2 short stories before Christmas

Christmas is a time for stories, and here are two for you to enjoy and reflect upon:

The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle

by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930)

This is a Sherlock Holmes story written in 1892 with an enduring message.

Here is the original text: The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle

Here is an excellent reading of the story that you can download here: The Blue Carbuncle read by Greg Wagland (mp3) or listen to on YouTube:

You can read an easy version here:
The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle (easy version)
and listen to the same easy version here:
Audio: The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle (easy) part 1
Audio: The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle (easy) part 2

O'Brien's First Christmas

by Jeanette Winterson (1959-)

A more romantic story with an important message: O'Brien's First Christmas by Jeanette Winterson.

You can also listen to the story here: http://indianapublicmedia.org/arts/jeanette-marshs-christmas-story/

Exercise

All I ask is that you read actively, writing down or highlighting memorable and interesting sentences. We will work with the stories in different ways, so you need to memorise as much as possible.