On the morning after Christmas, I went to visit my friend Sherlock Holmes with a festive mood. Wearing a purple nightgown, he reclined lazily on a couch, with a pipe rack in his right hand and a pile of crumpled morning papers in front of him, which was obviously just finished. Next to the sofa is a wooden chair with a dirty and torn hard felt hat hanging on the back. This hat is too bad to wear any more. There are cracks in several places. There is a magnifying glass and a pair of tweezers on the chair cushion, which shows that the hat is hung like this for easy inspection.

"You are busy," I said. "Maybe I'm bothering you."

"No, I'm glad to have a friend to discuss my research results with me. This is completely worthless. " With that, he pointed to his hat with his thumb. "However, some related problems are not boring, and even can give us some lessons."

I sat in his armchair and warmed my hands by the crackling firewood, because the cold had come and the glass on the window was crystal ice. "I guess," I said, "although this hat is not beautiful, it is related to a life-threatening accident. It is this clue that can lead you to solve a mystery and punish a criminal act. "

"No, no, it's not a crime," Sherlock Holmes said with a smile. "This is just one of many strange things. In a tiny place with only a few square miles, there are 4 million people living in crowded places. Such a small matter is indispensable. In such a dense crowd, all kinds of complicated events may happen; Some problems seem magical and strange, but they are not criminal acts. We are very experienced in such incidents. "

"Yes, even to this extent," I said, "that is to say, of the six cases recently added to my record, three have nothing to do with legal crimes."

"To be exact, you mean I'm trying to find the photos of Irene Adler, the mysterious case of Miss Mary Sutherland and the person with crooked lips. I don't doubt that this little thing also belongs to the category of legal innocence. Do you know the janitor Peterson? "

"I know."

"This is his trophy."

"Is this his hat?"

"No, it isn't. He picked it up. Who owns this hat is still unknown. But please don't treat it lightly because it is just a broken felt hat, but treat it as a difficult problem that needs intelligence to solve. First of all, talk about the origin of this hat. It was sent here with a big fat goose on Christmas morning. I believe this goose is barbecuing in front of Peterson's stove. Here's the thing: at about four o'clock, when Christmas comes, you know, Peterson attended a small party somewhere and was on his way home. He walked home along Tottenham Court Road. Under the gas lamp, he saw a tall man walking in front of him, with a little stumbling and a white goose on his shoulder. When Peterson passed the corner of Gucci Street, the stranger suddenly quarreled with some hooligans. A rogue knocked his hat to the ground, so he swung a stick to defend himself. He held high and waved, breaking the window of the shop behind him. Peterson was about to come forward to help the stranger deal with these hooligans, but the stranger was shocked by the broken glass. At the same time, he saw a uniformed man who looked like a policeman coming towards him, so he left the goose and ran away, and soon disappeared into the winding alley behind Tottenham Court Road. The hooligans ran away when they saw Peterson coming. In this way, there was only Peterson, who not only occupied the battlefield, but also captured these two trophies: a worn felt hat and a first-class Christmas fat goose. "

"He definitely wants to return these things to their original owners, right?"

"My dear partner, this is the problem. The goose does have a small card on its left leg, which says' For Mrs. henry beck' and the initials' H.B.' are written on the lining of the hat. However, in our city, there are thousands of people named Baker and hundreds of people named henry beck, so it is necessary to find the owner among these people and return the things.

"So, what happened to Peterson?"

"Because he knew I was interested in even the smallest problem, he came to me with a hat and a goose on Christmas morning. We kept this goose until this morning. Although the weather is cold, there are some signs that it is better to eat, so there is no need to delay. So Peterson took it away and finished the ultimate fate of a goose, while I kept the hat that the gentleman I had never met lost as a Christmas present. "

"Didn't he publish the revelation of finding the lost property in the newspaper?"

"No."

"So, do you have any clues about the identity of this person?"

"Only by speculating as much as possible."

"From this hat?"

"yes."

"You're kidding. What can you infer from this worn felt hat? "

"This is my magnifying glass, you always know my method. Can you guess the personality of the person wearing this hat? "

I took this broken hat in my hand and turned over helplessly. It's a very ordinary round black felt hat, hard and worn. The original red silk lining has faded greatly, and there is no hat manufacturer's trademark on it, but as Holmes said, there is a scrawled initials' H.B.' on one side of the hat. In order to prevent it from being blown away by the wind, the brim was once pierced with a hole, but the elastic band on it disappeared. As for other situations, although it seems that some faded patches on the hat are blackened by ink, they are still cracked everywhere, covered with dust and stained in several places.

"I didn't see anything." As I spoke, I returned my hat to my friend.

"On the contrary, Watson, you can see everything, but you don't make inferences from what you see. You lack the confidence to make inferences. "

"So, please tell me what you can infer from this hat?"

He picked up his hat and stared at it in his unique way of thinking, which was enough to express his character. "What this hat offers may not be so attractive," he said. "However, there are still some inferences that are obvious, while others are at least very likely. Judging from the hat, it is obvious that this man is a learned man, and in the past three years, his life has been quite rich, although he is in a dilemma at present. He used to be far-sighted, but now he is not what he used to be. Coupled with the decline of his family, his spirit became more and more decadent. This seems to indicate that he has been under some harmful influence and may have contracted the bad habit of drinking. I'm afraid this is his AE, too. The obvious reason why Zi no longer loves him. "

"Oh, my dear Holmes, it doesn't matter!"

"But in any case, he still has a certain degree of self-esteem," he continued, ignoring my objection.

"He has been living in seclusion and doesn't exercise at all. He is a middle-aged man with gray hair. He just cut his hair in recent days and painted his hair with lemon cream. These are obvious facts inferred from this hat. In addition, by the way, it is absolutely impossible for him to have a gas lamp at home. "

"You must be joking, Holmes."

"This is no joke. Now, when I tell you all the research results, can't you see how they were obtained? "

"I don't doubt that I am slow, but I must admit that I don't understand what you said. For example, how do you infer that this person is very knowledgeable? "

Holmes answered by putting his hat on his head. The hat just covers the whole forehead and presses on the bridge of the nose. "It's a matter of quantity," he said. "A man with such a big head must have something in his head!"

"Then how did he infer that his family had fallen?"

"I bought this hat for three years, and this kind of hat with a flat brim was very popular at that time. This is a first-class hat. Look at this rib hoop and that luxurious lining. If this person can afford such an expensive hat three years ago and has never bought another hat since, then there is no doubt that he is going downhill. "

"Oh, that's clear, of course, but what about saying that this person has foresight and that he is mentally decadent?"

* Sherlock Holmes laughed, "This shows foresight." As he spoke, he put his finger on the small dish and the circle to nail the elastic band. "Selling hats never comes with these things. This man made such a hat, which just shows that this character is far-sighted, because he deliberately used this method to prevent the hat from being blown away by the wind. However, we saw that he broke the elastic band again, but we didn't want to bother to sew it again. This clearly shows that his foresight is not as good as before, and it is also a clear proof of his will decline. On the other hand, he smeared the stain on his hat with ink and tried his best to cover up its shabby condition, which shows that he has not completely lost his self-esteem. "

"Of course, your inference seems reasonable."

"In addition, there are a few points: he is a middle-aged man with gray hair. He recently cut his hair and put lemon cream on his head. These are inferred by carefully examining the lower part of the hat lining. Through the magnifying glass, I saw many neat hairy gourds cut by the barber's scissors. Hair and hawthorn stick together and have a special taste of lemon cream. And the dust on the hat, you will notice, is not the dust mixed with sand in the street, but the brown fluffy dust in the room. This shows that the hat is hung in the room most of the time. On the other hand, the wet trace of the lining clearly proves that the person wearing the hat often sweats a lot and cannot be a person who exercises well. "

"But his wife-you just said she doesn't love him anymore." "This hat has not been brushed for several weeks. My dear Watson, if I see that your hat has accumulated dust for weeks, and your wife lets you visit like this, I am afraid that you have unfortunately lost your wife's love. "

"But he may be a bachelor!"

"Impossible, because that night he will take the goose home as a goodwill gift to his wife. Don't forget the card tied to the goose's leg. "

"You answered every question, but how on earth did you infer that there was no gas lamp in his house?"

"A drop of candle oil, or even two drops of candle oil, may be accidentally dropped; But when I saw at least five drops of candle oil, I think there is no doubt that every drop of candle oil must have fallen because of frequent contact with lit candles. For example, if you go upstairs at night, you are likely to have a hat in one hand and a candle dripping with candle oil in the other. Under no circumstances can he get candle oil from the gas lamp. Do you believe it now? "

"Great, your brain is really smart," I said with a smile. "But since there is no crime, there is no harm except losing a goose. Everything seems to be a waste of energy. "

Sherlock Holmes was about to open his mouth to answer me when the door suddenly opened and Peterson, the doorman, ran in, flushed with surprise.

"Goose, Mr. Holmes! That goose, sir! " He was panting.

"Oh, what's wrong with it? Is it alive again, flapping its wings and flying out of the kitchen window? " In order to see the man's excited face more clearly, Holmes turned around on the sofa.

