English
YOUdon’tknowaboutmewithoutyouhavereadabookbythenameofTheAdventuresofTomSawyer;butthatain’tnomatter.
ThatbookwasmadebyMr.MarkTwain,andhetoldthetruth,mainly.
Therewasthingswhichhestretched,butmainlyhetoldthetruth.Thatisnothing.
Ineverseenanybodybutliedonetimeoranother,withoutitwasAuntPolly,orthewidow,ormaybeMary.
AuntPolly–Tom’sAuntPolly,sheis–andMary,andtheWidowDouglasisalltoldaboutinthatbook,whichismostlyatruebook,withsomestretchers,asIsaidbefore.
Nowthewaythatthebookwindsupisthis:Tomandmefoundthemoneythattherobbershidinthecave,anditmadeusrich.
Wegotsixthousanddollarsapiece–allgold.
Itwasanawfulsightofmoneywhenitwaspiledup.
Well,JudgeThatcherhetookitandputitoutatinterest,anditfetchedusadollaradayapiecealltheyearround–morethanabodycouldtellwhattodowith.
TheWidowDouglasshetookmeforherson,andallowedshewouldsivilizeme;butitwasroughlivinginthehouseallthetime,consideringhowdismalregularanddecentthewidowwasinallherways;andsowhenIcouldn’tstanditnolongerIlitout.
Igotintomyoldragsandmysugar-hogsheadagain,andwasfreeandsatisfied.
ButTomSawyerhehuntedmeupandsaidhewasgoingtostartabandofrobbers,andImightjoinifIwouldgobacktothewidowandberespectable.SoIwentback.
Thewidowshecriedoverme,andcalledmeapoorlostlamb,andshecalledmealotofothernames,too,butshenevermeantnoharmbyit.
Sheputmeinthemnewclothesagain,andIcouldn’tdonothingbutsweatandsweat,andfeelallcrampedup.
Well,then,theoldthingcommencedagain.
Thewidowrungabellforsupper,andyouhadtocometotime.
Whenyougottothetableyoucouldn’tgorighttoeating,butyouhadtowaitforthewidowtotuckdownherheadandgrumblealittleoverthevictuals,thoughtherewarn’treallyanythingthematterwiththem,–thatis,nothingonlyeverythingwascookedbyitself.
Inabarrelofoddsandendsitisdifferent;thingsgetmixedup,andthejuicekindofswapsaround,andthethingsgobetter.
AftersuppershegotoutherbookandlearnedmeaboutMosesandtheBulrushers,andIwasinasweattofindoutallabouthim;butbyandbysheletitoutthatMoseshadbeendeadaconsiderablelongtime;sothenIdidn’tcarenomoreabouthim,becauseIdon’ttakenostockindeadpeople.
PrettysoonIwantedtosmoke,andaskedthewidowtoletme.Butshewouldn’t.
Shesaiditwasameanpracticeandwasn’tclean,andImusttrytonotdoitanymore.Thatisjustthewaywithsomepeople.
Theygetdownonathingwhentheydon’tknownothingaboutit.
Hereshewasa-botheringaboutMoses,whichwasnokintoher,andnousetoany-body,beinggone,yousee,yetfindingapoweroffaultwithmefordoingathingthathadsomegoodinit.
Andshetooksnuff,too;ofcoursethatwasallright,becauseshedoneitherself.
Hersister,MissWatson,atolerableslimoldmaid,withgoggleson,hadjustcometolivewithher,andtookasetatmenowwithaspelling-book.
Sheworkedmemiddlinghardforaboutanhour,andthenthewidowmadehereaseup.Icouldn’tstooditmuchlonger.
Thenforanhouritwasdeadlydull,andIwasfidgety.
MissWatsonwouldsay,“Don’tputyourfeetupthere,Huckleberry;”and“Don’tscrunchuplikethat,Huckleberry–setupstraight;”andprettysoonshewouldsay,“Don’tgapandstretchlikethat,Huckleberry–whydon’tyoutrytobe-have?”
