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The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain.

Chapter 1 A mischievous, adventurous boy.

Tom! Tom! The old lady shouted. But there was no answer. She looked around the room. He

is hiding again, the naughty boy, she said to herself, and shouted again. Tom, when I

find you I will—but she didn't finish her sentence. She was bending down and looking under

the bed. Tom was not there. She went to the open door and stood there shouting, Tom where

are you? Just then, she heard a noise behind her. She turned around and saw Tom coming out

of the closet. What were you doing in the closet? The old lady asked. Tom did not answer

her. Then she asked. What is that on your hands and around your mouth? I don't know, Aunt

Polly. I know, she said angrily. I told you not to eat that jam. It is not for you. Tom

suddenly screamed. Oh, look, Auntie! There is something behind you! When the old lady turned

around in fear, Tom ran out and quickly climbed up the wooden fence in the garden. He jumped

down to the other side and disappeared. Aunt Polly just stood at the door in shock. Then

she began to laugh. Oh, that boy! He always makes me angry, but I love him. Tom liked adventure,

and he often got into trouble. He was a very lazy boy, an often skipped school. His aunt

wanted to punish him many times, but she couldn't. She felt sorry for him. He was her

dead sister's son, and he was only twelve years old. He is going to skip school again,

Aunt Polly said to herself. Well, if he doesn't go to school this afternoon, I will surely give

him a punishment. It's Saturday tomorrow, and there is no school. I will make him work

when all his friends are playing. I must do this. He must learn to be a better boy. Tom

didn't go to school that afternoon. He went swimming in the river and had lots of fun. When

he came back home, his younger brother Sid was helping Aunt Polly prepare supper. Sid was

a good quiet boy. He didn't cause any trouble for their old aunt. How was school Tom? Aunt

Polly asked while they were having supper. She was sure he didn't go to school. Wasn't

it too warm in the classroom? Yes, it was. It always is, answered Tom. The old lady noticed

Tom's wet hair. Didn't you go swimming? She asked. No, answered Tom, but Aunt Polly knew

he was lying. She went near him and touched his hair. Tom was afraid and quickly said, my

hair is wet because I poured water over my head. I felt very hot. After supper, Tom

went out again. He came back late at night. He was afraid of his aunt, so climbed in quietly

through an open window. Aunt Polly was lying in bed, but she was awake. She saw Tom's clothes.

They were covered in dust and dirt. Oh, he had a fight with someone again. Well, he will

definitely have his lesson tomorrow. He will stay at home and work all day, she thought

to herself. The next morning, Tom stood on the sidewalk, in front of the wooden fence,

with a bucket of white paint and a long -handled brush. He was very unhappy. It was a beautiful

sunny summer morning. All the boys were going swimming because it was Saturday. But Tom

had to paint the fence. His aunt told him to do so as a punishment.

How am I going to paint this fence? It is so long and wide. I will have to work all day,

he thought sadly. He painted a very small part of the fence and sat down. He was bored and tired.

He had no energy to paint the whole fence. He was worried too. When the boys see me,

they will laugh at me, he thought to himself. Then he had an idea. The boys can paint the fence

for me, and I will give them something for their help. He searches pockets for valuable things.

They were just a few marbles. No one will help me just for these marbles, he said to himself.

And he began to think of a better plan. Suddenly, he had a wonderful idea.

He began to paint again. He was smiling, thinking about his clever plan.

Ten minutes later, his friend Ben Rogers passed by. He had an apple in his hand.

Tom didn't look at him. Ben came nearer and said, oh, you're in big trouble, aren't you?

Tom didn't answer him. He continued painting.

There is no school today, but you have to work, don't you? Said Ben again.

Finally, Tom turned to him and said, oh, is it you Ben? I didn't see you. I am going swimming.

Do you want to come with me? Or do you prefer to stay here and work?

asked Ben.

This does not work for me, Tom said, as he moved the brush up and down the fence, slowly and carefully.

I love painting. I go swimming every day, but I can't paint every day.

Ben was surprised and said, so you are enjoying this.

He began to watch Tom with a lot of interest.

Tom was painting happily and whistling at the same time. How and then he stopped and stepped

backwards to look at his work. Ben stopped nibbling on his apple. He continued to watch Tom.

Can I paint a little? He asked.

Sorry, but you can't, answered Tom. This fence must be perfect.

My aunt wanted me to do it because I am good at painting. I paint very carefully.

Please let me do it, begged Ben. I will share my apple with you.

Tom was not interested in this offer. Then Ben said, you can have all of it.

So Tom gave the brush to Ben and sat under a tree. He ate Ben's apple with great pleasure.

Afterwards, Bill Fisher and Johnny Miller came down the street.

They stopped and laughed at Tom at first, but in a moment they also began to paint the fence.

