What did Nolan leave on his kitchen table before he died?

A will along with a sheet from a desk calendar

What was special about the sheet of paper on which Nolan wrote the four words?

It was a sheet from a desk calendar

How did Encyclopedia solve the case — what was the key to decoding the four words?

He realised each word represented a day of the week by removing the letters d-a-y from each day name

He used a foreign language dictionary

He asked his mother to translate

What did Nom Utes Sweden Hurts stand for as decoded by Encyclopedia?

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Why was the fifth word significant in finding the hidden jewellery?

The fifth unwritten word was Fir standing for Friday and the jewellery was hidden inside the fir tree's soil pot in the nursery

Where exactly was the stolen jewellery found?

Inside a twenty-gallon jug of earth from which grew the young fir tree in Nolan's nursery

What question did Encyclopedia ask before solving the case?

How many people worked in the nursery

Is there a young fir tree in Mr. Nolan's palm-tree nursery

Why had Nolan and Davenport hidden the jewellery for so long?

They decided to hide the loot until things cooled down

What was the significance of the calendar being used to write the code?

A calendar is inherently about days of the week making it the perfect key to a code based on day names — Davenport would understand it immediately

It was the only paper in the house

What did the masked robber's slip during the hold-up reveal to a clerk?

She thought she recognised one of them as Nolan but was not absolutely sure

What does the story reveal about how Encyclopedia Brown processes information differently from the adults around him?

He notices patterns and connections in information that adults overlook — specifically recognising the calendar sheet as the key to a word-code for days of the week

He has a photographic memory only

He uses technology to solve cases

How does the author create suspense before Encyclopedia reveals the solution?

By showing the puzzlement of both parents who cannot decode the words and making the reader want to puzzle it out before Encyclopedia speaks

What literary device is used in giving the boy the nickname "Encyclopedia"?

Metaphor — comparing his mind to a book of all knowledge

What does the story suggest about the relationship between wide reading and problem-solving?

Reading is only useful for school exams

Encyclopedia's habit of reading everything and forgetting nothing is presented as the direct source of his ability to make unexpected connections and solve problems

Reading fiction is more useful than facts

Only specialised knowledge is useful

Why is it significant that Nolan used a desk calendar — rather than any other paper — to write the code?

It was the only paper available

The calendar's association with days of the week is the hidden key — a clever code that would be obvious to Davenport who knew to look for it but meaningless to anyone else

It was the largest paper in the house

How does the story use the setting of the dinner table to build character?

The dinner table has no relevance

The dinner table is the recurring setting where Chief Brown shares unsolvable cases — creating a domestic ritual that makes the extraordinary detective work feel part of everyday family life

What does the story suggest about the limitations of trained professionals when faced with unconventional problems?

Professionals are always better than amateurs

Trained police and even the Chief missed the significance of the calendar code — showing that sometimes an unconventional thinker unbound by standard procedures can see what experts miss

Professionals should never consult others

Amateurs should replace professionals

What is the effect of the author withholding the solution until the very end of the story?

It transforms the story into a puzzle for the reader — creating active intellectual engagement as the reader tries to decode the words alongside Encyclopedia

It makes the story more violent

Which elements of the story are characteristic of a detective fiction genre?

A mystery or crime / A clever detective figure / Clues that the reader can try to decode / A logical resolution

Which clues in the story pointed to the fir tree as the hiding place?

The four code words decoded to Monday through Thursday leaving Friday unwritten / The fifth word Fir decoded to Friday / Encyclopedia asked specifically about a young fir tree / The jewellery was found in the fir tree's soil pot

Nolan's will mentioned the fir tree directly

What does the story suggest about the nature of intelligence?

Intelligence is only measured by school grades

True intelligence involves the ability to recognise patterns make cross-domain connections and apply knowledge creatively — not just accumulate information

Intelligence is innate and cannot be developed

Only adults can be truly intelligent

How does the author use Encyclopedia's one question as a structural device?

The single question — about the fir tree — serves as the pivot of the story. It signals that Encyclopedia has already solved the case and is only confirming one fact — making the reader realise how far ahead he is

It shows Encyclopedia is uncertain

What does the author's choice to present the code as unsolved until the final paragraphs — including a "What Was The Fifth Word?" section — achieve?

It directly engages the reader as a participant in the puzzle transforming a detective story into an interactive intellectual challenge

It shows the author's poor planning

What does the story suggest about the relationship between honesty and criminal behaviour through the story of Nolan and Davenport?

Criminals are always caught immediately

Even clever criminals leave trails — Nolan's dying act of leaving a code for Davenport ultimately led the police to the hidden jewellery showing that criminal secrets rarely remain hidden forever

Crime is only discovered by luck

The police always solve cases through technology

Which aspects of the story's construction make it an effective and satisfying detective narrative?

The mystery is set up with clear clues available to the reader / Encyclopedia's solution is logical and verifiable / The resolution is complete and tidy / The code is clever but decodable

The story is resolved by chance

The mystery relies on supernatural help

The solution is known from the beginning

What are the multiple ways the word "encyclopedia" functions in this story?

As the boy's nickname suggesting his vast knowledge / As a metaphor for the kind of mind that connects facts across domains / As a thematic statement that wide knowledge is a practical superpower

It is only a nickname with no deeper meaning

NCERT Solutions Class 8 English - Poorvi Chapter 3.1 – The Case of the Fifth Word

Name: The Case of the Fifth Word – Class 8 English - Poorvi
Uploaded: 2026-07-23T00:43:16+00:00
Description: Encyclopedia Brown, a young boy detective, deciphers a secret code left by Tim Nolan to reveal the hidden stolen jewellery in his palm-tree nursery, helping his father solve the mystery.

Class 8 English - Poorvi

Last Updated: 23 July 2026

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Chapter Introduction

Encyclopedia Brown, a young boy detective, deciphers a secret code left by Tim Nolan to reveal the hidden stolen jewellery in his palm-tree nursery, helping his father solve the mystery.

हिंदी में (Hindi)

युवा जासूस एनसाइक्लोपीडिया ब्राउन ने टिम नोलन द्वारा छोड़ी गई गुप्त कोड को समझकर चोरी की हुई आभूषणों का स्थान पता लगाया और अपने पिता की मदद से रहस्य सुलझाया।

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Important Points

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Practice MCQ Questions (36 questions)

Q1. What is the real name of the boy detective in this story?

Q2. What is the boy detective's nickname?

Q3. What is Encyclopedia's father's profession?

Q4. What was the name of the man who died at the beginning of the story?

Q5. What crime had Tim Nolan been connected to years earlier?

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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Tough Words (Glossary)

mysteries

Meaning: Strange or puzzling events

अर्थ: रहस्य

"He loves solving mysteries in books."

detective

Meaning: A person who investigates crimes

अर्थ: जासूस

"The detective found a hidden clue."

nickname

Meaning: A familiar or funny name

अर्थ: उपनाम

"His friends gave him a funny nickname."

stared

Meaning: Looked fixedly

अर्थ: घूरना

"She stared at the painting for a long time."

announced

Meaning: Declared publicly

अर्थ: घोषणा की

"The teacher announced the results."

robbery

Meaning: The act of stealing

अर्थ: डकैती

"The police stopped a bank robbery."

masked

Meaning: Covered with a mask

अर्थ: मुखौटा पहना हुआ

"The masked man entered the shop."

recognised

Meaning: Identified someone or something

अर्थ: पहचानना

"She recognised her old friend."

testify

Meaning: Give evidence in court

अर्थ: गवाही देना

"The witness will testify tomorrow."

trace

Meaning: Sign or mark left behind

अर्थ: निशान

"There was no trace of the thief."

inquired

Meaning: Asked a question

अर्थ: पूछताछ की

"He inquired about the train timings."

stroke

Meaning: Sudden illness affecting the brain

अर्थ: लकवा/आघात

"He suffered a stroke last year."

will

Meaning: A legal document about property after death

अर्थ: वसीयत

"He wrote his will before traveling."

suspicious

Meaning: Feeling that something is wrong

अर्थ: संदिग्ध

"The police found his actions suspicious."

clipped

Meaning: Attached with a clip

अर्थ: क्लिप से जोड़ा हुआ

"She clipped the paper to the file."

leafed

Meaning: Turned over pages quickly

अर्थ: पन्ने पलटना

"He leafed through the magazine."

nominative

Meaning: A grammar term for the subject of a sentence

अर्थ: कर्तृ कारक

"‘He’ is nominative in the sentence ‘He runs.’"

