Transcription
MARK TWAIN
THE ADVENTURES OFTOMSAWYERMARK TWAINADAPTED BYJoanne SuterGet free e-books and video tutorials at www.passuneb.com
The Adventures of Tom SawyerDr. Jekyll and Mr. HydeDraculaGreat ExpectationsJane EyreMoby DickRobinson CrusoeThe Time MachineDevelopment and Production: Laurel Associates, Inc.Cover and Interior Art: Black Eagle ProductionsThree WatsonIrvine, CA 92618-2767E-Mail: info@sdlback.comWebsite: www.sdlback.comCopyright 1999 by Saddleback Educational Publishing. All rights reserved.No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means,electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by anyinformation storage and retrieval system, without the written permission ofthe publisher.ISBN 1-56254-252-4Get free e-books and video tutorials at www.passuneb.com
Printed in the United States of America05 M987654321Foreword . 4The Glorious Whitewasher . 5War, Love, and Sunday School . 14Heartbreak . 23Murder in the Graveyard . 30The Pirate Crew Sets Sail . 38Pirates at Their Own Funeral . 49Tom Takes . 56Punishment. 56Saving Muff Potter . 61The Buried Treasure . 69Get free e-books and video tutorials at www.passuneb.com
Tom and Becky 10 in the Cave . 79Floods of Gold . 89Afterword.79Some of the adventures in this bookhappened to me and some happened tofriends of mine. Huck Finn and Tom Sawyerare based on boys I knew. My book ismeant to entertain boys and girls. But Ihope it will also be read by men andwomen. I hope it reminds adults of howthey once thought and talked and of thestrange things they did.Get free e-books and video tutorials at www.passuneb.com
—THE AUTHORGet free e-books and video tutorials at www.passuneb.com
The Glorious Whitewasher 1TheGloriousWhitewasher“Tom!” Noanswer.“Tom! Where is that boy? You, TOM!”The old lady looked over the top of herglasses. “If I lay hold of you, I’ll.”She did not finish her threat but lookedunder the bed. There was no boy there. Shewent to the front door and shouted again,“Y-o-uu Tom!”A noise came from behind her. Turningquickly, she grabbed a small boy by theshirt.“There you are, you rascal! What haveyou been doing?”5Get free e-books and video tutorials at www.passuneb.com
THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER“Nothing.”“Nothing? Why, look at your stickyhands. And look at your mouth! How manytimes have I told you to leave that jamalone? Hand me that switch.”The switch was raised in the air.“My! Look behind you, Aunt!” Theold lady whirled around.The boy ran out the door. In an instant,he had scrambled over the fence anddisappeared.His Aunt Polly stared at the empty room.Then she broke into a gentle laugh. “Will Inever learn?” she said to herself. “Hasn’tTom Sawyer played tricks enough on me?But they say old fools is the biggest fools!And that boy never plays the same tricktwice. I’m afraid I’ve spoiled him. But he’smy own dead sister’s boy, poor thing. I justain’t got the heart to lash him!”Aunt Polly sighed. “Chances are he’ll skipschool this afternoon,” she thought. “ThenGet free e-books and video tutorials at www.passuneb.com
The Glorious Whitewasher 1I’ll have to make him work on Saturday. Hehates work more than he hates anythingelse, but I’ve got to do my duty.”Aunt Polly was right. Tom did play hooky,and he had a very good day.He got home in time to sit down at thesupper table with his younger brother, Sid.Sid was a quiet boy. He never went out on6adventures and never made any trouble.While Tom was eating supper—andstealing sugar when he could—Aunt Pollyasked questions. It was clear she wanted totrap him into admitting he’d played hooky.“My, it was warm today, wasn’t it, Tom?Didn’t you want to go a-swimming?” “Noma’am. Not very much.”The old lady reached out and felt Tom’sshirt. She found it was dry.7Get free e-books and video tutorials at www.passuneb.com
THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYERTom knew what was coming next. “Someof us pumped water on our heads,” he said.“See, my hair is still damp.”Aunt Polly thought a moment. “When Isewed that rip in your shirt this morning,Tom, I also stitched your collar shut. Openyour jacket!”Tom opened his jacket.“Well, I’ll be! I was sure you’d beenaswimming. But look at your collar stillsewed tight.” Aunt Polly felt proud. Foronce she thought Tom had done the rightthing.But then Sid spoke up. “Well now, Ithought you sewed his collar with whitethread. But look, that thread is black.”“Why, I did sew it with white! TOM!”But Tom was out the door. “Sid,” heshouted back, “I’ll lick you for that!”It was true that Tom was not the modelboy of the village. He knew the model boyvery well—and hated him.Get free e-books and video tutorials at www.passuneb.com