Thenshetoldmeallaboutthebadplace,andIsaidIwishedIwasthere.
Shegotmadthen,butIdidn’tmeannoharm.
AllIwantedwastogosomewheres;allIwantedwasachange,Iwarn’tparticular.
ShesaiditwaswickedtosaywhatIsaid;saidshewouldn’tsayitforthewholeworld;shewasgoingtolivesoastogotothegoodplace.
Well,Icouldn’tseenoadvantageingoingwhereshewasgoing,soImadeupmymindIwouldn’ttryforit.
ButIneversaidso,becauseitwouldonlymaketrouble,andwouldn’tdonogood.
Nowshehadgotastart,andshewentonandtoldmeallaboutthegoodplace.
Shesaidallabodywouldhavetodotherewastogoaroundalldaylongwithaharpandsing,foreverandever.SoIdidn’tthinkmuchofit.ButIneversaidso.
IaskedherifshereckonedTomSawyerwouldgothere,andshesaidnotbyaconsiderablesight.
Iwasgladaboutthat,becauseIwantedhimandmetobetogether.
MissWatsonshekeptpeckingatme,anditgottiresomeandlonesome.
Byandbytheyfetchedtheniggersinandhadprayers,andtheneverybodywasofftobed.
Iwentuptomyroomwithapieceofcandle,andputitonthetable.
ThenIsetdowninachairbythewindowandtriedtothinkofsomethingcheerful,butitwarn’tnouse.
IfeltsolonesomeImostwishedIwasdead.
Thestarswereshining,andtheleavesrustledinthewoodseversomournful;andIheardanowl,awayoff,who-whooingaboutsome-bodythatwasdead,andawhippowillandadogcry-ingaboutsomebodythatwasgoingtodie;andthewindwastryingtowhispersomethingtome,andIcouldn’tmakeoutwhatitwas,andsoitmadethecoldshiversrunoverme.
ThenawayoutinthewoodsIheardthatkindofasoundthataghostmakeswhenitwantstotellaboutsomethingthat’sonitsmindandcan’tmakeitselfunderstood,andsocan’tresteasyinitsgrave,andhastogoaboutthatwayeverynightgrieving.
Igotsodown-heartedandscaredIdidwishIhadsomecompany.
Prettysoonaspiderwentcrawlingupmyshoulder,andIflippeditoffanditlitinthecandle;andbeforeIcouldbudgeitwasallshriveledup.
Ididn’tneedanybodytotellmethatthatwasanawfulbadsignandwouldfetchmesomebadluck,soIwasscaredandmostshooktheclothesoffofme.
Igotupandturnedaroundinmytracksthreetimesandcrossedmybreasteverytime;andthenItiedupalittlelockofmyhairwithathreadtokeepwitchesaway.ButIhadn’tnoconfidence.
Youdothatwhenyou’velostahorseshoethatyou’vefound,insteadofnailingitupoverthedoor,butIhadn’teverheardanybodysayitwasanywaytokeepoffbadluckwhenyou’dkilledaspider.
Isetdownagain,a-shakingallover,andgotoutmypipeforasmoke;forthehousewasallasstillasdeathnow,andsothewidowwouldn’tknow.
Well,afteralongtimeIheardtheclockawayoffinthetowngoboom–boom–boom–twelvelicks;andallstillagain–stillerthanever.
PrettysoonIheardatwigsnapdowninthedarkamongstthetrees–somethingwasastirring.Isetstillandlistened.
DirectlyIcouldjustbarelyheara“me-yow!me-yow!”downthere.Thatwasgood!SaysI,“me-yow!me-yow!”
assoftasIcould,andthenIputoutthelightandscrambledoutofthewindowontotheshed.
ThenIslippeddowntothegroundandcrawledinamongthetrees,and,sureenough,therewasTomSawyerwaitingforme.
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