how watson learned the trick!

'how watson learned the trick' is a very short story of a single interaction between holmes and watson thats usually regarded as one of the two short non-canonical stories written by conan doyle, the other being the field bazaar

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this image came from archive.org

text:
Watson had been watching his companion intently ever since he had sat down to the breakfast table. Holmes happened to look up and catch his eye.
"Well, Watson, what are you thinking about?" he asked
''About you. "
"Me?"
"Yes, Holmes. I was thinking how superficial are these tricks of yours, and how wonderful it is that the public should continue to show interest in them. "
"I quite agree," said Holmes. "In fact, I have a recollection that I have myself made a similar remark. "
"Your methods, " said Watson severely, "are really easily acquired. "
"No doubt," Holmes answered with a smile. ''Perhaps you will yourself give an example of this method of reasoning. "
"With pleasure, " said Watson. "I am able to say that you were greatly preoccupied when you got up this morning. "
''Excellent!" said Holmes. "How could you possibly know that?"
"Because you are usually a very tidy man and yet you have forgotten to shave. "
''Dear me! How very clever!" said Holmes. "I had no idea, Watson, that you were so apt a pupil. Has your eagle eye detected anything more?"
"Yes, Holmes. You have a client named Barlow, and you have not been successful with his case. "
''Dear me, how could you know that?"
"I saw the name outside his envelope. When you opened it you gave a groan and thrust it into your pocket with a frown on your face. "
"Admirable! You are indeed observant. Any other points?"
"Ifear, Holmes, that you have taken to financial speculation. "
"How could you tell that, Watson?"
"You opened the paper, turned to thefinancial page, and gave a loud exclamation of interest. "
"Well, that is very clever of you, Watson. Any more?"
"Yes, Holmes, you have put on your black coat, instead of your dressing gown, which proves that you are expecting some important visitor at once. "
''Anything more?"
"I have no doubt that I could find other points, Holmes, but I only give you these few, in order to show you that there are other people in the world who can be as clever as you. "
''And some not so clever," said Holmes. "I admit that they are few, but I am afraid, my dear Watson, that I must count you among them. "
"What do you mean, Holmes?"
"Well, my dearfellow, I fear your deductions have not been so happy as I should have wished. "
"You mean that I was mistaken. "
'Just a little that way, I fear. Let us take the points in their order: I did not shave because I have sent my razor to be sharpened. I put on my coat because I have, worse luck, an early meeting with my dentist. His name is Barlow, and the letter was to confirm the appointment. The cricketpage is beside the financial one, and I turned to it to find if Surrey was holding its own against Kent. But go on, Watson, go on! It's a very superficial trick, and no doubt you
will soon acquire it. "
pdf i got the text from, this also has extra inferences

i created this rentry for easy access to this cute short story
you most likely came from my rentry documenting the sherlockiana i have consumed, click this to go back

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Pub: 10 Jan 2025 23:13 UTC

Views: 31