,” Dupin told me. “Let’s conduct our own investigation. We'll go to the house in the Rue Morgue and examine it ourselves.” “How? They won't let us in to a crime scen surprise, “They'll let me in,” my friend replied. “I know the head of the police, soit won't be difficult to get permission.” As Dupin anticipated, he got permission easily, and we went to the house in the Rue Morgue. It was late afternoon by the time we arrived, Before we went in, we walked "1 answered, inhe back of the house. Dupin examined ever the ba He round (0 carefully, although I couldn't see den very & arden a on the front door Pye kno we tything in the ANY easON for doing this, and Went inside. A policeman jed Us aS We WenL Upstairs 10 the 4th fy ie mpan! acco 00r room Where ody had been found. I was surprised to See that the two can vo here Nothing had been touched; everything wee eee the newspaper a terrible scene of csaclyasit had mined the windows very closely, and tied to open aaa Ree We then went out again into the ‘ ag garde7 silent on the way home, thinkin range ee cof one of the daily ne jecided to visit the off 0 ally faa : wd alone. The next day, We discussed our impress ers, ae «anything peculiar at the scene of the myn ee ie ‘the way he said the word “peculiar” Jn 1 didn’t know why. - { seplied. “Nothing more than we read jn “ Dupin was es suddenly, hed Murder, so Dupin asked ™ ee tremble, althoug! “No, nothing.” newspaper.” eee vel, let's consider the facts,” said Dupin. “Nobody can singe sntive fr killing these two women in such a violent manner, The aeconflitng reports about the voices that Were heard. Nobody. found upstais, but the windows and door were all locked and th suas no other way out. Ina case lke this, we can’t simply ask, “War anpened here” Instead, we must ask, “What happened here thar, never happened before” Because they're such unusual murders, rye solved them very easily.” {looked at Dupin in astonishment. What was he talking abou How could he have solved this mystery so quickly? “am now waiting for someone to arrive,” he continued, “Ym certain he didn’t kill the women himself, but he was involved. He ‘may not come ... but he probably will. If he comes, we'll have to keep hhim here. I've got a pistol, but I hope I won't need to use it.” I saw the pistol in his pocket, and was quite shocked, “1 know you love being dramatic,” I said. “But are you going to explain yoursell?” Dupin continued, “First, there were the voices. Most of the witnesses said that they weren't women’s voices. Therefore, the old Jady did not kill her daughter and then herself, So, the murders were committed by someone else. Did you notice anything peculiar in the evidence about the voices?” “Most of them thought that the deep voice belonged t0 4 Frenchman,” I said, “but they didn’t agree about the high voice.” “No,” explained Dupin. “What was peculiar was that a Englishman, a Spaniard and a Frenchman all described the hishihe voice ofa Foreigner, not one of his countrymen, What ce 8 What a vor" se voice itm d any words, only 1 helped me to decide what to look for in the r he room just have been! And no one he: is. This fac ihe murde jei’s think 1s took place, about that room. How did the murderer escape? “Not veal the room wh 11 the men entered the house and started ewas : ed qo upstai ws ‘ eet i a he door nto the room was locked,” I said, “and the key was nthe insides ee ah ned the chimney. After a few spares 1's 100 RATIO for a cat to pass through, so definitely not man being 0, eT Felt wth the windows ough any of the windows: el Ss front of the house because the coved in the St windows in the back room.” suut the police said that both windows were bolted shut from the inside!” 1 cried windows and lft them bolted on the inside! «putas this was the only possible way of escape, I examined the ‘windows very carefully,” said Dupin, smiling. “And now, my friend, everything is clear to me.” mupin, “and T exam Yo one escaped et would have seen them. That only leaves the “The murderer couldn't have escaped through the “And now, my friend, everything is clear to me,” said Dupin.CHAPTERS 1-2 Kan information about the crime and the victims, Magey 1 People give i ‘A to the information they provide in each of the people @ 1, Jules Mignaud +2, Pauline Dubowrs +3, MrOdenheimer 14, william Bird a. described the state of the bodies, ~b, had an explanation forthe gold foung in the room, «. was on the Rue Morgue by chance at the time of the murders, d. was one of the first to go upstairs, ¢. gave information about the relationship between the victims. {. was afraid to visit the crime scene, 5. Alfonso Garcia 6. Dr Paul Dumas 2 Copy sentences from the text to prove the following sentences are true. 1, People tried to save the victims. 