The Hound of the Baskervilles - Audiobook

Sherlock Holmes is a famous detective with an analytical mind.

 

Doctor Watson is Sherlock Holmes's faithful companion and comrade, a constant witness to his brilliant deductions.

Henry Baskerville is the new owner of the estate, a young man full of hope and optimism who became Sir Charles's heir.

Jack Stapleton is a nature lover and one of the Baskervilles' contenders for wealth, hiding a cunning and calculating mind under a mask of harmlessness.

 

Doctor Mortimer is a physician, a close friend of both Sir Charles and Sir Henry, and the keeper of the Baskervilles' dark secret.

John Barrymore is the butler at the Baskerville estate, a man of few words and honest, but with his own burden of the past.

Eliza Barrymore is the butler's wife, a middle-aged woman distinguished by her simplicity and directness of judgment.

Selden is a fugitive from penal servitude, Eliza's brother, hiding from justice.

Miss Stapleton is Jack Stapleton's wife, whom he passes off as his sister for his own selfish purposes.

Old Man Frankland is an elderly man who constantly watches his surroundings through a telescope.

Lady Lyons is a young woman who unwittingly aids Stapleton in his dark deeds.

 

 

Chapter 1. Mr. Sherlock Holmes

FamousDetective Sherlock Holmes and his faithful friend and assistant Doctor Watson carefully examine a "large strong cane with a knob" forgotten by yesterday's visitor. The friends begin to demonstrate their powers of observation, trying to figure out who could have owned such a thing. Soon the owner of the cane appears - a young doctor James Mortimer.

 

Chapter 2. The Curse of the Baskervilles

Mortimer, deeply shaken by the untimely death of his old friend Sir Charles Baskerville, told Holmes and Watson about the tragic event. In an effort to shed light on the mysterious circumstances of his friend's death, the doctor presented them with an ancient manuscript that tells of a sinister curse that has hung over the Baskerville family for centuries.

 

In ancient times, on the lands that once belonged to Hugo, the master of a cruel disposition and rude thoughts, a terrible thing happenedevent . Possessed by a dark passion, he seized the daughter of a local farmer and imprisoned her in his castle. However, driven by despair, the girl dared to escape, managing to climb down from the ledge to the ground with the help of ivy. Trying to return the captive, the enraged Hugo rushed in pursuit, releasing a pack of his ferocious dogs. But the tragic outcome was inevitable - the exhausted fugitive fell to the ground, and above her body towered a terrible monster, like a huge black dog. The author of the manuscript warns descendants, warning about the danger that lies in wait for those who dare to go out into the swamp at night, when the forces of evil reign supreme.

 

Dr Mortimer reported that Sir Charles was found dead near the marshes, where the tracks of a huge dog were found.

 

Chapter 3. The Task

Mortimer asked the detective to take on the case, as the young heir, Sir Henry Baskerville, was soon to arrive from America. In addition, the doctor was concerned that even before Sir Charles's death, local residents had seen "a terrible, luminous ghost of enormous size" in the peat bogs. Mortimer feared that the only heir to the Baskerville family might also suffer a sad fate. Intrigued by the story, Sherlock Holmes agreed to help in the investigation.

 

Chapter 4. Sir Henry Baskerville

The following day Mortimer arrived, accompanied by Sir Henry Baskerville, who was alert and healthy-looking. Sir Henry related the strange events that had occurred immediately after his arrival in London. One of his new boots had disappeared at the inn, and he had received a letter asking him to stay away from the peat bogs. However, these incidents did not affect Sir Henry's decision to set out immediately for the family estate.

 

Chapter 5. Three Broken Threads

The next day it became clear that another of Sir Henry's old boots had been stolen. He was extremely annoyed - in his words, "nothing more absurd and strange had ever happened to him in his life." It became known that young Baskerville, who was to receive a huge inheritance, was "under surveillance." Holmes decided that Dr. Watson would accompany Sir Henry and send him detailed reports on life at the family estate, while the detective himself would remain in London for the time being.

 

Chapter 6. Baskerville Hall

At Baskerville Hall, the heir was met by the Barrymores, whose "ancestors had lived at Baskerville Hall for generations" as servants. The butler admitted that the death of their master had made a strong impression on them, and he and his wife wanted to leave their positions.

 

Chapter 7. The Stapletons of Merripit House

Faithful Watson tried not to lose sight of Sir Henry, but the young baronet, captivated by the charms of the enchanting Miss Stapleton, increasingly eluded his guardianship. And the beauty's brother, jealously guarding her peace, did not particularly favor the doctor's visits.

 

Chapter 8. News from Dr. Watson

In a lengthy letter to Holmes, the doctor described in detail his encounter with the escaped convict Selden, who was hiding in the vastness of the Grimpen Mire. Watson also noticed the strange Mr. Frankland, who spent hours sitting at his telescope in the hope of tracking down the fugitive. However, what really alarmed the doctor were the tears that kept appearing in Mrs. Barrymore's eyes and the nocturnal signals that her husband and someone on the moors exchanged.

 

Chapter 9. New news from Dr. Watson

In a letter to his friend, Dr. Watson described a very delicate situation: Sir Henry, charmed by Miss Stapleton, decided to propose to her, but was not met with reciprocity. The girl begged him to flee Baskerville Hall, and her brother, beside himself with rage, showered young Baskerville with insults and threats.

 

A worried Watson, suspecting the butler of uncleanliness, shared his fears with Sir Henry. At night, they watched Barrymore and witnessed him making a mysterious sign out the window. Taken by surprise, the butler confessed that the escaped convict hiding on the moors was none other than his wife's younger brother, to whom they had been secretly supplying food and clothing.

