The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Mark Twain - Tom and Becky in the Cave. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Mark Twain - Tom and Becky in the Cave Becky Thatcher The Love of Tom Sawyer
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (story)
Suddenly a noise reached his ears. He instantly became wary. The door leading into the alley closed quietly. Huck rushed to the corner of the brick warehouse. A minute later, two people rushed past him; one seemed to have something under his arm. It must be a chest! This means they want to take the treasure somewhere else. What to do now? Should I call Tom? It would be stupid: during this time they will have time to leave with the chest, and then you won’t find any traces. No, he will follow them and track them down - in such darkness where they will notice him! Huck came out of the ambush and followed them, silently, like a cat, walking with bare feet and keeping at a distance, but at such a distance that the tramps could not hide from sight.
First they walked along the street that ran along the river, passed three blocks, and turned onto Cardiff Mountain. They began to climb along this path. On the slope of the mountain, just halfway, they passed the estate of an old Welshman and, without slowing down, climbed higher and higher. “Yeah,” thought Huck, “they want to bury the money in the old quarry.” But they didn’t stop there either. They walked higher, to the top of the mountain; then we turned onto a narrow path winding between sumac bushes[ Sumac- yellowberry, a low tree with very dense foliage.] and immediately disappeared in the darkness. Huck walked faster, and he managed to get quite close to them, since they could not see him. At first he ran at a trot, then he slowed down a little, afraid that he might bump into them in the dark, walked a little more, then stopped completely. I listened - not a sound; All you can hear is his heart beating. From above, from the mountain, he heard the hoot of an owl - a sound that did not bode well. But no steps are heard. Damn it! Has everything really disappeared? Huck was about to give in, when suddenly, three steps away from him, someone coughed. Huck's heart sank, but he overcame his fear and remained in place, shaking all over, as if all twelve fevers had attacked him at once; he felt very weak and was afraid that he was about to fall. Now it became clear to him where he was: he was standing at the fence surrounding the widow Douglas’s estate, five steps from the climb.
“Okay,” he thought, “let them bury it here - it will be easy to find.”
Then a small voice was heard - the voice of Injun Joe:
- Damn her! She seems to have guests - there are lights in the windows, even though it’s late.
- I don't see any lights.
It was the voice of the stranger they saw in the enchanted house. Huck's heart went cold with horror: this is who they are going to take revenge on! His first thought was to run away. Then he remembered that the Widow Douglas was often kind to him, and these people, perhaps, were going to kill her. So, we need to warn the Widow Douglas as soon as possible. But no, he doesn’t have the courage, and he never will: they might notice him and grab him. All this and much more flashed through his mind before Injun Joe had time to respond to the stranger's last words.
- The bushes are blocking your light. Move over here... Like this. Now you see?
- Yes. She actually has guests. Isn't it better to quit this business?
- Quit when I leave here forever! Quit when, perhaps, another such opportunity will never present itself! I tell you again: I don’t need her money - you can take it for yourself. But her husband offended me... offended me more than once... he was a judge and put me in prison for vagrancy. But that's not all, no, not all! This is only the smallest part. He ordered me to be whipped! Yes, to carve with whips in front of the prison itself, like a Negro! And the whole city saw my shame. Whip me, you know? He outwitted me, died, but I will get even with her!
- Don't kill her! Do you hear? No need!
- Kill her? Did I say that I would kill? I would kill him if he were here, but not her. If you want to take revenge on a woman, there is no need to kill her. Disfigure her, that's all! Cut out her nostrils, cut off her ears like a pig!
- God, this is...
- They don’t ask you! Better keep quiet! You will be healthier. I'll tie her to the bed. And if he dies from loss of blood, it’s not my fault. I won’t cry, let him die! You, friend, will help me out of friendship - that’s why you came here; I probably won’t be able to recover alone. If you chicken out, I'll finish you off! Understand? And if I have to kill you, I’ll kill her too, and then no one will know whose hands it was!
- Well! Do this do this. The sooner the better... I'm shaking all over.
- Now? With guests? Oh, look at me, you’re lying about something! No, we'll wait until the lights in the house are turned off. There's no hurry.
Huck felt that now there should be silence, even more terrible than this conversation about bloody crime. So he held his breath and timidly stepped back, carefully feeling with his foot for where to place it, for which he had to balance to the right and left on the other leg, and in doing so he staggered so much that he almost fell. With the same precautions and the same risk, he took another step back, then another and another.
Suddenly a twig crunched under his foot. Huck held his breath and stopped, listening. Not a sound, deep silence. Delighted, he carefully turned between two continuous rows of bushes, as a ship turns in a narrow strait, and quickly but silently walked away. Having reached the quarry, he felt safe and began to run as fast as he could. Lower and lower down the mountain, and finally he reached the Welshman's estate and began banging on his door with his fists. The heads of an old farmer and his two strapping sons poked their heads out of the windows.
- What's that noise? Who's knocking there?
- Let me in quickly!
- Who are you?
- Huckleberry Finn.
- What do you want?
- I'll tell you everything...
- Huckleberry Finn! That's so great! This is not a name that will make all doors open to it. But still, guys, let him in. Let's see what trouble happened.
“Please, just don’t tell anyone that I told you this,” these were Huck’s first words when the door was opened for him, “otherwise I’ll be in trouble!” They'll kill me! But the widow felt sorry for me sometimes, and I want to tell you everything as it is. And I’ll tell you if you promise not to tell anyone that it’s me...
- Honestly, he has something to say, it’s not without reason! - exclaimed the old man. - Well, lad, tell me what you know, we won’t... for anything!
Three minutes later, the old man and his sons, having taken with them reliable weapons, were already at the top of the hill and, cocking their guns, quietly made their way along the path between the sumac bushes.
Huck brought them to this place, but did not go further. He hid behind a large stone and began to listen.
There was a languid, alarming silence. Suddenly there was the sound of gunfire and someone screaming. Huck didn't wait to continue. He jumped to his feet and rushed down without looking back.
Chapter XXX
TOM AND BECKY IN THE CAVE
On Sunday morning, as soon as dawn began to break, Huck climbed the mountain in the darkness and quietly knocked on the door of the old Welshman. All the inhabitants of the house were asleep, but they slept in an uneasy sleep, because they had not yet had time to calm down after the night's disturbances. They asked from the window:
- Who's there?
Huck answered quietly in a frightened voice:
- Please let me in! It's just me, Huck Finn.
- Before this name, boy, the door of our house is always open day and night. Welcome!
These words sounded strange in the ears of the little tramp. Never before had he heard such pleasant speeches. He couldn't even remember anyone saying to him, "Welcome!" The door was immediately unlocked. Huck was seated on a chair, and the old man and his fine sons began to hastily dress.
- Well, buddy, I think you're pretty hungry. Breakfast will be ready soon, as soon as the sun rises - and a hot breakfast, rest assured! And my boys and I thought you were going to spend the night with us.
“I was scared by passion,” Huck explained, “and I gave in.” As soon as you started firing your pistols, I ran as fast as I could and ran for three whole miles without a break. And now I came to find out about this matter, and on purpose before daylight, so as not to stumble upon them, the devils, even if they were already dead.
- Poor thing, you had a bad time that night: you look very exhausted. Well, no problem! Here is the bed; as soon as you have breakfast, go to bed... No, dear, they were not killed, and this is very annoying for us. See how it turned out. From your description we knew where to capture them; crept up close to them, because on this path between the sumac bushes it is dark, like in a cellar. We stopped about fifteen steps away, and suddenly... - what do you think? - suddenly I feel like I’m about to sneeze. What, by God, trouble! I’m doing this and that, I’m still trying to restrain myself, but there’s nothing to be done - I sneezed as hard as I could. And I walked ahead, holding my pistol at the ready. As soon as I sneezed, the scammers darted off the path into the bushes, branches crunched in the bushes, and I shouted to my friends: “Fire, guys!” And I shoot where it crunches. Boys too. But the villains took off running through the forest. We're behind them. It seems to me that we missed the mark. Before starting to run, they also fired a charge at us, but the bullets whistled through without causing any harm. As soon as their steps died down, we stopped the chase, ran away from the mountain and raised the police to their feet. They gathered people and cordoned off the shore; and as soon as it gets light, the sheriff will make a raid in the forest. My boys will go too. It would be good for us to know what these robbers look like - it would be easier for us to search. But perhaps you didn’t even see them in the dark?
- No, I noticed them in the city and followed them.
- Great! So tell me, tell me, my friend, what are they like?
- One of them is an old deaf-mute Spaniard, who was seen in our city once or twice, and the other is such a pathetic ragamuffin, such a vile face...
- That's enough, honey... We know both. We met them somehow in the forest; they were hanging around the widow’s house, and when they saw us, they ran away!.. Well, guys, get to the sheriff quickly, you’ll have time for breakfast tomorrow!
The Welshman's sons left immediately. As they headed for the door, Huck rushed after them and shouted:
- Please, not a word about the fact that I saw them!
- OK. If you don't want to, we won't tell you. But you would only be praised for it.
- Oh, no, no! For God's sake, not a word!
When the young people left, the old man turned to Huck:
- They won’t tell, and I won’t help. But why don't you want people to know about it?
Huck did not go into explanations, but only insisted that he knew too much about one of these people and did not want him to know that he knew, and that if he found out, he would certainly kill him.
The old man once again promised to keep the secret, but asked:
- How did it occur to you to keep an eye on them, my friend? Did they seem suspicious to you, or what?
Huck was silent, thinking of a suitable answer. And finally he said:
- You see, I’m a tramp too - at least that’s what everyone says, and I can’t argue anything against it. So sometimes I don’t sleep at night, I keep walking the streets and thinking about how to start living differently. It was the same last night. I couldn’t sleep, so I wandered down the street, thinking about these matters. And it was already midnight. I walk past an old brick warehouse next to the Sobriety tavern, stand against the wall and think... And suddenly I see these two people running past and carrying something under their arms. I decided it was stolen. One was smoking, and the other wanted to light a cigarette - so they stopped two steps away from me. The cigars lit up their faces, and I recognized the tall, deaf-mute Spaniard with gray sideburns and a plaster over his eye. And the other was this scowling devil in rags.
- Could you really see his rags in the light of the cigar?
Huck was embarrassed for a minute.
- I don’t know, but I must have seen it...
- Well, so what? They left, and you...
- And I followed them... yes... And so it happened. I wanted to know what they were up to. I followed them all the way to the widow’s fence - to the climb... There I stood in the dark and listened: he, in rags, stands up for the widow, and the Spaniard swears that he will disfigure her entire face... Well, but I told you and both of you ...
- How! Did the deaf mute speak?
Huck made a terrible mistake again. He tried in every possible way so that it would not even occur to the old man who this “Spaniard” was, but his tongue seemed to have set itself the special task of creating all sorts of tricks for him. Huck tried several times to make up for his mistake, but the old man did not take his eyes off him, and he made one mistake after another. Finally the Welshman said:
- Listen, darling, don’t be afraid of me. I will never touch a hair on your head for anything in the world. No, I will protect you... yes, protect you! This Spaniard is not deaf and dumb. You accidentally let it slip, and now there’s nothing you can do about it. You know something about this Spaniard and you don’t want to say. Trust me, tell me. And rest assured, I won’t give you away.
Huck looked into the old man’s honest eyes, then bent down and whispered in his ear:
- This is not a Spaniard, this is Injun Joe!
The Welshman almost fell out of his chair.
- Well, now the matter is clear, now I understand. When you talked about chopped off ears and cut out nostrils, I was sure that you invented it yourself, for beauty, because white people don’t take revenge in that way. But the Indian! This, of course, is a completely different matter.
