PREFACE
Mostoftheadventuresrecordedinthisbookreallyoccurred;
oneortwowereexperiencesofmyown,therestthoseofboyswhowereschoolmatesofmine.
Huck
Finn
Finnisdrawnfromlife;TomSawyeralso,butnotfromanindividual—heisacombinationofthecharacteristicsofthreeboyswhomIknew,andthereforebelongstothecompositeorderof
építészet
architecture.TheoddsuperstitionstoucheduponwereallprevalentamongchildrenandslavesintheWestattheperiodofthisstory—thatistosay,thirtyorfortyyearsago.
Althoughmybookisintended
elsősorban
mainlyfortheentertainmentofboysandgirls,Ihopeitwillnotbeshunnedbymenandwomenonthataccount,forpartofmyplanhasbeentotrytopleasantlyremindadultsofwhattheyoncewerethemselves,andofhowtheyfeltandthoughtandtalked,andwhatqueerenterprisestheysometimesrészt
engagedin.THEAUTHOR.
CHAPTERI
“Tom!”
Noanswer.
“TOM!”
Noanswer.
“What’sgonewiththatboy,Iwonder?
YouTOM!”
Noanswer.
Theoldladypulledherspectaclesdownandlookedoverthemabouttheroom;
thensheputthemupandlookedoutunderthem.
She
ritkán
seldomorneverlookedthroughthemforsosmallathingasaboy;theywereherstatepair,theprideofherheart,andwerebuiltfor“style,”notservice—shecouldhaveseenthroughapairofstove-lidsjustaswell.
Shelookedperplexedforamoment,andthensaid,notfiercely,butstillloudenoughforthe
bútorok
furnituretohear:.“Well,IlayifIgetholdofyouI’ll—”.
Shedidnotfinish,forbythistimeshewasbendingdownandpunchingunderthebedwiththebroom,andsosheneededbreathtopunctuatethepuncheswith.
Sheresurrectednothingbutthecat.
“Ineverdidseethebeatofthatboy!”
Shewenttotheopendoorandstoodinitandlookedoutamongthe
paradicsom
tomatovinesand“jimpson”weedsthatconstitutedthegarden.NoTom.
Soshelifteduphervoiceatan
szögben
anglecalculatedfordistanceandshouted:.“Y-o-u-uTOM!”
Therewasa
enyhe
slightnoisebehindherandsheturnedjustintimetomegragadja
seizeasmallboybythelaza
slackofhisroundaboutandarresthisflight.“There!
Imight’a’thoughtofthatcloset.
Whatyoubeendoinginthere?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing!
Lookatyourhands.
Andlookatyourmouth.
Whatisthattruck?”
“Idon’tknow,aunt.”
“Well,Iknow.
It’sjam—that’swhatitis.
FortytimesI’vesaidifyoudidn’tletthatjamaloneI’dskinyou.
Handmethatswitch.”
Theswitchhoveredintheair—theperilwasdesperate—.
“My!
Lookbehindyou,aunt!”
Theoldladywhirledround,andsnatchedherskirtsoutofdanger.
The
fiú
ladfledontheinstant,scrambledupthehighboard-fence,anddisappearedoverit.HisauntPollystoodsurprisedamoment,andthenbrokeintoagentlelaugh.
“Hangtheboy,can’tIneverlearnanything?
Ain’theplayedmetricksenoughlikethatformetobelookingoutforhimbythistime?
Butoldfoolsisthebiggestfoolsthereis.
Can’tlearnanolddognewtricks,asthesayingis.
Butmygoodness,heneverplaysthemalike,twodays,andhowisabodytoknowwhat’scoming?
He’pearstoknowjusthowlonghecantormentmebeforeIgetmydanderup,andheknowsifhecanmakeouttoputmeoffforaminuteormakemelaugh,it’salldownagainandIcan’thithimalick.
Iain’tdoingmydutybythatboy,andthat’stheLord’struth,goodnessknows.
Sparetherodandspilethechild,astheGoodBooksays.
I’malayingupsinandsufferingforusboth,Iknow.
He’sfulloftheOldScratch,butlaws-a-me!
he’smyowndeadsister’sboy,poorthing,andIain’tgotthehearttolashhim,somehow.
EverytimeIlethimoff,myconsciencedoeshurtmeso,andeverytimeIhithimmyoldheartmostbreaks.
Well-a-well,manthatisbornofwomanisoffewdaysandfulloftrouble,asthe
Szentírás
Scripturesays,andIreckonit’sso.He’llplayhookeythisevening,[*]andI’lljustbeobleegedtomakehimwork,tomorrow,topunishhim.
