THE

SPE
CKL
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 CHAPTER ONE: AN EARLY

MORNING VISITOR
 CAHPTER TWO: A
MYSTERIOUS DEATH
 CHAPTER THREE: DR ROYLOTT
AND STOKE MORAN
 CHAPTER FOUR: A
DANGEROUS NIGHT

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CHAPTER ONE: AN EARLY MORNING VISITOR
The case of the “speckled band” was one of my first investigations with my friend
Sherlock Holmes, and it was also one of the most unusual.
At that time Holmes and I were living in Baker Street. I promised to keep this case a
secret, but the lady is dead now and it is important for people to know the truth.
Early one morning in April 1883, I woke up and saw Sherlock Holmes standing by my
bed. I was surprised because it was only seven o’clock and Holmes usually got up late.
“I am very sorry to wake you, Watson” he said.
“What is it? A fire?” I asked
“No, we have a visitor – a young lady. She is very unhappy and wants to see me. When
young ladies walk around London at this early hour, they usually want to talk about
something important. If you want to help me with this case, come and listen to her
story”
“I’ll be ready immediately,” I said
I was always happy to help Holmes with his detective work. He loved his work and was
not interested in the money it brought him. He only accepted interesting and unusual
cases. I got dressed quickly and followed Holmes down to the living room.
A woman dressed in black clothes was sitting by the window. She got up when we
entered the room.
“Good morning, madam. My name is Sherlock Holmes. This is my friend Dr Watson.
You can say anything you want to us and we’ll keep it as a secret. I see you are shaking,
please sit close to the fire and I’ll get you a cup of coffee.”
“I’m not shaking because I’m cold” she said the woman. I’m frightened, Mr Holmes!
That’s why I’m shaking.” We could see that she was very frightened. She was about
thirty years old but some of her hair was already white and her face was pale and
tired.
“Don’t be frightened,” said Holmes, gently touching her arm. “We can help you. I see
you came by train this morning”.
“Yes, but how did you know’”
“Because you are holding your train ticket in your left hand. And I see you came in a
cart early this morning too.”
Again, the lady was surprised.
“It’s not a mystery, madam” said Holmes smiling. “Your jacket is dirty. When you travel
by cart that often happens”

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“You are right, sir!” she said. “I left home before six and took the first train to London.
Oh, I’ll go mads if I don’t find help! You once helped a friend of mine, Mr Holmes. Now,
please help me. I can’t pay much now, but in a month or two I’ll have more money.”
“I’ll do my best for you, madam. Please, don’t worry about paying me immediately,
there’s no hurry. Now, tell us about your problem.”
“It’s difficult to tell you about my problem,” she said, “because I don’t have many
facts.”
“Tell me everything you know, madam, and tell me about your family.”
“My name is Helen Stoner and I live with my stepfather, Dr Roylott. He comes from the
famous old Roylott family of Stoke Moran in Surrey.
“I know the name,” Holmes said.
“His family was once the richest in England. They had a lot of land and money. But in
the last one hundred years they spent all the money and sold the land. Now the family
only has a small piece of land and the old house. My stepfather is the oldest son. He
became a doctor and went to India. He lived well there, but one day a thief came and
stole a lot of things. My stepfather got very angry with his servant and killed him. He
was sent to prison for a long time, and then he returned to England. He as an angry a,
unhappy man.
“When Dr Roylott was in India he married my mother. She was a rich widow with two
little girls- my twin sister and me. My mother died eight years ago and left of her
money to Dr Roylott. But before dying she told him, “When my daughters gets married
you must give them some money each year.” She left enough money for all of us.
“But my stepfather changed for the worse. We left London and went to live in the old
family house at Stoke Moran. It’s a very big house with many rooms and a large,
beautiful garden all around it. He didn’t make friends with our neighbours – he argued
with everyone. The people in the village were afraid of him. He also kept animals from
India at Stoke Moran. At the moment we have a tiger and a big monkey and they scare
everyone.
“As you can imagine, my poor sister Julia and I didn’t have much fun in our lives.
Servants didn’t stay with us for long and we did all the work in the house. We were
always alone without any friends. No one came to visit us – it was a lonely life for two
young women. Julia was only thirty years old but some of her hair was already white,
just like mine”
“Was? Is your sister dead?” asked Holmes.
“Yes, she died two years ago, and that is why I am here now. My sister and I were
staying with an aunt in London at Christmas two years ago. My sister met a man there
and decided to marry him. When we returned to Stoke Moran our stepfather seemed

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pleased about the marriage. But two weeks later something terrible happened and
that is why I am here this morning, Mr Holmes.”

