The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer

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Twain, Mark

"The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer"

But he made a sad business of it with his unsteady hand, and a smothered titter rippled over the house. He knew what the matter was and set himself to right it. He sponged out lines and re-made them; but he only distorted them more than ever, and the tittering was more pronounced. He threw his entire attention upon his work, now, as if determined not to be put down by the mirth. He felt that all eyes were fastened upon him; he imagined he was succeeding, and yet the tittering continued; it even manifestly increased. And well it might. There was a garret above, pierced with a scuttle over his head; and down through this scuttle came a cat, suspended around the haunches by a string; she had a rag tied about her head and jaws to keep her from mewing; as she slowly descended she curved upward and clawed at the string, she swung downward and clawed at the intangible air. The tittering rose higher and higher- the cat was within six inches of the absorbed teacher's head- down, down, a little lower, and she grabbed his wig with her desperate claws, clung to it and was snatched up into the garret in an instant with her trophy still in her possession! And how the light did blaze abroad from the master's bald pate- for the sign-painter's boy had gilded it!

? ? ? ? That broke up the meeting.

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The Adventures of Gerard (page 122) The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Chapters 31 to 35 (page 39) The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Chapters 26 to 30 (page 66)

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Twain, Mark

"The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer"