Reading Help Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain Ch.I-XV

`
` THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER `
` BY `
` MARK TWAIN `
` (Samuel Langhorne Clemens) `
` `
` `
` `
` `
` P R E F A C E `
` `
` MOST of the adventures recorded in this book really occurred; one or `
` two were experiences of my own, the rest those of boys who were `
` schoolmates of mine. Huck Finn is drawn from life; Tom Sawyer also, but `
` not from an individual--he is a combination of the characteristics of `
` three boys whom I knew, and therefore belongs to the composite order of `
` architecture. `
` `
` The odd superstitions touched upon were all prevalent among children `
` and slaves in the West at the period of this story--that is to say, `
` thirty or forty years ago. `
` `
` Although my book is intended mainly for the entertainment of boys and `
` girls, I hope it will not be shunned by men and women on that account, `
` for part of my plan has been to try to pleasantly remind adults of what `
` they once were themselves, and of how they felt and thought and talked, `
` and what queer enterprises they sometimes engaged in. `
` `
` THE AUTHOR. `
` `
` HARTFORD, 1876. `
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` T O M S A W Y E R `
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` CHAPTER I `
` `
` "TOM!" `
` `
` No answer. `
` `
` "TOM!" `
` `
` No answer. `
` `
` "What's gone with that boy, I wonder? You TOM!" `
` `
` No answer. `
` `
` The old lady pulled her spectacles down and looked over them about the `
` room; then she put them up and looked out under them. She seldom or `
` never looked THROUGH them for so small a thing as a boy; they were her `
` state pair, the pride of her heart, and were built for "style," not `
` service--she could have seen through a pair of stove-lids just as well. `
` She looked perplexed for a moment, and then said, not fiercely, but `
` still loud enough for the furniture to hear: `
` `
` "Well, I lay if I get hold of you I'll--" `
` `
` She did not finish, for by this time she was bending down and punching `
` under the bed with the broom, and so she needed breath to punctuate the `
` punches with. She resurrected nothing but the cat. `
` `
` "I never did see the beat of that boy!" `
` `
` She went to the open door and stood in it and looked out among the `
` tomato vines and "jimpson" weeds that constituted the garden. No Tom. `
` So she lifted up her voice at an angle calculated for distance and `
` shouted: `
` `
` "Y-o-u-u TOM!" `
` `
` There was a slight noise behind her and she turned just in time to `
` seize a small boy by the slack of his roundabout and arrest his flight. `
` `
` "There! I might 'a' thought of that closet. What you been doing in `
` there?" `
` `
` "Nothing." `
` `
` "Nothing! Look at your hands. And look at your mouth. What IS that `
` truck?" `
` `
` "I don't know, aunt." `
` `
` "Well, I know. It's jam--that's what it is. Forty times I've said if `
` you didn't let that jam alone I'd skin you. Hand me that switch." `
` `
` The switch hovered in the air--the peril was desperate-- `
` `
` "My! Look behind you, aunt!" `
` `
` The old lady whirled round, and snatched her skirts out of danger. The `
` lad fled on the instant, scrambled up the high board-fence, and `
` disappeared over it. `
` `
` His aunt Polly stood surprised a moment, and then broke into a gentle `
` laugh. `
` `
` "Hang the boy, can't I never learn anything? Ain't he played me tricks `
` enough like that for me to be looking out for him by this time? But old `
` fools is the biggest fools there is. Can't learn an old dog new tricks, `
` as the saying is. But my goodness, he never plays them alike, two days, `
` and how is a body to know what's coming? He 'pears to know just how `
` long he can torment me before I get my dander up, and he knows if he `
` can make out to put me off for a minute or make me laugh, it's all down `
` again and I can't hit him a lick. I ain't doing my duty by that boy, `
` and that's the Lord's truth, goodness knows. Spare the rod and spile `
` the child, as the Good Book says. I'm a laying up sin and suffering for `