The Glorious Whitewasher 1Saturday morning came bright and freshand full of life. The trees were in bloom andthere was a song in every heart.Tom appeared on the sidewalk with abucket of whitewash and a brush. Helooked at the fence mournfully. All gladnesswas gone. The time had come to take hispunishment for skipping school.There were more than 30 yards of fenceto whitewash! Sighing, Tom dipped hisbrush in the bucket. Then he sighed againand sat down on a wooden box. Pretty soonhis friends would come along. They wouldmake fun of him for having to work. Just thethought of it burnt him like fire.He reached in his pocket and got out allhis worldly goods. There were bits of toys,marbles, and trash—not half enough to buyhis freedom. Then an idea came to him—a89Get free e-books and video tutorials at www.passuneb.com
THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYERwonderful idea! He took up his brush andwent happily to work.Before long, Ben Rogers came along.Ben was hopping and skipping, proof thathis heart was light. He was eating an appleand making deep-toned ding-dong soundslike a steamboat.Tom went on whitewashing. He paid noattention to the steamboat sounds.“Hello, old chap,” called Ben. “You got towork, hey?”Tom looked around. “Why, Ben! I didn’tnotice you.”“Say, Tom, I’m going a-swimmingtoday,” bragged Ben. “Don’t you wish youcould? But of course, you got to work!”“What do you call work?” asked Tom.“Why, ain’t that work?”Tom kept whitewashing. “Well, maybe itis, and maybe it ain’t. All I know is, a boydoesn’t get a chance to whitewash a bigfence like this every day.”Get free e-books and video tutorials at www.passuneb.com
The Glorious Whitewasher 1That put things in a new light. Benwatched Tom carefully sweeping his brushback and forth.11Get free e-books and video tutorials at www.passuneb.com
THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYERTom stepped back and looked at hiswork. He added a touch here. Then headded a touch there. He looked proud andpleased.Ben watched. “Say, Tom,” he said, “let mewhitewash a little.”Tom thought a minute. “No—no, I can’tdo that. Aunt Polly says this work is tooimportant. I reckon there ain’t one boy in athousand that can paint it right.”12
The Glorious Whitewasher 1“I’ll be careful,” promised Ben. “Say— I’llgive you my apple if you let me!”Tom slowly gave up his brush. He lookedunwilling, but inside his heart wasdancing. While Ben worked and sweatedin the sun, Tom sat munching the apple.There was no lack of painters who fell forTom’s trick. Boys came to tease, but stayedto whitewash. Tom traded chances to paintthe fence for a kite, a dead rat, 12 marbles,and a piece of blue glass. He also got a keythat wouldn’t unlock anything, a couple offine tadpoles, a brass knob, and a dogcollar—but no dog.All morning Tom had plenty ofcompany, and the fence got three coats ofwhitewash!Tomhad discovered somethingimportant about human nature. He learnedthat people will always want anything thatis hard to get! Indeed, the writer of this13Get free e-books and video tutorials at www.passuneb.com
THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYERbook knows that work is something that aperson has to do, while play is whatever aperson does not have to do.For a while Tom thought about what hehad learned. Then he skipped into thehouse to report to Aunt Polly.War, Love,and SundaySchool“My stars!” cried Aunt Polly. “Why, I can’tbelieve it!” She stared at the fence. “You canwork when you want to, Tom Sawyer!” Shetook Tom into the house and gave him anapple. On the way outdoors, he grabbed adoughnut, too.As he skipped off to play, Tom saw Sid.There were dirt clods handy, and the air was14
