| The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Complete |
| by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) |
| |
| This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with |
| almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or |
| re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included |
| with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net |
| |
| |
| Title: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Complete |
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| Author: Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) |
| |
| Release Date: August 20, 2006 [EBook #74] |
| [Last updated: May 3, 2011] |
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| Language: English |
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| *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TOM SAWYER *** |
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| Produced by David Widger. The previous edition was updated by Jose |
| Menendez. |
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| THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER |
| BY |
| MARK TWAIN |
| (Samuel Langhorne Clemens) |
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| P R E F A C E |
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| 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 |
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| "TOM!" |
| |
| No answer. |
| |
| "TOM!" |
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| No answer. |
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| "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: |
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| "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." |
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| "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." |
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| "Powerful warm, warn't it?" |
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| "Yes'm." |
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| "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." |
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| 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: |
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| "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: |
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| "Well, now, if I didn't think you sewed his collar with white thread, |
| but it's black." |
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| "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!" |
| |
| He was not the Model Boy of the village. He knew the model boy very |
| well though--and loathed him. |
| |
| Within two minutes, or even less, he had forgotten all his troubles. |
| Not because his troubles were one whit less heavy and bitter to him |
| than a man's are to a man, but because a new and powerful interest bore |
| them down and drove them out of his mind for the time--just as men's |
| misfortunes are forgotten in the excitement of new enterprises. This |
| new interest was a valued novelty in whistling, which he had just |
| acquired from a negro, and he was suffering to practise it undisturbed. |
| It consisted in a peculiar bird-like turn, a sort of liquid warble, |
| produced by touching the tongue to the roof of the mouth at short |
| intervals in the midst of the music--the reader probably remembers how |
| to do it, if he has ever been a boy. Diligence and attention soon gave |
| him the knack of it, and he strode down the street with his mouth full |
| of harmony and his soul full of gratitude. He felt much as an |
| astronomer feels who has discovered a new planet--no doubt, as far as |
| strong, deep, unalloyed pleasure is concerned, the advantage was with |
| the boy, not the astronomer. |
| |
| The summer evenings were long. It was not dark, yet. Presently Tom |
| checked his whistle. A stranger was before him--a boy a shade larger |
| than himself. A new-comer of any age or either sex was an impressive |
| curiosity in the poor little shabby village of St. Petersburg. This boy |
| was well dressed, too--well dressed on a week-day. This was simply |
| astounding. His cap was a dainty thing, his close-buttoned blue cloth |
| roundabout was new and natty, and so were his pantaloons. He had shoes |
| on--and it was only Friday. He even wore a necktie, a bright bit of |
| ribbon. He had a citified air about him that ate into Tom's vitals. The |
| more Tom stared at the splendid marvel, the higher he turned up his |
| nose at his finery and the shabbier and shabbier his own outfit seemed |
| to him to grow. Neither boy spoke. If one moved, the other moved--but |
| only sidewise, in a circle; they kept face to face and eye to eye all |
| the time. Finally Tom said: |
| |
| "I can lick you!" |
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| "I'd like to see you try it." |
| |
| "Well, I can do it." |
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| "No you can't, either." |
| |
| "Yes I can." |
| |
| "No you can't." |
| |
| "I can." |
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| "You can't." |