` us both, I know. He's full of the Old Scratch, but laws-a-me! he's my `
` own dead sister's boy, poor thing, and I ain't got the heart to lash `
` him, somehow. Every time I let him off, my conscience does hurt me so, `
` and every time I hit him my old heart most breaks. Well-a-well, man `
` that is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble, as the `
` Scripture says, and I reckon it's so. He'll play hookey this evening, * `
` and [* Southwestern for "afternoon"] I'll just be obleeged to make him `
` work, to-morrow, to punish him. It's mighty hard to make him work `
` Saturdays, when all the boys is having holiday, but he hates work more `
` than he hates anything else, and I've GOT to do some of my duty by him, `
` or I'll be the ruination of the child." `
` `
` Tom did play hookey, and he had a very good time. He got back home `
` barely in season to help Jim, the small colored boy, saw next-day's `
` wood and split the kindlings before supper--at least he was there in `
` time to tell his adventures to Jim while Jim did three-fourths of the `
` work. Tom's younger brother (or rather half-brother) Sid was already `
` through with his part of the work (picking up chips), for he was a `
` quiet boy, and had no adventurous, troublesome ways. `
` `
` While Tom was eating his supper, and stealing sugar as opportunity `
` offered, Aunt Polly asked him questions that were full of guile, and `
` very deep--for she wanted to trap him into damaging revealments. Like `
` many other simple-hearted souls, it was her pet vanity to believe she `
` was endowed with a talent for dark and mysterious diplomacy, and she `
` loved to contemplate her most transparent devices as marvels of low `
` cunning. Said she: `
` `
` "Tom, it was middling warm in school, warn't it?" `
` `
` "Yes'm." `
` `
` "Powerful warm, warn't it?" `
` `
` "Yes'm." `
` `
` "Didn't you want to go in a-swimming, Tom?" `
` `
` A bit of a scare shot through Tom--a touch of uncomfortable suspicion. `
` He searched Aunt Polly's face, but it told him nothing. So he said: `
` `
` "No'm--well, not very much." `
` `
` The old lady reached out her hand and felt Tom's shirt, and said: `
` `
` "But you ain't too warm now, though." And it flattered her to reflect `
` that she had discovered that the shirt was dry without anybody knowing `
` that that was what she had in her mind. But in spite of her, Tom knew `
` where the wind lay, now. So he forestalled what might be the next move: `
` `
` "Some of us pumped on our heads--mine's damp yet. See?" `
` `
` Aunt Polly was vexed to think she had overlooked that bit of `
` circumstantial evidence, and missed a trick. Then she had a new `
` inspiration: `
` `
` "Tom, you didn't have to undo your shirt collar where I sewed it, to `
` pump on your head, did you? Unbutton your jacket!" `
` `
` The trouble vanished out of Tom's face. He opened his jacket. His `
` shirt collar was securely sewed. `
` `
` "Bother! Well, go 'long with you. I'd made sure you'd played hookey `
` and been a-swimming. But I forgive ye, Tom. I reckon you're a kind of a `
` singed cat, as the saying is--better'n you look. THIS time." `
` `
` She was half sorry her sagacity had miscarried, and half glad that Tom `
` had stumbled into obedient conduct for once. `
` `
` But Sidney said: `
` `
` "Well, now, if I didn't think you sewed his collar with white thread, `
` but it's black." `
` `
` "Why, I did sew it with white! Tom!" `
` `
` But Tom did not wait for the rest. As he went out at the door he said: `
` `
` "Siddy, I'll lick you for that." `
` `
` In a safe place Tom examined two large needles which were thrust into `
` the lapels of his jacket, and had thread bound about them--one needle `
` carried white thread and the other black. He said: `
` `
` "She'd never noticed if it hadn't been for Sid. Confound it! sometimes `
` she sews it with white, and sometimes she sews it with black. I wish to `
` geeminy she'd stick to one or t'other--I can't keep the run of 'em. But `
` I bet you I'll lam Sid for that. I'll learn him!" `
` `
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