At breakfast the conversation continued, and, by the way, the old man said that before leaving, he and his sons lit a lantern and examined the climb on the fence and the ground around the climb to see if there were any blood stains. They didn’t find any stains, but they captured a large bundle with...
- With what?
If the words had been lightning, even then they would not have flown faster from Huck’s whitened lips. His eyes widened, his breath caught in his throat, and he stared at the old man, waiting for an answer. The Welshman, in turn, looked at him for three seconds... five seconds... ten... and then answered:
- A bundle with a thief's tool... But what's wrong with you?
Huck leaned back in his chair, breathing rarely but deeply, feeling unspeakable joy. The Welshman looked at him seriously and curiously and after a while said:
- Yes, a bunch of thieves' tools. Did that seem to calm you down a lot? But what were you afraid of? What do you think we were supposed to find?
Huck was pressed against the wall. The old man did not take his searching eyes off him. The boy would have given everything in the world to come up with a suitable answer, but nothing came to his mind, and the old man’s inquisitive gaze penetrated deeper into his soul. The answer turned up absurd, but there was no time to weigh the words, and Huck barely audibly babbled at random:
- I thought you found... textbooks for Sunday school.
The poor boy was too depressed and could not smile, but the old man laughed so loudly and cheerfully that his whole body shook, and in the end, having laughed his fill, he explained that such a healthy laugh is like money in your pocket, because that it eliminates doctor costs.
- Poor guy! - he added. “You’re so tired and pale... you must be very unwell.” That's why you talk nonsense. Well, it doesn’t matter, everything will pass. You’ll rest, get some sleep… it’ll be all right.
Huck was annoyed to think that he turned out to be such a simpleton and brought suspicion upon himself with his inappropriate anxiety - after all, he understood from the conversation of the villains, there, at the stile, that there was no treasure in the bundle that they carried from the tavern. However, this was only a guess; he probably knew that. That's why the mention of the find excited him so much.
But in general, he was even glad that this incident happened. Now he probably knew that there was no treasure in the found knot. This means that everything is excellent and nothing is lost. Yes, things seem to be going very well: the chest must still remain in room two, both scoundrels will be caught today and put in prison, and tonight he and there without any hassle, without fear of anyone, will go and seize all the gold .
They had just finished breakfast when there was a knock on the door. Huck hastily hid, as he did not want anyone to think that he had anything to do with the night's event. The Welshman led several ladies and gentlemen into the room, including the Widow Douglas, and noticed that here and there on the mountain there were groups of townspeople, taken aback to look at the scene of the incident. Therefore, the news has already become known.
The Welshman had to tell the visitors the story of that night. The widow began to thank him for saving her life.
- Not a word, madam! There is another person to whom you are perhaps even more indebted than to me and my sons, but he does not allow me to tell his name. It would never have occurred to us to go to that place if it weren’t for him.
Becky Thatcher is one of the minor characters in the novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. There are several key moments associated with the girl in the book that clearly show her personality. In this article you can find all the information about heroin and its brief characteristics.
general information
The reader first encounters Becky Thatcher during the story about the main characters. The author does not focus on any of her individual personality traits, and therefore the girl’s character can only be judged by her actions. Becky is the daughter of District Judge Thatcher, and she has a brother, Jeff, in her family.
The heroine fell in love with the central character of the story at first sight. They study in the same class, Tom instantly reciprocated. For this he even left his ex-girlfriend Amy Lawrence. In his novel, Mark Twain does not focus on the personality of Becky Thatcher, but there are several key moments with her participation. It is from them that you can learn more about what kind of person the author made her.
Book moments
When creating a profile of Becky Thatcher, the reader should focus on certain points. The first of these is her quarrel with Tom Sawyer, when he admitted to a former relationship with Amy Lawrence. The girl is very offended that she is not the guy’s first. Jealousy and sensitivity are not alien to this person. In order to somehow reassure the heroine, the boy tries to give her his most valuable item in the form of a copper knob from a tagan.
She was not going to forgive him quickly, and therefore refused to accept Tom’s treasure. Only when he quickly walked out of the school building did she realize her mistake. As a result of this quarrel, the central character decides not to pay attention to it at all. After his pirate adventure, the guy rushes into the arms of his ex-girlfriend Amy Lawrence, who is ready to just listen to Tom's endless stories. At this time, Becky Thatcher feels offended and does not even remember the fact that she herself started a quarrel with the guy. She sinks into an abyss of sadness and does not take steps to regain Sawyer's attention.
Key points
In characterizing the hero Becky Thatcher, it should be noted that the author endowed her with the features of a typical young lady who expects exploits from her beloved man. This is demonstrated by an episode from the novel when the heroine accidentally tore her teacher’s favorite book. She took the item without permission, and when she saw the shadow of Tom Sawyer above her, her nerves only caused more damage to the cover.
Becky began to cry and said that the hero's voyeurism encouraged her to do harm. On the same day, the central character takes the blame for the offense committed and sees the admiring look of his beloved girl. She forgets all past grievances, since Sawyer made a grand gesture. Another telling moment is the last episode, when the couple gets lost in the cave. The guy immediately begins to think constructively and look for a way out of the situation. Children's pranks fade into the background, because they are in danger of death, since no one knows where they went. Becky succumbs to fear and panic while Tom tries to console her and also look for a way out of the situation. He gives the girl half of the pie, which she immediately eats. The guy himself took a little and left the rest for later, because they didn’t have any more food. Mark Twain endowed the girl with the traits of a young pupil from a good family, who constantly succumbs to emotions. This is visible in her every action.
Character appearance and other facts
If the reader is interested in a photo of Becky Thatcher, then you can take a look at the actresses who played the role of this character in various films. It is worth noting that works based on Mark Twain’s novel began to be published in the first half of the last century.
The last movie, entitled “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,” appeared in 2011. During this period, various actresses tried themselves in the role of Thatcher. The author did not concentrate on her appearance, but noted as a feature her long golden hair, which was always braided. Mark Twain created the character of Becky based on the real person Laura Hawkins, who lived in the city of Hannibal in the 1840s.
The settlement government planned to restore her house and turn it into something like a museum that would convey information about Twain’s character. The building was to become a local landmark. And so it happened. Gradual restoration is underway, new exhibits are appearing. Becky Thatcher's (Laura Hawkins) house is now part of a museum complex dedicated to Mark Twain and his heroes.
TOM MEETS BECKY
Tom woke up on Monday morning feeling very unhappy. He always felt miserable on Monday morning, as that day began a new week of long torment at school. He even wished then that there would be no resurrections in his life at all, since after a short freedom the return to prison would be even more difficult.
Tom lay there and thought. Suddenly it occurred to him that it would be good to get sick; then he will stay at home and not go to school. The hope is weak, but why not try! He examined his body. It didn't hurt anywhere, and he felt himself again. This time it seemed to him that a pain began in his stomach, and he was glad, hoping that the pain would intensify. But the pain, on the contrary, soon weakened and little by little disappeared. Tom began to think further. And suddenly he discovered that his tooth was loose. It was a great success; He was about to groan to begin with, but then he realized that if he mentioned a tooth, his aunt would immediately pull the tooth out - and that would hurt. Therefore, he decided that it was better to leave the tooth in reserve and look for something else. For some time nothing turned up; then he remembered how the doctor had told of an illness that had put a patient to bed for two or three weeks and threatened him with the loss of a finger. The boy, with passionate hope, stuck his foot out from under the sheet and began to examine the sore toe. He had no idea what the symptoms of this disease were. However, it was still worth a try, and he began to moan diligently.
But Sid was asleep and did not notice the moans.
Tom moaned louder, and little by little it began to seem to him that his finger really hurt.
Sid showed no signs of life.
Tom was even out of breath from the effort. He rested for a while, then took a deep breath and let out a series of extremely successful groans.
Sid continued to snore.
Tom lost his temper. He said, “Sid! Sid! - and began to lightly shake the sleeping man. It worked and Tom moaned again. Sid yawned, stretched, propped himself up on his elbow, snorted and stared at Tom. Tom continued to moan.
Sid said:
Volume! Listen up, Tom!
There was no answer.
Do you hear, Tom? Volume! What's wrong with you, Tom?
Sid, in turn, shook his brother, anxiously peering into his face. Tom groaned:
Leave me alone, Sid! Don't shake!
What's the matter with you, Tom? I'll go and call my aunt.
No, don't, Maybe it will pass soon. Don't call anyone.
No, no, you have to call! Don't moan so terribly!.. How long has this been with you?
Few hours. Oh! For God's sake, don't toss and turn, Sid! You'll just ruin me.
Why didn't you wake me up earlier, Tom? Oh, Tom, stop moaning! Your moans really chill me. What is hurting you?
I forgive you everything, Sid!.. (Groan.) Everything that you are guilty of to me. When I'm gone...
Tom, are you really dying? Tom, don't die... please! May be…
I forgive everyone, Sid. (Groan.) Tell them about it, Sid. And give the one-eyed kitten and the window frame, Sid, to that girl who recently arrived in town, and tell her...
But Sid grabbed the clothes and out the door. Now Tom was really suffering - so wonderfully his imagination worked - and his groans sounded quite natural.
Sid ran down the stairs and shouted:
Oh, Aunt Polly, come quickly! Tom is dying!
Dies?
Yes! Yes! What are you waiting for? Go quickly!
Nonsense! I do not believe!
But still she ran upstairs as fast as she could. Sid and Mary follow her. Her face was pale, her lips were trembling. Having reached Tom's bed, she could hardly say:
Volume! Volume! What happened to you?
Oh, aunt, I...
What's wrong with you, what's wrong with you, child?
Oh, aunt, I have gangrene on my finger!
Aunt Polly fell into a chair and first laughed, then cried, then laughed and cried at once.
This brought her to her senses, and she said:
Well, you scared me, Tom! And now that’s enough: stop your tricks and let this not happen again!
The moans stopped and the pain in my finger instantly went away. Tom felt in an awkward position.
Really, Aunt Polly, it seemed to me that my finger was completely dead, and I was in so much pain that I even forgot about my tooth.
Tooth? What's wrong with your tooth?
It staggers and hurts terribly, almost unbearably...
Well, it will be, it will be, don’t even try to whine again! Open your mouth!.. Yes, the tooth is really loose, but you won’t die from it... Mary, bring a silk thread and a burning brand from the kitchen.
Auntie, don’t pull it out, don’t, don’t tear it - it doesn’t hurt anymore! I should fall in this place if it hurts even a little! Auntie, please don't! I’ll still go to school anyway...
Will you go to school? So that's it! The only reason you started all this fuss was to evade your studies and run off to the river to fish! Oh, Tom, Tom, I love you so much, and you, as if on purpose, are tearing my old heart apart with your ugly antics!
Meanwhile, tools arrived to remove the tooth. Aunt Polly made a loop at the end of the thread, put it on the sore tooth and pulled it tight, and tied the other end to the bedpost; then she grabbed a flaming brand and poked it almost into the boy’s face. A moment - and the tooth hung on a thread tied to a post.
But for every trial a person is given a reward. When Tom went to school after breakfast, all the comrades he met on the street were jealous of him, since the emptiness formed in the upper row of his teeth allowed him to spit in a completely new, wonderful way. A whole retinue of boys gathered around him, interested in this spectacle; one of them, who cut his finger and had hitherto been the subject of general attention and worship, immediately lost every single one of his followers, and his glory instantly faded. This upset him terribly, and he declared with feigned contempt that spitting like Tom Sawyer was a trifling matter, but the other boy replied: “The grapes are green!” - and the debunked hero left in disgrace.
