Section One
Chapter 1
Huckleberry Finn opens by introducing himself. He explains to his readers that he was in another book, one where he wasn't quite the main character, and if we want to know about his background we should just go read some more in this other book- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer- written by one Mark Twain. He now lives with the Widow Douglas, a woman whose marital status is so important that it is used as sort of a title- she is referred to as either 'The Widow Douglas', or simply 'the widow.' She and her sister, Miss Watson, try every day to teach Huck manners, but the fact is- Huck Finn is a trouble maker. He has the nasty habits of sneaking of at night, smoking, and getting into all sorts of trouble. He accidentally kills a spider, and seems very concerned with whether or not it will give him bad luck. He preforms a ritual, just in case the spider's death might affect him, and just as he sits down for a smoke, he hears Tom Sawyer at his window, calling up to him for some late-night mischief.
Chapter 2
Huck Finn goes on a nightly adventure with Tom. They have a run in with Miss Watson's slave, Jim. Jim hears them, and says that, since they don't move, he will wait outside until they do. He falls asleep and Tom hangs up his hat on a tree, causing Jim to think he was visited by a witch. Huck and Tom run off to the woods with friends to start a gang- 'Tom Sawyer's Gang' to be exact. When swearing the oath, the boys have to agree that they must keep each other's secrets or else the rest of the gang would kill their families. Huck is the only boy who doesn't have a family, but the gang decides that, in the event of Huck's betrayal, they would just kill Miss Watson. They make plans for trouble- theft, kidnapping, ransom- and soon return to their respective homes, excited for the coming adventures.
Chapter 3
Huck Finn wakes up the next morning, and gets scolded for his grubby clothes by Miss Watson. The widow, however, didn't tell him off, only looked disappointed in him- making Huck think maybe he'd try to keep out of trouble for a bit. Huck thinks a lot about praying, and thinks he might like to pray for some fishing gear. We learn more about him, and how his father is a drunk who mistreated his son. Huck is actually relieved with he learns that an unidentified body was found, drowned, in the river- and some suspected it to be his father. But then Huck discovers that is wasn't his father and goes back to being worried. Meanwhile, the activity of Tom Sawyer's Gang comes to a close, as all of the boys realize nothing will come out of their actions, and no one would actually kill or steal. Tom tries, as a last effort, to convince Huck that everything they stole was diamond, but the reason Huck couldn't see was because they were enchanted by genies to be invisible. Huck is so intrigued he tries it himself, finally realizing that Tom was tricking him- no genie came out of the old tin lamp.
Huckleberry Finn opens by introducing himself. He explains to his readers that he was in another book, one where he wasn't quite the main character, and if we want to know about his background we should just go read some more in this other book- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer- written by one Mark Twain. He now lives with the Widow Douglas, a woman whose marital status is so important that it is used as sort of a title- she is referred to as either 'The Widow Douglas', or simply 'the widow.' She and her sister, Miss Watson, try every day to teach Huck manners, but the fact is- Huck Finn is a trouble maker. He has the nasty habits of sneaking of at night, smoking, and getting into all sorts of trouble. He accidentally kills a spider, and seems very concerned with whether or not it will give him bad luck. He preforms a ritual, just in case the spider's death might affect him, and just as he sits down for a smoke, he hears Tom Sawyer at his window, calling up to him for some late-night mischief.
Chapter 2
Huck Finn goes on a nightly adventure with Tom. They have a run in with Miss Watson's slave, Jim. Jim hears them, and says that, since they don't move, he will wait outside until they do. He falls asleep and Tom hangs up his hat on a tree, causing Jim to think he was visited by a witch. Huck and Tom run off to the woods with friends to start a gang- 'Tom Sawyer's Gang' to be exact. When swearing the oath, the boys have to agree that they must keep each other's secrets or else the rest of the gang would kill their families. Huck is the only boy who doesn't have a family, but the gang decides that, in the event of Huck's betrayal, they would just kill Miss Watson. They make plans for trouble- theft, kidnapping, ransom- and soon return to their respective homes, excited for the coming adventures.