It’smightyhardtomakehimworkSaturdays,whenalltheboysishavingholiday,buthehatesworkmorethanhehatesanythingelse,andI’vegottodosomeofmydutybyhim,orI’llbetheruinationofthechild.”
[*]Southwesternfor“afternoon”.
Tomdidplayhookey,andhehadaverygoodtime.
HegotbackhomebarelyinseasontohelpJim,thesmallcoloredboy,sawnext-day’swoodandsplitthekindlingsbeforesupper—atleasthewasthereintimetotellhisadventurestoJimwhileJimdidthree-fourthsofthework.
Tom’syoungerbrother(orratherhalf-brother)Sidwasalreadythroughwithhispartofthework(pickingupchips),forhewasaquietboy,andhadno
kalandos
adventurous,trouble-someways.WhileTomwaseatinghissupper,andstealingsugarasopportunityoffered,AuntPollyaskedhimquestionsthatwerefullofguile,andverydeep—forshewantedtotraphimintodamagingrevealments.
Likemanyothersimple-heartedsouls,itwasherpetvanitytobelieveshewasendowedwithatalentfordarkand
titokzatos
mysteriousdiplomacy,andshelovedtocontemplatehermosttransparentdevicesasmarvelsoflowravasz
cunning.Saidshe:.
“Tom,itwasmiddlingwarminschool,warn’tit?”
“Yes’m.”
“Powerfulwarm,warn’tit?”
“Yes’m.”
“Didn’tyouwanttogoina-swimming,Tom?”
AbitofascareshotthroughTom—atouchof
kellemetlen
uncomfortablesuspicion.HesearchedAuntPolly’sface,butittoldhimnothing.
Sohesaid:.
“No’m—well,notverymuch.”
TheoldladyreachedoutherhandandfeltTom’sshirt,andsaid:.
“Butyouain’ttoowarmnow,though.”
Anditflatteredhertoreflectthatshehaddiscoveredthattheshirtwasdrywithoutanybodyknowingthatthatwaswhatshehadinhermind.
Butin
annak ellenére
spiteofher,Tomknewwherethewindlay,now.Soheforestalledwhatmightbethenextmove:.
“Someofuspumpedonourheads—mine’s
nedves
dampyet.See?”
AuntPollywasvexedtothinkshehadoverlookedthatbitof
körülményes
circumstantialevidence,andmissedatrick.Thenshehadanewinspiration:.
“Tom,youdidn’thavetoundoyourshirtcollarwhereIsewedit,topumponyourhead,didyou?
Unbuttonyourjacket!”
Thetrouble
eltűnt
vanishedoutofTom’sface.Heopenedhisjacket.
Hisshirtcollarwassecurelysewed.
“Bother!
Well,go’longwithyou.
I’dmadesureyou’dplayedhookeyandbeena-swimming.
ButIforgiveye,Tom.
I
hiszem
reckonyou’reakindofasingedcat,asthesayingis—better’nyoulook.Thistime.”
Shewashalfsorryhersagacityhadmiscarried,andhalfgladthatTomhadstumbledintoobedientconductforonce.
ButSidneysaid:.
“Well,now,ifIdidn’tthinkyousewedhiscollarwithwhitethread,butit’sblack.”
“Why,Ididsewitwithwhite!
Tom!”
ButTomdidnotwaitfortherest.
Ashewentoutatthedoorhesaid:.
“Siddy,I’lllickyouforthat.”
InasafeplaceTomexaminedtwolargeneedleswhichwerethrustintothelapelsofhisjacket,andhadthreadboundaboutthem—oneneedlecarriedwhitethreadandtheotherblack.
Hesaid:.
“She’dnevernoticedifithadn’tbeenforSid.
Confoundit!
sometimesshe
varrja
sewsitwithwhite,andsometimesshevarrja
sewsitwithblack.Iwishtogee-minyshe’dsticktooneort’other—Ican’tkeeptherunof’em.
ButIbetyouI’lllamSidforthat.
I’lllearnhim!”
HewasnottheModelBoyofthevillage.
Heknewthemodelboyverywellthough—andloathedhim.
Withintwominutes,orevenless,hehadforgottenallhistroubles.
Notbecausehistroubleswereonewhitlessheavyandbittertohimthanaman’saretoaman,butbecauseanewandpowerfulinterestborethemdownanddrovethemoutofhismindforthetime—justasmen’smisfortunesareforgottenintheexcitementofnewenterprises.
Thisnewinterestwasavalued
újdonság
noveltyinwhistling,whichhehadjustacquiredfromanegro,andhewassufferingtopractiseitundisturbed.Itconsistedina
különös
peculiarbird-liketurn,asortoffolyékony
liquidwarble,producedbytouchingthetonguetotheroofofthemouthatshortintervalsinthemidstofthemusic—theolvasó
readerprobablyremembershowtodoit,ifhehaseverbeenaboy.Diligenceandattentionsoongavehimtheknackofit,andhestrodedownthestreetwithhismouthfullofharmonyandhissoulfullofgratitude.
Hefeltmuchasanastronomerfeelswhohasdiscoveredanewplanet—nodoubt,asfarasstrong,deep,unalloyedpleasureisconcerned,theadvantagewaswiththeboy,nottheastronomer.
Thesummereveningswerelong.
Itwasnotdark,yet.
Jelenleg
PresentlyTomcheckedhiswhistle.Astrangerwasbeforehim—aboyashade
nagyobb
largerthanhimself.Anew-comerofanyageoreithersexwasanimpressive
kíváncsiság
curiosityinthepoorlittleshabbyvillageofSt.Petersburg.Thisboywaswelldressed,too—welldressedonaweek-day.
Thiswassimplyastounding.
His
sapka
capwasadaintything,hisclose-buttonedblueclothroundaboutwasnewandnatty,andsowerehispantaloons.Hehadshoeson—anditwasonlyFriday.
Heevenworeanecktie,abrightbitofribbon.
HehadacitifiedairabouthimthatateintoTom’svitals.
ThemoreTomstaredatthe
ragyogó
splendidmarvel,thehigherheturneduphisnoseathisfineryandtheshabbierandshabbierhisownoutfitseemedtohimtogrow.Neitherboyspoke.
Ifonemoved,theothermoved—butonlysidewise,inacircle;
theykeptfacetofaceandeyetoeyeallthetime.
FinallyTomsaid:.
“Icanlickyou!”
“I’dliketoseeyoutryit.”
“Well,Icandoit.”
“Noyoucan’t,either.”
“YesIcan.”
“Noyoucan’t.”
“Ican.”
“Youcan’t.”
“Can!”
“Can’t!”
An
kellemetlen
uncomfortablepause.ThenTomsaid:.
“What’syourname?”
“’Tisn’tanyofyourbusiness,maybe.”
“WellI’lowI’llmakeitmybusiness.”
“Wellwhydon’tyou?”
“Ifyousaymuch,Iwill.”
“Much—much—much.
Therenow.”
“Oh,youthinkyou’remightysmart,don’tyou?
Icouldlickyouwithonehandtiedbehindme,ifIwantedto.”
“Wellwhydon’tyoudoit?
Yousayyoucandoit.”
“WellIwill,ifyoufoolwithme.”
“Ohyes—I’veseenwholefamiliesinthesamefix.”
“Smarty!
Youthinkyou’resome,now,don’tyou?
Oh,whatahat!”
“Youcanlumpthathatifyoudon’tlikeit.
Idareyoutoknockitoff—andanybodythat’lltakeadarewillsuckeggs.”
“You’realiar!”
“You’reanother.”
“You’reafightingliaranddasn’ttakeitup.”
“Aw—takeawalk!”
“Say—ifyougivememuchmoreofyoursassI’lltakeandbouncearockoff’nyourhead.”
“Oh,ofcourseyouwill.”
“WellIwill.”
“Wellwhydon’tyoudoitthen?
Whatdoyoukeepsayingyouwillfor?
Whydon’tyoudoit?
It’sbecauseyou’reafraid.”
“Iain’tafraid.”
“Youare.”
“Iain’t.”
“Youare.”
Another
szünet
pause,andmoreeyingandsidlingaroundeachother.Jelenleg
Presentlytheywereshouldertoshoulder.Tomsaid:.
“Getawayfromhere!”
“Goawayyourself!”
“Iwon’t.”
“Iwon’teither.”
Sotheystood,eachwithafootplacedatan
szögben
angleasabrace,andbothshovingwithmightandmain,andgloweringateachotherwithhate.Butneithercouldgetanadvantage.
Afterstrugglingtillbothwerehotandflushed,eachrelaxedhisstrainwithwatchfulcaution,andTomsaid:.
“You’reacowardandapup.
I’lltellmybigbrotheronyou,andhecanthrashyouwithhislittlefinger,andI’llmakehimdoit,too.”
“WhatdoIcareforyourbigbrother?
I’vegotabrotherthat’sbiggerthanheis—andwhat’smore,hecanthrowhimoverthatfence,too.
“That’salie.”