The Glorious Whitewasher 1soon full of them. They fell on Sid like ahailstorm. Then Tom was over the fenceand gone. He was at peace now that he’dsettled things with Sid for getting him introuble.Tom hurried to the muddy alley behindthe cow barn. He had to meet Joe Harperthere for an important army battle. Tomwas general of one of the armies. Joe wasgeneral of the other. That day, Tom’s armywon the hard-fought fight. The dead werecounted.15Get free e-books and video tutorials at www.passuneb.com
THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYERThe prisoners were exchanged. Then botharmies marched away. Tom turned towardhome, alone.As he passed Jeff Thatcher’s house, Tomsaw a new girl in the garden. The lovely,blue-eyed creature wore a white summerdress. She had two long, yellow braids. Allthoughts of his old love, Amy Lawrence,had suddenly disappeared. Now Tomworshipped this new angel. He began toshow off. He jumped about and didhandstands—anything to get her attention.But the girl said nothing. She movedtoward the house, leaving Tom hanging onthe fence, lovesick. Then, just before goinginside, the girl paused. She tossed a flowerover the fence—right to Tom!Tom picked up the flower. He tucked itinside his jacket, next to his heart—or hisstomach, maybe. (He wasn’t too sure wherethose parts were.) Then he showed off16Get free e-books and video tutorials at www.passuneb.com
War, Love, and Sunday School 2some more, hoping the girl was watchingfrom a window. But he didn’t see her againthat day.At supper Tom’s spirits were high. Hisaunt wondered what had got into the child.When Aunt Polly left the room, Sidknocked over the sugar bowl. The modelchild is going to catch it now, Tom grinned.But before Tom knew it, Aunt Polly wasraising her hand to him!“Hold on! What are you belting me for?”Tom cried. “Sid did it!”“What?” said Aunt Polly. She thought amoment. “Well, I’m sure you did someother mischief when I wasn’t around!”Tom knew his aunt was sorry she had hithim. But she would never admit it. He satsilent, feeling nothing but pity for himself.His eyes filled with tears as he picturedhimself sick—maybe dying. Oh, wouldn’this aunt be sorry then!17Get free e-books and video tutorials at www.passuneb.com
THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYERJust then his cousin Mary came in, backfrom a visit in the country. She was allcheery and happy, and Tom just couldn’ttake it. As Mary brought her sunshine andjoy in one door, Tom got up and took hisclouds and gloom right out the other.As he walked through the darkness, hegot out his flower and thought about thenew girl. Would she pity him? Would sheput her arms around his neck and comforthim?At the Thatcher house, he saw a candlelit in an upstairs window. Was she there?Tom climbed over the fence and movedunder the window. He lay down. With hishands folded on his chest, he held the poor,wilted flower. This is how he would lookwhen he died—all alone in the cold world.The girl would find him in the morning. Andshe would drop a tear upon his young,lifeless form. . . .18Get free e-books and video tutorials at www.passuneb.com
War, Love, and Sunday School 2Suddenly, the window went up.Someone dumped a pan of water on thegrass below. Tom was soaked! He jumpedover the fence and shot home in thedarkness.As Tom got out of his wet clothes, Sidwoke up. He could see the danger in Tom’seye and was wise enough to keep still.The sun rose on a peaceful Sundaymorning. Tom spent most of it trying tolearn Bible verses for Sunday school. Sid,the goody-goody, had learned his lessondays before. Mary took Tom aside and triedher best to help him. She also shook out hisSunday suit and brushed his hair into curls,which he promptly smoothed out.Then Mary, Tom, and Sid set off forSunday school. The teachers there gavecolorful tickets to children who learnedtheir Bible lessons. By learning 2,000 verses,19Get free e-books and video tutorials at www.passuneb.com
THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYERstudents could collect enough tickets towin their own Bibles.Only a few older pupils had ever earnedenough tickets to get a Bible. Mary got oneafter two years of hard work. Tom had littleinterest in the prize itself. But he longed forthe glory and attention that came with it.So on that bright Sunday morning, Tomplanned to trade his treasures for tickets.He stood outside the church offering otherchildren all the things he’d gotten fromyesterday’s whitewashing affair.A church service was held right afterSunday school class. Most of the village wasthere. Judge and Mrs. Thatcher sat up front.Right beside them sat the beautiful newgirl. When the Sunday school teacher askedif anyone had enough tickets for a Bible,Tom stepped forward. It was the surprise ofthe decade! The amazed teacher sensed amystery here. Amy Lawrence looked proud20Get free e-books and video tutorials at www.passuneb.com