Soon after this, Tom met the young pariah Huckleberry Finn, the son of a local drunkard. All the mothers in the city hated Huckleberry with all their hearts and at the same time were afraid of him, because he was a lazy, ill-mannered, bad boy who did not recognize any mandatory rules. And also because their children - every single one of them - doted on him, loved to hang out with him, although this was forbidden, and longed to imitate him in everything. Tom, like all other boys from respectable families, envied the outcast Huckleberry, and he was also strictly forbidden to have anything to do with this ragamuffin. Of course, it was for this reason that Tom never missed a chance to play with him. Huckleberry dressed in cast-offs from grown men's shoulders; His clothes were speckled with multi-colored spots and were so tattered that the rags fluttered in the wind. His hat was a huge wreck; from its brim hung down a long piece in the shape of a crescent; the jacket, on those rare days when Huck put it on, reached almost to his heels, so that the back buttons were located significantly lower than his back; the pants hung on one suspender and dangled like an empty sack at the back, and were decorated with fringes at the bottom and dragged through the mud if Huck didn’t roll them up.
Huckleberry was a free bird, he wandered wherever he pleased. In good weather he spent the night on the steps of someone else's porch, and in rainy weather - in empty barrels. He did not have to go to school or to church, he did not have to obey anyone, there was no master over him. He could fish or swim whenever and wherever he pleased, and sit in the water as long as he pleased. Nobody stopped him from fighting. He could stay up until the morning. In the spring he was the first of all the boys to start walking barefoot, and in the fall he was the last to put on shoes. He didn’t need to wash or put on a clean dress, and he was amazing at swearing. In short, he had everything that makes life wonderful. This is what all the exhausted, shackled “well-bred” boys from respectable families thought in St. Petersburg.
Tom greeted the romantic tramp:
Hey Huckleberry! Hello!
Hello, you too, if you want...
What do you have?
Dead cat.
Let me see, Huck!.. Look, you’re completely numb. Where did you get it?
I bought it from a boy.
What did you give?
A blue ticket and a bull's bubble... I got the bubble from the slaughterhouse.
Where did you get the blue ticket?
Bought it from Ben Rogers two weeks ago...gave him a hoop stick.
Listen, Huck, dead cats - what are they good for?
How - for what? And remove warts.
Really? I know a cleaner solution.
And here you go, you don’t know! Which?
Rotten water.
Rotten water? It's worth nothing, your rotten water!
Worthless? And have you tried?
I haven't tried it. But Bob Tanner - he tried.
Who told you about this?
He said to Jeff Tacher, and Jeff said Johnny Beyker, and Johnny said Jim Hullis, and Jim said Bena Rogers, and Ben said to one Negro, and the Negro told me. So I know.
Well, so what of this? They all lie. At least, everyone except the black man, I don’t know him. But I've never seen a black man who didn't lie. All this is empty chatter! Now show me, Huck, how did Bob Tanner remove warts?
Yes, like this: he took it and stuck his hand into a rotten stump where rainwater had accumulated.
Well, of course.
Facing the stump?
How about that?
And did he say anything?
As if he didn’t say anything... But who knows? Don't know.
Yeah! You would also want to remove warts with rotten water when you get down to business like the most clueless fool! Such nonsense, of course, will be of no use. You need to go alone into the thicket of the forest, notice a place where there is such a stump, and at exactly midnight stand with your back to it, put your hand into it and say:
Barley, barley and rotten water, Indian food, Take all the warts from me forever!
And then you have to close your eyes and very soon walk away exactly eleven steps and turn around three times in place, and on the way home not say a word to anyone. If you say it, it’s lost: the witchcraft will not work.
Yeah, that looks like the right way, but Bob Tanner... he cut warts, not like that.
Yes, that's probably not true! That’s why he has so many warts, he’s the wartiest of all the guys in our city. And if he knew how to use rotten water, he wouldn’t have a single wart on him now. I myself brought together thousands of them with this song - yes, Huck, from my own hands. I had a lot of them because I often tinkered with frogs. Sometimes I make them look like beans.
Yes, this remedy is correct. I tried it myself.
You take a bean and cut it into two parts, then you cut your wart with a knife to get a drop of blood, and you smear one half of the bean with this blood, and then you dig a hole and bury this half in the ground... around midnight at a crossroads, on a new moon, and the other You burn half of it. The fact is that the half on which there is blood will pull and pull the other half towards itself, and in the meantime the blood will attract the wart to itself, and the wart will come off very soon.
That's right, Huck, that's right, although it would be even better if, when burying half a bean in a hole, you said: “The bean is a wart in the ground; Now I’ll part with you forever!” That would be even stronger. That's how Joe Harper removes warts, and he's experienced! Wherever I have been. - I almost got to Kunville... Well, how do you bring them together with dead cats?
That's how. Take the cat and go with it to the cemetery shortly before midnight - to a fresh grave where some bad person is buried, and then at midnight the devil will appear, or maybe two or three; but you won’t see them, you’ll only hear the sound of the wind, and maybe you’ll hear them talking. And when they drag the dead man away, you throw the cat after them and say: “Devil after the dead man, cat after the devil, warts after the cat - that’s the end of it, all three away from me!” This will make every wart go away.
It looks like it. Have you ever tried it yourself, Huck?
No. But old woman Hopkins told me.
Well, it's true: they say she's a witch.
- "They say"! I know for sure. She cast a spell on her father. My father told me himself. Once he goes and sees that she is casting a spell on him. He took the stone and hit her - she barely dodged. And what do you think: that very night he rolled off a canopy in his sleep, drunk, and broke his arm.
My God, what passions! How did he guess that it was she who caused the damage?
For the father this is a piece of cake. He says: if a witch stares at you with her eyes, it’s clear that she is casting a spell. The worst thing is if she mutters at the same time; this means she reads “Our Father” upside down, backwards, do you understand?
Listen, Huck, when are you going to try the cat?
Tonight. I think so, the devils will surely come this night for the old sinner Williams.
But he was buried on Saturday, Huck! They must have dragged him away on Saturday night!
Nonsense! They could not drag him away until midnight, and at midnight it was Sunday. On Sunday, devils don't really roam the earth.
Right, right. I didn’t even think... Will you take me with you?
Of course, if you're not afraid.
Afraid! Well, here's another one! Will you remember to meow?
I won’t forget... And if you are allowed to go out, you yourself meow in response. Otherwise, last time I meowed and meowed until old man Geis began throwing stones at me, and even said: “Damn that cat!” I broke his glass with a brick - just make sure you don’t talk.
OK. That night I could not meow in response: my aunt was watching me; but today I will certainly meow... Listen, Huck, what do you have?
So, nothing is just a tick.
Where did you find him?
What will you take for it?
Don't know. I don't want to sell it.
Well, it is not necessary! And the tick is tiny.
Of course! They always try to scold someone else's tick. And for me this one is good too.
There are a lot of ticks in the forest. I could get a thousand of them myself if I wanted.
What was the matter? Why don’t you go and dial?.. Aha! You know yourself that you won’t find anything. This tick is very early. The first tick I came across this spring.
Listen, Huck, I'll give you my tooth for it.
Tom took out a piece of paper and carefully unfolded it. Huckleberry looked gloomily at the tooth. The temptation was stronger. Finally he asked:
Real?
Tom raised his upper lip and showed the emptiness between his teeth.
“Okay,” said Huckleberry. - So, hands down!
Tom put the tick in a box from under the caps, which until recently had served as a prison for the beetle, and the boys parted, each feeling that he had become richer.
Having reached the school - a small log house that stood apart from all the other buildings - Tom walked very quickly, as if he was conscientiously hurrying to class. He hung his hat on a peg and rushed with businesslike haste to his bench. The teacher, sitting as if on a throne, on a high wicker chair, dozed peacefully, lulled by the measured buzz of the class. Tom's appearance woke him up.
Thomas Sawyer!
Tom knew that when a teacher called him by his full name, it did not bode well.
Come here!.. Well, sir, why were you late today?
Tom wanted to lie something, but at that moment golden braids caught his eye, which he immediately recognized thanks to the electric current of love. He saw that the only empty seat in the half of the class where the girls were sitting was next to her, and instantly replied:
I stopped on the street to chat with Huckleberry Finn.
The teacher was petrified with amazement: he stared at Tom in confusion. The buzzing in the classroom stopped. The schoolchildren asked themselves if this desperate fellow had gone crazy. Finally the teacher said:
What... what did you do?
Stopped on the street to chat with Huckleberry Finn!
It was impossible to mistake the meaning of these words.
Thomas Sawyer, this is the most amazing confession I have ever heard. For such a fault, a ruler is not enough. Take off your jacket!
The teacher's hand worked until it became tired. The bunch of rods has become much thinner. Then came the order:
Now, sir, go and sit down with the girls! And let this serve as a lesson to you.
The students giggled. This seemed to confuse Tom. But in fact, his embarrassment was caused by another circumstance: he was in awe of an unknown deity and painfully rejoiced at his great luck. He sat down on the edge of the pine bench.
The girl turned up her nose and moved away. Everyone around was whispering, winking, nudging each other, but Tom sat quietly, leaning on the long low desk, and, apparently, was reading diligently. They stopped paying attention to him; The class was again filled with a dull hum. Little by little the boy began to sneak glances at his neighbor. She noticed, pouted her lips and turned away for a full minute. When she glanced furtively in his direction, there was a peach lying in front of her. The girl pushed the peach away. Tom gently moved it closer again. She pushed the peach away again, but without any hostility. Tom patiently put the peach in its original place, and she no longer moved it.
Tom scribbled on the slate: “Please take it - I have more.” The girl looked at the board, but her face remained indifferent. Then he began to draw on the board, covering his drawing with his left hand. At first, the girl pretended not to pay attention, but then her curiosity began to show through subtle signs. The boy continued to draw as if not noticing anything. The girl made an attempt to sneak a peek at what he was drawing, but Tom again did not show that he noticed her curiosity. Finally she gave in and asked in a hesitant whisper:
Let me see!
Tom opened part of a cartoonishly absurd house with two facades and a chimney from which smoke came out in the form of a corkscrew. The girl was so carried away by drawing Tom that she forgot about everything in the world. When Tom had finished, she glanced at the drawing and whispered:
How lovely! Draw a man!
The artist placed in the courtyard in front of the house a man who looked like a crane and was so tall that it would have been easy for him to step over the house. But the girl was not too demanding. She was pleased with the monster and whispered:
What a beautiful! Now draw me.
Tom drew an hourglass topped with a round moon, attached thin straws of arms and legs to it, and armed his outstretched fingers with a huge fan.
Oh, how good! - said the girl. - I wish I could draw like that!
It is not hard. I'll teach you.
Indeed? When?
On a big break. Do you go home for lunch?
If you stay, I will stay.
OK. That's great! What is your name?
Becky Thacher. And you? However, I know - Thomas Sawyer.
They call me that when they want to flog me. When I'm good, my name is Tom. You call me Tom. OK?
Tom began writing on the board again, hiding what he wrote from Becky. But now she stopped being shy and asked to show what it was there.
Tom excused himself:
Really, there’s nothing here!
No, there is!
No, no; Yes, you don’t even want to look.
No, I want to! I really want to. Please, show!
You'll tell someone.
I won’t say it, honestly, honestly, honestly, I won’t say it!
No one, not a single living soul? Until death?
I won't tell anyone. Show me!
But you don’t want to...