3. Camille's body was found in an unusual place, 4. The narrator didn't understand why Dupin checked the garden so carefully. 5, There was no agreemer here was no agreement on the language the foreigner was speaking.awe explain why something happened, Weise. When we explain about what hee about the alk about the EFFECT. aS a result, we 4, what was the effect of each of the following causes i st 1. The Pars police sometimes had difficulty solving a cin r ne. 2, Dupin knew the head of police, i en 3, Dupin was not satisfied with police conclusions about the murds Toom, A to the correct endings in B. 4 1. When neighbours heard terrible cries, . The temperature of Camille’s .-a. other sounds were heard. body showed that 3) ~~~ b. it appeared to be empty. . After the screams stopped, q] €. no one could escape 4, When they first entered the | through a window. 100m, . they broke down the . Examination of the room front door. convinced police that 4] --€. the murder was recent, A common technique in literature is for the author to use a second character as a FOIL for a main character. The foil gives the main character a chance to explain his / her thoughts. 5. Answer the questions in your notebook about the main character and the foil. 1. Who is the main character? 2. Who is the foil? 3. What explanation does the main character give to the fol murderer’s escape? 4. Why is the foil still confused? about theDupin’s Observations “po go on,” 1 requested. “'m stil completely confused abou, it all, [iat see anything in the room that explains what rea happened.” “First, T wanted to check the windows properly. I released the bolton the frst window and opened it 1 saw that the bolt was very strong. Then, Lwent to open the second window and was surprise that didn't have to release the bolt. I pushed it outwards and the top section of the bolt went out too! The bolt was actually broken in two! The bottom section was still in place in the window frame! I closed the window. The bolt seemed perfect again and the break could not be seen, Everybody would assume the window was bolted now." The bolt was actually broken in two, So, the window probably closed on its own after the murderer limbed out. The bolt just looked intact and that is how the police made their mistake,” I said. “It makes sense,a of admiration for Dupin’s analytical ming, ripe next problem a8 Bow the Ker got the rouya pin. “1 solved this problem while we were examining the vack pa uiting The pice thought that there was no possi ce is way, and they didn't examine the aea very crf pens igged that there asa Tightning-rod about one an fom he second Window. It would be impossible for anyone toren h window from this rod But T also saw that the shutters were tre wide. If the shutters of the tas said | a half metres the out a mel Second window were fully open, it would only be about half a metre fom the lighining-rod. a sry brave person could jump from the rod to the shutters and enter the window this way. OF course, he would also be able to exit the same way. But it must have been someone very agile. Remember that, and remember also the strange voice that was heard and the terrible violence of the murders.” Tthought that 1 was beginning to understand what Dupin was suggesting. My friend went on with his theory. “Jet’s go back to the room itself. There was plenty of gold in the room, but the killer didn’t take any of it. Therefore, the fact that the women were murdered soon after Madame L'Espanaye took out the money is just a coincidence. In my opinion, there was no motive for this horrendous crime. “Now, what about the violence of the murder? There’s something very unusual about this kind of behaviour. It took great strength to push the body up the chimney ~ five men were needed to pull the body out! In addition, the old lady’s head had been almost cut off using just a razor. What strength! “Think now of all the things I’ve spoken about: the mess in the ‘oom; superhuman strength and