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✪ Arthur Conan Doyle. Lion's mane. audiobook.
Subtitles
Plot
The story is told on behalf of the detective himself: Sherlock Holmes. He says that he retired from all business and went to rest at his villa, which is located in Sussex, on the southern slope of the Downs, which offers a beautiful and wide view of the English Channel. There he lives with his old housekeeper and communicates with the residents of the village of Fulworth.
All this strange and misterious story, according to the author, began with Holmes going down to his favorite beach, where he often loved to walk and breathe fresh air. There he meets his acquaintance Harold Stackhurst, who was the headmaster of the school in this village and was highly respected. He held good attitude with Holmes. Stackhurst talks to Holmes and tells him that he is waiting for Fritzroy McPherson, the science teacher at the school. Holmes met him on the beach more than once while swimming. However, a few minutes later MacPherson appears in the distance and, staggering like a drunk, falls to the ground. Holmes and Stackhurst run to help, but Macpherson quickly dies, and before dying he utters the words “lion’s mane.” There were various purple wounds on his body: apparently made by a whip or whip. McPherson was so tortured that he could not stand the pain.
At this moment, mathematics teacher Ian Murdoch appears, who, according to Holmes’ description, was withdrawn, uncommunicative and strange person. He and the deceased did not like each other, especially after the incident when the mathematician threw the deceased's dog out of the window. There were many reasons to suspect Murdoch.
Holmes sends him for the police, and he himself begins to examine the entire coast, where there was no one else. He finds McPherson's dry towel, but the corpse was wet. That is, the deceased did not have time to dry himself after bathing.
After this, some love notes were also found on the murdered person. Holmes manages to find out that Macpherson was in love with a certain girl named Maude Bellamy. She was the daughter of one of the wealthy residents of Fulworth.
When Holmes and Stackhurst arrived at Bellamy's house, they met Ian Murdoch on the street, with whom the director had a major quarrel and he fired Murdoch, but he, on the contrary, was happy about this decision. During the conversation, he admits that he loved Maude Bellamy just like the deceased teacher. But she did not reciprocate his feelings and he gave way to McPherson. This gives Holmes another reason to suspect Murdoch.
At Bellamy's house, Holmes manages to find out that Maud's relatives were against her dating a person more low society. In the end, she admits that they were secretly engaged, but they hid it partly because of their rich uncle Fitzroy, who could deprive his nephew of his inheritance if he married against his will.
A few days after the murder, Holmes learns from his housekeeper that McPherson’s dog, which had been missing its owner for a long time and had not eaten anything, had died. The most interesting thing is that the dog was found dead in the same place where its owner died. This surprised Holmes very much and he even went to see the corpse of the poor dog, exhausted by horror.
Holmes goes on to tell how he spent the whole night rummaging through various books in the attic of his house. The next morning he already knew what to do, when suddenly one of the village inspectors came to him and said that he wanted to arrest Ian Murdoch. There were many doubts about this suspicious man. But they soon dispersed when Stackhurst burst into the house. He could barely carry the dying Murdoch. He had the same injuries as McPherson. Holmes gave the sick man whiskey and began asking Stackhurst again. He said that he was walking along the rocks when he suddenly saw Murdoch screaming on the beach, staggering and falling. He immediately brought him to the detective’s house. Holmes announces that he knows what the whole point of the case is and who the killer is.
Sherlock Holmes, Stackhurst and the inspector go down to the lagoon at the request of the detective. There they meet a huge sea animal that looks like a lion's mane. Holmes says that it is just a cyanea that came close to the shore during a storm. They then drop a large block of stone onto the monster and destroy it. Holmes begins to explain that the reason was simply this “lion’s mane,” as MacPherson called this jellyfish before his death. She killed him, the dog and attacked Murdoch, who barely escaped. Holmes read about this sea animal in one book and immediately guessed everything. Murdoch gets to his feet in full vigor, and Holmes gives this book to his friend the director.
Cyanea is not actually dangerous to human life. The sting of this jellyfish is simply incapable of causing death. Although the rash can be painful for sensitive people, and the toxins in the venom can cause an allergic reaction.
Lion's mane
It is surprising that one of the most difficult and extraordinary problems I have ever encountered during my long life as a detective confronted me while I was already retired; everything played out almost before my eyes. This happened after I settled in my small Sussex villa and was completely immersed in the peace and silence of nature, which I had so dreamed of for a long time. for long years spent in foggy, gloomy London. During the period described, the good-natured Watson almost completely disappeared from my horizon. He only visited me occasionally on Sundays, so this time I have to be my own historiographer. It’s not like he could have described such a rare incident and all the difficulties from which I emerged victorious! Alas, I will have to simply and straightforwardly, in my own words, tell you about every step I took on the difficult path of revealing the secret of the Lion’s Mane.
My villa is located on the southern slope of the Downs, with sweeping views of the English Channel. At this point the shore is a wall of chalk cliffs; You can go down to the water along a single long winding path, steep and slippery. At the bottom the path ends at a beach about a hundred yards wide, covered with pebbles and pebbles and not flooded even at high tide. However, in several places there are bays and recesses that provide magnificent swimming pools and are filled with fresh water with each tide. This wonderful coastline extends for several miles in both directions and is interrupted only in one place by a small bay, along the shore of which is the village of Fulworth.
My house is on the outskirts, and in my small domain only I, my housekeeper and the bees are in charge. Half a mile from here is famous school Harold Stackhurst, which occupies a fairly large house, housing about twenty students preparing for various specialties, and a small staff of teachers. Stackhurst himself, once a famous rowing champion, is a widely erudite scientist. From the time I settled on the coast, he and I had the most friendly relations, so close that we visited each other in the evenings without needing a special invitation.
At the end of July 1907 there was heavy storm, the wind blew from the southwest, and the surf rolled to the very foot of the chalk cliffs, and when the tide began to ebb, large lagoons remained on the shore. On the morning with which I begin my story, the wind died down, and everything in nature breathed purity and freshness. I had no strength to work on such a wonderful day, so I went out before breakfast to wander around and breathe in the amazing air. I walked along the path leading to a steep descent to the beach. Suddenly someone called out to me, and, turning around, I saw Harold Stackhurst cheerfully waving his hand at me.
- What a morning, Mr. Holmes! So I knew that I would meet you.
- I see you are going to swim.
“We’re up to the old tricks again,” he laughed, patting his stuffed pocket. - McPherson has already left early, I’ll probably meet him here.
Fitzroy MacPherson - a distinguished, tall young man - taught at school natural Sciences. He suffered from heart disease due to rheumatism; but, being a natural athlete, excelled in any sports game, unless it required excessive physical effort from him. He swam in both winter and summer, and since I am an inveterate swimmer myself, we often met with him on the shore.
At the moment described, we saw Macpherson himself. His head appeared over the edge of the cliff where the path ended. A moment later he appeared at full height, staggering as if drunk. Then he threw up his hands and fell face down to the ground with a terrible scream. Stackhurst and I rushed towards him - he was about fifty yards away - and turned him over on his back. Our friend was, by all indications, on his last legs. Glassy, sunken eyes and a blue face could mean nothing else. For one second, consciousness flashed in his eyes, he frantically tried to warn us. He shouted something indistinctly, convulsively, but I heard only two words in his cry: “lion’s mane.” These words didn’t mean anything to me, but I couldn’t mishear. At the same instant, McPherson stood up, threw up his arms and fell on his side. He was dead.
My companion was dumbfounded by the unexpected terrible sight; Of course, all my senses instantly became heightened, and for good reason: I immediately realized that we were witnessing some completely extraordinary incident. McPherson was wearing only trousers and a mackintosh draped over his naked body, and on his feet were unlaced canvas shoes. As he fell, the coat slipped off, revealing his torso. We were speechless with surprise. His back was striped with dark purple welts, as if he had been lashed with a whip made of thin wire. McPherson had apparently been tortured and killed with some unusually flexible instrument, because long, sharp welts curved from the back and involved the shoulders and ribs. Blood was flowing down his chin from a bitten unbearable pain lower lip.
I knelt down, and Stackhurst, standing, bent over the corpse, when someone's shadow fell over us, and, looking back, we saw that Ian Murdoch had approached us. Murdoch taught mathematics at school; he was a tall, thin brunette, so unsociable and withdrawn that there was no person who could call himself his friend. He seemed to be hovering in the abstract realms of irrational numbers and conic sections, with little interest in Everyday life. He was known as an eccentric among his students and could easily have turned out to be a laughing stock if there had not been an admixture of some foreign blood in his veins, manifested not only in coal-black eyes and dark skin, but also in outbursts of rage that could not be called otherwise, like wild ones. One day McPherson's little dog attacked him; Murdoch grabbed her and threw her out the window, breaking the plate glass; Stackhurst, of course, would not have failed to fire him for such behavior if he had not valued him as an excellent teacher. This is the characteristic of the strange, difficult person, who approached us at that moment. He seemed quite sincerely shocked by the sight dead body, although the incident with the dog could hardly indicate great sympathy between him and the deceased.
- Poor guy! Poor fellow! Is there anything I can do? How can I help you?
- Were you with him? Would you mind telling me what happened here?
- No, no, I got up late today. And I haven't bathed yet. I'm just leaving school. How can I help you?
“Run quickly to Fulworth and notify the police immediately.”
Without saying a word, Murdoch hurried off to Fulworth, and I immediately began to study the scene, while the shocked Stackhurst remained by the body. My first order of business, of course, was to make sure there was no one else on the beach. From the cliff from which the path descended, the shore, visible along its entire length, seemed completely deserted, except for two or three dark figures walking in the distance towards Fulworth. Having finished examining the shore, I began to slowly descend along the path. The soil here was mixed with clay and soft marl, and here and there I came across traces of the same person, going both downhill and uphill. No one else came down the path that morning. In one place I noticed a handprint with fingers pointing up the path. This could only mean that the unfortunate McPherson fell while climbing the mountain. I also noticed round depressions, suggesting that he had fallen to his knees several times. Below, where the path ended, there was a fairly large lagoon formed by the receding tide. On the shore of this lagoon, McPherson undressed: right there, on a stone, lay his towel. It was neatly folded and dry, so, apparently, McPherson did not have time to take a dip. Circling in all directions over the hard pebbles, I discovered several sandy bald spots on the beach with traces of McPherson's canvas shoes and bare feet. The last observation showed that he was about to throw himself into the water, and the dry towel indicated that he did not have time to do this.
This was where the mystery of the whole incident lay - the most extraordinary of all that I have ever encountered.
When going to distant countries to relax and soak up the sea-ocean shores, be extremely careful - in the depths of the water there is often an unknown and very dangerous world. One of its most striking inhabitants can rightfully be considered the lion's mane jellyfish, which differs from its other counterparts gigantic size and amazing beauty. However, its magnificence makes you not only admire, but also freeze in horror. What could a meeting with such an inhabitant of the underwater kingdom turn out to be like for a person?
general description
The lion's mane jellyfish is considered the largest existing member of its subspecies. Its colorful name is due to its specific appearance - the long tangled tentacles really resemble a mane. Individuals have a very bright color, which directly depends on their size. Large specimens are distinguished by their rich crimson or purple, and smaller ones are orange or golden in color. The tentacles located in the center of the bell also have very bright color, and the edges are pale silver.
Dimensions
What size is the hairy cyanea, and this is what the main name of “lion’s mane” sounds like? The largest specimen ever observed by humans was found in the USA at the end of the 19th century (1870). The body of this giant had a diameter of about 2 meters 29 centimeters, and the tentacles extended to 37 meters, surpassing even blue whale. It is believed that the bell can reach 2.5 m, but most often it does not exceed 200 centimeters. Important point: how lives further south jellyfish, the smaller the diameter of its body. As for the tentacles, they can stretch as much as 30 meters, but the weight of individual cyanides reaches a fantastic level of 300 kilograms.
Distribution area
Lion's mane jellyfish prefers cold water, it is found near Australia, New Zealand and even the Arctic coasts. The giant lives in the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean, however almost never rises south of 40 degrees northern latitude. IN Lately There is information that individuals appear in fairly large numbers off the coast of Japan and China.
Lifestyle
The lion's mane jellyfish lives mainly at a depth of about 20 meters; it leads a calm and extremely measured lifestyle, moving under the influence of various currents. However, such slowness and passivity should not mislead you; cyanea can be very dangerous. What do jellyfish eat? The answer to this question should put everything in its place. "Lion's mane" is a real predator and perfectly devours small sea animals and fish; it does not disdain plankton.
Jellyfish, as similar to each other as drops of water, are still divided by gender. In the walls of their stomach there are special bags in which eggs and sperm mature and wait in the wings. Fertilization occurs through the mouth opening, the larvae mature in the tentacles of the parent in calm, reliably protected conditions. Subsequently, the larvae settle to the bottom and become polyps, from which appendages - jellyfish - are subsequently separated.
Main danger
Unique appearance and the beauty of such a jellyfish certainly makes one admire it, but one should not forget that such individuals can also be very dangerous. The main threat lies in the presence of special containing significant amount poison. Upon contact with a person or living creature, goad capsules release threads that carry hazardous substances.
Jellyfish venom is very dangerous for both sea creatures, and for humans. In the latter case, he, of course, does not threaten fatal, however, you will be guaranteed serious health problems. The consequences of communicating with her are manifested in a severe allergic reaction, itching, rash and other external manifestations. Only one case of human death from contact with this giant marine representative has been officially documented.
Other dangerous representatives
Of course, there are others interesting representatives of this subspecies. In the nomination “Most” it could well win and Currently, it is found not only off the coast of Australia, but also at popular resorts in Thailand, where it is increasingly carried by tail currents.
It is quite difficult to see it in the water, since the jellyfish is almost completely transparent. It has a not so large dome (the size also resembles tentacles up to three meters long. The larger their size, the more dangerous the individual and the more carefully it is necessary to avoid contact with it. A large number of poison in as soon as possible causes paralysis and death, but with minor contact there is a high chance that a person can escape with painful scars and severe allergies, while remaining alive.
Competitor sea wasp - "Portuguese man of war", the jellyfish is very noticeable and not so deadly. It is distinguished by its rich blue color and the desire to swim directly at the surface of the water. Contact with such a specimen will lead to the development allergic reactions and anaphylactic shock.
Even original ones can give you unpleasant sensations. glowing jellyfish. When the sea is very rough, they begin to glow, presenting a uniquely beautiful spectacle. By the way, what distinguishes them from other inhabitants of their species is not only a similar feature, but also a very specific form mushroom. What do this species of jellyfish eat? Their diet is very simple, it includes plankton and small fish.
It is surprising that one of the most difficult and extraordinary problems I have ever encountered during my long life as a detective confronted me while I was already retired; everything played out almost before my eyes. This happened after I settled in my small Sussex villa and was completely immersed in the peace and silence of nature, which I had so dreamed of during the long years spent in foggy, gloomy London. During the period described, the good-natured Watson almost completely disappeared from my horizon. He only visited me occasionally on Sundays, so this time I have to be my own historiographer. It’s not like he could have described such a rare incident and all the difficulties from which I emerged victorious! Alas, I will have to simply and straightforwardly, in my own words, tell you about every step I took on the difficult path of revealing the secret of the Lion’s Mane.
My villa is located on the southern slope of the Downs, with sweeping views of the English Channel. At this point the shore is a wall of chalk cliffs; You can go down to the water along a single long winding path, steep and slippery. At the bottom the path ends at a beach about a hundred yards wide, covered with pebbles and pebbles and not flooded even at high tide. However, in several places there are bays and recesses that provide magnificent swimming pools and are filled with fresh water with each tide. This wonderful coastline extends for several miles in both directions and is interrupted only in one place by a small bay, along the shore of which is the village of Fulworth.
My house is on the outskirts, and in my small domain only I, my housekeeper and the bees are in charge. Half a mile from here is the famous Harold Stackhurst School, which occupies a fairly large house, housing about twenty students preparing for various professions, and a small staff of teachers. Stackhurst himself, once a famous rowing champion, is a widely erudite scientist. From the time I settled on the coast, he and I had the most friendly relations, so close that we visited each other in the evenings without needing a special invitation.
At the end of July 1907 there was a strong storm, the wind blew from the southwest, and the surf reached the very base of the chalk cliffs, and when the tide began to ebb, large lagoons remained on the shore. On the morning with which I begin my story, the wind died down, and everything in nature breathed purity and freshness. I had no strength to work on such a wonderful day, so I went out before breakfast to wander around and breathe in the amazing air. I walked along the path leading to a steep descent to the beach. Suddenly someone called out to me, and, turning around, I saw Harold Stackhurst cheerfully waving his hand at me.
What a morning, Mr. Holmes! So I knew that I would meet you.
I see you are about to go swimming.
They’re up to the old tricks again,” he laughed, patting his stuffed pocket. - McPherson has already left early, I’ll probably meet him here.
Fitzroy Macpherson - a prominent, tall young man - taught natural sciences at the school. He suffered from heart disease due to rheumatism; but, being a natural athlete, he excelled in any sporting game, unless it required excessive physical effort from him. He swam in both winter and summer, and since I am an inveterate swimmer myself, we often met with him on the shore.
At the moment described, we saw Macpherson himself. His head appeared over the edge of the cliff where the path ended. A moment later he appeared at full height, staggering as if drunk. Then he threw up his hands and fell face down to the ground with a terrible scream. Stackhurst and I rushed towards him - he was about fifty yards away - and turned him over on his back. Our friend was, by all indications, on his last legs. Glassy, sunken eyes and a blue face could mean nothing else. For one second, consciousness flashed in his eyes, he frantically tried to warn us. He shouted something indistinctly, convulsively, but I heard only two words in his cry: “lion’s mane.” These words didn’t mean anything to me, but I couldn’t mishear. At the same instant, McPherson stood up, threw up his arms and fell on his side. He was dead.
My companion was dumbfounded by the unexpected terrible sight; Of course, all my senses instantly became heightened, and for good reason: I immediately realized that we were witnessing some completely extraordinary incident. McPherson was wearing only trousers and a mackintosh draped over his naked body, and on his feet were unlaced canvas shoes. As he fell, the coat slipped off, revealing his torso. We were speechless with surprise. His back was striped with dark purple welts, as if he had been lashed with a whip made of thin wire. McPherson had apparently been tortured and killed with some unusually flexible instrument, because long, sharp welts curved from the back and involved the shoulders and ribs. Blood flowed down his chin from his lower lip, bitten in unbearable pain.
I knelt down, and Stackhurst, standing, bent over the corpse, when someone's shadow fell over us, and, looking back, we saw that Ian Murdoch had approached us. Murdoch taught mathematics at school; he was a tall, thin brunette, so unsociable and withdrawn that there was no person who could call himself his friend. He seemed to hover in the abstract realms of irrational numbers and conic sections, with little interest in everyday life. He was known as an eccentric among his students and could easily have turned out to be a laughing stock if there had not been an admixture of some foreign blood in his veins, manifested not only in coal-black eyes and dark skin, but also in outbursts of rage that could not be called otherwise, like wild ones. One day McPherson's little dog attacked him; Murdoch grabbed her and threw her out the window, breaking the plate glass; Stackhurst, of course, would not have failed to fire him for such behavior if he had not valued him as an excellent teacher. This is the characteristic of a strange, complex person who approached us at that moment. He seemed to be quite sincerely shocked by the sight of the dead body, although the incident with the little dog could hardly indicate great sympathy between him and the dead man.
Poor fellow! Poor fellow! Is there anything I can do? How can I help you?
Were you with him? Would you mind telling me what happened here?
Very briefly: A man dies on a deserted beach, his body cut open as if someone had whipped him. Sherlock Holmes guesses that the man was killed by a poisonous jellyfish.
The retired great detective Sherlock Holmes lives in a small villa in Sussex, located on a hillside overlooking the English Channel. Not far from his house there is a famous school. One morning, on the way to the beach, Holmes meets the school principal, Mr. Stackhurst. They both see teacher Fitzroy McPherson, suffering from a heart defect, under the cliff. Staggering like a drunk, he falls and before dying manages to say: “lion’s mane.” The teacher's body is striped, as if someone had whipped him. Then mathematics teacher Ian Murdoch approaches, an unsociable, withdrawn person, subject to fits of rage.
The great detective examines the situation. McPherson stayed on the beach for a quarter of an hour. Having arrived, he undressed, was about to take a dip, but did not have time, he quickly put a mackintosh on his naked body and began to climb the mountain. There was no one on the beach at that moment. A note from a woman was found in the deceased's pocket. Mr Stackhurst reports that there was a close relationship between Macpherson and Miss Maud Bellamy.
Holmes and Mr. Stackhurst visit the girl and see Murdoch leaving her house. When asked by the school director what he was doing there, Murdoch does not answer, a quarrel breaks out between them, and the director fires Murdoch.
Maude Bellamy lives with her father and older brother. She is ready to help the great detective find the killer, despite the discontent of her family. The girl says that she and Fitzroy wanted to get married, but hid their engagement because of his uncle. The old man could disinherit Fitzroy if he married against his will. Murdoch courted Maud, but after her engagement to Fitzroy, his attitude changed.
A week passes. The great detective is at a loss, makes inquiries about Murdoch, but gets no results. A police inspector comes to Holmes and suspects Murdoch of murder. But the great detective gets an idea. He remembers the welts on McPherson's body, as if someone had placed a hot wire mesh on his back.
The conversation is interrupted by Murdoch and Stackhurst. Murdoch's back has exactly the same scars. Leaving the wounded man in the care of his housekeeper, Holmes leads the inspector and Stackhurst to the shore and names the name of the killer: cyanea, or “lion's mane” - a jellyfish that was brought by the current.
Remembering last words McPherson, Holmes remembers that he once read about her. Murdoch, who was only an intermediary between Maud and Fitzroy, is completely acquitted. The great detective admits: because of the dry towel, he decided that Fitzroy had not swam, and did not realize that the danger was not on the shore, but in the water. He often had to make fun of the police, and now Cyanea has taken revenge on Scotland Yard.
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