Chapter 3
Huck Finn wakes up the next morning, and gets scolded for his grubby clothes by Miss Watson. The widow, however, didn't tell him off, only looked disappointed in him- making Huck think maybe he'd try to keep out of trouble for a bit. Huck thinks a lot about praying, and thinks he might like to pray for some fishing gear. We learn more about him, and how his father is a drunk who mistreated his son. Huck is actually relieved with he learns that an unidentified body was found, drowned, in the river- and some suspected it to be his father. But then Huck discovers that is wasn't his father and goes back to being worried. Meanwhile, the activity of Tom Sawyer's Gang comes to a close, as all of the boys realize nothing will come out of their actions, and no one would actually kill or steal. Tom tries, as a last effort, to convince Huck that everything they stole was diamond, but the reason Huck couldn't see was because they were enchanted by genies to be invisible. Huck is so intrigued he tries it himself, finally realizing that Tom was tricking him- no genie came out of the old tin lamp.
Section Two
Chapter 4
Huck Finn talks about his experiences with school. He says that he goes most often, but he plays hooky quite a bit as well. Miss Watson continues her efforts to better Huck. He talks to Judge Tatcher and offers him all of the money he got from the treasure he found with Tom. Jim, Miss Watson's slave, has in his possession a giant hair-ball said to be magical. Huck visits Jim and said magic hair-ball, for he's worried about his father. He found footprints in the snow and suspects his father is behind them. Huck pays Jim a counterfeit quarter, for the hair-ball needs money to work its magic, and Jim tells him about his father. Jim says that his father has two angels- one white, said to be good, and one black, the one contradicting the white. When Huck returns home, who is sitting on his bed but his father.
Chapter 5
Huck is shocked. His father looks horrible- disheveled and dirty. It's revealed that the reason Huck gave the money to Judge Thatcher was so that his father wouldn't come to take it away, and most likely use it for alcohol. His dad is drunk the next day and goes after the Judge to try to get the money. The Widow and the Judge try to get custody of Huck but the new judge favors his father- who soon winds up in jail, drunk- but promising to reform. No one buys his promises, as he repeatedly shows his inability to not drink. The judge finally decided that the only way to possibly reform this man was with a shotgun.
Chapter 6
Huck's father tries to get the money from the Judge in courts, as well as bringing up the issue of Huck going to school. Huck thinks he might try to go consistently now, just to spite his dad- who has beaten him several times since his reappearance. His father, in one of his drunk rages, takes Huck to an old cabin- where they used to live. He locks Huck up, and drives off-with a gun- those who try to retrieve his son. Huck finds an old saw and cuts a hole in the wall. Huck faces a problem- he doesn't want to stay with his father but he also doesn't want to return to the Widow's. He plans to run away soon. The chapter ends with Huck pointing a gun at his sleeping father.
Huck Finn talks about his experiences with school. He says that he goes most often, but he plays hooky quite a bit as well. Miss Watson continues her efforts to better Huck. He talks to Judge Tatcher and offers him all of the money he got from the treasure he found with Tom. Jim, Miss Watson's slave, has in his possession a giant hair-ball said to be magical. Huck visits Jim and said magic hair-ball, for he's worried about his father. He found footprints in the snow and suspects his father is behind them. Huck pays Jim a counterfeit quarter, for the hair-ball needs money to work its magic, and Jim tells him about his father. Jim says that his father has two angels- one white, said to be good, and one black, the one contradicting the white. When Huck returns home, who is sitting on his bed but his father.
Chapter 5
Huck is shocked. His father looks horrible- disheveled and dirty. It's revealed that the reason Huck gave the money to Judge Thatcher was so that his father wouldn't come to take it away, and most likely use it for alcohol. His dad is drunk the next day and goes after the Judge to try to get the money. The Widow and the Judge try to get custody of Huck but the new judge favors his father- who soon winds up in jail, drunk- but promising to reform. No one buys his promises, as he repeatedly shows his inability to not drink. The judge finally decided that the only way to possibly reform this man was with a shotgun.
Chapter 6
Huck's father tries to get the money from the Judge in courts, as well as bringing up the issue of Huck going to school. Huck thinks he might try to go consistently now, just to spite his dad- who has beaten him several times since his reappearance. His father, in one of his drunk rages, takes Huck to an old cabin- where they used to live. He locks Huck up, and drives off-with a gun- those who try to retrieve his son. Huck finds an old saw and cuts a hole in the wall. Huck faces a problem- he doesn't want to stay with his father but he also doesn't want to return to the Widow's. He plans to run away soon. The chapter ends with Huck pointing a gun at his sleeping father.
Section Three
Chapter 7
Huck's father wakes up, wakes Huck up, and proceeds to confront him about the gun. Huck mutters something about an intruder in the night, and his Pap dismisses it. Huck describes the rising river- how he always uses the wood floating down to make rafts. He finds a canoe in the river, and hides it for future use in his escape plan. His father goes into town, leaving Huck locked up in the cabin. Huck climbs out the hole in the wall he sawed earlier and proceeds to pack up his canoe with supplies. Then he blocked up the hole so Pap wouldn't know how he got out, went outside, and shot a wild pig. He then took an ax and chopped down the door, leaving blood and the appearance of a kidnapping. He falls asleep in the canoe and when he wakes up, Pap's home. So he high-tails it out of there- rowing all the way to Jackson Island.
Chapter 8
Huck watches from the shore as a boat goes by on the river, full of people he knows searching for him- or, rather, his body. He feels relieved when they are gone, knowing that- when they find nothing- they will cease searching for him. He comes upon a fire that has been burning up until so recently that it was still smoking. Worried, he jumps into a tree and stays there for a few hours. When nothing happens, and Huck is getting hungry, he climbs down. He hears men speaking, and so spends the night in the canoe. Afterwards, he comes upon Jim, Miss Watson's slave. Jim had run away because he heard Miss Watson speaking of selling him down south. Jim is rather confused, as- when he left- Huck had been proclaimed dead. Jim tells Huck his story- ending with his stating that he might not have any money in his hand, but he has himself. And that is worth quite a lot.
Huck's father wakes up, wakes Huck up, and proceeds to confront him about the gun. Huck mutters something about an intruder in the night, and his Pap dismisses it. Huck describes the rising river- how he always uses the wood floating down to make rafts. He finds a canoe in the river, and hides it for future use in his escape plan. His father goes into town, leaving Huck locked up in the cabin. Huck climbs out the hole in the wall he sawed earlier and proceeds to pack up his canoe with supplies. Then he blocked up the hole so Pap wouldn't know how he got out, went outside, and shot a wild pig. He then took an ax and chopped down the door, leaving blood and the appearance of a kidnapping. He falls asleep in the canoe and when he wakes up, Pap's home. So he high-tails it out of there- rowing all the way to Jackson Island.
Chapter 8
Huck watches from the shore as a boat goes by on the river, full of people he knows searching for him- or, rather, his body. He feels relieved when they are gone, knowing that- when they find nothing- they will cease searching for him. He comes upon a fire that has been burning up until so recently that it was still smoking. Worried, he jumps into a tree and stays there for a few hours. When nothing happens, and Huck is getting hungry, he climbs down. He hears men speaking, and so spends the night in the canoe. Afterwards, he comes upon Jim, Miss Watson's slave. Jim had run away because he heard Miss Watson speaking of selling him down south. Jim is rather confused, as- when he left- Huck had been proclaimed dead. Jim tells Huck his story- ending with his stating that he might not have any money in his hand, but he has himself. And that is worth quite a lot.
Section Four
Chapter 9
Huck and Jim explore the island. They find a cave to stay in, and carry the supplies and canoe up to it. Jim says he can feel it- it's going to rain. It does- for days on end, and the island gets flooded. Huck loves the island and the woods and the rain. They see a raft float by, and grab it. Then they see a whole house float by. They see a form on the house, and discover it is a dead man, lying on the floor. Huck doesn't look at him, instead focusing on the rest of the house and what they can get from it. They get many things- clothes, candles, a cup, a quilt.