Ah well! Well, I'll watch it anyway!
And with her little hand she grabbed his hand; a struggle began, Tom pretended to be seriously resisting, but little by little he moved his hand to the side, and finally the words were revealed: “I love you!”
Nasty! - And the girl hit him painfully on the hand, but she blushed, and it was clear that she was very pleased.
At the same instant, Tom felt that someone’s hand was inevitably and slowly squeezing his ear and pulling him higher and higher. In this way, he was escorted through the entire class to his usual place under the cross giggling of all the children, after which for several terrible minutes the teacher stood over him without saying a single word, and then just as silently headed to his throne. But although Tom's ear continued to burn with pain, there was jubilation in his heart.
When the class calmed down, Tom most conscientiously tried to go deeper into his studies, but his head was in terrible confusion. In the reading lesson he got lost and mixed up words, in the geography lesson he turned lakes into mountains, mountains into rivers, and rivers into continents, so that the whole universe returned to a state of primeval chaos. Then, during a dictation, he distorted the simplest words so much that they took away his tin medal for spelling, which he had been so proud of for several months in front of all his comrades.
Chapter Twenty
TOM SACRIFICES HIMSELF FOR BECKY
There was something in Aunt Polly’s kiss that made all of Tom’s sorrows dissipate, and his soul felt good and light again. He went to school, and he was lucky: at the very beginning of Meadow Lane he met Becky Thacher. Tom always acted on the spur of the moment. Without thinking, he ran up to Becky and said in one breath:
Today, Becky, I behaved very badly and I regret it! I will never, never do it again, until my death! Let's make peace... do you want to?
The girl stopped and looked contemptuously in his face:
I would be very grateful to you, Mr. Thomas Sawyer, if you would leave me alone. I'm not talking to you anymore.
She turned up her nose and walked past. Tom was so stunned that he couldn’t even find the answer: “I don’t give a damn... Touchy!” And then it was too late. So he didn’t say anything, but anger flared up in his soul. He trudged despondently around the school yard and kept wishing that Becky was not a boy - if only he had given her a good time! At that time she just passed by, and he showed her some kind of caustic behavior. She responded in kind, and thus they finally became enemies. Angry Becky could hardly wait for the lessons to begin - she so wanted Tom to be whipped as soon as possible for ruining the textbook. If she had had a fleeting desire to betray Alfred Temple, it now completely disappeared after the insulting words that Tom had just shouted at her.
Poor thing! She didn't know that trouble awaited her too.
The teacher at this school, Mr. Dobbins, lived to adulthood and felt like a failure. From a young age he dreamed of becoming a doctor, but due to poverty he was forced to settle for a modest job as a school teacher in this provincial town. Every day, sitting in class, he took some mysterious book out of the desk drawer and, in fits and starts, during those intervals when the students did not answer the lessons, he immersed himself in reading. This book was always kept under lock and key. There wasn't a schoolchild who wasn't eager to look into this book, but the opportunity never presented itself. What is this book? Each girl and each boy had their own guesses, but there were many guesses, and there was no way to find out the truth. And then Becky, walking past the teacher’s desk, which stood not far from the door, noticed that a key was sticking out in the lock! Was it possible to miss such a rare event? She looked around - not a soul around. A minute later she was already holding the book in her hands. The title “Anatomy,” the work of Professor So-and-so, did not explain anything to her, and she began to leaf through the book. On the very first page she came across a beautifully drawn and painted figure of a naked man. At that moment, someone’s shadow fell on the page: Tom Sawyer appeared at the door and glanced at the picture out of the corner of his eye. Becky hurriedly slammed the book shut, but in doing so accidentally tore the picture halfway through. She put the book in the drawer, turned the key and burst into tears of shame and frustration.
Tom Sawyer! All you have to do is do all sorts of dirty tricks! What vileness - to stand behind your back and peep!
How did I know that you were looking at something here?
Shame on you, Tom Sawyer! You, of course, tell lies on me and... What should I do? What should I do? I’ll be whipped, that’s for sure, but I’ve never been whipped at school yet... - She stamped her foot and added: - Well, complain, you’ve got enough meanness! I know something too. And it will happen soon. Wait and see! Ugly, ugly, ugly!
She began to sob again and rushed out of the room. Tom remained where he was, stunned by her attack. Then he said to himself:
What stupid people, girls! Never spanked at school! It is of great importance that they will be flogged! They are all terrible cowards and sissies. It’s clear, I won’t be fiscal and I won’t say a word to old man Dobbins about this fool... I can get even with her in some other way, without meanness. But she will still get caught. Dobbins will question who tore his book. Nobody will answer. Then he will begin, as always, to go through everyone in turn; will ask the first, ask the second, and when it comes to the culprit, he will immediately know that it is her, even if she remains silent. You can tell everything about girls by their faces - they have no self-control. Well, they’ll flog her... for sure... Now Becky Thacher has been caught, she won’t escape the rod!
After thinking a little, Tom added:
Well, it serves it right! After all, she would be glad if I got into such trouble - let her be in my shoes herself!
And he ran into the yard and joined the crowd of urchins who were starting some kind of game. A few minutes later the teacher came and the lesson began. Tom wasn't particularly interested in his studies. He constantly looked in the direction where the girls were sitting, and Becky’s face filled him with concern. Remembering her behavior, he did not have the slightest desire to feel sorry for her - and yet he could not suppress the pity in himself, could not evoke gloating in himself. But after a while the teacher saw a stain in Tom’s book, and all the boy’s attention was absorbed in his own work. Becky arose for a moment from her gloomy stupor and showed great interest in the massacre taking place before her. She knew that all Tom's assurances that he had not spilled ink on his book would still not help him. And so it happened. Because he denied his guilt, he was punished more painfully. Becky thought she would be happy and tried to tell herself that she really was, but it wasn't so easy. When it came to the rod, Becky wanted to stand up and say that it was all Alfred Temple's fault, but she made an effort and forced herself to sit still. “After all, Tom,” Becky thought, “will probably tell that it was me who tore the picture. So, I won’t say a word! Even if it was necessary to save his life!”
