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 she, 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 for a moment and turned to the girls:
Emmy Lawrence?
She shook her head negatively.
Gracey Miller?
The same.
Susan Harper, did you do this?
No, not her. 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...
Let's continue our analysis of works of classical literature from the point of view of the Men's Movement.
I have already noticed more than once that seemingly well-known books, films and songs acquire a completely different meaning after you apply the postulates of MD to them. Surely the authors are rolling over in their graves - they hardly expected that a group of men living in the 21st century would completely change the original idea of a work that has passed through an unimaginable abyss of time. Or maybe it’s the other way around - they’re giggling contentedly from the places of eternal hunting: finally, descendants have understood what the author really wanted to say.
I decided to delve into the work of Samuel Clements, known to us all since childhood, better known to the world as Mark Twain. Namely, the cheerful and perky novel “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.”
Do not hurry! Tom Sawyer was not originally intended by Twain as a work for children and was written in a style intended for an older reader. In Russian translations, complex unchildish turns of speech were softened by the translators. In the preface, however, it is written that “ The book is intended mainly for the entertainment of boys and girls.". According to the writer's close friend Henry Rogers, " Sam once told me that he just wanted to describe the life of an ordinary boy, as it was during his childhood. He was amazed to learn how much his little readers loved Tom. I advised him to dedicate the book to children: undoubtedly they will be very pleased with it.” Apparently, Clements made this note later, after the advice of a friend.
It would seem, what kind of inter-gender relationships can we talk about in a novel about children? Well, it turns out that maybe...
“The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” is precisely the only novel of the four most famous major works in which the theme of MPO is touched upon. Of course, she is far from being in first place there, she is not the main one there. This is not the task of the novel. But nevertheless, it’s there, from the song... ugh, sorry, you can’t take the words out of a book.
Who is Tom Sawyer? The most ordinary boy, an inhabitant of the northwestern states, living in a shabby town on the banks of the Mississippi. A moderately hooligan C student, goofy and unhearing. But at the same time, he is a courageous and kind-hearted guy: let us remember how he completely selflessly saved the harmless drunkard Muff Potter from an undeserved noose, without being afraid to incur the wrath of a local scumbag nicknamed Injun Joe.
Who is Becky Thatcher? The local judge's daughter, judging by Twain's description, is a pretty-looking girl... and that's all. Perhaps the author simply did not focus on the secondary character? Maybe so, but some features of the characters, one way or another connected with the image of Tom, are still indicated. The boys in it are individuals. Joe Harper, a bosom friend, is the same kid as Tom, two pairs of boots, but he loves his mother very much. Huck Finn is a freedom-loving homeless tramp who is equally courageous. Sid, the stepbrother, is a snitch and a suck-up. And even Ben Rogers, who appears literally once - "the boy whose ridicule Tom feared most"- a scoffer and lover of making fun of those who give reasons for this.
Becky somehow falls out from the general host of heroes of the novel - she is generally none. Neither good nor bad. Neither positive nor negative. Neither fish nor fowl. The author did not endow her with any individual traits. All manifestations of the heroine’s character are boringly ordinary, characteristic of all OZHP-sheks, no matter how old they are.
I ask the reader to forgive me in advance for the abundance of quotes. But we can’t do without it.
This is how Tom and Becky have their first disagreement. Tom inadvertently said that before her he was friends with another girl, Amy Lawrence. How does Becky react?
“Looking into her wide-open eyes, Tom realized that he had let it slip and fell silent, embarrassed.
- Oh, Tom! So, that means I’m not the first, did you already have a fiancee?
And she cried.
Tom said:
- Don't cry, Becky. I don't love her anymore.
- No, Tom, you love, you yourself know that you love.
Tom tried to hug Becky, but she pushed him away, turned her face to the wall and cried incessantly...
Tom took out his most important jewel - a copper knob from a tagan, handed it over his shoulder to Becky, so that she could see, and said:
- Becky, do you want to take it for yourself?
She hit Tom on the hand, the lump rolled to the floor.
Then Tom walked out of the school with firm steps and went wherever he could, never to return that day.
Soon Becky began to suspect something was wrong. She ran to the door; Tom was nowhere to be seen; she ran around the house into the yard; he wasn't there either. Then she called:
- Tom, come back. Volume!.."
What are we observing? We see an attempt to blame the partner for the fact that he already had a passion. There is, of course, nothing special about this, well, it was and was, but now it is not. But Becky plays out a whole tragedy from this completely insignificant fact - where is Shakespeare! It’s not for nothing that they say: “A woman can make three things out of nothing - salad, disorder and disaster.” Tom clumsily tries to justify himself, saying that I don’t love her, but the girl doesn’t listen: I know that you love her, period. Here it is, another property of an adult woman in all its glory: the ability to listen only to herself, her beloved, since there are only two opinions - hers and the wrong one. And it doesn’t matter that all these ideas are based on nothing, that she herself just invented them - it doesn’t matter, since I said it, that means it’s so!