agility; two violent murders with no ‘motive; and a strange voice which could not be understood by men of different nationalities. What do you think about it all?” “Was ita madman?” I cried. “Only a madman could do this terible thingy”J suggestion,” said Dupin, “but you're wrong, i's ; some orange-brown hair, then, he showed me J this hair in Madame L'Espanaye’s hand, What do , 1 found i think it is?” he asked. Then, he showed me some orange-brown hair. T looked closely at the hair and suddenly felt afraid. “Dupin! Fexclaimed, nervously. “It’s not human hair, it's fur!” “Right,” said Dupin. But before we go any further, look at this drawing 1 made, Is a drawing of the fingerprints found on the neck of Camille L’Espanaye, Try to place your fingers over the fingerprints,” 1 tried to do so, but I couldn't : “Those marks weren't made by human hand,” 1 saidso.” said Dupin, handing me a book, “pe ‘ase read thi ge.” qpas a description of the large ot ee aNB-wang that iy es i ia, It described the creature’s huge a indonesi size, its strength and my ts erceness and its ability (0 imitate humans. ttm A stood the full horror of the murders, n orang-utang killed the Women!” 1 cried. “The description of ihe animals fingers is exactly like your drawing. But there were ing, and one of them was definitely mediately two the voice of human voices arg Frenchman.” ‘relieve that a Frenchman knows about the murders but that he ain't take part in them,” said Dupin, “The orang-utang may have cscaped from him and he may have followed it to the bedroom and ihe strange sounds came from it, But with all the trouble it caused in that room, he could never have recaptured the creature. I'm sure that it’s stil free. “Last night, on our way home, do you remember I stopped at the newspaper office? I asked them to put this advertisement in today’s newspaper. [ hope it will bring the Frenchman here.” He gave me the newspaper and I read the advertisement: —-—(@)>——— “FOUND ~ in the Bois de Boulogne Park, a large orang-utang of the Borneo species. The owner is asailor on a Maltese ship. He may have the animal back if he can identify it properly. Call at Number 33, Rue Dunot, Faubourg St Germaine.“How do you know that the man Is a sailor Working on a Maltese ship?” Lasked. Dupin replied, “found a piece of ribbon under the lightning ro, 11's the kind of ribbon that Maltese sailors use to tie their hair bac Ir he’s not guilty of the murders, he shouldn’t be afraid to come here ell think, ‘I'm a poor man, but my orang-utang is worth a lot op money. [can sell it and get the money. It was found in the Bois de Boulogne, a long way from the Rue Morgue. The police haven’t got any clues. Who would imagine that an animal killed the women Just then, we heard footsteps on the stairs. We looked at each other and smiled. There was a knock at the door and Dupin called cout, “Come in!” in a loud, cheerful voice. CHAPTER 4 The Sailor’s Story ‘A man entered the room. He was obviously a sailor, tall and strong, with a brown face and a thick beard. He carried a big wooden stick, but no gun. He bowed and said in French, “Good evening,” “sit down, my friend,” said Dupin. “I suppose you've come about the orang-utang. He's a very fine animal. How old is he?” The sailor took a deep breath and said, “I don’t know exactly, but he can’t be more than four or five years old. Have you got him here?” “Oh no, we had nowhere to keep him here, but he’s nearby,” Dupin replied. “You can get him in the morning. Are you prepared to identify him?” “Of course,” replied the sailor. “And I'll pay you for your trouble.” “Well,” replied Dupin, “that’s very fair, What should I ask for? | know! You'll give me all the information you have about the murders in the Rue Morgue.” While Dupin was saying these words, he walked to the door, locked it, and put the key in his pocket. Then he took out his pistol and placed it on the table. The sailor's face turned red, he jumped © his feet and grabbed his wooden stick.The sailor jumped to his feet and grabbed his wooden stick. However, the next moment he sat back down again. He was as pale as death and didn't say a single word. I felt sorry for him from the bottom of my heart. “Don't be afraid, my friend,” said Dupin, kindly. “I know you're innocent of the murders in the Rue Morgue, but I also know that you're involved in them, You didn’t steal anything, so you've got nothing to hide. But you must tell me everything you know.” ‘The sailor didn’t reply for a few moments, Finally, he said, “I'll tel you everything I know ~ but I don’t expect you to believe even half of what I say. I'm innocent and I'll tell the truth, even if I die for it.” This is the story that the sailor told us. —3-_+—-— Iwas recently in Borneo where I captured the orang-utang. After a very difficult voyage, I brought it home to Paris. I Kept the animal locked up in my room, hidden from my neighbours. I was hopin} sell the orang-utang for a lot of money, 1g 10On the night ofthe murders, came home wey lt. found that the orang-utang had broken out ofits room and was in the bedroom, trying to shave, as it had seen me do. It was holding a razor in its hand, 1 was terrified at seeing a sharp instrument in the hands of ? cious animal. For a few minutes, I didn’t know what which 1 used £0 control the such a fer to do, Finally, 1 picked up my whi orang-utang wh was aggressive, The orang-utang was holding a razor in its hand. But when the animal saw the whip, it ran out of the bedroom, down the stairs, and jumped through an open window into the street Hollowed the animal for a long time. The it was, streets were very quiet as almost three o'clock in the morning, The orang-utang turned into a dark street behind the Rue Morgue. ‘open window of Madame ran to the building, climbe grabbed the very quickly. It noticed a light in the “Espanaye’s bedroom on the 4th floor. It “up the lightning-rod with great agility, open shutter and swung into the room. It all happenedwas happy that L ad an opportunity to recapture my animal, but | was worried about what it might do inside the house. 1 deceg foow the animal. Iso climbed the lightning-rod without dies pur when 1 reached the height of the window, 1 couldn't pe 2 further. I would have fallen if Thad jumped, so al 1 could do Pate qean over and look inside, The scene inside the room was s terrible that I nearly fell down from the lightning-rod. The huge animal had grabbed Madame L'Espanaye by her hai t was waving the razor in front of her face like a barber. The daughter lay still on the floor ~ she had lost consciousness, The screams and struggles ofthe old lady made the orang-utang furious. With one blow of its huge arm, it almost cut her head off, Then, it grabbed the daughter and pushed its fingers into her neck until she died. Suddenly, the creature noticed me at the window and became alfaid, It an around the room, breaking the furniture as it moved. Finally, it seized the young girl's body and pushed it up the chimney; then, it threw Madame L’Espanaye’s body out of the window. As the orang-uitang approached the window, I slid down the rod and hurried home. In my terror, Ino longer cared about the fate of the orang-utang.” “So, the two voices that the men heard in the house were your exdlamations of horror and the wild sounds of the orang-utang,” Dupin said. “That's why they didn’t hear any words.” —<}-—> —e—_ There is not much more to add. The orang-utang was eventually caught by the sailor, who sold it to the 200 fora great deal of money. Dupin told the story to the police, and pointed out where they had made their mistakes. Although the head of the police was a friend of Dupin’s, he was a little embarrassed at the way things had gone, and made a few remarks about people interfering in police business Dupin didn’t reply to that remark! “Let him talk,” he said to me, as we left the police station. “Ie wil make im feel better. My methods of solving a mystery are better thar, irs, and that is all that matters.”CHAPTERS 3-4 ACTIVITIES 1 Find an example of each of the following in the story. 1, acoincidence 2. a deception 3. a confession 2 Complete the sentences about the oranguutang. 1. The animal escaped from its room and It wanted to imitate the sailor, so it nm When it saw that the saflor had a whip it It save alight on a 4th-floor window and Itkilled the old lady and ‘When the animal saw the sailor at the window, it — a After the murders, the animal .... Eventually the sallor caught the animal and 3. Dupin was extremely observant and discovered several poli mistakes which led to a wrong conclusion. What were the and what were the conclusions? 1, mistake in the murder room: | 2. wrong conclusion: —. | 1. mistake outside the house: 2. wrong conclusion: