The Red-headed league

By Arthur Conan Doyle

Jabez Wilson, a London pawnbroker, comes to consult Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson. While studying his client, both Holmes and Watson notice his red hair, which has a distinct flame-like hue. Wilson tells them that some weeks before his young assistant, Vincent Spaulding, urged him to respond to a newspaper want-ad offering work to only red-headed male applicants. The next morning, Wilson had waited in a long line of fellow red-headed men, was interviewed and was the only applicant hired, because none of the other applicants qualified; their red hair was either too dark or too bright, and did not match Wilson's unique flame color.
Wilson tells Holmes that his business has been struggling. Since his pawn shop did most of its business in the evenings, he was able to vacate his shop for short periods in the afternoon, receiving £4 a week for several weeks (equal to £380/week today);[1] the work was obviously useless clerical work in a bare office, only performed for nominal compliance with a will, whereupon he was made to copy the Encyclopædia Britannica. Wilson learned much about the subjects starting with the "A" version and looked forward to getting into the "B" section. One morning, a sign on the locked office door inexplicably announced that "THE RED-HEADED LEAGUE IS DISSOLVED."
Wilson went to the landlord, who said that he had never heard of Duncan Ross, the person who managed the league office. The landlord did remember the tenant with scarlet hair and gives him a card which directs Wilson to an artificial knee company. Wilson ends the story with how frustrated he is losing the £4 a week.
Holmes and Watson laugh at Wilson because of the ridiculous situation, but Holmes assures him that by Monday they will solve the case. Wilson leaves after having given the detective a description of Spaulding; Holmes decides to go and see Spaulding, whom Holmes notices has dirty trouser knees. Holmes then taps on the pavement in front of the pawnbroker's shop. With the case solved, he calls Police Inspector Jones and Mr. Merryweather, a director of the bank located next door.
The four hide themselves in the bank vault and confront the thieves when they show up. They are John Clay, who has a long history of criminal activity already, and his helper Archie. Under the alias of Spaulding and Ross, they had contrived the 'Red-Headed League' rigmarole to keep Wilson out of his shop while they dug in the basement, in order to break into the bank vault next door. Although paying Jabez Wilson four pounds a week was expensive, it was a pittance compared to the ill-gotten thousands they were looking to steal from the bank.
Back at Baker Street, Holmes explains to Watson how he solved the case.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arthur Conan Doyle
• Release date: Sep 18, 2014
• ISBN: 9781502425157

Arthur Conan Doyle

Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) was a Scottish author best known for his classic detective fiction, although he wrote in many other genres including dramatic work, plays, and poetry. He began writing stories while studying medicine and published his first story in 1887. His Sherlock Holmes character is one of the most popular inventions of English literature, and has inspired films, stage adaptions, and literary adaptations for over 100 years.

Book preview

Arthur Conan Doyle Collection

The Red-Headed league

©Ediciones⁷⁴,

www.ediciones74.wordpress.com

[e-mail]

Síguenos en facebook y twitter.

Valencia, España

Diseño cubierta y maquetación: Rubén Fresneda

Imprime: CreateSpace Independent Publishing

ISBN: 978-1502425157

1ª edición en ediciones⁷⁴, septiembre de 2014

Obra escrita en 1891 por Arthur Conan Doyle

Traducida al castellano en por Vicente García Aranda.

Vicente García Aranda (1825 Alicante - 1902 Valencia)

Esta obra ha sido obtenida de www.wikisource.org

Esta obra se encuentra bajo dominio público

Cualquier forma de reproducción, distribución, comunicación pública o transformación de esta obra solo puede ser realizada con la autorización de su titular, salvo excepción prevista por la ley.

Arthur Conan Doyle

The Red-Headed League

the adventures of Sherlock Holmes

arthur conan doyle collection

The Red-headed League

Arthur Conan Doyle

I had called upon my friend, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, one day in the autumn of last year, and found him in deep conversation with a very stout, florid-faced, elderly gentle-man, with fiery red hair. With an apology for my intrusion, I was about to withdraw, when Holmes pulled me abruptly into the room, and closed the door behind me.

You could not possibly have come at a better time, my dear Watson, he said cordially.

I was afraid that you were engaged.

So I am. Very much so.

Then I can wait in the next room.

Not at all. This gentleman, Mr. Wilson, has been my part-ner and helper in many of my most successful cases, and I have no doubt that he will be of the utmost use to me in yours also.

The stout gentleman half rose from his chair, and gave a bob of greeting, with a quick little questioning glance from his small, fat-encircled eyes.

Try the settee, said Holmes, relapsing into his armchair, and putting his fingertips together, as was his custom when in judicial moods. I know, my dear Watson, that you share my love of all that is bizarre and outside the conventions and humdrum routine of every-day life. You have shown your relish for it by the enthusiasm which has prompted you to chronicle, and, if you will excuse my saying so, somewhat to embellish so many of my own little adventures.

Your cases have indeed been of the greatest interest to me, I observed.

You will remember that I remarked the other day, just before we went into the very simple problem presented by Miss Mary Sutherland, that for strange effects and extraordinary combinations we must go to life itself, which is always far more daring than any effort of the imagination.

A proposition which I took the liberty of doubting.

"You did, Doctor, but none the less you must come round to my view, for otherwise I shall keep on piling fact upon fact on you until your reason breaks down under them and acknowledges me to be right. Now, Mr. Jabez Wilson here has been good enough to call upon me this morning, and to begin a narrative

Reviews for The Red-headed league

[lgandt · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Being a red head, was a tad disappointed to hear no mention of a red headed woman.

[charlottejones952 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As the second Sherlock Holmes story I have read, this was much better than A Scandal in Bohemia in my opinion. I gave this 4 out of 5 stars also though despite enjoying it more than the previous because I felt that there should have been a bit more action, but overall this was a great enjoyable story.

[mrslee_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

James Alexander narrates this in a pleasing manner. Somehow, much of the humour and nuances of Holmes come across better for me here than when reading the book. This is only the one story.

[misako6k · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is just funny case.I thought Wilson was foolish person.He was just used by bank robbers.But Holmes noticed the attempt behind the Red Headed League.That league was the attempt of bank robbers.Holmes caught the bank robbers by beating them! I was surprised by his brightness!He saved the city bank from the bank robbery.I thought he was great!

[cbl_tn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have a special fondness for this story as it’s the first Sherlock Holmes story I remember reading. Holmes is presented with a client who answered a job advertisement seeking only red-headed applicants. He takes the job, but is puzzled by his duties, and he turns to the great detective for answers. This is Holmes’s famous “three pipe problem”. Once he’d finished his pipe, he understood that there was no time to waste to prevent a great crime.I sympathize with Watson, who admits “I was always oppressed with a sense of my own stupidity in my dealings with Sherlock Holmes. Here I had heard what he had heard, I had seen what he had seen, and yet from his words it was evident that he saw clearly not only what had happened, but what was about to happen, while to me the whole business was still confused and grotesque.” Fortunately, Holmes is always willing to explain his deductions, or we would all still be confused!