1Produced by David Widger. The previous edition was updated by Jose
2Menendez.
3
4
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6
7
8 THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER
9 BY
10 MARK TWAIN
11 (Samuel Langhorne Clemens)
12
13
14
15
16 P R E F A C E
17
18MOST of the adventures recorded in this book really occurred; one or
19two were experiences of my own, the rest those of boys who were
20schoolmates of mine. Huck Finn is drawn from life; Tom Sawyer also, but
21not from an individual--he is a combination of the characteristics of
22three boys whom I knew, and therefore belongs to the composite order of
23architecture.
24
25The odd superstitions touched upon were all prevalent among children
26and slaves in the West at the period of this story--that is to say,
27thirty or forty years ago.
28
29Although my book is intended mainly for the entertainment of boys and
30girls, I hope it will not be shunned by men and women on that account,
31for part of my plan has been to try to pleasantly remind adults of what
32they once were themselves, and of how they felt and thought and talked,
33and what queer enterprises they sometimes engaged in.
34
35 THE AUTHOR.
36
37HARTFORD, 1876.
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39
40
41 T O M S A W Y E R
42
43
44
45CHAPTER I
46
47"TOM!"
48
49No answer.
50
51"TOM!"
52
53No answer.
54
55"What's gone with that boy, I wonder? You TOM!"
56
57No answer.
58
59The old lady pulled her spectacles down and looked over them about the
60room; then she put them up and looked out under them. She seldom or
61never looked THROUGH them for so small a thing as a boy; they were her
62state pair, the pride of her heart, and were built for "style," not
63service--she could have seen through a pair of stove-lids just as well.
64She looked perplexed for a moment, and then said, not fiercely, but
65still loud enough for the furniture to hear:
66
67"Well, I lay if I get hold of you I'll--"
68
69She did not finish, for by this time she was bending down and punching
70under the bed with the broom, and so she needed breath to punctuate the
71punches with. She resurrected nothing but the cat.
72
73"I never did see the beat of that boy!"
74
75She went to the open door and stood in it and looked out among the
76tomato vines and "jimpson" weeds that constituted the garden. No Tom.
77So she lifted up her voice at an angle calculated for distance and
78shouted:
79
80"Y-o-u-u TOM!"
81
82There was a slight noise behind her and she turned just in time to
83seize a small boy by the slack of his roundabout and arrest his flight.
84
85"There! I might 'a' thought of that closet. What you been doing in
86there?"
87
88"Nothing."
89
90"Nothing! Look at your hands. And look at your mouth. What IS that
91truck?"
92
93"I don't know, aunt."
94
95"Well, I know. It's jam--that's what it is. Forty times I've said if
96you didn't let that jam alone I'd skin you. Hand me that switch."
97
98The switch hovered in the air--the peril was desperate--
99
100"My! Look behind you, aunt!"
101
102The old lady whirled round, and snatched her skirts out of danger. The
103lad fled on the instant, scrambled up the high board-fence, and
104disappeared over it.
105
106His aunt Polly stood surprised a moment, and then broke into a gentle
107laugh.
108
109"Hang the boy, can't I never learn anything? Ain't he played me tricks
110enough like that for me to be looking out for him by this time? But old
111fools is the biggest fools there is. Can't learn an old dog new tricks,
112as the saying is. But my goodness, he never plays them alike, two days,
113and how is a body to know what's coming? He 'pears to know just how
114long he can torment me before I get my dander up, and he knows if he
115can make out to put me off for a minute or make me laugh, it's all down
116again and I can't hit him a lick. I ain't doing my duty by that boy,
117and that's the Lord's truth, goodness knows. Spare the rod and spile
118the child, as the Good Book says. I'm a laying up sin and suffering for
119us both, I know. He's full of the Old Scratch, but laws-a-me! he's my
120own dead sister's boy, poor thing, and I ain't got the heart to lash
121him, somehow. Every time I let him off, my conscience does hurt me so,
122and every time I hit him my old heart most breaks. Well-a-well, man
123that is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble, as the
124Scripture says, and I reckon it's so. He'll play hookey this evening, *
125and [* Southwestern for "afternoon"] I'll just be obleeged to make him
126work, to-morrow, to punish him. It's mighty hard to make him work
127Saturdays, when all the boys is having holiday, but he hates work more
128than he hates anything else, and I've GOT to do some of my duty by him,
129or I'll be the ruination of the child."
130
131Tom did play hookey, and he had a very good time. He got back home
132barely in season to help Jim, the small colored boy, saw next-day's
133wood and split the kindlings before supper--at least he was there in
134time to tell his adventures to Jim while Jim did three-fourths of the
135work. Tom's younger brother (or rather half-brother) Sid was already
136through with his part of the work (picking up chips), for he was a
137quiet boy, and had no adventurous, troublesome ways.