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| "Can!" |
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| "Can't!" |
| |
| An uncomfortable pause. Then Tom said: |
| |
| "What's your name?" |
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| "'Tisn't any of your business, maybe." |
| |
| "Well I 'low I'll MAKE it my business." |
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| "Well why don't you?" |
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| "If you say much, I will." |
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| "Much--much--MUCH. There now." |
| |
| "Oh, you think you're mighty smart, DON'T you? I could lick you with |
| one hand tied behind me, if I wanted to." |
| |
| "Well why don't you DO it? You SAY you can do it." |
| |
| "Well I WILL, if you fool with me." |
| |
| "Oh yes--I've seen whole families in the same fix." |
| |
| "Smarty! You think you're SOME, now, DON'T you? Oh, what a hat!" |
| |
| "You can lump that hat if you don't like it. I dare you to knock it |
| off--and anybody that'll take a dare will suck eggs." |
| |
| "You're a liar!" |
| |
| "You're another." |
| |
| "You're a fighting liar and dasn't take it up." |
| |
| "Aw--take a walk!" |
| |
| "Say--if you give me much more of your sass I'll take and bounce a |
| rock off'n your head." |
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| "Oh, of COURSE you will." |
| |
| "Well I WILL." |
| |
| "Well why don't you DO it then? What do you keep SAYING you will for? |
| Why don't you DO it? It's because you're afraid." |
| |
| "I AIN'T afraid." |
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| "You are." |
| |
| "I ain't." |
| |
| "You are." |
| |
| Another pause, and more eying and sidling around each other. Presently |
| they were shoulder to shoulder. Tom said: |
| |
| "Get away from here!" |
| |
| "Go away yourself!" |
| |
| "I won't." |
| |
| "I won't either." |
| |
| So they stood, each with a foot placed at an angle as a brace, and |
| both shoving with might and main, and glowering at each other with |
| hate. But neither could get an advantage. After struggling till both |
| were hot and flushed, each relaxed his strain with watchful caution, |
| and Tom said: |
| |
| "You're a coward and a pup. I'll tell my big brother on you, and he |
| can thrash you with his little finger, and I'll make him do it, too." |
| |
| "What do I care for your big brother? I've got a brother that's bigger |
| than he is--and what's more, he can throw him over that fence, too." |
| [Both brothers were imaginary.] |
| |
| "That's a lie." |
| |
| "YOUR saying so don't make it so." |
| |
| Tom drew a line in the dust with his big toe, and said: |
| |
| "I dare you to step over that, and I'll lick you till you can't stand |
| up. Anybody that'll take a dare will steal sheep." |
| |
| The new boy stepped over promptly, and said: |
| |
| "Now you said you'd do it, now let's see you do it." |
| |
| "Don't you crowd me now; you better look out." |
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| "Well, you SAID you'd do it--why don't you do it?" |
| |
| "By jingo! for two cents I WILL do it." |
| |
| The new boy took two broad coppers out of his pocket and held them out |
| with derision. Tom struck them to the ground. In an instant both boys |
| were rolling and tumbling in the dirt, gripped together like cats; and |
| for the space of a minute they tugged and tore at each other's hair and |
| clothes, punched and scratched each other's nose, and covered |
| themselves with dust and glory. Presently the confusion took form, and |
| through the fog of battle Tom appeared, seated astride the new boy, and |
| pounding him with his fists. "Holler 'nuff!" said he. |
| |
| The boy only struggled to free himself. He was crying--mainly from rage. |
| |
| "Holler 'nuff!"--and the pounding went on. |
| |
| At last the stranger got out a smothered "'Nuff!" and Tom let him up |
| and said: |
| |
| "Now that'll learn you. Better look out who you're fooling with next |
| time." |
| |
| The new boy went off brushing the dust from his clothes, sobbing, |
| snuffling, and occasionally looking back and shaking his head and |
| threatening what he would do to Tom the "next time he caught him out." |
| To which Tom responded with jeers, and started off in high feather, and |
| as soon as his back was turned the new boy snatched up a stone, threw |
| it and hit him between the shoulders and then turned tail and ran like |
| an antelope. Tom chased the traitor home, and thus found out where he |
| lived. He then held a position at the gate for some time, daring the |
| enemy to come outside, but the enemy only made faces at him through the |
| window and declined. At last the enemy's mother appeared, and called |
| Tom a bad, vicious, vulgar child, and ordered him away. So he went |
| away; but he said he "'lowed" to "lay" for that boy. |
| |
| He got home pretty late that night, and when he climbed cautiously in |
| at the window, he uncovered an ambuscade, in the person of his aunt; |
| and when she saw the state his clothes were in her resolution to turn |
| his Saturday holiday into captivity at hard labor became adamantine in |
| its firmness. |