War, Love, and Sunday School 2and glad for Tom, but he wouldn’t look ather. Judge Thatcher was to award the prize.“Fine job, Thomas Sawyer,” the Judge said.“Learning 2,000 verses is hard work. We areproud of boys who learn.” Then he lookedclosely at Tom. “No doubt you know thenames of the first two men who followedJesus. Tell them to us, won’t you?”Tom tugged at a shirt button. Heblushed and his eyes fell. At last he shoutedout,“DAVID AND GOLIATH!”It was a long time before the laughterended. Finally, the gathering fell silentagain.The day was hot, and the sermon wenton and on. Tom was really suffering! Thenhe thought of a treasure he still had in hispocket. It was a large black beetle, a“pinchbug,” he called it. But as soon as Tomtook the bug out of a little box, it bit him21Get free e-books and video tutorials at www.passuneb.com
THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYERon the finger! The hurt finger went into theboy’s mouth, and the beetle flipped intothe aisle.An old poodle dog happened to besitting in the corner. He spied the beetleand walked toward it. As he gave it a sniff,it bit him on the chin. Then there began awar of sorts between the poodle and thebeetle. It ended with the poodle sitting onthe bug and then yelping round and roundthe room!By this time every person in church wasredfaced and choking with laughter. TomSawyer felt quite cheerful as he walkedhome. The only bad part of the whole thingwas that the dog had flattened his pinchbug.22Get free e-books and video tutorials at www.passuneb.com
Heartbreak 3HeartbreakOn Monday morning Tom Sawyer wasmiserable, as usual. He was always unhappyon Mondays—the beginning of anotherweek of suffering in school.As Tom walked to school, he came uponHuckleberry Finn. Everybody in town knewthat Huck’s no-good father was alwaysdrinking. Huck didn’t go to school or wearclean clothes. He used bad language andwasted his days away. All of the villagemothers thought he was very, very bad. Allof the boys thought he was a hero!As usual, Huck was dressed in men’sclothes that were way too big for him. Aragged old coat hung nearly to his heels.The cuffs of his baggy pants dragged in the23Get free e-books and video tutorials at www.passuneb.com
THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYERdirt. “Hello, Huckleberry!” shouted Tom.“What’s that you got?”“Dead cat.”“Say, what’s a dead cat good for?”“It’s just the thing to make warts goaway,” said Huck.“How’s it work?” asked Tom.“Well, you find a cat and take it to thegraveyard along about midnight. Whensomeone bad has been put there, the devilswill come. You can’t see them. You can onlyhear a sound like the wind. Then, when thedevils take the bad fellow away, you heaveyour cat after them. You say, ‘Devil followcorpse! Cat follow devil! Warts follow cat!’That will get rid of any wart.”“Did you ever try it, Huck?”“No, but I’m going to try it tonight.Those devils are sure to come for that badman they buried Saturday. They had to wait24Get free e-books and video tutorials at www.passuneb.com
Heartbreak 3until tonight. You know they couldn’t comeon a Sunday!”“Let me go with you, Huck! Come by mywindow tonight and meow for me.”Huck nodded. “Sure, Tom. I’ll be there bythe silver moon.”Walking on, Tom finally reached thelittle schoolhouse. He slipped in thedoor quickly and hung his hat on a peg.“You there—Thomas Sawyer!” called outthe schoolmaster in a stern voice.“Sir!”“Why are you late—again?”Tom was about to make up a story. Thenhe saw two yellow braids hanging down alovely back. He also saw that the onlyempty spot in the girls’ section was rightbeside the new girl. He had an idea.“I STOPPED OFF TO HAVE A WORDWITH HUCKLEBERRY FINN,” Tom called outloud and clear.25Get free e-books and video tutorials at www.passuneb.com
THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYEREveryone turned and stared.“ThomasSawyer,”growledtheschoolmaster, “you will go and sit with thegirls! Let that be a lesson to you!”Tom sat down on the pine bench. Therewere winks and whispers around the room.But by and by, no one noticed himanymore.Tom began to write on his slate. For awhile, the girl pretended not to notice. Butthen she became curious.“Let me see it,” she whispered.Tom had drawn some little pictures—ahorse, a man, and a girl coming along.“That’s ever so nice,” the girl whispered.“I wish I could draw.”“I’ll learn you,” Tom whispered back, “—at noon. What’s your name?”“Becky Thatcher. What’s yours? Oh, Iknow. It’s Thomas Sawyer.”“Call me Tom, will you?”26Get free e-books and video tutorials at www.passuneb.com
Heartbreak 3Now Tom began to write something onthe slate. He hid the words from the girl. Butthen he let her push his hand away until shecould read the words, “I love you.”Becky Thatcher turned red. “Oh, you badthing!” she said. But she looked pleased.Just then, Tom felt someone grab at hisear. The schoolmaster angrily dragged himback to the boys’ side of the room andpushed him down into his old seat. Tomtried to look sorry. But even though his earhurt, his heart was happy.At noon, Tom and Becky went into theschoolyard with the others. But after amoment they sneaked back into the emptyschoolroom for Becky’s drawing lesson.“Say, Becky,” Tom said shyly, “was you everengaged?”“What’s that?” Becky asked.“Why, engaged to be married. You justtell a boy you won’t ever love anybody but27Get free e-books and video tutorials at www.passuneb.com
THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYERhim. And then you kiss. That’s all.” ThenTom leaned close to Becky’s ear. “I loveyou,” he whispered. “Now you whisper it tome—just the same!”Becky bent shyly toward his ear andwhispered, “I—love—you!”Then she sprang away laughing and ranround and round the benches. Tom chasedher. When he caught her he said, “Now, it’sall done but the kiss.”Then he kissed her red lips. “Now it’s alldone, Becky. It will be ever so much fun.Why, me and Amy Lawrence—” Becky’slook stopped him.“Oh, Tom! Then I ain’t the first girl you’vebeen engaged to?” She began to cry.“Don’t cry, Becky,” said Tom. “I don’t carefor her no more.” He tried to put his armaround her, but she pushed it away.Tom got out his greatest treasure—a brassknob that had come off the top of a28Get free e-books and video tutorials at www.passuneb.com
Heartbreak 3fireplace tool. “Please, Becky, won’t youtake it?” he pleaded.When she threw the knob to the floor,Tom marched out of the schoolhouse. Afterhe’d gone, Becky ran to look after him.“Tom! Come back, Tom!”When there was no answer, she satdown to cry. Then the other students camein, and she had to hide her broken heart.Far over the hills, Tom Sawyer sat alonein the woods. He felt sorry for himself. Hethought that Becky had treated him like adog! She would be sorry someday—maybewhen it was too late! Maybe he would runaway and become a pirate. Yes, that was it.It was settled. “It’s Tom Sawyer, the pirate!”he said aloud. He would start right away!29Get free e-books and video tutorials at www.passuneb.com
THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYERMurder intheGraveyardThat night Tom lay in bed, listening forHuckleberry Finn. He must have dozed off,for he didn’t hear the clock chime 11:00.Then a loud meow woke him. Tom checkedto see that Sid was asleep. Then he dressedquickly and went out the window.Huck was there with the dead cat in hishand. The boys moved off into thedarkness. Within half an hour or so theywere wading through the tall grass of thegraveyard.It was an old cemetery. Most of thetombstones were tipped over or broken.30
Murder in the Graveyard 4The wind moaned through the trees as if itwere the spirits of the dead.“Huck,” Tom whispered, “do you thinkthe dead people like for us to be here?”Huck shook his head. “I wish I knowed.”Then Tom grabbed Huck’s arm andwhispered, “Look over there! What is it?”Three figures came out of the gloom.One figure was swinging a lantern.“It’s the devils, sure enough!” whisperedHuck. “Lordy, Tom, we better pray!”“Now I lay me down to sleep . ”. T.ombegan to mumble.“Shhh!” hissed Huck. “Listen! They’rehumans! I know old Muff Potter’s voice.”Tom listened as hard as he could. “Iknow another one of them voices,” hewhispered. “It’s mean ol’ Injun Joe!”The figures came closer. Now the boyscould see the man who carried the lantern.It was young Dr. Robinson.31Get free e-books and video tutorials at www.passuneb.com
THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER“What can they be up to?” Huck asked.Old Muff Potter and Injun Joe had awheelbarrow, a rope, and a couple ofshovels. They started to dig up the manwho’d been buried on Saturday! It was clearthey intended to rob the grave.Dr. Robinson sat down and leaned hisback against a tree. He was so close theboys could have touched him.“Hurry, men!” he said in a low voice. “Themoon might come out at any moment.”For a time there was no noise but thesound of digging. Then sure enough, themoon drifted out from behind the clouds.It cast a pale light on the scene.Finally, the grave was open. The bodywas pulled out of the coffin and tied in thewheelbarrow with the rope.“We’ll need more money to finish thejob,” Injun Joe said to Dr. Robinson.“I’ve already paid you,” said the doctor.32
Murder in the Graveyard 4“You done more than that!” Injun Joesounded angry now. “Five years ago I gotsent to jail because of you. You said I was anogood bum. I swore I’d get even withyou!” He had his fist in the doctor’s face.But the doctor struck out very quickly,knocking Injun Joe to the ground.Muff Potter ran up. “Here now! Don’t hitmy partner!” He grabbed the doctor, andthe two men struggled on the grass. ButPotter was drunk, as usual. He could hardlyfight. The doctor picked up a piece of atombstone and knocked him out cold.Injun Joe saw his chance. He snatchedup Potter’s knife and stabbed Dr. Robinson.The doctor fell across Potter, splashing himwith blood! At the same moment, theclouds blotted out the moon. Terrified,Huck and Tom took their chance to run off.It was not long before Muff Potter cameto. He saw the dead doctor on the ground33Get free e-books and video tutorials at www.passuneb.com
THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYERand believed that he had killed the man.Injun Joe let him think just that.“I didn’t know what I was doing!” MuffPotter cried. “You won’t tell, will you, Joe?”“I won’t tell,” Injun Joe promised. “Nowquit your crying. You go off that way. I’ll gothis way.”Injun Joe watched Potter move away.“Chicken-heart!” he muttered. He glancedat Muff Potter’s knife still lying on theground. Then he, too, ran from thegraveyard.A minute later, the murdered man, thebody in the wheelbarrow, and the opengrave were alone. All was silent again.Huck and Tom kept running until theycame to an old shed outside of town. Theyburst through the door and fell to the floor.“I’m scared, Huck. What do you reckon34
Murder in the Graveyard 4will come of all this?” panted Tom.“We better keep still,” said Huck. “Thatold Injun Joe is a devil. He would just assoon do away with us, too! Tom—we got toswear to keep mum!”Tom found a piece of chalk in his pocket.He wrote on an old shingle: “Huck Finn andTom Sawyer swears they will keep mumabout their secret. May they drop down deadin their tracks if they tell.”35Get free e-books and video tutorials at www.passuneb.com
THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYERHuckleberry admired Tom’s writing. Hetook a pin from his pocket. Each boy pokedat a finger and signed their oath in blood.The next day, things only got worse forTom Sawyer. Sid had seen Tom sneak outthe window! Of course he’d told Aunt Polly.She felt she had no choice but to whip Tom.Worse than that, the old lady had cried andtold him how he’d broken her old heart.She said there just weren’t no use in tryingwith him anymore.Tom’s heart was sorer than his body. Thenext day he moped off to school. There hefound the brass knob lying on his desk.Becky Thatcher had returned it.By noon, the tale of the murder in thegraveyard was flying all around town. MuffPotter’s knife had been found next to thebody. Everyone was sure he had killed Dr.Robinson. The whole town drifted towardthe graveyard. The schoolmaster even36