138
139While Tom was eating his supper, and stealing sugar as opportunity
140offered, Aunt Polly asked him questions that were full of guile, and
141very deep--for she wanted to trap him into damaging revealments. Like
142many other simple-hearted souls, it was her pet vanity to believe she
143was endowed with a talent for dark and mysterious diplomacy, and she
144loved to contemplate her most transparent devices as marvels of low
145cunning. Said she:
146
147"Tom, it was middling warm in school, warn't it?"
148
149"Yes'm."
150
151"Powerful warm, warn't it?"
152
153"Yes'm."
154
155"Didn't you want to go in a-swimming, Tom?"
156
157A bit of a scare shot through Tom--a touch of uncomfortable suspicion.
158He searched Aunt Polly's face, but it told him nothing. So he said:
159
160"No'm--well, not very much."
161
162The old lady reached out her hand and felt Tom's shirt, and said:
163
164"But you ain't too warm now, though." And it flattered her to reflect
165that she had discovered that the shirt was dry without anybody knowing
166that that was what she had in her mind. But in spite of her, Tom knew
167where the wind lay, now. So he forestalled what might be the next move:
168
169"Some of us pumped on our heads--mine's damp yet. See?"
170
171Aunt Polly was vexed to think she had overlooked that bit of
172circumstantial evidence, and missed a trick. Then she had a new
173inspiration:
174
175"Tom, you didn't have to undo your shirt collar where I sewed it, to
176pump on your head, did you? Unbutton your jacket!"
177
178The trouble vanished out of Tom's face. He opened his jacket. His
179shirt collar was securely sewed.
180
181"Bother! Well, go 'long with you. I'd made sure you'd played hookey
182and been a-swimming. But I forgive ye, Tom. I reckon you're a kind of a
183singed cat, as the saying is--better'n you look. THIS time."
184
185She was half sorry her sagacity had miscarried, and half glad that Tom
186had stumbled into obedient conduct for once.
187
188But Sidney said:
189
190"Well, now, if I didn't think you sewed his collar with white thread,
191but it's black."
192
193"Why, I did sew it with white! Tom!"
194
195But Tom did not wait for the rest. As he went out at the door he said:
196
197"Siddy, I'll lick you for that."
198
199In a safe place Tom examined two large needles which were thrust into
200the lapels of his jacket, and had thread bound about them--one needle
201carried white thread and the other black. He said:
202
203"She'd never noticed if it hadn't been for Sid. Confound it! sometimes
204she sews it with white, and sometimes she sews it with black. I wish to
205geeminy she'd stick to one or t'other--I can't keep the run of 'em. But
206I bet you I'll lam Sid for that. I'll learn him!"
207
208He was not the Model Boy of the village. He knew the model boy very
209well though--and loathed him.
210
211Within two minutes, or even less, he had forgotten all his troubles.
212Not because his troubles were one whit less heavy and bitter to him
213than a man's are to a man, but because a new and powerful interest bore
214them down and drove them out of his mind for the time--just as men's
215misfortunes are forgotten in the excitement of new enterprises. This
216new interest was a valued novelty in whistling, which he had just
217acquired from a negro, and he was suffering to practise it undisturbed.
218It consisted in a peculiar bird-like turn, a sort of liquid warble,
219produced by touching the tongue to the roof of the mouth at short
220intervals in the midst of the music--the reader probably remembers how
221to do it, if he has ever been a boy. Diligence and attention soon gave
222him the knack of it, and he strode down the street with his mouth full
223of harmony and his soul full of gratitude. He felt much as an
224astronomer feels who has discovered a new planet--no doubt, as far as
225strong, deep, unalloyed pleasure is concerned, the advantage was with
226the boy, not the astronomer.
227
228The summer evenings were long. It was not dark, yet. Presently Tom
229checked his whistle. A stranger was before him--a boy a shade larger
230than himself. A new-comer of any age or either sex was an impressive
231curiosity in the poor little shabby village of St. Petersburg. This boy
232was well dressed, too--well dressed on a week-day. This was simply
233astounding. His cap was a dainty thing, his close-buttoned blue cloth
234roundabout was new and natty, and so were his pantaloons. He had shoes
235on--and it was only Friday. He even wore a necktie, a bright bit of
236ribbon. He had a citified air about him that ate into Tom's vitals. The
237more Tom stared at the splendid marvel, the higher he turned up his
238nose at his finery and the shabbier and shabbier his own outfit seemed
239to him to grow. Neither boy spoke. If one moved, the other moved--but
240only sidewise, in a circle; they kept face to face and eye to eye all
241the time. Finally Tom said:
242
243"I can lick you!"
