The Broken Ear Goes Missing
by Georges Remi or Herge
1. A mystery is a story that has a problem or a puzzle to solve. Complete the mystery checking by matching the words in column A with their definitions in column B.
=
|
A |
B |
|---|---|
|
a. detectives or investigators |
i. proof of something. [g] |
|
b. witness |
ii. an excuse a suspect makes to show that (s)he was not at the scene
of crime. [e] |
|
c. clues |
iii. something meant to distract of fool the people trying to solve a
mystery. [d] |
|
d. red herrings |
iv. pieces of information that help solve the mystery. [c] |
|
e. alibi |
v. characters who saw the crime being committed. [b] |
|
f. suspect |
vi. characters who try and solve the problem.[a] |
|
g. evidence |
vii. characters who may have caused the problem. [f] |
Masking connections
Quick answers
1. Choose the right word to complete the sentences.
a. As soon as he woke up, Tintin had a bath/exercised.
= Exercised.
b. A fetish is a sacred/scared tribal object.
= Sacred.
c. According to the director, the fetish no intrinsic/instinctive value.
= Intrinsic.
d. The anonymous letter said that the robbery was not really a robbery but just a friendly bet/fetish.
= A friendly bet.
e. Curare is a poison made out of Arumbaya/vegetable.
= Vegetable.
2. Complete the sentence.
a. The fetish was stolen from the Museum of Ethnography.
b. There were no sign of a forced entry so it is believed that the thief allowed himself to be locked in at closing time the previous day, waiting for the museum to open the next morning to make his gateway.
c. The fetish had no intrinsic value so it could only have tempted a collector, solely a collector.
d. Surprisingly enough, the next morning the fetish was back in its usual place.
Reference to context
3. "Closing time!"
a. Who said it was closing time? What time was it?
= The gallery attendant of the Museum of Ethnography said it was closing time.
It was already five o'clock.
b. Where was this person? Give at least three details of the place.
= This person was at the Museum of Ethnography.
Three details of the place are -
i) It was a museum about the study of people and cultures, as well as their customs, habits, etc.
ii) There were painted posts dahomey in the museum.
iii) There were also bapende mask and head of carved wood pachacamao.
c. What did the person discover the following morning?
= The following morning the person discovered that exhibit No. 3542, the Arumbaya fetish, had vanished.
4. "But according to the drawing..."
a. Which drawing is being referred to here?
= The drawing in the book named Travels In The Americas by A.J. Walker, is being referred to here.
b. What observation did Tintin make while studying the drawing?
= While studying the drawing, Tintin observed that the right ear of the fetish was slightly damaged. And the author of the book stated that his sketch was "highly accurate".
c. Why was he studying the drawing?
= Tintin was studying the drawing as he was trying to solve the mystery of the theft of the Arumbaya fetish of the Museum Of Ethnography. It was the same fetish as mentioned and drawn in the book.
Read, reflect and write
5. Do you think robberies were a common everyday happening at the museum? How do you know?
= Yes, I think robberies were a common everyday happening at the museum. First of all, when Mr. Thomson and Mr. Thompson asked the director whether the attendant was reliable or not, the director mentioned that he had never gave cause for slightest reproach.
This means that he had never been accused for the past cases. Secondly, the director mentioned that the fetish had no intrinsic value and it must had been stolen by a collector. This states that he was quite used to this type of incidents.
6. Did the museum director believe that the guard was a possible suspect? How do you know?
= The museum director did not believe that the guard was a possible as he was working there for twelve years and had never given cause for the slightest reproach.
7. Why did the guard think that the fetish was bewitched?
= The guard was the first person to discover that the Arumbaya fetish was vanished and he is the mere person to found that the fetish to return its original place. He was a common guard. He had no idea of any conspiracy. In his common idea he thought that the fetish was bewitched to get vanished and return again to its original place of its own.
8. Can you find frames in the story with a lamp post and a thrash can? How does the author, George Remi use these articles to add humous to the story?
= There is a frame with a lamp post and Tintin accidentally got hit against it while returning from the museum. There is another frame with a thrash can and Tintin's dog Snowy got hit against it. George Remi very humorously uses these articles to give comic relief to the readers among the suspense of the mystery of the theft of the museum.
9. What did Tintin do as he tried to think of the steps needed to solve the mystery? What effect did this have on his dog, Snowy?
= Tintin found out a book named Travels In The Americas by A.J. Walker to know more about the Arumbaya culture and the fetish. He also found out that the original fetish had a slight damage in its right ear. But the right ear of the returned fetish was intact. He was thinking more about it. He was trying to relate the news of the death of the painter and sculptor Mr. Balthazar with the case of the theft.
Tintin was very much engage in his thinking. Then his dog comments, in a mocking and sarcastic way, that his master thinks himself a proper Sherlock Holmes. Tintin was going round in a circle and this made his dog dizzy.
10. What qualities do you think a good detective should have?
= A good detective should be very punctual as he has to reach the spot the earliest so that he can notice all the possible evidence left by the criminal. Secondly, he should be very observative and notice all those things which common people ignore.
He should be very studious and has vast knowledge so that he can relate the incident and guess the motive of the criminal. Finally he should be smart and intelligent to think quickly and take action quickly.