Murder in the Graveyard 4closed school. Tom really didn’t want toreturn to that awful place, but he was toocurious to stay away.As he joined the crowd, Tom felt a pinchon his arm. It was Huck. Standing together,they listened to people talk.“The poor young doctor!”“Muff Potter will hang for this as soon asthey catch him!”Tom grabbed Huck’s shoulder. Hepointed. There in the crowd was Injun Joe.Just then someone shouted.“There’sMuff Potter! Don’t let him get away!” Thesheriff grabbed Potter by the arm. The poorfellow burst into tears. “I didn’t do it,friends!” he sobbed.“Is that your knife?” The frowning sheriffpointed to the bloody knife on the ground.Then Injun Joe began his lies. He saidhe’d seen the murder with his own eyes. Hesaid that Muff Potter stabbed Dr. Robinson.37Get free e-books and video tutorials at www.passuneb.com
THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYERAfter that, poor Muff Potter had nothingmore to say. He had been too drunk toremember what had really happened.All that week, Tom’s fearful secret kepthim up at night. Every few days he visitedMuff Potter in the jailhouse. Every time, hetook little presents along with him. It madeTom feel just a little better.The PirateCrew Sets SailOne thought took Tom’s mind off hissecret worries about Muff Potter. BeckyThatcher had stopped coming to school!Tom soon found out that she was ill. Whatif she should die! Suddenly, Tom was nolonger interested in war. He didn’t evencare about becoming a pirate.38
Murder in the Graveyard 4At last Becky returned. When Tom sawher walk into the schoolyard, his heart gavea leap. The next instant he was busyshowing off. He yelled, did handsprings,and stood on his head. But none of histricks caught Becky’s eye. Was it possiblethat she hadn’t noticed him?He moved closer and gave a loudwarwhoop. He snatched a boy’s cap andthrew it up on the schoolhouse roof. Thenhe broke through a group of boys,tumbling them39Get free e-books and video tutorials at www.passuneb.com
THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYERaround in every direction. At last, he fellright under Becky’s nose.She turned away, with her nose in the air.Tom heard her say to another girl, “Somepeople are always showing off!”Tom’s cheeks burned. Crushed andheartbroken, he gathered himself up andsneaked off. It was right then he made uphis mind. It was now clear that nobodyloved him. Well, they would be sorry—all ofthem. Yep, when they saw they had drivenhim away, they would beg for hisforgiveness.He left school and ran far down MeadowLane. In the distance he could hear theschool bell tinkle. Now he cried to think hewould never hear that sound again.Just then he met his pal, Joe Harper. Joelooked miserable, too. He said his motherhad whipped him for drinking some creamwithout asking. Well, Joe hoped she would40Get free e-books and video tutorials at www.passuneb.com
The Pirate Crew Sets Sail 5be happy now that she would never have tosee him again!Joe’s plan was to become a hermit andlive in a cave. Tom said he thought it wouldbe better to become a pirate. That way,they could live on their own island in themiddle of the Mississippi. Nobody lived onJackson’s Island, so that was the place theyshould go. Joe soon agreed there weresome mighty good points about being apirate.The boys hunted up Huckleberry Finn,and he joined in their plan right away. Theydecided to meet at the river aboutmidnight. Then they would begin their livesas pirates.At exactly midnight, Tom arrived at theriverbank. He had some boiled ham andother bits of food. It was starlight, and verystill. The mighty river lay like an ocean atrest. Tom gave a low whistle. It was quickly41
THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYERanswered with two whistles. From thedarkness a voice called out, “Who goesthere?”“Tom Sawyer, the Black Avenger of theSpanish Main. Name your names.”“Huck Finn, the Red-Handed, and JoeHarper, the Terror of the Seas.” The nameshad been Tom’s idea. He had found themin his favorite books.The Terror of the Seas had broughtalong a side of bacon. Finn, the RedHanded, had stolen a frying pan.42Get free e-books and video tutorial
Aunt Polly was right. Tom did play hooky, and he had a very good day. He got home in time to sit down at the supper table with his younger brother, Sid. Sid was a quiet boy. He never went out on 6 adventures and never made any trouble. While Tom was eating supper—and stealing sugar when he could—Aunt Polly asked questions.
