The Case of the Fifth Word (Part-II) Class 8 NCERT English Poorvi | Summary, Theme, Textual Analysis & Question Answers
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Go on the Attached Link: The Case of The Fifth Word (Part-II) Summary, Textual Analysis & Question Answers
Summary of The Text
In this part of the story, Chief Brown tells his family that Tim Nolan's will was found with a page from his desk calendar attached to it. The page contained Daniel Davenport's name and address along with four mysterious words: Nom, Utes, Sweden, Hurts. Neither Chief Brown nor Mrs. Brown can understand what these words mean. Mrs. Brown even explains their ordinary meanings, but they do not seem to form any sensible message.
Encyclopedia Brown carefully studies the words and asks his father whether there is a young fir tree in Nolan's palm-tree nursery. Chief Brown confirms that there is one. Encyclopedia then explains that the four words are actually a secret code written on a calendar page. Each word is made by removing the letters d-a-y from the names of the days of the week: Nom from Monday, Utes from Tuesday, Sweden from Wednesday, and Hurts from Thursday. This means the missing fifth word is Fir, which stands for Friday.
Encyclopedia concludes that Nolan intended to tell Davenport to look under the fifth word, that is, under the fir tree in the nursery. The police search beneath the young fir tree and discover the stolen jewellery hidden inside a large jug filled with soil. Once again, Encyclopedia Brown solves a mystery that had puzzled everyone by using his intelligence, careful observation, and logical thinking.
Theme Explanation
1. Intelligence, Logic, and Problem-Solving
A major theme of this part of the story is that careful observation and logical thinking can solve even the most difficult mysteries. While Chief Brown and Mrs. Brown are unable to understand the four strange words, Encyclopedia Brown carefully studies them and realizes that they are a code based on the days of the week. By connecting the clues with the calendar page, he identifies the missing fifth word, "Fir", and correctly discovers where the stolen jewellery is hidden. The story shows that intelligence, patience, and reasoning are more valuable than guesswork.
2. The Importance of Hidden Clues
Another important theme is that small clues can reveal big secrets when interpreted correctly. At first, the words Nom, Utes, Sweden, and Hurts seem meaningless. However, Encyclopedia Brown understands that they are cleverly formed from the names of the days of the week. This hidden message leads directly to the stolen jewellery buried beneath the young fir tree. The story teaches readers to pay close attention to details because even an ordinary object, such as a calendar page, can contain the key to solving a mystery.
Textual Analysis
Text
“What’s suspicious about that?” Mrs. Brown asked.
“Nothing about the will itself—just about a sheet from his desk calendar. It was clipped to the will,” said Chief Brown.
He took out his pocket notebook and leafed through the pages.
“I copied what Nolan wrote on the sheet,” he said. “Here it is.”
He handed the notebook to Mrs. Brown.
She read what he had copied. “It has Davenport’s name and address,” she said, “and a few words I don’t understand.”
She handed the notebook to Encyclopedia.
Word Meaning
Leafed Through - Turned the pages quickly
Explanation
Chief Brown tells Mrs. Brown that although there is nothing unusual about Mr. Nolan's will, a sheet from his desk calendar clipped to the will seems suspicious. The sheet contains Davenport's name, address, and four strange words that no one understands. Mrs. Brown hands the notebook to Encyclopedia Brown, hoping he can solve the mystery.
Text
“What do you make of the four words, Leroy?”
Encyclopedia read the four words below Davenport’s name and address: Nom Utes Sweden Hurts.
Mrs. Brown looked at him hopefully. Usually he needed to ask only one question to solve a case before dessert.
They were still on the soup.
Encyclopedia leaned back and closed his eyes when he did his hardest thinking.
After several seconds, he opened his eyes and asked his question. “Is there a young fir tree in Mr. Nolan’s palm-tree nursery?” Chief Brown thought a moment. “Yes, there is… one. On the south side of the house. How did you know?”
“The four words say so,” Encyclopedia answered.
Word Meaning
Leaned Back - Sat back comfortably
Figured out - Understood
Explanation
Encyclopedia reads the four mysterious words: Nom, Utes, Sweden, Hurts. Instead of immediately explaining them, he asks Chief Brown whether there is a young fir tree in Mr. Nolan's nursery. Chief Brown is surprised because there is exactly one young fir tree. Encyclopedia confidently says that the four coded words reveal this clue.
Text
“They do?” said Chief Brown.
“See for yourself,” Encyclopedia urged.
Chief Brown studied the four words: Nom Utes Sweden Hurts. He shook his head and passed the notebook to Mrs. Brown again. “Can you figure it out?”
“Nom is a shortening of nominative, a grammatical term,” stated Mrs. Brown, who had taught English and other subjects in high school. “Utes are an American Indian tribe. Sweden is a country in northern Europe. Hurts is hurts.”
She lifted her gaze to Encyclopedia and shook her head.
“I can’t figure it out,” she confessed.