Tom received his portion of the rods and returned to his place without feeling much grief. He thought that perhaps, somehow, accidentally, during a fight with his comrades, he had knocked over the inkwell on the book. So he denied his guilt only for the sake of form, only because it was the custom, and he only insisted on principle that he was right.
A whole hour has passed. The teacher sat on the throne and nodded. The buzz of schoolchildren cramming their lessons made the very air seem sleepy. Mr. Dobbins straightened up, yawned, unlocked the desk drawer, and hesitantly reached for the book, as if unsure whether to take it or leave it on the desk. Most of the students looked at this very indifferently, but among them there were two who intensely followed the teacher’s every move. Mr. Dobbins fumbled absently for the book for a few minutes, then took it out and settled comfortably in his chair, preparing to read. Tom glanced at Becky. She had a defenseless, helpless look, like a hunted rabbit at which a hunter had taken aim. Tom instantly forgot his quarrel with her. Hurry to help! We must do something now, now, without wasting a second! But the very inevitability of trouble prevented him from inventing anything. Fabulous! Brilliant idea! He would run up, grab the book, jump out the door - and that was it! But he hesitated a little, and the opportune moment was missed: the teacher had already opened the book. If only I could bring back this moment!
“It’s too late, there’s no escape for Becky now.”
Another minute, and the teacher looked around the school. All eyes drooped under his gaze. There was something in that look that made even the innocent tremble in fear. There was a pause; it lasted so long that one could count to ten. The teacher became increasingly inflamed with anger. Finally he asked:
Who tore this book?
Not a sound. You could have heard a pin drop. Everyone was silent.
The teacher looked into one face after another, looking for the culprit.
Benjamin Rogers, did you tear up this book?
No, he's not. And again silence.
Joseph Harper, is that you?
No, he's not. Tom's anxiety grew every moment. These questions and answers were slow torture for him. The teacher looked around the rows of boys, thought a little and turned to the girls:
Emmy Lawrence?
She shook her head negatively.
Gracey Miller?
The same.
Susan Harper, did you do this?
No, she's not. Now it's Becky Thacher's turn. Tom was shaking from head to toe; the situation seemed hopeless to him.
Rebecca Thacher (Tom looked at her face: it turned white, with fear), you tore... no, look into my eyes... (she raised her hands pleadingly) did you tore this book?
Then a sudden thought flashed through Tom's mind. He jumped to his feet and shouted loudly:
I did it!
The whole school looked in bewilderment at the madman committing such an incredible act. Tom, after standing for a minute, collected his confused thoughts and stepped forward to accept his punishment. The amazement, gratitude, and rapturous love that shone in poor Becky's eyes would have rewarded him for a hundred such punishments. Carried away by the greatness of his own feat, he endured without a single cry the most severe blows that Mr. Dobbins had ever dealt, and with the same indifference accepted the additional punishment - an order to remain in school for two hours after school. He knew who would be waiting for him there, at the gate, when his imprisonment ended, and therefore did not consider two hours of boredom too severe...
" Classmate and girlfriend of Tom Sawyer.
Characteristics
Becky is Jeff Thatcher's sister and Judge Thatcher's daughter. She wears long golden hair braided.
In the novel, the girl experiences her first romantic feelings for Tom Sawyer. Tom falls in love with her the moment he sees her for the first time. He immediately leaves his former “fiancée” - Amy Lawrence. As a sign of her love, Becky gives Tom a pansy. But when Becky accidentally finds out from Tom who let it slip that he already had a girlfriend, Amy, she is seriously offended and begins to cry. Tom, in order to calm the girl down, gives her his main jewel - a copper cone from a tagan, but Becky does not accept the gift.
However, Tom and Becky make up after Tom saves Becky from being killed for tearing up the teacher's book.
The key scene of the book is the story of how Tom and Becky got lost in a cave.
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Notes
Links
- Becky Thatcher on the Internet Movie Database
- Online etext.virginia.edu(English)
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Excerpt characterizing Becky Thatcher
Naturally, I didn’t really understand anything from this explanation, but I was ashamed to ask again, and I decided to wait to see what she would say next. But, unfortunately or fortunately, it was not so easy to hide something from this smart little girl... Slyly looking at me with her huge eyes, she immediately suggested:- Do you want me to show you?
I just nodded in the affirmative, afraid of scaring her off, since I again expected something else “stunningly incredible” from her... Her “colorful reality” once again disappeared somewhere, and an unusual landscape appeared...
Apparently, it was some very hot, perhaps eastern, country, since everything around was literally blinding with a bright, white-orange light, which usually appeared only in very hot, dry air. The land, as far as the eye could see, was scorched and colorless, and, except for the distant mountains visible in the blue haze, nothing diversified this sparingly monotonous, flat and “naked” landscape... A little further away one could see a small, ancient white-stone city, which throughout the circle was surrounded by a dilapidated stone wall. Surely, no one attacked this city for a long time, and the local residents were not very worried about “renewing” the defense, or at least the “aging” surrounding city wall.
Inside, narrow snake-like streets ran through the city, connecting into one wider one, with unusual small “castles” standing out on it, which were more like miniature white fortresses, surrounded by the same miniature gardens, each of which was bashfully hidden from prying eyes behind a high stone wall. There was practically no greenery in the city, which is why the sun-drenched white stones literally “melted” from the sizzling heat. The angry midday sun furiously brought down the full power of its scorching rays onto the unprotected, dusty streets, which, already out of breath, pitifully listened to the slightest breath of a fresh breeze that never appeared. The hot air “swayed” with hot waves, turning this unusual town into a real stuffy oven. It seemed like it was the hottest day of the hottest summer on earth.....