244
245"I'd like to see you try it."
246
247"Well, I can do it."
248
249"No you can't, either."
250
251"Yes I can."
252
253"No you can't."
254
255"I can."
256
257"You can't."
258
259"Can!"
260
261"Can't!"
262
263An uncomfortable pause. Then Tom said:
264
265"What's your name?"
266
267"'Tisn't any of your business, maybe."
268
269"Well I 'low I'll MAKE it my business."
270
271"Well why don't you?"
272
273"If you say much, I will."
274
275"Much--much--MUCH. There now."
276
277"Oh, you think you're mighty smart, DON'T you? I could lick you with
278one hand tied behind me, if I wanted to."
279
280"Well why don't you DO it? You SAY you can do it."
281
282"Well I WILL, if you fool with me."
283
284"Oh yes--I've seen whole families in the same fix."
285
286"Smarty! You think you're SOME, now, DON'T you? Oh, what a hat!"
287
288"You can lump that hat if you don't like it. I dare you to knock it
289off--and anybody that'll take a dare will suck eggs."
290
291"You're a liar!"
292
293"You're another."
294
295"You're a fighting liar and dasn't take it up."
296
297"Aw--take a walk!"
298
299"Say--if you give me much more of your sass I'll take and bounce a
300rock off'n your head."
301
302"Oh, of COURSE you will."
303
304"Well I WILL."
305
306"Well why don't you DO it then? What do you keep SAYING you will for?
307Why don't you DO it? It's because you're afraid."
308
309"I AIN'T afraid."
310
311"You are."
312
313"I ain't."
314
315"You are."
316
317Another pause, and more eying and sidling around each other. Presently
318they were shoulder to shoulder. Tom said:
319
320"Get away from here!"
321
322"Go away yourself!"
323
324"I won't."
325
326"I won't either."
327
328So they stood, each with a foot placed at an angle as a brace, and
329both shoving with might and main, and glowering at each other with
330hate. But neither could get an advantage. After struggling till both
331were hot and flushed, each relaxed his strain with watchful caution,
332and Tom said:
333
334"You're a coward and a pup. I'll tell my big brother on you, and he
335can thrash you with his little finger, and I'll make him do it, too."
336
337"What do I care for your big brother? I've got a brother that's bigger
338than he is--and what's more, he can throw him over that fence, too."
339[Both brothers were imaginary.]
340
341"That's a lie."
342
343"YOUR saying so don't make it so."
344
345Tom drew a line in the dust with his big toe, and said:
346
347"I dare you to step over that, and I'll lick you till you can't stand
348up. Anybody that'll take a dare will steal sheep."
349
350The new boy stepped over promptly, and said:
351
352"Now you said you'd do it, now let's see you do it."
353
354"Don't you crowd me now; you better look out."
355
356"Well, you SAID you'd do it--why don't you do it?"
357
358"By jingo! for two cents I WILL do it."
359
360The new boy took two broad coppers out of his pocket and held them out
361with derision. Tom struck them to the ground. In an instant both boys
362were rolling and tumbling in the dirt, gripped together like cats; and
363for the space of a minute they tugged and tore at each other's hair and
364clothes, punched and scratched each other's nose, and covered
365themselves with dust and glory. Presently the confusion took form, and
366through the fog of battle Tom appeared, seated astride the new boy, and
367pounding him with his fists. "Holler 'nuff!" said he.
368
369The boy only struggled to free himself. He was crying--mainly from rage.
370
371"Holler 'nuff!"--and the pounding went on.
372
373At last the stranger got out a smothered "'Nuff!" and Tom let him up
374and said:
375
376"Now that'll learn you. Better look out who you're fooling with next
377time."
378
379The new boy went off brushing the dust from his clothes, sobbing,
380snuffling, and occasionally looking back and shaking his head and
381threatening what he would do to Tom the "next time he caught him out."
382To which Tom responded with jeers, and started off in high feather, and
383as soon as his back was turned the new boy snatched up a stone, threw
384it and hit him between the shoulders and then turned tail and ran like
385an antelope. Tom chased the traitor home, and thus found out where he
386lived. He then held a position at the gate for some time, daring the
387enemy to come outside, but the enemy only made faces at him through the
388window and declined. At last the enemy's mother appeared, and called
389Tom a bad, vicious, vulgar child, and ordered him away. So he went
390away; but he said he "'lowed" to "lay" for that boy.
391
392He got home pretty late that night, and when he climbed cautiously in
393at the window, he uncovered an ambuscade, in the person of his aunt;
394and when she saw the state his clothes were in her resolution to turn
395his Saturday holiday into captivity at hard labor became adamantine in
396its firmness.
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