"Look, sir, look what my wife found in the goose's bellows!" He held out his hand and showed a sapphire shining with dazzling brilliance in his palm. This sapphire is a little smaller than soybean, but it is glittering and translucent, just like a flash of lightning in his dark palm.

Sherlock Holmes whistled and sat up. "My God, Peterson!" He said, "This is really a hidden treasure! I think you know what you will get. "

"A diamond, sir, isn't it? A jewel. Cutting glass with it is like cutting sludge. "

"This is not an ordinary gem, but just that precious gem."

"Is it the sapphire of the Countess Moka?" I shouted.

"Exactly! Because I have seen the wonders of this treasure in The Times every day recently, I should know its size and shape. This gem is absolutely unique. Its value can only be roughly estimated. However, the reward of 1000 is definitely less than one twentieth of the market price of this sapphire. "

"One thousand pounds! Oh, my God! " The doorman sat in the chair and stared at Holmes and me in turn.

"That's just a compliment, and I do know that the countess will be willing to give away half of her property if she can get this gem back because of some emotional considerations in the dark."

"If I remember correctly, this gem was lost in the World Hotel," I said.

"Indeed, December 22nd, that is, five days ago. John Horner, the plumber, was accused of stealing the jewel from the countess's jewelry box. Because the evidence of his crime is conclusive, the case has now been submitted to the court. I think there are some records about this. " He rummaged through the pile of newspapers, scanned the dates in one newspaper after another, and finally spread out a newspaper, with a discount of 10%, and then read the following paragraph: "Jewelry theft in the World Hotel. John Horner, a 26-year-old plumber, was taken to court for stealing a precious gem named "sapphire" from the jewelry box of Countess Mocha on the 22nd of this month. The foreman of the hotel, V. James Ryder, testified as follows: On the day of theft, he led John Horner to the dressing room of Countess Mocha upstairs to weld the second loose grate of the fireplace. He played with Horner for a while and was immediately called away. When I got back there, I found Horner had left and the dresser had been pried open. There is a small Moroccan jewelry box on the dresser, which is empty. Later, people learned that the countess had stored the jewels in this box. Ryder quickly reported the case and Horner was arrested that night. However, no gems were found in Horner and his home. Catherine cusack, the countess's maid, swore that she heard Ryder exclaim when she found the jewels stolen, and what she saw when she ran into the room was consistent with the above-mentioned witness. Braise Tritt, inspector of the B District, proved that Horner had fought hard when he was arrested and defended his innocence in the strongest terms. In view of the fact that someone proved that he had committed similar theft before, the magistrate refused to act rashly and handed the case over to the circuit court. Horner was emotional during the trial, fainted during the sentencing and was carried out of the court.

"Hum! That's all the information provided by the police and the court, "Holmes said thoughtfully, throwing the newspaper aside. "The problem we have to solve now is how to change the stolen jewelry box into AE? A series of events, from 8: 00 to picking up the goose's bag on Tottenham Court Road, were arranged in an orderly way. Do you know that?/You know what? Do you know that?/You know what? Our little inference will soon show that the seriousness is greatly increased and the possibility of innocence is greatly reduced. This is a gem, from the goose, and the goose comes from Mr. henry beck. I have provided you with an analysis of this gentleman's broken hat and all other features. So now we need to find this gentleman carefully and find out what role he plays in this little mystery. To do this, we must first use the simplest method. There is no doubt that this method is to publish a notice in all evening papers. If this method is not successful, then I will have to resort to other methods. "

"What does the notice say?"

"Give me a pencil and a piece of paper. Well, what I want to say is:

* We found a goose and a black felt hat at the corner of Gucci Street. Henry

* Mr. Baker, please ask at 22 1 B Baker Street at 6: 30 p.m. and you will get it.

* Back to basics. This writing is simple and clear. "

"Yes, simple and clear, but will he see this notice?"

"Of course, he will pay attention to reading newspapers, because for a poor man, this kind of loss is heavy. He was obviously frightened by the broken glass and Peterson's approach to him, so he thought nothing but running away. However, he must have deeply regretted afterwards, regretting the original impulse and leaving the goose behind. In addition, the publication of his name in the newspaper will definitely make him read the newspaper, because everyone who knows him will remind him to pay attention to reading the newspaper. Peterson, here you are. Send it to the advertising company quickly and publish it in today's evening paper. "

"What newspaper is it in, sir?"

"Oh, Globe, Stars, Bellevue, St James' Palace, evening news, Echo and any newspaper you can think of. "

"Yes, sir. How about this gem?"

"Oh, I'll keep this gem first, thank you, and, Peterson, buy me a goose when you come back, because I have to give this gentleman a goose, not the one your family is eating."