Word Meaning
Nominative- A grammatical case used for subject of a sentence
Gaze - Look
Explanation
Chief Brown and Mrs. Brown both try to understand the code. Mrs. Brown explains the ordinary meanings of the words—Nom refers to a grammatical term, Utes is a Native American tribe, Sweden is a country, and Hurts simply means pain. However, none of these meanings help solve the mystery, showing that the words are actually part of a secret code.
Text
“Davenport disappeared right after the hold-up,” Encyclopedia reminded her.
“As Dad said, Davenport and Nolan must have hidden the stolen jewellery. Probably not a week or so ago, Nolan changed the hiding place.”
“You think that he tried to tell Davenport by phone and failed to reach him?” Mrs. Brown asked. “So he wrote the four words as he was dying?”
Chief Brown nodded. “We’ll find Davenport now that we know his address.”
“He’ll learn he has been left the palm-tree nursery,” Mrs. Brown said. “And the four words will tell him where the jewellery is hidden!”
Word Meaning
Hold-up - Robbery
Explanation
Encyclopedia believes that Nolan and Davenport had hidden the stolen jewellery together. Before dying, Nolan probably wanted to tell Davenport where he had moved the jewellery. Since he could not contact him by phone, he left a coded message on the calendar sheet. Once the police find Davenport, he will inherit the nursery and understand where the jewellery is hidden.
Text
“Right,” Encyclopedia said. “The code is simple, especially as it’s written on a sheet from a calendar. Davenport will understand it easily. Still, it wouldn’t make much sense to someone who isn’t looking for a hiding place.”
“Leroy!” Mrs. Brown exclaimed. “What do the four words mean?”
“You already guessed, Mom. They tell where the jewellery is hidden.”
Mrs. Brown looked ready to explode with impatience, “Where?”
Encyclopedia smiled.
Word Meaning
Code - A secret system of writing
Explode - Become very angry
Explanation
Encyclopedia explains that the code is simple because it is written on a calendar page. Davenport would immediately understand the message, but others would not. Mrs. Brown becomes impatient and repeatedly asks where the jewellery is hidden. Encyclopedia cleverly answers that it is hidden under the fifth word.
Text
“Why, under the fifth word, he said.
What Was The Fifth Word?
To tell Davenport where he had hidden the stolen jewellery, Nolan wrote a four-word code.
As the key to the code, he wrote the four words on a sheet from a desk calendar.
The four words stood for days of the week.
Word Meaning
Desk Calender - A calender kept on the the table
Stood for - Represented
Explanation
Encyclopedia reveals that the four strange words are actually a secret code based on the days of the week. Nolan used the calendar sheet as the key to help Davenport understand the message. Since only four coded words are written, the missing fifth day becomes the most important clue.
Text
Nolan dropped the letters d-a-y. Then he used the other letters to form words.
So, Nom = Monday, Utes = Tuesday, Sweden = Wednesday and Hurts = Thursday.
The unwritten fifth word was Fir, or Friday.
The jewellery was found inside a twenty-gallon jug of earth from which grew the young fir tree in Nolan’s nursery—just as Encyclopedia had foreseen.
[DONALD J. SOBOL (ADAPTED)]
Word Meaning
Foreseen - Predicted beforehand
Explanation
Nolan removed the letters D-A-Y from the names of the weekdays:
- Monday → Nom
- Tuesday → Utes
- Wednesday → Sweden
- Thursday → Hurts
- Friday → Fir (not written)
The missing fifth word is Fir, meaning Friday. Encyclopedia understands that the jewellery is hidden under the young fir tree in Nolan's nursery. The police later recover the stolen jewellery from a large container of soil beneath the fir tree, proving that Encyclopedia's brilliant deduction was correct.
Textual Question Answers
Let us think and reflect
I Read the given extracts and answer the questions that follow.
1. "Chief Brown would have liked to tell everyone about his only child. But who would believe him? Who would believe that the best detective alive was an eighth grader? So, he said nothing.
Encyclopedia never spoke of the help he gave his father. He didn’t want o seem different from other boys. But there was nothing he could do about his nickname. He was stuck with it.
Only his parents and teachers called him by his real name, Leroy. Everyone else called him Encyclopedia."
(i) Complete the following sentence with a suitable reason.
Mystery and Magic Chief Brown’s dilemma can be called unique because____________.
Answer: Chief Brown’s dilemma can be called unique because his brilliant detective was his own eighth-grade son, and people would find it difficult to believe that a schoolboy could solve difficult criminal cases.
(ii) What can be inferred about why Encyclopedia never spoke of the help he gave his father?
A. He is shy and lacks confidence in his abilities to share his insights.
B. He wants to avoid the jealousy others might feel about his skills.
C. He desires to blend with the other boys to prevent seeming different.
D. He is embarrassed about being smarter than most adults around him.
Answer: C. He desires to blend with the other boys to prevent seeming different.