 

Chapter 10. Dr. Watson's Notes

Twice the ominous howl was heard over the shaky surface of the marshes, causing the blood to run cold, especially in the veins of the impressionable Sir Henry. Meanwhile, Barrymore, overcome with anxiety for Selden's fate, begged his master not to hand over the fugitive, who had decided to leave the inhospitable shores of England forever. The baronet, touched by the devotion of the old servant, reluctantly gave his consent. In gratitude, Barrymore told a chilling story: on the eve of his death, Sir Charles received a mysterious letter from an unknown lady asking for a secret meeting at the gate. The message was signed with the initials "L. L.", and the only woman in the area who fit this description was Laura Lyons, the daughter of the gloomy hermit, old Frankland. But that was not all. Barrymore, lowering his voice to an ominous whisper, revealed a frightening secret to Dr. Watson: “There is someone else lurking in the swamps… agile, dodgy, dangerous, like a predator in ambush.”

 

Chapter 11. Silhouette against the sunset

Mrs. Lyons' striking beauty made an indelible impression on Dr. Watson. In a conversation with him, she admitted that she had turned to Sir Charles with a request for financial assistance in connection with the upcoming divorce from her unloved husband, since "Sir Charles's generosity was the talk of the town." However, Mrs. Lyons never showed up at the agreed-upon gate, having received "support from another source" the day before. She learned of Sir Baskerville's tragic death only the next day from the newspaper news.

 

A visit to Mr. Frankland brought Watson unexpected information. The old man told him about an escaped convict hiding in the swamps, to whom a child brought food every day at the same time. The doctor decided to investigate the fugitive's hideout and, to his amazement, found a note with the words: "Dr. Watson has gone to Coombe Tracey." Without thinking, Watson prepared his revolver and decided to wait for the mysterious stranger.

 

Chapter 12. Fatal meeting in the swamps

Suddenly it turned out that the mysterious stranger the friends had encountered was none other than Sherlock Holmes himself. During a confidential conversation, they exchanged important information. It turned out that the charming Miss Stapleton was in fact the wife of Mr. Stapleton, who decided that "she would be much more useful to him as a free woman." The insightful Mr. Holmes uncovered the swindler's insidious plan, although he was more worried that he "might strike first."

 

Suddenly there was a "terrible, drawn-out scream" followed by a low growl. The friends rushed to help, but, alas, they were too late - the convict Selden, dressed in Sir Henry's suit, was already dead. Stapleton appeared on the scene of the tragedy, who could hardly hide his disappointment when he saw an escaped murderer instead of a baronet.

 

Chapter 13. The Nets Are Set

While looking at ancient depictions of the Baskerville family, Holmes noticed a striking resemblance between the dissolute Hugo and Mr. Stapleton. This insight shed light on the motives behind Sir Charles's murder, and the detective hatched a plan to catch the criminal.

 

Chapter 14. The Hound of the Baskervilles

As the new day dawned, Sherlock Holmes, like a spider, spread his web across the gloomy expanses of the marshes, preparing for a fight with Stapleton. Together with his faithful Watson and the metropolitan detective Lestrade, they lay in wait. Sir Henry, having spent the day visiting the treacherous owner of the Grimpen Mire, set out on a lonely and dangerous journey to Baskerville Hall as dusk fell. Soon a gigantic black creature, reminiscent of a hellish hound, rushed towards him from the darkness. Only a well-aimed shot from Holmes stopped the monster, which turned out to be an enormous dog, "a terrible beast the size of a young lioness", whose terrible mouth and head were covered with an ominous phosphorus that shimmered in the darkness. The terrible dog shocked Sir Henry, but an even more terrible blow for him was the news that his beloved was none other than Stapleton's wife, cunningly posing as his sister. The criminal, noticing the trap, tried to hide in the labyrinth of swamps.

 

Chapter 15. Turning to the Past

After some time, Holmes lifted the curtain of secrecy to his faithful companion, telling him about the intricacies of this tangled case. It turned out that Mr. Stapleton was none other than a descendant of the Baskerville family, albeit on a side line. This man had a sophisticated mind and remarkable resourcefulness, luck seemed to go hand in hand with him, allowing him to escape deserved punishment every time. Having learned about the chilling legend of the family curse - the devil's dog, sowingfear and death, Stapleton devised a wicked plan. He decided to turn the ancient myth into reality in order to seize the Baskervilles' wealth. With the help of the beautiful but treacherous Laura Lyons, he lured Sir Charles into a deadly trap on the moors and set a specially trained, ferocious dog on him. Stapleton's wife, the unfortunate victim of his manipulations, was also drawn into this web of lies and betrayal, but at the crucial moment herher heart rebelled against the crime, and she refused to harm Sir Henry.

 

Having survived these chilling events, the exhausted Baronet and Dr. Mortimer set off on a long journey around the world in order to restore their shaken mental balance and find peace after the shocks they had experienced.

 

So how did it all end?

 

 

The great detective Sherlock Holmes shot down a monstrous dog with a flaming mouth, ready to tear Sir Henry to pieces, and tore the veil of mystery from the death of Sir Charles.

 

Henry Baskerville and Dr. Mortimer, having survived chilling adventures, set off on a journey around the world.

 

The insidious Jack Stapleton, having eluded justice, disappeared in an unknown direction.

 

Poor Selden met his death on the sinister peat bogs at the hands of Stapleton, who mistook him for Sir Henry.

 

Miss Stapleton at the last moment refused to take part in the misdeeds of her accomplice and to attempt to harm Sir Henry.

  

 

In his gripping work , Arthur Conan Doyle convincingly demonstrates the triumph of justice: evil will inevitably be punished, and the most cunning criminal will not escape retribution.

 

This brief summary only lifts the veil of secrecy over the story of "The Hound of the Baskervilles". We recommend that you dive into the full version of the story to enjoy all its intrigues and unexpected plot twists.