CHAPTER TWO: A MYSTERIOUS DEATH

Sherlock Holmes was sitting in his chair with his eyes closed, but now he opened them.
“Please tell me everything that happened that day”
“That’s easy because I remember every event of that terrible day very clearly. Let me
explain the house to you. The bedrooms are on the ground floor. Dr Roylott’s bedroom
is first, my sister’s is second and mine is third. They all open out into the same corridor.
The windows of these three rooms open out into the garden. On the terrible night my
sister died Dr Roylott went to his room early. Later that night Julia and I went to our
rooms, buy my sister came to my room and talked to me.
“I can’t sleep”, she said, “because he’s smoking an Indian cigar and I can smell it in my
room.” We talked until about eleven o’clock and then she got up to go. She stopped at
the door of my room for a moment.
“Tell me, Helen, have you ever heard someone whistling late at night?”
“No”, I said, “Why?”
“Well, at about three o’clock in the morning I can hear a low whistle and it wakes me
up. I don’t know where it comes from.” Then she left my room and I heard her lock her
door.”
“Did you always lock your rooms at night?” asked Holmes.
“Always, because my stepfather keeps dangerous animals that run about at night.”
“I understand,” said Holmes. “Please, continue.”
“I couldn’t sleep that night because I had a strange feeling, and there was a big storm
outside. Suddenly, I heard a woman’s terrified scream, it was my sister. I jumped out of
bed and ran to the corridor. I heard a low whistle and then the sound of metal. Then I
saw my sister. Her face was white and she was shaking.
“I ran to her and put my arms around her, but she fell to the ground. “Oh, Helen! It
was the band! The speckled band.” Our stepfather ran out of his room and we tried to
save her life, but she died immediately.”
“One moment,” said Holmes. “Are you sure about the whistle and the sound of
metal?”
“I think I heard it, but the storm was making a lot of noise too.”
“Was your sister dressed?”
“No, she had her nightdress on and she had a match and a match box in her left hand.”

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“That shows she was looking for something that night,” said Holmes. “What did the
police say?”
“No one could find a reason for her death. She was alone in her room because the
door was locked.”
“Was there any poison?”
“She was examined but no poison was found.”
“Why did she die then?” asked Holmes.
“I think she died because she was frightened of something.”
What did she mean by a “speckled band”?”
“I don’t know. Perhaps she meant the gypsies. A group of gypsies live near Stoke
Moran and some of them wear scarves with spots on them on their heads.”
Holmes was silent for a moment and then said, “I’m not sure…Please continue your
story.”
“My life is very lonely, Mr Holmes. A month ago a dear friend, Peter Armitage, ask me
to marry him. My stepfather seemed pleased about our marriage. Then, two days ago
he said, “You must sleep in your sister’s room. Your room needs some work,” But last
night I was in bed in my sister’s room and I heard a low whistle- I was so frightened! I
jumped up and lit the lamp but I saw nothing. I was too frightened to go to sleep again.
Early this morning I decided to come to London and see you.”
“You did the right thing, but have you told me everything?”
“Yes, I have.”
“Miss Stoner, I don’t think you have. You are protecting your stepfather for some
reason,”
“Why, what do you mean?”
Instead of answering. Holmes picked up Helen’s hand. There were the red marks of
four fingers on her white skin.
“Your stepfather is unkind to you,” said Holmes.
Helen Stoner’s face became red and she covered her hand. She did not know what to
say. Then, she looked at Holmes and said, “My stepfather’s a difficult man and he
doesn’t know how strong he is.”
There was a long silence and Holmes looked at the fire. Then he spoke.
“This is a very serious case. I need to know much more before I can do anything. Can
we come to Stoke Moran today and see these bedrooms? Or is your stepfather there?”
“He’s coming to London today so he’ll be away all day. You can come at any time.”

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“Excellent! Will you come with me, Watson?”
“Yes, of course I will”
“What are your plans Miss Stoner?” asked Holmes.
“I’m going back to Stoke Moran this morning and I’ll meet you there. Thank you for
seeing me. I feel much better now. I’ sure you can help me”. She got up left the room.