After the janitor left, Holmes picked up the gem and looked at it carefully in the light. "This is really a beautiful gem," he said. "Please look at how glorious this is! Of course, this is also an evil lair. Every precious gem is like this. They are the devil's favorite bait. On the larger and older gems, each facet symbolizes a bloody crime. Less than twenty years after its birth, this gem was found on the Xiamen River in the south of China. It is unique in that it has all the characteristics of ruby except that it is blue instead of bright red. Although it didn't last long, it had an unfortunate history. Because of this crystal carbon weighing 40 grains, there have been two murders, one case of throwing nitric acid water to ruin people's appearance and one case of suicide.

* ① Grain is the smallest unit of weight in Britain and America, equal to 64.8 mg, which was originally the average weight of wheat grains. -editor's note there are several robberies. Who would have thought that such a beautiful trinket would provide criminals for gallows and prisons? I'm going to lock it in my safe and write a short message to the countess and tell her that we have found this gem. "

"You think Horner is innocent?"

"I don't know."

"Okay, so you think another person, henry beck, has something to do with this?"

"I think henry beck may be absolutely innocent. It never occurred to him that the value of this goose in his hand was much greater than that of a goose made of gold. In any case, if my notice is answered, I can measure this through an extremely simple test. "

"Have you nothing to do before that?"

"There is nothing to do."

"In that case, I will continue to deal with my daily affairs, but I will come back at the time you just mentioned tonight, because I really want to see how such a complicated thing is solved."

"I'm glad to see you again. I will have dinner at seven o'clock. I'm sure to get a snipe. By the way, considering the recent situation, maybe I should ask Mrs Hudson to check the harvest of that woodcock. "

* A patient delayed me a little. When I got back to Baker Street, it was past 6: 30. When I approached the apartment, I saw a tall man wearing a coat and a Scottish hat, and the button of the coat was buttoned up to his chin. He is standing outside the house, emitting a semicircle of light from a fan-shaped window. When I arrived at the door, it just opened and we were led into Holmes' room together.

"I think you are Mr. henry beck." As he spoke, he got up from his armchair and quickly assumed an approachable and affable manner to welcome the guests. "Please sit in this chair near the fireplace, Mr. Baker. It's cold tonight. I can see that your blood circulation is stronger in summer than in winter. Ah, Watson, you're just in time. Is this your hat, Mr. Baker? "

"Yes, sir, this is indeed my hat."

He is a tall man with a round waist and a big head. He has a broad, intelligent face and a taupe beard. The nose and cheeks are slightly rosy, and the hands tremble slightly when reaching out. These characteristics remind people of Sherlock Holmes' speculation about its characteristics. The front of his faded black dress coat was all buttoned up, and the collar stood up, revealing the slender wrist under the sleeve of the coat. There are no traces of cuffs or shirts on the wrist. He spoke intermittently and carefully. On the whole, he gives the impression that he is an unlucky scholar.

"These things have been kept with us for several days," Holmes said, "because we are looking forward to seeing your address on your searching for you. I don't understand why you don't print? "

Our guest smiled shyly. "I am not as rich as I used to be," he said. "I believe that the rogue who attacked me has taken my hat and goose. So it's hopeless to get them back. I don't want to spend any more money on it! "

"What you said is very reasonable. By the way, as for the goose, we have to eat it. "

"Eat!" Our guest almost stood up with excitement.

"Yes, if we don't do this, the goose will be bad for anyone. But I think the weight of goose on the sideboard is comparable to yours, and it is very fresh and tender, which will also satisfy you. "

"Oh, of course, of course." Mr. Baker said with a sigh of relief.

"Of course, we have our own goose feathers, legs, crops and so on. So if you want to ... "

* Men burst into laughter. "These things may be useful as souvenirs of my adventure," he said. "Besides, I simply don't see what my goose bits and pieces can do for me. No, sir, with your permission, I think my concern is limited to the wonderful goose I saw on the sideboard. "

Sherlock Holmes looked at me quickly and shrugged slightly.

"So, this is your hat; Also, this is your goose, "he said. "By the way, can you tell us where you bought the goose? I am interested in raising poultry. I have rarely seen a better-looking goose than you. " "certainly, sir," he said standing? He stepped forward, put the property he had just got under his arm and said, "Some of us often go in and out of the Alpha pub near the museum because we are in the museum during the day. Understand? This year, our good shopkeeper, named Wendy Gate, started a goose club. Considering paying a few pence to the club every week, each of us received a goose from the club at Christmas. I always pay on time. As for what happened afterwards, you already know everything. Sir, because wearing a Scottish hat is neither suitable for my age nor my status, and you have benefited me a lot, I want to thank you deeply. " He bowed seriously to both of us with funny conceit, and then strode out of the room.