(iii) The parents choose not to call their son ‘Encyclopedia’. Select the reason that is false.
A. For them he is more than his unique abilities; he is their child, with a personal identity.
B. Calling him by his real name reflects their affection and the desire to acknowledge him as an ordinary boy.
C. They want him to be remembered as different from the others around.
Answer: C. They want him to be remembered as different from the others around.
(iv) What does the writer mean by the fact that Leroy was ‘stuck with’ the name Encyclopedia?
Answer: The phrase 'stuck with' means that the nickname had become permanent. Everyone except his parents and teachers called him Encyclopedia because of his extraordinary knowledge, and he could not get rid of the nickname even if he wanted to.
2. "Chief Brown studied the four words: Nom Utes Sweden Hurts. He shook his head and passed the notebook to Mrs. Brown again. “Can you figure it out?”
“Nom is a shortening of nominative, a grammatical term,” stated Mrs. Brown, who had taught English and other subjects in high school. “Utes is an American Indian tribe. Sweden is a country in northern Europe. Hurts is hurts.”
She lifted her gaze to Encyclopedia and shook her head.
(i) What does Chief Brown’s reaction of shaking his head suggest about his understanding of the four words?
A. He is confident that the words are a clue.
B. He is confused, unable to make sense of the words.
C. He believes the words are random and meaningless.
D. He thinks the words are unrelated to the case.
Answer: B. He is confused, unable to make sense of the words.
(ii) Identify whether the given statement is true or false.
Answer:
(iii) Mrs. Brown explained the actual meanings of the individual words rather than decoding the hidden message behind them.
Answer: True
(iv)What does Mrs. Brown’s inability to decode the words suggest about the message?
Answer: It suggests that the message was a cleverly designed secret code which could not be understood by interpreting the individual words literally. It required logical thinking and knowledge of the calendar to decode it.
(v) Complete the following sentence suitably.
The purpose of Encyclopedia’s reminder in the last line of the extract was to _______________. (refocus the discussion on the context of the crime/suggest that the coded message was meant for Davenport/imply that the message was likely a clue about the location of the stolen jewellery)
Answer: The purpose of Encyclopedia’s reminder in the last line of the extract was to refocus the discussion on the context of the crime and suggest that the coded message was meant for Davenport, who would understand where the stolen jewellery was hidden.
II Answer the following questions.
1. Nolan and Davenport were very close. Support this statement with evidence from the text.
Answer: Nolan trusted Davenport completely. He left his entire palm-tree nursery to Davenport in his will. Before his death, he also wrote a secret coded message meant only for Davenport so that he could find the hidden jewellery. This shows the close relationship between them.
2. Why did Davenport disappear right after the jewellery hold-up? What might his plans have been if, Nolan had not died?
Answer: Davenport disappeared because he was involved in the jewellery robbery with Nolan and wanted to avoid being caught by the police. If Nolan had not died, Davenport would probably have met him, decoded the message, recovered the hidden jewellery, and shared it with Nolan.
3. What does Mrs. Brown’s interest in the case tell us about her?
Answer: Mrs. Brown is intelligent, curious, and observant. She carefully listens to the discussion, analyses the clues, and eagerly tries to solve the mystery. Her interest shows that she enjoys logical thinking and detective work.
4. Explain why Chief Brown was proud of his son.
Answer: Chief Brown was proud of Encyclopedia because he possessed extraordinary intelligence and detective skills. He solved difficult mysteries that even experienced police officers could not solve. Although Chief Brown could not openly tell everyone about his son's achievements, he deeply admired his abilities.
5. Why were Chief Brown’s suspicions regarding Nolan and Davenport justified, even when there was a lack of concrete proof?
Answer: Chief Brown found the calendar sheet with Davenport's name, address, and a coded message attached to Nolan's will. He believed that the message was connected to the jewellery robbery. Later, Encyclopedia decoded the message correctly, proving that Chief Brown's suspicions were justified.
6. Analyse the role of the four-word coded message in the story.
Answer: The four-word coded message is the central clue in the mystery. It appears meaningless at first but actually represents the days of the week after removing the letters D-A-Y. By identifying the missing fifth word as Fir (Friday), Encyclopedia discovers that the jewellery is hidden beneath the young fir tree. Thus, the coded message leads directly to the solution of the case.
7. Write a character sketch on Leroy with the help of the character traits table given in ‘Let us discuss’ section. You may begin it like this:
Encyclopedia was a knowledgeable eighth grader who never forgot a fact that he read.
Answer: Encyclopedia was a knowledgeable eighth grader who never forgot a fact that he read. He was highly intelligent, observant, and logical. His remarkable ability to analyse clues helped him solve difficult mysteries that even adults could not solve. Despite his exceptional talent, he remained humble and never boasted about helping his father. He preferred to live like an ordinary boy and did not seek fame. His patience, sharp reasoning, and modest nature made him an excellent detective and earned him the nickname 'Encyclopedia.'
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