CHAPTER THREE: DR ROYLOTT AND STOKE MORAN

“What do you think of this case, Watson?” asked Sherlock Holmes
“It’s seems to be very mysterious,” I said.
Gypsies, whistles in the night, and the sound of metal …Perhaps Dr Roylott doesn’t
want his stepdaughters to marry because he doesn’t want to give them the money.
“Perhaps you’re right, Watson, and that’s why I want to go to Stoke Moran today. But
what’s this!” cried Holmes as the door suddenly opened and a big man appeared. He
was tall and he had an angry face.
“Who is Holmes?” asked the man angrily.
“That’s my name, sir,” said Holmes, “and who are you?”
“I’m Dr Grimesby Roylott of Stoke Moran.”
“Please sit down,” said Holmes calmly
“No, I will not. My stepdaughter was here. What did she tell you?”
“It’s a bit cold for April…” said Holmes.
“What did she tell you?” screamed the old man angrily.
“… But I hear that the flowers are growing,” continued Holmes, calmly.
“Ha! I know you. You think you’re a great detective –but you only make trouble!”
Holmes smiled and then laughed. “Thank you for your visit. When you go out, please
close the door because it’s getting cold in this room.”
“I know Miss Stoner was here. Leave me alone. I’m a dangerous man. Stay away from
me!” he said, and he left the room quickly.
“Friendly man,” said Holmes laughing. “I only hope he won’t hurt Miss Stoner. And
now, Watson, I’m going to the Records Office (official documents are kept in this
public office) to get some help with this case.”
Holmes came back at two o’clock. He was holding a piece of paper full of notes and
numbers.

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“I saw the will (an official document saying who you want to give your money to after
you die) of Dr Roylott’s wife and studied it carefully. If the sisters marry, they receive
most of the doctor’s money! He certainly has a good reason to want to stop them
marrying! And now, Watson, we must leave for Stoke Moran immediately. Bring you
gun and your toothbrush.”
We caught the train for Leatherhead (a village near Stoke Moran) and then took a
carriage to Stoke Moran. Miss Stoner was waiting for us.
“I’m very happy to see you”, she said warmly. “Dr Roylott went to London and won’t
be back until late this evening.”
“We already met the doctor this morning,” said Holmes. “He’s a very angry man.” Miss
Stoner’s face became white.
“Goodness! He followed me to your house!”
“Yes, but we said nothing of your visit,” said Holmes.
“I’m afraid of him. What will he say when he returns home?”
“Now, please take me to see the bedrooms.”
Holmes looked at the outside of the old house and examined the windows carefully.
Then he looked at the three bedrooms.
“Is this your room, Miss Stoner?”
“Yes, it is,”
“It looks fine. I don’t think it needs any work.”
“No, but for some reason my stepfather said “From now on, you must sleep in your
sister’s room.”
“Hmmm,” said Holmes, “The door and window of your rooms are locked at night,
aren’t they?”
“Always! Said Helen Stoner.
We went into Julia’s small bedroom and Holmes sat down in the corner of the room
and looked all around.
“Who answers that bell?” he asked, pointing to a bell rope. The rope hung down near
the bed.
“It goes to the servant’s room”
“It seems newer than the other things here.”
“Yes, it was put there two years ago”.
“Did your sister want it?”

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“No, because there isn’t usually a servant in the house”
“Then she didn’t need a bell,” said Holmes and pulled the bell rope.
“Why, this isn’t a real bell!”. “It doesn’t ring. It’s fixed to the wall just above the
ventilator.”
“I never saw that before!” said Miss Stoner.
“This is very strange,” said Holmes.
“The bell rope and the ventilator were put in at about the same time” said Miss Stoner
We went to the doctor’s room. There was a round table, a chair, and a big metal chest
against the wall. Holmes looked at everything carefully.
“What’s in here?” he asked pointing to the chest.
“My stepfather’s papers.”
“Is there a cat here?”
“No, why?”
“There’s a small bowl of milk on top of the chest,” said Holmes, with a worried, angry
face. “Now, let’s return to the garden.”

CHAPTER FOUR: A DANGEROUS NIGHT

In the garden Sherlock Holmes spoke very seriously to Miss Stoner. “You must listen to
my instructions carefully. I want to save your life.”
“I’ll do everything you say!”
“First, Watson and I must stay in your sister’s room tonight.”
Miss Stoner and I were both surprised.
“Now let me explain. Watson and I will be at the Crown Inn in the village – we can see
your window from there, can’t we?”
“Yes, you can.”
“Very well, said Holmes. “This evening you must go to your sister’s room early and not
see your stepfather. When you hear him go to bed, open the window and put a lamp
there. When Watson and I see the lamp in the window we’ll come. Then you must
leave your sister’s room and go to your own room”
“What will you do?” she asked.
“We’ll go to your sister’s room and see what happens.”