Sounds familiar, huh?
The boy is tired of persuading his girlfriend and he leaves. She, realizing that she went too far with her manipulator, tries to return him, but the train has already left. Tom simply gave up on the hysterical OZHP and decided to become a pirate.
More often, adult men should do exactly this: dump a woman who is insane and confident in her own infallibility immediately - there would be less woman slavery. He threw it out and began to live his male life, the life of a conqueror of peaks, depths and outer space. And the leaked woman... well, who cares about her?
The returning pirate became the hero of the day. His classmates hover around him and, with their mouths open, listen to his fables. Soon the judge’s daughter appeared among them, but...
“Tom decided that now he can ignore Becky Thatcher and do without her. Fame alone is enough for him. He will live for glory. Now that he's done so well, Becky might want to make peace with him. Well, let her see that he also knows how to be indifferent, like some others »
And he immediately moved on to his former girlfriend, who listened to his stories with pleasure and did not turn up her nose. Fortunately, for someone, and he clearly did not face a lack of communication. The girl couldn’t help but notice this and shit boiled inside her. The fact that it was she herself who pushed Tom away with her own hands had already slipped out of her stupid head. What did she expect then? Well, it’s likely that Tom, crazy with joy at the sight of her, will throw himself on her neck. It is unclear, however, why he should be scared to do this, but such little things never bothered the OzhP. In general, as we see, the young lady’s thinking is completely no different from the thinking of her older friends.
Twain himself, to be honest, does not approve of the hero’s behavior: “ Tom became even more stubborn instead of giving up.” Why it was he who had to give up, and not Becky, who first stirred up the mess, is not explained.
Becky, apparently having completely lost her head with jealousy, announced that she was inviting everyone to a picnic, which, by the way, was just being planned and it was still unknown whether her parents would allow her to invite so many people. Classmates, naturally, are delighted. Everyone accepted the invitation except two - Tom and Amy. They didn't even hear anything at all - they were so carried away by each other. For the narcissistic and selfish daughter of a judge, this was too much. And she decides to take revenge.
Revenge was framed in a completely feminine way. Becky has found a classmate, Alena, and pretends that she has become friends with him, but when it dawns on her that Tom doesn’t care about this, she, completely angry, shouts in Alena’s face: “ Go away, leave me alone! I can’t stand you!” and runs away. At first, Alen is confused - like, what’s wrong with her? - and then it dawns on him where the dog rummaged.
“He got angry and offended. It wasn't hard to get to the truth : Becky just took advantage of him, to annoy Tom Sawyer. When he realized this, he became even more hated Tom. He wanted to somehow annoy Tom without putting himself at risk. Tom's textbook caught his eye. The opportunity was convenient. He happily opened the book to the page where the assigned lesson was and filled it with ink.”
A painfully familiar picture to many! Alen is also an alen in Africa. At all times. Any age. Is it necessary to give an analogy from adult life?
Becky saw the art of her faithful Alyoshka, but... decided to remain silent, as if stabbed to death, although she knew that Tom would be flogged for ruining the textbook. Which is what happened later. To spoil the offender with someone else's hands is so feminine! And it’s simple and there’s no risk!
But it’s not for nothing that they say: don’t dig a hole for someone else - you’ll end up in it yourself! This is exactly what almost happened to the vile girl.
That same day, Becky went into her teacher's drawer and accidentally tore his favorite book. Who does she think is to blame? Well, it's clear who - Tom Sawyer!
“At that moment, someone’s shadow fell on the page - Tom Sawyer stood on the threshold, looking into the book over her shoulder. In her haste to slam the book shut, Becky pulled it towards her and was so unsuccessful that she tore the page halfway.
She threw the book into the drawer, turned the key in the lock and burst into tears of shame and frustration.
- Tom Sawyer, just expect some nasty stuff from you, all you have to do is sneak up and peek.
- How did I know what you were doing here?
“Shame on you, Tom Sawyer, you’ll probably complain about me.” What should I do now, what should I do? I’ll be punished in front of the whole school, but I’m not used to this!..”
What's it like? How to climb without asking, where it’s not necessary, she’s the first, and how to answer - “I’m not used to this.” Like any other person, Becky judges all people by herself - he will probably complain about her. She can’t even wrap her head around the fact that Tom has his own “code of honor”, where there is no place for snitching. This is understandable; as we have already seen, a young OzhP child is not burdened with such difficulties.
Here we see another unpleasant character trait of Becky: cowardice. She, not accustomed to punishment, sits on pins and needles, awaiting a severe spanking.
“- Rebecca Thatcher (Tom looked at her face - it turned pale with fear), you tore it, - no, look into my eyes (she clasped her hands pleadingly), - did you tear this book?”
And then Tom is suddenly struck by an acute attack of philandering. Otherwise, his further behavior cannot be interpreted in any way.