Chapter 10
Huck can't get the dead man out of his head. He wonders about it and brings it up to Jim. Jim says that it's bad luck. They have a whole discussion on luck. Huck touches a snake skin- which Jim admonishes him for, as that is one of the worst things someone can do for bad luck. Sure enough, Huck finds a dead snake and tries to prank Jim with it by putting it at the foot of his bed. Its mate comes and bites Jim, who is in pain for days afterwards. Huck dresses as a girl to go into town for information. He runs into an older woman who is new to town- so he doesn't recognize her- which is a relief to him. He still has to pretend to be a girl, though.
Chapter 11
Huck calls himself Sarah Mary Williams. The woman begins to talk about Huck's murder, without realizing who she is talking to. She says that Huck's Pap was a suspect, but now people are leaning towards it being Jim- who ran away at just the right time to implicate in the murder. Pap left town so that he wouldn't be lynched, and there is now a reward for both him and Jim. This woman says her husband is going to search the island where Huck and Jim are staying. The woman now realizes that Huck is not a girl- so he creates the identity of "George Peters"- a runaway apprentice. She believes him, and he hurries home to leave with Jim.
Huck and Jim explore the island. They find a cave to stay in, and carry the supplies and canoe up to it. Jim says he can feel it- it's going to rain. It does- for days on end, and the island gets flooded. Huck loves the island and the woods and the rain. They see a raft float by, and grab it. Then they see a whole house float by. They see a form on the house, and discover it is a dead man, lying on the floor. Huck doesn't look at him, instead focusing on the rest of the house and what they can get from it. They get many things- clothes, candles, a cup, a quilt.
Chapter 10
Huck can't get the dead man out of his head. He wonders about it and brings it up to Jim. Jim says that it's bad luck. They have a whole discussion on luck. Huck touches a snake skin- which Jim admonishes him for, as that is one of the worst things someone can do for bad luck. Sure enough, Huck finds a dead snake and tries to prank Jim with it by putting it at the foot of his bed. Its mate comes and bites Jim, who is in pain for days afterwards. Huck dresses as a girl to go into town for information. He runs into an older woman who is new to town- so he doesn't recognize her- which is a relief to him. He still has to pretend to be a girl, though.
Chapter 11
Huck calls himself Sarah Mary Williams. The woman begins to talk about Huck's murder, without realizing who she is talking to. She says that Huck's Pap was a suspect, but now people are leaning towards it being Jim- who ran away at just the right time to implicate in the murder. Pap left town so that he wouldn't be lynched, and there is now a reward for both him and Jim. This woman says her husband is going to search the island where Huck and Jim are staying. The woman now realizes that Huck is not a girl- so he creates the identity of "George Peters"- a runaway apprentice. She believes him, and he hurries home to leave with Jim.
Section Five
Chapter 12
Huck and Jim are on a raft traveling down the river. They build a sort of wigwam on the raft, and prepare the raft for the long term. They make considerable progress over the course of almost a week, before making it to St Louis. There is a large storm and they come upon a wrecked steamboat. Huck wants to go explore the wreck for an adventure, against Jim's judgement. He hears three men talking, two of them threatening the other. They argue over shares of stolen goods. Huck goes out to Jim, scared, who says that the raft has washed away.
Chapter 13
Huck and Jim leave in the robber's boat. Huck begins to feel bad for the robbers stuck back there, so he and Jim find their own raft and go to shore. Here Huck comes up with a story to send folks down to investigate the wreckage. Huck is very proud of himself. He feels he has done a good deed by saving those burglars. Huck and Jim sink the robber's boat, and promptly go to sleep.
Chapter 14
Huck and Jim look through the stuff that the robbers had left in the boat. They find many things of value. Then Huck and Jim talk about many, many things- from King Solomon to French politics to cows and cats. Jim doesn't believe that French people don't speak english. Huck and Jim continue on their way, down the river.