They each had to give something to Tom. In the end, Tom had a treasure of interesting things,

lots of colorful marbles, a blue bottle, a small knife handle, a kite, a kitten with one eye,

a dog collar, and six firecrackers. The boys finished painting the fence in a few hours.

Tom was very happy and proud of himself. The work was done, but he didn't work at all.

He went in the house. Aunt Polly was half asleep on the sofa with her cat on her lap.

She was surprised to see Tom, because she was expecting him to run away without painting the fence.

Can I go and play with my friends now, Aunt Polly? Tom asked.

You can't go anywhere until you finish the work, she answered.

Oh, but the work is done. The fence is just perfect. Go and look, Aunt Polly.

The old lady couldn't believe her eyes when she looked at the fence. It was white and clean.

With a big smile on her face, she said, go and play, but don't come home late in the evening.

She gave Tom a big apple. Tom happily ran off to the village square.

The boys were playing a war game there. He joined them and became the general of one of the armies.

His friend Joe Harper was the general of the other army. Joe Harper was Tom's best friend

and partner in many adventures. After the war game, the two boys decided to have another battle on

another day. Tom started to walk home. While he was walking past his friend, Jeff Thatcher's house,

he saw a beautiful girl in the garden. She had blonde hair and blue eyes. Tom stopped and

watched the girl until she noticed him. When she saw him, he stopped looking. He began to dance,

jump, and walk on his hands. He wanted to get her attention. The girl threw a flower to him over

the fence and went inside. Tom took the flower and put it under his shirt near his heart. He was in

love. He forgot about his first love, Amy Lawrence. On Sunday morning, Tom went to church with his

aunt. His brother Sid and Aunt Polly's daughter, Mary. The beautiful girl and her parents were at

church together with Jeff Thatcher's parents. The girl's father, Judge Thatcher, was Jeff's uncle.

Judge Thatcher and his family were new in the village. They came from a big city. Tom was very

excited and happy when he saw the beautiful girl again. On Monday morning, it was time for school

again, and Tom was very unhappy. He told his aunt that he was sick, but Aunt Polly didn't believe

him, so he had to go to school. He met his friend, Huckleberry Finn, on the way.

The other boys in the village could not play or talk with Huckleberry. Their parents didn't allow it.

Huckleberry did not have a mother, and his father was always drunk. The poor boy slept in the streets.

He wore dirty clothes with holes in them. He never wore shoes in the summer. He spent his days

wandering around, swimming, and fishing in the river. He didn't go to school or to church.

All the boys envied him for his free life. They wished to live like him.

Huckleberry often did strange things, and now he was carrying a dead cat.

Hello, Huck. What are you doing with that dead cat? Tom asked him.

I will take it to the graveyard tonight, said Huck. I want to see ghosts. Dead cats can call

the ghosts from their graves at midnight.

Really? Can I come to the graveyard with you? asked Tom.

Of course you can come. If you're not afraid of ghosts, Huckleberry said.

No, I'm not afraid. I'd love to see a ghost, said Tom. Come to our house at 11 tonight,

but Aunt Polly must not see you. So when you arrive, meow like a cat under my window.

I'll jump out and go with you. Huckleberry agreed, and Tom continued to walk to school.

He was very late, as usual. When he entered the classroom, the teacher angrily said,

Tom Sawyer, you were late again. Tom looked around the room and saw the beautiful new girl.

There was no other girl on the seat next to her. Tom was very excited again. He quickly thought

of a plan for sitting next to her. So he openly said,

I met Huckleberry Finn on the way. I stopped and talked to him. The children in the room were

all shocked. They all looked at Tom. How could he say this to the teacher? Was he crazy?

Why didn't he lie and give a better excuse for being late?

Tom's answer made the teacher furious. What? He cried out in anger and gave Tom a beating

with his long stick. Go and sit in the girls' section, he ordered.

This punishment made Tom very happy. This was his plan.

He went to the girls' part of the room and sat next to the new girl. All the boys in the classroom

giggled. The beautiful girl turned her back to Tom at first. A few minutes later, Tom put an

picture. He tried to hide it with his left hand. The girl got curious and asked,

what are you drawing? Tom said it was a house and she looked at it. She said, draw a man too.

And Tom drew a funny man. Then she asked Tom to draw her own picture.

And Tom drew a girl next to the man. The girl said, you draw very well. I can't draw anything.

I can teach you at lunch if you stay here, Tom said. What's your name? Becky Thatcher.

And your name is Tom Sawyer, isn't it? Yes, Tom answered happily and added. But you can call me Tom.

Just then Tom felt a hand on his ear. The teacher was pulling it. He moved Tom to the boys' section.

The whole class laughed at Tom, but Tom didn't mind it. His ear hurt, but he was very happy,

and his heart was full of love.