Tom: John Blake wanted a job in a museum. He went to see the director, but he didn’t get the job. When he was in the museum, someone broke one of the glass cases and stole a pendant. Who broke the glass case? The director thought it was John. He sent for the police. He sent for them. He called them. When the police came, the director said: “Send them in,” tell them to come in. Send them in.
Woman: Oh, I don’t feel well.
Man: What’s the matter? Oh, she fainted. Send for the doctor at once.
Woman2: Mary, run to dr. Forest’s house and ask him to come at once.
Woman: Oh, I don’t feel well.
Man: What’s the matter? Oh, she fainted. Send for the doctor at once.
(dialling)
Dr. Forest: Hullo, Dr. Forest speaking.
Woman2: [This] Is Mrs. Brown speaking. Please, doctor, come at once. My daughter has fainted.
(doorbell)
Woman2: I think it’s Dr. Forest.
Man: What are you waiting for? Open the door and send him in.
Woman2: Please, come in, Dr. Forest.
Tom: The director of the museum sent for the police. When the detective was in his room, the director called John a thief.
Cathy: “A thief?”
Tom: Yes, he said John was a thief. Anybody who steals is a thief.
Woman: Oh, he’s taken my bag! My bag! He’s stolen my bag. Thief! Thief! Stop him. Thief!
Cathy: I see. And what happens to people who steal? What happens to thieves?
Tom: Detectives come and arrest them. They arrest them. They take them away and put them into prison. The police arrest thieves.
Woman: Oh, my bag! He’s taken my bag! He’s stolen my bag. Thief! Thief! Stop him. Thief! Policeman! Policeman!
Policeman: I’ve caught you. You’ve stolen the lady’s bag. Now I’m going to arrest you. I’m taking you to the police station.
Man: It wasn’t me. Don’t arrest me. Let me go.
Policeman: It was you who stole the lady’s bag, wasn’t it? You’re a thief, aren’t you?
Man: No, I’m not.
Policeman: Yes, you are. People saw you stealing the lady’s bag. Now, I’m going to arrest you, you are a thief. Get into the police car.
Man: No, I won’t.
(siren, noise of a heavy door closing)
Man: Let me get out! Why did you arrest me? I’m not a thief. I don’t want to go to prison. Why did you arrest me?
Cathy: And did the detective arrest John?
Tom: Listen.
Director: Ah, the police. Send them in.
Detective: (sneezing) Good afternoon.
Director: Arrest this man.
Detective: Arrest him?
John: Arrest me?
Director: Yes, arrest Mr. Blake. He is a thief, isn’t he?
John: No, I am not. I’m not a thief. But you’re a silly old man.
Director: Arrest this man at once. He broke the glass case, didn’t he?
Detective: Did you break the glass case, sir?
John: No, I didn’t break the glass case.
Director: He stole the pendant, didn’t he?
Detective: Did you steal the pendant, sir?
John: No, I didn’t steal the pendant.
Director: And then he hid it.
Detective: Did you hide it, sir?
John: No, I didn’t hide it.
Detective: Thank you, sir. You didn’t steal it and you didn’t hide it. So, you’re not a thief. (The detective sneezes) What happened, sir?
John: What happened? Well, I heard the glass break.
Detective: Yes, sir, you heard the glass break. And then?
John: And then I ran to the glass case.
Detective: You ran to the glass case. And then?
John: And then I waved my umbrella.
Detective: Ah! You waved your umbrella.
John: Yes.
Detective: You waved your umbrella, because you saw the thief.
John: No, I didn’t. I didn’t see the thief.
Detective: You didn’t see him?
John: He wasn’t there.
Detective: I see. Go on.
John: Then I fell, and banged my head.
Detective: Oh, you didn’t, did you? You banged your head.
Tom: You probably remember that John was fighting with the attendant. He fell down and banged his head. The detective didn’t understand why he had banged his head. John told him everything. He said that the director had accused him of breaking the glass case. The director accused him of stealing the pendant.
Cathy: “Accused him?”
Tom: You probably remember that the policeman also accused the thief.
Policeman: It was you who stole the lady’s bag, wasn’t it? You’re a thief, aren’t you?
Man: No, I’m not.
Policeman: Yes, you are. People saw you stealing the lady’s bag. Now, I’m going to arrest you, you are a thief.
Tom: The director accused John of breaking the glass. He said, “You broke the glass”, and he accused him of stealing the pendant. He said: “You stole the pendant.”
Cathy: But John didn’t steal the pendant, did he?
Tom: No, he didn’t, but the director thought he had. He accused him of stealing it. He told the detective to search his pockets.
Cathy: “Search?” Is that to look for to try to find something?
Tom: That’s right.
(fanfare)
Man: Ladies and gentlemen! Come up, come closer! Come and see the most fantastic act. Margerie, the wonder girl. Can you see this box?
Audience: Yes, yes.
Man: Can you see Margerie, the wonder girl in the box?
Audience: Yes, yes, we can.
Man: Now I’m going to change her into air. Abracadabra. One, two, three. Margerie was there, and now she isn’t. Look into the box.
Audience (gasps)
Man: There’s no hole in the box, and there’s no Margerie in the box. The box is empty.
Woman: She must be in the box.
Man: She’s not. She’s changed into air. Come up and search the box yourselves.
Woman: Fantastic! She’s not in the box.
Woman2: The box must have a double bottom.
Man: Search the bottom of the box. Search the whole room. Look into each corner, search every inch.
Man: That’s really fantastic.
Woman: I’ve never seen anything like it.
Man: Can you find her?
Woman: No. But where has she gone?
Man: Just a minute. Now, open the box. Abracadabra. One, two, three. (Audience gasps)
Woman: She is in the box. I can’t believe my eyes.
Woman2: I don’t understand. I searched the box. I don’t understand it at all.
(fanfare)
Tom: The detective searched John’s pockets. He looked into his pockets. He had a look at everything in his pockets.
John: Then I fell, and banged my head.
Detective: Oh, you didn’t, did you? You banged your head.
John: Yes.
Detective: Mm. I see, sir.
John: Then I woke up, and he accused me.
Detective: The director of the museum accused you.
John: Yes, he accused me.
Director: I accused him. I’m accusing you now. This man is hiding the pendant. Search his pockets.
Detective: Search his pockets, sir?
John: Yes, search my pockets. Look: here is a pen, see? And here is a pencil.
Detective: Yes, sir, I see. A pen and a pencil.
John: Here is a handkerchief. A clean handkerchief.
Detective: (sneezes) Yes, sir. A clean handkerchief.
John: And a cigarette lighter.
Detective: A cigarette lighter.
John: But no pendant. I didn’t steal the pendant. Don’t you believe me?
Tom: There were all sorts of things in John’s pocket: a pen, a pencil, a clean handkerchief, and a cigarette lighter. But no pendant.
Cathy: Did the detective believe John? Did it believe that he hadn’t stolen the pendant?
Tom: I don’t like to poke my nose into policemen’s business. My field is English grammar.
EXERCISE YOUR ENGLISH.
Exercise 1
Imagine that the speaker is John and you’re the detective. You’re questioning John. You repeat what he says and ask him to go on, like this:
A: I heard the glass break.
B: I see. You heard the glass break. And then?
Let’s start. Listen, speak, listen.
A: I heard the glass break.
[Your response]
B: I see. You heard the glass break. And then?
A: I ran to the glass case.
[Your response]
B: I see. You ran to the glass case. And then?
A: I waved my umbrella.
[Your response]
B: I see. You waved your umbrella. And then?
A: I hit the attendant.
[Your response]
B: I see. You hit the attendant. And then?
A: But he also hit me.
[Your response]
B: I see. He also hit you. And then?
A: I fell and banged my head.
[Your response]
B: I see. You fell and banged your head. And then?
A: Sometime later I woke up.
[Your response]
B: I see. Sometime later you woke up. And then?
A: And then the director accused me.
[Your response]
B: I see. The director accused you. And then?
Exercise 2
Now we’ll change the roles. The director and John are talking. Listen to the example. You’ll have to ask the questions instead of the director. Each question begins with why.
A: You hurt me.
B: Me?
A: Yes, you. Why did you hurt me?
Listen, speak, listen.
A: You hurt me.
B: Me?
[Your response]
A: Yes, you. Why did you hurt me?
A: You called me names.
B: Me?
[Your response]
A: Yes, you. Why did you call me names?
A: You broke the glass case.
B: Me?
[Your response]
A: Yes, you. Why did you break the glass case?
A: You stole the pendant.
B: Me?
[Your response]
A: Yes, you. Why did you steal the pendant?
A: And you hid the pendant.
B: Me?
[Your response]
A: Yes, you. Why did you hide the pendant?
A: You hit my attendant.
B: Me?
[Your response]
A: Yes, you. Why did you hit my attendant?
Exercise 3
A: What is there in your pocket?
B: a pen
C: There is a pen in his pocket.
Listen, speak, listen.
B: a pen
[Your response]
C: There is a pen in his pocket.
B: a handkerchief
[Your response]
C: There is a handkerchief in his pocket.
B: a cigarette lighter
[Your response]
C: There is a cigarette lighter in his pocket.
B: a pen knife
[Your response]
C: There is a pen knife in his pocket.
B: a five-pound note
[Your response]
C: There is a five-pound note in his pocket.
B: a key
[Your response]
C: There is a key in his pocket.
B: a packet of cigarettes
[Your response]
C: There is a packet of cigarettes in his pocket.
B: a pair of gloves
[Your response]
C: There is a pair of gloves in his pocket.
Exercise 4
Now, let’s have a look in your handbag. Answer my questions.
A: Is there a mirror in your handbag?
B: Yes, there is.
Listen, answer the question, and listen to the right answer.
A: Is there a mirror in your handbag?
[Your response]
B: Yes, there is.
A: Is there a pencil in your handbag?
[Your response]
B: Yes, there is.
A: Is there a lipstick in your handbag?
[Your response]
B: Yes, there is.
A: Is there any makeup in your handbag?
[Your response]
B: Yes, there is.
A: Is there a purse in your handbag?
[Your response]
B: Yes, there is.
A: Are there some photos in your handbag?
[Your response]
B: Yes, there are.
A: Is there a comb in your handbag?
[Your response]
B: Yes, there is.
A: Is there a pendant in your handbag?
[Your response]
B: A pendant? You must be joking. Oh, I see—the pendant. No, the pendant’s in the thief’s pocket. That’s certain. But who is the thief? John Blake, perhaps? But here’s the detective. Let’s listen to him. Will he arrest John? Or will he let him go?
The director: Ah, the police. Send them in.
The detective (sneezing): Good afternoon.
The director: Arrest this man.
Detective: Arrest him?
John: Arrest me?
Director: Yes, arrest Mr. Blake. He is a thief, isn’t he?
John: No, I am not. I’m not a thief. But you’re a silly old man.
Director: Arrest this man at once. He broke the glass case, didn’t he?
Detective: Did you break the glass case, sir?
John: No, I didn’t break the glass case.
Director: He stole the pendant, didn’t he?
Detective: Did you steal the pendant, sir?
John: No, I didn’t steal the pendant.
Director: And then he hid it.
Detective: Did you hide it, sir?
John: No, I didn’t hide it.
Detective: Thank you, sir. You didn’t steal it and you didn’t hide it. So, you’re not a thief. (The detective sneezes) What happened, sir?
John: What happened? Well, I heard the glass break.
Detective: Yes, sir, you heard the glass break. And then?
John: And then I ran to the glass case.
Detective: You ran to the glass case. And then?
John: And then I waved my umbrella.
Detective: Ah! You waved your umbrella.
John: Yes.
Detective: You waved your umbrella, because you saw the thief.
John: No, I didn’t. I didn’t see the thief.
Detective: You didn’t see him?
John: He wasn’t there.
Detective: I see. Go on.
John: Then I fell, and banged my head.
Detective: Oh, you didn’t, did you? You banged your head.
John: Yes.
Detective: Mm. I see sir.
John: Then I woke up, and he accused me.
Detective: The director of the museum accused you.
John: Yes, he accused me.
Director: I accused him. I’m accusing you now. This man is hiding the pendant. Search his pockets.
Detective: Search his pockets, sir?
John: Yes, search my pockets. Look: here is a pen, see? And here is a pencil.
Detective: Yes, sir, I see. A pen and a pencil.
John: Here is a handkerchief. A clean handkerchief.
Detective: (sneezes) Yes, sir. A clean handkerchief.
John: And a cigarette lighter.
Detective: A cigarette lighter.
John: But no pendant. I didn’t steal the pendant. Don’t you believe me?
Detective: I believe you.
Announcer: Will the detective discover the truth? Or will he too think that John stole the pendant? Will John be arrested? Listen to the next episode of “The Missing Jewel”.