“Suddenly Tom seemed to have an epiphany. He jumped to his feet and shouted:
- I tore it up!
The entire school gaped in surprise at such incredible stupidity. Tom stood for a moment, gathering his courage, and when he stepped forward to accept the punishment, the admiration and gratitude that shone in Becky's eyes rewarded him handsomely. Inspired by his generosity, he without a sound endured the most severe spanking that Mr. Dobbins had ever given to anyone, and indifferently listened to the additional strict order to stay two hours after school ... "
And what is all this for? For the sake of “admiration and gratitude” in the eyes of a selfish and fickle girl? Oh yes, just for the sake of five words: “ Oh, Tom, how noble you are!”. To do Tom a favor in return: to tell the teacher who really ruined the textbook - Becky, of course, did not guess. Well, that’s right - but why? The danger is over. Just think, the boy was whipped for no reason! He’s a “real mushy”, he’ll be patient.
At the end of the novel, Tom and Becky get lost in a cave. The ghost of starvation has already bared its teeth openly in front of the children. These were no longer games, this was truly scary.
Let us pay attention to the behavior of each of them at the moment of mortal danger.
Tom is constantly looking for a way out of this situation. He saves candles, finds water and stays near it. When it seemed that all hope of salvation was lost, with the last of his strength - there was nothing left to lose - he crawled into a side corridor and was lucky: he crawled onto the shore of the Mississippi. Even having accidentally met Injun Joe in a cave, although he was scared half to death, he still retained his presence of mind and the will to fight.
And Becky? And all she knows is that she whines, cries and complains about fatigue and hunger. He makes absolutely no effort to save both of them, but does not forget to eat his share of the piece of pie brought by Tom in one sitting.
“Tom took something out of his pocket.
- Do you remember? - he asked.
Becky smiled forcefully.
- This is our pie, Tom...
...Tom divided the piece in half, and Becky happily ate her share, A Tom just pinched off his»
Did you notice? Tom took care of the food supply - who knows how much longer he will have to wander around the cave - and Becky didn’t even think about it. Apparently there wasn't enough intelligence. The knight is nearby, let him think, but it doesn’t become for her to load the royal brains with such base matters as worrying about food. That's not why mom raised the berry. Then she finished the pie almost single-handedly, forcing Tom to give her the rest with tears.
What conclusion can we draw from this? No matter what kind of Valdai goat the judge’s daughter pretended to be, she turned out to be absolutely unviable in extreme conditions, in a situation where she had to really, not like a book, fight for her life. She was helpless, like a newborn blind kitten thrown out into the cold. If she found herself in the cave alone, without Tom (and there was a good chance of this), she would have stayed there. And forever.
And Becky's young age doesn't change anything. It’s no secret that grown women, who a second ago were ranting on the topic “What kind of men have they gone,” in a moment of danger easily hide behind the backs of these very men, and it’s good if they don’t forget to mutter “thank you” to the owner of this back. Tom, however, was lucky in this regard - the girl’s parents (but not she herself!) appreciated his behavior in the cave. Well, the times were different, and gynocentrism had not yet managed to penetrate all spheres of social life...
It is known that everything in a person - both good and bad - stems from childhood. It’s difficult to say what will grow out of Tom, but we can already say with confidence about what will come out of Becky.
Nothing good.
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 short tree with very dense foliage.] and immediately disappeared into 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 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 him for a reason! - exclaimed the old man. - Well, lad, tell me what you know, we won’t do anything to anyone!
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 gunshots 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 that you would spend the night with us.
“I was scared by passion,” explained Huck, “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; They crept up very close to them, because on this path between the sumac bushes it was dark as 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 you probably didn’t 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 of them. 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, don’t say 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 went, 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 muttered 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 his most valuable thing 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 of 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 today part of a museum complex dedicated to Mark Twain and his heroes.
downloadAudio story for children by the famous American writer of the 19th century Mark Twain "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer", chapter 30 - 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 old Welshman’s door... - I came to find out about this matter...” The old man greeted him very respectfully, realizing that the boy was tired and scared . The little tramp was fed and put to bed. During the day, Huck became seriously ill. Widow Douglas looked after him.
In the morning, the whole town was discussing a terrible event near the widow Douglas's estate. Coming out of the church, Mrs. Thacher and Mrs. Harper met. It turned out that Becky did not spend the night with the Harpers. Then Aunt Polly arrived with a question about her Tom. It turned out that no one knew for sure whether Tom and Becky had sailed back on the ship. One young man suggested that maybe the children remained in the cave. "...Five minutes later all the bells were ringing, and the whole city was on its feet! The incident on Cardiff Mountain instantly seemed insignificant, the robbers were immediately forgotten. They saddled the horses, untied the boats. They sent for the steamer... about two hundred people were already on their way both along the river and overland to the cave... during the search, they noticed some flickering light in the distance and... rushed in that direction,.. but alas,.. they found not children, but one of their ...Thus three terrible days and three terrible nights passed..."