tribe

Meaning: A group of people sharing culture

अर्थ: जनजाति

"The tribe lived in the forest."

furrowed

Meaning: Wrinkled from frowning

अर्थ: सिकुड़ा हुआ

"He furrowed his brows in doubt."

confessed

Meaning: Admitted the truth

अर्थ: कबूल किया

"He confessed his mistake."

hiding place

Meaning: A secret place to hide things

अर्थ: छिपाने की जगह

"The money was kept in a hiding place."

explode

Meaning: To burst out suddenly

अर्थ: फटना/उबल पड़ना

"She seemed ready to explode with anger."

calendar

Meaning: A chart showing days and months

अर्थ: पंचांग / कैलेंडर

"The calendar hangs on the wall."

code

Meaning: Secret writing

अर्थ: गुप्त संकेत

"They sent a message in code."

foreseen

Meaning: Predicted in advance

अर्थ: पूर्वानुमान लगाना

"She had foreseen the problem earlier."

nursery

Meaning: Place where plants are grown

अर्थ: नर्सरी/पौधशाला

"We bought saplings from the nursery."

disappeared

Meaning: Vanished, no longer visible

अर्थ: गायब

"The magician disappeared from the stage."

looted

Meaning: Stolen by force

अर्थ: लूट लिया

"The robbers looted the village."

jug

Meaning: A large container for liquid

अर्थ: घड़ा/जग

"She poured water from the jug."

impatience

Meaning: Not willing to wait

अर्थ: अधैर्य

"He tapped his foot in impatience."

NCERT Solutions Class 8 English - Poorvi Chapter 3.1 – The Case of the Fifth Word

Chapter Introduction

Watch Video Lecture

Important Points

Practice MCQ Questions (36 questions)

Q1. What is the real name of the boy detective in this story?

Q2. What is the boy detective's nickname?

Q3. What is Encyclopedia's father's profession?

Q4. What was the name of the man who died at the beginning of the story?

Q5. What crime had Tim Nolan been connected to years earlier?

Q6. How much was the stolen jewellery worth?

Q7. How many years before the story had the jewellery store hold-up occurred?

Q8. What did Nolan run as a business in Idaville?

Q9. What did Nolan leave on his kitchen table before he died?

Q10. To whom did Nolan leave everything including his nursery in his will?

Q11. What were the four words written on the calendar sheet clipped to Nolan's will?

Q12. What was special about the sheet of paper on which Nolan wrote the four words?

Q13. How did Encyclopedia solve the case — what was the key to decoding the four words?

Q14. What did Nom Utes Sweden Hurts stand for as decoded by Encyclopedia?

Q15. Why was the fifth word significant in finding the hidden jewellery?

Q16. Where exactly was the stolen jewellery found?

Q17. What question did Encyclopedia ask before solving the case?

Q18. Why had Nolan and Davenport hidden the jewellery for so long?

Q19. What was the significance of the calendar being used to write the code?

Q20. What did the masked robber's slip during the hold-up reveal to a clerk?

Q21. What does the story reveal about how Encyclopedia Brown processes information differently from the adults around him?

Q22. How does the author create suspense before Encyclopedia reveals the solution?

Q23. What literary device is used in giving the boy the nickname "Encyclopedia"?

Q24. What does the story suggest about the relationship between wide reading and problem-solving?

Q25. Why is it significant that Nolan used a desk calendar — rather than any other paper — to write the code?

Q26. How does the story use the setting of the dinner table to build character?

Q27. What does the story suggest about the limitations of trained professionals when faced with unconventional problems?

Q28. What is the effect of the author withholding the solution until the very end of the story?

Q29. Which elements of the story are characteristic of a detective fiction genre?

Q30. Which clues in the story pointed to the fir tree as the hiding place?

Q31. What does the story suggest about the nature of intelligence?

Q32. How does the author use Encyclopedia's one question as a structural device?

Q33. What does the author's choice to present the code as unsolved until the final paragraphs — including a "What Was The Fifth Word?" section — achieve?

Q34. What does the story suggest about the relationship between honesty and criminal behaviour through the story of Nolan and Davenport?

Q35. Which aspects of the story's construction make it an effective and satisfying detective narrative?

Q36. What are the multiple ways the word "encyclopedia" functions in this story?