Once upon a time, in a small village, there was an old castle. The castle was owned by an old lady who was very wealthy. Every day, the old lady would take out her most precious possession, a ruby, and admire it.

One day, however, the ruby was gone. The old lady was very upset and called the police. The police began to investigate the mysterious disappearance of the ruby.

They searched the entire castle but could not find the ruby. They asked the old lady if she had any enemies, but she said no. The police were stumped.

The next day, the old lady received a letter in the mail. It said that someone had stolen the ruby and that they would only return it if the old lady paid them a large sum of money.

The police stepped in and searched for the thief. Finally, they found him hiding in a nearby forest. He had the ruby in his pocket. The police arrested the thief and returned the ruby to the old lady.

The old lady was very happy to have her ruby back. She thanked the police for their hard work and vowed to keep it in a safe place from now on.

The end.

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Vocabulary

1. Village (noun): A small community with houses and buildings in which people live.

2. Castle (noun): A large, fortified building or set of buildings, typically of the medieval period.

3. Possession (noun): An item owned by someone.

4. Ruby (noun): A precious red gemstone.

5. Mysterious (adjective): Something that is not easily explained or understood.

6. Enemy (noun): A person or group that is hostile to another and wishes it harm.

7. Stumped (verb): To be unable to think of an answer or solution to a problem.

8. Letter (noun): A written or printed message, usually sent in an envelope.

9. Thief (noun): A person who steals.

10. Vow (verb): To make a solemn promise or commitment.

Comprehension Questions

1. Where did the old lady keep her ruby?
2. Who was the thief that stole the old lady’s ruby?
3. How did the thief return the ruby to the old lady?
4. What did the letter sent to the old lady say?
5. What did the old lady vow to do after getting her ruby back?
6. What did the police do when they were unable to find the ruby in the castle?
7. What was the old lady’s most precious possession?
8. What happened when the police found the thief?
9. Where did the police find the thief hiding?
10. Why did the thief steal the old lady’s ruby?

Gap Fill Questions

1. The old lady owned an old _______ in a small village.
2. Every day, the old lady would admire her most precious possession, a _______.
3. The old lady was very upset when the _______ went missing.
4. The police searched the entire _______ but could not find the ruby.
5. The old lady received a letter in the mail demanding a large sum of _______.
6. The thief was found hiding in a nearby _______.
7. The police arrested the thief and returned the _______ to the old lady.
8. The old lady thanked the police for their hard _______.
9. The old lady vowed to keep the ruby in a safe _______ from now on.
10. The story ends with the old lady being very _______.

Conversation Questions

1. What do you think of when you hear the words ‘mystery story’?
2. Do you like solving puzzles and mysteries?
3. What types of movies or books do you enjoy?
4. What is your favorite fictional detective?
5. Have you ever read any of the Sherlock Holmes stories?
6. What is your favorite type of crime drama?
7. Do you prefer stories that are realistic or more fantasy-based?
8. What do you think is the most interesting part of a mystery story?
9. What do you think makes a good detective character?
10. How do you think a detective story should end?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. The old lady kept her ruby in the castle.
2. The thief that stole the old lady’s ruby was found hiding in a nearby forest.
3. The thief returned the ruby to the old lady by sending her a letter.
4. The letter sent to the old lady said that someone had stolen the ruby and that they would only return it if the old lady paid them a large sum of money.
5. The old lady vowed to keep the ruby in a safe place from now on.
6. The police searched for the thief when they were unable to find the ruby in the castle.
7. The old lady’s most precious possession was a ruby.
8. The police arrested the thief and returned the ruby to the old lady.
9. The police found the thief hiding in a nearby forest.
10. The thief stole the old lady’s ruby in order to get a large sum of money.

Gap Fill Question Answers:

1. The old lady owned an old castle in a small village.
2. Every day, the old lady would admire her most precious possession, a ruby.
3. The old lady was very upset when the ruby went missing.
4. The police searched the entire castle but could not find the ruby.
5. The old lady received a letter in the mail demanding a large sum of money.
6. The thief was found hiding in a nearby forest.
7. The police arrested the thief and returned the ruby to the old lady.
8. The old lady thanked the police for their hard work.
9. The old lady vowed to keep the ruby in a safe place from now on.
10. The story ends with the old lady being very happy.