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Extract from the Story
Mrs. Brown looked at him hopefully. Usually he needed to ask only one question to solve a case before dessert. They were still on the soup.
Encyclopedia leaned back and closed his eyes when he did his hardest thinking.
After several seconds, he opened his eyes and asked his question. “Is there a young fir tree in Mr. Nolan’s palm-tree nursery?”
Chief Brown thought a moment. “Yes, there is… one. On the south side of the house. How did you know?”
“The four words say so,” Encyclopedia answered.
Encyclopedia leaned back and closed his eyes when he did his hardest thinking.
After several seconds, he opened his eyes and asked his question. “Is there a young fir tree in Mr. Nolan’s palm-tree nursery?”
Chief Brown thought a moment. “Yes, there is… one. On the south side of the house. How did you know?”
“The four words say so,” Encyclopedia answered.
No NCERT side-glossary word appears in this extract.
Summary in Bullet Points
- Leroy asks only one highly specific question. He does not ask randomly about the house or the stolen jewellery.
- The young fir tree exists. Chief Brown remembers one on the south side of the house.
- The question proves that Leroy has already spotted the code pattern.
Questions from this Section
Why is Leroy’s question about a fir tree surprising?
2 Marks
How to answer:
Give the direct reason and one supporting detail.
View Answer
Answer: Nothing in the four written words directly says “fir tree”. His question seems unrelated until the weekday code is explained, which makes the deduction impressive.
What does Leroy’s one-question method reveal about his reasoning?
3 Marks
How to answer:
Explain the reasoning and why it matters to the mystery.
View Answer
Answer: He first studies the available clues, forms a precise hypothesis, and asks only for the missing fact needed to test it. This shows focused reasoning rather than guessing.
