The Sneaky Book Lover:
Meet Horace Danby, a 50-year-old locksmith who seemed like a nice guy. He ran a successful business and loved buying rare books. But here’s the twist — he wasn’t totally honest. Once a year, he secretly rob a safe to fund his expensive books habit.
The Plan: Horace’s Secret Scheme:
With two helpers, Horace carefully planned each heist. This time, he targeted Shotover Grange, a house he’d been watching for two weeks. When the family went to London and the caretakers went to the movies, Horace saw his chance.
The Surprise:
As he was doing his thing, a young lady showed up, pretending to be the owner’s wife. She claimed she needed her jewels for a party. Caught off guard, Horace opened the safe for her, forgetting his gloves and leaving behind a big clue.
The Trouble Begins:
A few days later, a policeman arrested Horace for the jewel robbery. His f ingerprints were all over the crime scene. He admitted to opening the safe for the fake wife, but no one believed him.
The Big Reveal:
Turns out, the young lady was a fraud. The story ends with Horace, once a successful guy, now in prison, realizing that blindly trusting others can lead to big trouble.
Conclusion:
In simple terms, the story teaches us not to trust people without really knowing them. Horace Danby’s mistake was believing someone without checking if they were telling the truth. So, be careful who you trust — not everyone is as honest as they seem!
Extract Based Questions:
1. So he robbed a safe every year. Each year he planned carefully just what he would do, stole enough to last for twelve months, and secretly bought the books he loved through an agent.
1) Who is ‘he, in the above extract?
Ans: ‘He’ in the above extract is Horace Danby.
2) Why did ,he, rob only one safe every year?
Ans: He robbed only one safe every year because he robbed just enough to satisfy his hobby of buying and collecting rare and expensive books. Otherwise, he was just an honest lock-maker.
3) Find the word from the extract that means the opposite of ‘openly:
Ans: The word is ‘secretly.
2. A small dog was lying in the kitchen. It stirred, made a noise, and moved its tail in a friendly way (CBSE 2014)
1) What is the dog’s name mentioned in the above extract?
Ans: The name of the dog mentioned in the above extract is Sherry.
2) In which house is the kitchen referred to?
Ans: The kitchen referred to is located in Shotover Grange.
3) Find a word from the passage that means the same as ‘cordial’.
Ans: The word is ‘friendly
Top 10 PYQs:
Short Answer Questions (40-50 words each)
1. Though Horace planned everything meticulously, why did he fail?
Answer: Though Horace planned everything meticulously, he failed because of the cunning young lady. She pretended to be the owner of the house and claimed she needed the jewels for a party but had forgotten the safe’s password. Trusting her, Horace opened the safe without wearing gloves, leaving his fingerprints as evidence. This led to his arrest while the lady escaped with the jewels.
2 How did the young lady outsmart Horace Danby?
Answer: The young lady pretended to be the owner of the house and used Horace’s trust and nervousness to her advantage. She convinced him to open the safe for her, leaving behind evidence that led to his arrest.
3. Why is Horace Oanby described as good and respectable but not completely honest?
Answer: Horace Oanby was a good person. He made locks. He was very successful in his business. He had engaged two helpers in his business. But he was not completely honest because he robbed a safe every year.
4. Describe how Horace Danby planned his work?
Answer: Horace Danby studied the house at Shotover Grange for two weeks. He studied its rooms, its electric wiring, its paths, and its garden. He was sure that the family was in London. The two servants had gone to the movies and they would not come back before four hours. He came out from behind the garden wall and entered the house.
5. Did Horace get the jewels from the Grange safe? If not, why did the police arrest him?
Answer: No, Horace did not get the jewels from the Grange safe. But he broke open the safe for the wife of the owner of the house without gloves. But in reality, that lady was a burglar. Thus, there were Horace’s fingerprints all over the room. So, the police arrested him for stealing the jewels from the Grange safe.
6. Whose voice was it that advised Horace about the special treatment of his hay fever?
Answer: When Horace was about to open the safe, he heard a female voice. She asked if he suffered from a cold or hay fever. He was sneezing again and again. She said that he could cure the hay fever with special treatment. He must find out what plant gave him that disease. She also advised Horace to see a doctor.
7. When and why did the woman in red say, “Society must be protected from men like you”? Doesn’t it sound ironical?
Answer: Horace assured the woman in red that he would not hurt her. She must forget she ever met him. It made her angry. She couldn’t let him go, otherwise, he would rob someone else. Society must be protected from people like him. It sounds ironic because she herself was a thief and had come for the same purpose for which Horace was there in the house.
8. Do you think that the young woman in red proved far smarter than Horace Danby? Give reasons.
Answer: Definitely, the young woman in red proved far smarter than Horace Danby. She played her part of being the lady of the house with complete perfection. She was an example of self-confidence. She didn’t show any hesitation. She spoke and acted with an air of complete confidence and authority. Poor Horace became a puppet who couldn’t take himself out of her spell. She threatened to call the police and made him open the safe, while Horace was later caught and arrested. She decamped with the jewels.
9. Who is the real culprit in the story, the young lady in red or Horace Danby? Comment.
Answer: The law of any land works on evidence. Horace Danby opened the safe without wearing his gloves. He didn’t think it necessary to wear them as he thought he was working for ,the lady of the house’. So the police matched his fingerprints and he was arrested. The lady in the red was the real culprit. She made Horace open the safe for her. She was also a thief and decamped with the jewels. But in the eyes of the law, Horace was the real culprit because the evidence was against him.
10. Why did Horace Danby prefer books to collect paintings?
Answer: Horace Danby loved rare books passionately. To fuel his hobby, he resorted to robbing a safe annually. When faced with a choice between collecting books and paintings, he opted for books due to limited space in his small house.
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