Huck and Jim are on a raft traveling down the river. They build a sort of wigwam on the raft, and prepare the raft for the long term. They make considerable progress over the course of almost a week, before making it to St Louis. There is a large storm and they come upon a wrecked steamboat. Huck wants to go explore the wreck for an adventure, against Jim's judgement. He hears three men talking, two of them threatening the other. They argue over shares of stolen goods. Huck goes out to Jim, scared, who says that the raft has washed away.
Chapter 13
Huck and Jim leave in the robber's boat. Huck begins to feel bad for the robbers stuck back there, so he and Jim find their own raft and go to shore. Here Huck comes up with a story to send folks down to investigate the wreckage. Huck is very proud of himself. He feels he has done a good deed by saving those burglars. Huck and Jim sink the robber's boat, and promptly go to sleep.
Chapter 14
Huck and Jim look through the stuff that the robbers had left in the boat. They find many things of value. Then Huck and Jim talk about many, many things- from King Solomon to French politics to cows and cats. Jim doesn't believe that French people don't speak english. Huck and Jim continue on their way, down the river.
Section Six
Chapter 15
In this chapter, Huck and Jim are still on the raft. They are heading towards the town of Cairo, where Jim wants to find a way into the free states. On one particularly foggy night, Huck gets separated in the canoe from the raft. He tries to find his way back, but ends up getting lost and calling out to Jiim- who returns his calls. Huck finally makes it back to the raft, and tries to convince Jim, who had thought Huck was lost for good, that it was all a dream. Jim believes him at first, but then stops believing and Huck feels bad about tricking him.
Chapter 16
Jim and Huck are worried they will miss Cairo. Huck is having an internal problem. He can't decide whether or not he ought to turn Jim in. He thinks it would be the right thing to do and truly believes that the slaves are property of their owners. Huck is all set to go to shore and turn Jim in, when Jim thanks him for being such a trust-worthy, kind friend- "de on'y white genlman dat ever kep' his promise to ole Jim." This touches Huck- who decides against turning him in, as well as tricks men on a search for runaways. Later, Huck and Jim decide that they may have passed Cairo in the fog. Then a steamboat runs in to the raft, and- while both make it out ok- Huck and Jim are separated. Huck makes it to shore, but gets cornered by dogs.
In this chapter, Huck and Jim are still on the raft. They are heading towards the town of Cairo, where Jim wants to find a way into the free states. On one particularly foggy night, Huck gets separated in the canoe from the raft. He tries to find his way back, but ends up getting lost and calling out to Jiim- who returns his calls. Huck finally makes it back to the raft, and tries to convince Jim, who had thought Huck was lost for good, that it was all a dream. Jim believes him at first, but then stops believing and Huck feels bad about tricking him.
Chapter 16
Jim and Huck are worried they will miss Cairo. Huck is having an internal problem. He can't decide whether or not he ought to turn Jim in. He thinks it would be the right thing to do and truly believes that the slaves are property of their owners. Huck is all set to go to shore and turn Jim in, when Jim thanks him for being such a trust-worthy, kind friend- "de on'y white genlman dat ever kep' his promise to ole Jim." This touches Huck- who decides against turning him in, as well as tricks men on a search for runaways. Later, Huck and Jim decide that they may have passed Cairo in the fog. Then a steamboat runs in to the raft, and- while both make it out ok- Huck and Jim are separated. Huck makes it to shore, but gets cornered by dogs.
Section Seven
Chapter 17
Someone calls off the dogs, and Huck is stuck having to explain himself to another stranger. He concocts a story about falling out of a steamboat. He walks in to the house and is asked if he is a Sheperdson. He says no, he is not and the man, by the name of Buck, tells him that he would have been shot if he was a Sheperdson. This family, the Grangerfords, offers a home to Huck as long as he needs one. He learns about their family- including a now dead daughter who wrote poetry.