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“Do you know how my sister died?” she asked.
“Perhaps, but I’m not sure.”
“Oh, Mr Holmes, please tell me, did she die of terror?”
“No, I don’t think so. Now we must go. Be brave and do everything I told you. You’ll
soon be safe”.
Sherlock Holmes and I got our room at the Crown Inn. From there we could see the
house at Stoke Moran clearly.
“I think there will be danger tonight, Watson.”
“Danger? What did you see in those rooms that I didn’t see?”
“I knew there was a ventilator, because Helen Stoner said her sister could smell the
smoke of Dr Roylott’s cigar,”
“Is that important?”
“It’s strange, just think, a ventilator is made, a bell rope is put there and the lady in the
bed dies.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Did you see that the bed was fixed to the floor? The lady could not move her bed. It
had to stay there, near the bell rope, under the ventilator.”
“Holmes!” I cried, “I’m beginning to understand. We must stop another murder!”
“Yes. This will be a terrible night.”
We waited at the Crown Inn. Suddenly, at eleven o’clock, we saw a lamp in one of the
windows. We left the inn quickly and went into the garden at Stoke Moran. We
climbed into the bedroom through the window. Holmes looked around the room and
whispered, “We mustn’t make any noise and we must sit in the dark. The doctor can
see the light through the ventilator.”
“Very well,” I whispered.
“Don’t sleep, Watson your life is in danger. Keep your gun ready. I’ll sit on the bed and
you sit on the chair.”
I put my gun on the corner of the table. Holmes had a long thin stick and a box of
matches. We were alone in the silence and darkness.
How can I ever forget those terrible hours? Holmes and I sat and waited. We could
hear the church bell every hour. Twelve o’clock, one, two and three – and nothing
happened.

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Suddenly we saw a light through the ventilator. There was a quiet sound – something
was moving! Holmes jumped up from the bed, lit a match and hit the bell rope with his
stick.
“Do you see it, Watson?” he cried. “Do you see it?”
But I saw nothing. I could hear a low clear whistle, and I saw that Holmes’s face was
white with terror.
Then Holmes stopped hitting the bell rope and looked at the ventilator. Suddenly we
heard a loud, horrible cry. It was a cry of terror, pain and anger. Then it stopped and
there was silence.
“What does it mean?” I whispered
“It means that it’s all over,” Holmes answered. “Take your gun and let’s go to Dr
Roylott’s room.”
We went to the doctor’s room and I had my gun ready in my hand. There was a lamp
on the table and the metal chest was open. Dr Roylott was sitting om a chair; his eyes
were open. He was not moving. Around his head there was a yellow band with brown
spots.
“The band! The speckled band!” whispered Holmes.
I stopped forward and the speckled band moved – it was a snake.
“This snake” cried Holmes “is the most dangerous snake in India! The doctor is dead:
he died ten seconds after the snake bit him.”
With his stick Holmes threw the snake into the chest and closed it.
Miss Stoner heard the terrible cry and came to the doctor’s room. She was terrified.
Holmes tried to calm her and told her his story.
“I knew that the danger was in the ventilator and the bell rope. Nothing could enter
through the locked door or window.”
“Did you know about the snake?” asked Miss Stoner.
“I knew the doctor kept animals from India. That snake has a poison that can’t be
discovered by the police. He learnt about this is India. It was the perfect way to kill
someone.
“It was easy to put the snake through the ventilator. The snake then climbed down the
bell rope and went onto the bed. When your sister moved, the snake bit her. When the
snake heard the whistle it returned to the doctor. The doctor gave the snake a bowl of
milk, and put it in the metal chest. He then locked the metal chest – that was the
sound of metal your heard, Miss Stoner.”
“I will never forget that metal sound or the low whistle,” she said nervously.

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“I knew the snake was coming through the ventilator because I heard a hissing (the
sound a snake makes) sound. I hit the snake with my stick and it went back through
the ventilator. It was very angry, and bite people when they get angry, it went back
into the doctor’s room and bit him.”
“I can hardly believe it!” said Miss Stoner. “My stepfather killed my poor sister Julia
and then he wanted to kill me, too. Thank you! You saved my life.
Miss Stoner was finally safe and went to stay with her aunt in London. After the
investigation the police decided that the doctor was killed by his pet snake. And these
are the true facts of the case of the “speckled band”.

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