Richard Hannay finds a man named Scudder murdered in his flat. Scudder had uncovered a spy ring and was hiding from them. Hannay takes Scudder's notebook and goes on the run from both the murderers and the police. He travels through Scotland pursued by them. Hannay meets some people who help him and connect him with Sir Walter Bullivant at the Foreign Office, who believes Hannay's story. Together they work to capture the spies who they discover plan to leave the country from a spot on the coast with 39 steps down to the sea.

1. STAGE
The Thirty-Nine Steps
4 John Buchan
Introduction
This ungraded summary is for the teacher’s use only
and should not be given to students.
The story
It is May 1914. Richard Hannay is just opening the door
of his London flat when a strange man asks if he can
help him. Hannay invites him into his flat, and the man,
Scudder, tells him his story. He has uncovered a plot
to kill the Greek Prime Minister when he visits
London. Because of this, he is himself in danger, and or a small group of men, together manage to stop an
he asks Hannay if he can hide him for a few days. international incident of some kind. The same formula
Hannay agrees. is used, of course in more modern spy novels, like Ian
Two days later, Hannay returns home and finds Fleming’s James Bond series.
Scudder murdered. He realises that he must run away, The period in which Hannay sets The Thirty-
both from the murderers and from the police, who Nine Steps is that of the famous long hot summer
will suspect him of Scudder’s murder. He takes a train before the outbreak of the war. War was not seen as
to Scotland, taking Scudder’s notebook (which inevitable by everybody (Sir Harry’s pacifist speech in
contains, in code, the secrets Scudder has discovered) Chapter 4 is a good example of this), and certainly very
with him. few people imagined that the war would be as terrible
Hannay travels through the mountains of south- as it was, or that the world would change completely
west Scotland, pursued both by the murderers and in just a few years. The murder of Karolides as the
the police. One of the people who helps him listens event which will start a war, is, of course a reflection
to his story, and agrees to write to a friend, Sir Walter of the way the real murder of the Archduke Ferdinand
Bullivant, at the Foreign Office, who he thinks can caused the outbreak of the war. Although The Thirty-
help. On his way there Hannay is actually captured Nine Steps is fiction it gives an interesting picture of
by the German spies who murdered Scudder, this pre-war world.
but escapes.
Hannay goes to see Sir Walter, who believes his Before reading
story, and together they agree to try to capture the Here are some ways to help your students approach
spies. Sir Walter explains to the police that Hannay the story:
is not the murderer, and together they discover that
1 Give students the title of the book and show them
the spies plan to leave England, with some important
the picture on the cover. Ask them to try and guess
military information, from a place on the coast where
what kind of story it is.
there are thirty-nine steps down to the sea, Hannay
2 Give students a copy of the text on the back
and the police find the place, and arrest the spies just
cover of the book, and of the story introduction
before they escape.
on the first page. When they have read the texts,
Background to the story ask them a few questions about the story, or use
John Buchan wrote a series of adventure stories the Before Reading Activities in the back of each
(The Thirty-Nine Steps was the first) about Richard Bookworm.
Hannay, the ordinary man who becomes involved in 3 Use the pre-reading activity in this worksheet.
international spying. The stories are set b /efore, and 4 If there is a recording of this title, play the first few
during the First World War (1914–1918) when interest pages and stop at an interesting point.
in spying was high. It is also a period where Hannay’s
strong nationalism does not seem exceptional. The
background to these stories is very similar. One man,
127 © OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

2. STAGE
The Thirty-Nine Steps
4 Pre-reading activity
Match the words with the pictures
1 2 3
4 5
6
7
8
a I was beginning to like this strange little man. e ‘That paper woke them up. The thin man went
b At about four o’clock we went to look at the white, and the fat one whistled.’
yacht. f There was a long knife through Scudder’s
c The moor was open, but to me it was like heart.
a prison. g It was a matter of life and death to us.
d ‘The murderer!’ Jopley cried. h My plan was going perfectly until the dog
began to bark.
To the teacher
Aim: To familiarize students with the story and answers with them. Then ask them to try and put
its setting the pictures into the order they might appear in the
Time: 10–15 minutes story – and perhaps to suggest a story which might
Organization: Give one copy of the worksheet to link these pictures. It is not important if they get the
each student or each group of students. Ask them to correct order. The important thing is to suggest an
match the words with the appropriate picture. When order which makes sense of the pictures.
the students have completed this task, check the Key: 1d, 2g, 3e, 4f, 5b, 6a, 7h, 8c.
PHOTOCOPIABLE © OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 128

3. STAGE
The Thirty-Nine Steps
4 While reading activity
Wanted
WANTED
Name ................................................................................................. Age .......................................................................
Place of Birth .........................................................................................................................................................................
Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
............................................................................................................................................................................................................
Description ..............................................................................................................................................................................
Disguise .....................................................................................................................................................................................
Details of Crime ..................................................................................................................................................................
Where he is now ................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................................................
What to do if you see him ..........................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................................................................
To the teacher
Where: At the end of Chapter 3 students, a copy of the worksheet. Ask them to
Aim: To consolidate comprehension of the story up add as much information as possible to the outline
to the end of Chapter 3 so that it can be used as a ‘Wanted’ poster for
Time: 15–20 minutes Richard Hannay. Students can invent information
Organization: Give each student or group of they don’t know.
129 © OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS PHOTOCOPIABLE

4. STAGE
The Thirty-Nine Steps
4 After reading activity
Who, what, where and when?
Fill in the spaces.
WHO WHAT WHERE WHEN
Franklin P. Scudder was murdered with a in Richard Hannay’s
knife through his heart flat
The milkman on the morning that
Hannay left London.
was nearly pulled into
the river by his dog
in a hotel
Sir Harry Andrews
at his daughter’s
wedding
gave Hannay his car
blew up the house
Sir Walter Bullivant
was shot dead
tried to get the police
to arrest Hannay
was ill in bed all day
to Kent, at night,
with Hannay
Mr Appleton
To the teacher
Aim: To consolidate comprehension of the story Organization: Give each student or group of
– especially the geographical movements of the students, a copy of the worksheet. Ask them to
characters and action complete as much information as possible on
Time: 15–20 minutes the sheet, including as much detail as they feel
necessary.
PHOTOCOPIABLE © OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 130