"Mr henry beck's business is over." As Holmes spoke, he closed the door behind him. "Obviously, he knows nothing about it. Are you hungry? Watson? "

"Not very hungry."

"Then I suggest that we change dinner to dinner. We should follow suit and strike while the iron is hot. "

"Yes, of course."

It was a cold night, so we all wore long coats and scarves around our necks. The stars are shining outside, and the cold light is shining on a cloudless night in Wan Li. The breath exhaled by passers-by condenses into cold fog, just like many pistols shooting. Our footsteps make a clear and loud sound. We strode through the doctor's area, Wilbur Street, Harry Street, and then through Wilmer Street to Oxford Street. A quarter of an hour later, we arrived at the Alpha Hotel in the museum area. This is a small hotel, located at the corner of the street leading to holborn. Holmes pushed open the door of this private hotel and asked a boss with a red face and a white apron for two beers.

If your beer can be as good as your goose, it will be the best beer. He said.

"My goose!" The man seems surprised.

Yes, I just talked to Mr. henry beck, a member of your club, just half an hour ago.

"Ah, I see. But you know, sir, those geese are not ours! "

"really! So, whose is it? "

"Oh, I bought 24 from a salesman in Covent Garden."

"Really? I know a few, which one is it? "

"His name is Brecon Ritchie." "Oh, I don't know him. Well, boss, I wish you good health and prosperous business. Goodbye. "

"Now go find Brecon Ritchie," we left the hotel and walked into the cold air. While buttoning his coat, he continued, "Remember, Watson, although at one end of this chain, we only find something as homely as a goose, but at the other end, we will find someone who will definitely be sentenced to seven years in prison, unless we can prove his innocence; However, it is quite possible that our investigation will only prove him guilty. In any case, an investigation clue ignored by the police fell into our hands at a special opportunity. Let's follow this clue until it comes to the bottom. Now move south quickly! "

* We crossed Hollborn Street, turned into endel Street, and then crossed the winding civilian area to Covent Garden Market. In some food stalls, there is a booth sign with the name of Brecon Ritchie written on it. The shopkeeper is a man with a long face, a thin face and a neat beard. At this time, he is helping a waiter close the stall.

Good night, what a cold night! "said Holmes.

The shopkeeper nodded and looked at my companion with suspicion.

"It depends, the geese are all sold out." Holmes pointed to the empty marble counter and continued.

"Tomorrow morning, I can sell you five hundred geese."

"That's useless."

"Well, there are still a few stalls with gas lights on."

"Oh, but I introduced it to you."

"Who introduced it?"

"The owner of the Alpha Hotel"

"Oh, yes; I sent him twenty-four. "

"Those geese are really nice. Then where did you get it? "

To my surprise, this question made the shopkeeper fly into a rage.

"So, sir," he said with his head held high and his hands rested on her hips, "what do you mean? Let's get this straight. "

"I am straightforward enough. I wonder who sold you those geese you supplied to Alpha Hotel? "

"Oh, it's the way it is. I don't want to tell you. That's it! "

"Oh, it's a trivial matter, but I don't understand why you are so angry about such a trivial matter?"

"angry! If you are entangled like me, maybe you will fly into a rage. I spent a lot of money on good goods, and that's it. But you have to ask:' Where is the goose? Who did you sell your goose to? And' What do you geese want to change? When people hear these nagging questions, they may think that these geese are unique in the world. "

"Oh, but I have nothing to do with other people who ask these questions," Holmes said casually. "If you don't want to tell us, the bet is cancelled. That's what I want to say. But I will always stick to my view on poultry. I bet five pounds on this question, and I bet that the geese I eat are raised in the countryside. "

"Hey, you lost your five pounds because it was raised in the city." The boss said.

"This is not the case."

"That's what I said."

"I don't believe it."

"Do you think you know more about poultry than I do? I have been dealing with poultry since I was a waiter. I tell you, those geese sent to the Alpha Hotel are all raised in the city. "

"You can never make me believe you."

"So are you willing to bet?"

"It's just to make you lose money, because I know I'm right. But I am still willing to take out a pound of gold coins to bet with you, just to teach you not to be stubborn. "

The shopkeeper grinned grimly. "Bring me the ledger, Bill," he said.

* The little boy brought a thin little ledger and a big ledger with a greasy cover. Spread them together under the chandelier.

"Hey, overconfident sir," said the shopkeeper, "I thought I sold all the geese just now, but before I close the door, you will find that there is one goose left in our shop. Have you seen this little ledger? "