Chapter 18
Huck introduces us to the family. There's Col. Grangerford, and the children Bob and Tom, Miss Charlotte, Miss Sophia, and Buck. Buck tries to shoot a member of the Sheperdson family, but fortunately misses. One of the daughters is revealed to be involved with a member of the Sheperdson family. A slave pulls Huck down with him to the swamp. There Huck finds Jim. It is actually Jim who tells Huck of the nature of Miss Sophia's love- and letter. Sophia runs away with the Sheperdson boy, and two Grangerfords, including Buck, are shot and killed. Huck is scared, and runs away with Jim at the end of the chapter- very appreciative to be able to escape on a raft.
Someone calls off the dogs, and Huck is stuck having to explain himself to another stranger. He concocts a story about falling out of a steamboat. He walks in to the house and is asked if he is a Sheperdson. He says no, he is not and the man, by the name of Buck, tells him that he would have been shot if he was a Sheperdson. This family, the Grangerfords, offers a home to Huck as long as he needs one. He learns about their family- including a now dead daughter who wrote poetry.
Chapter 18
Huck introduces us to the family. There's Col. Grangerford, and the children Bob and Tom, Miss Charlotte, Miss Sophia, and Buck. Buck tries to shoot a member of the Sheperdson family, but fortunately misses. One of the daughters is revealed to be involved with a member of the Sheperdson family. A slave pulls Huck down with him to the swamp. There Huck finds Jim. It is actually Jim who tells Huck of the nature of Miss Sophia's love- and letter. Sophia runs away with the Sheperdson boy, and two Grangerfords, including Buck, are shot and killed. Huck is scared, and runs away with Jim at the end of the chapter- very appreciative to be able to escape on a raft.
Section Eight
Chapter 19
Huck and Jim travel on for two or three days. Life on the river is lazy, full of fishing, swimming, and laying around. Sometimes they see a steamboat, but other than that they are alone. Huck is out alone in the canoe, when he sees two men. They ask to be let onto the raft. These men make up different identities for themselves- eventually deciding on different members of royalty, who need special treatment.
Chapter 20
The men are, at first, suspicious that Jim might be a runaway. But Huck leads them to believe otherwise- because what kind of a runaway slave would go south? Huck tells their new companions that he is going south after having the rest of his family, aside from 'Pa and Ike.' The duke and the king take Huck and Jim's beds and leave them to stay out on the raft. There is thunder and lightening, and while Huck tries to sleep he gets washed overboard- causing Jim to have a fit of laughter. The royalty decide to put on a performance in the town they're coming up on. They get there and see a preacher, preaching to crowds of people. The duke is apparently so moved that he has to tell everyone his story of reform and glory.
Huck and Jim travel on for two or three days. Life on the river is lazy, full of fishing, swimming, and laying around. Sometimes they see a steamboat, but other than that they are alone. Huck is out alone in the canoe, when he sees two men. They ask to be let onto the raft. These men make up different identities for themselves- eventually deciding on different members of royalty, who need special treatment.
Chapter 20
The men are, at first, suspicious that Jim might be a runaway. But Huck leads them to believe otherwise- because what kind of a runaway slave would go south? Huck tells their new companions that he is going south after having the rest of his family, aside from 'Pa and Ike.' The duke and the king take Huck and Jim's beds and leave them to stay out on the raft. There is thunder and lightening, and while Huck tries to sleep he gets washed overboard- causing Jim to have a fit of laughter. The royalty decide to put on a performance in the town they're coming up on. They get there and see a preacher, preaching to crowds of people. The duke is apparently so moved that he has to tell everyone his story of reform and glory.
Section Nine
Chapter 21
The chapter starts with the king and the duke taking a swim. Then they try to memorize Romeo and Juliet. The duke then tries to recite Hamlet's famous soliloquy- the one beginning "To be, or not to be, that is the question." He gets it horribly wrong, but Huck doesn't know the difference. The duke mixes many of Shakespeare's plays into one speech. They all decide that he's very good indeed, and make preparations for a performance in town. Huck describes the town they're in. It's run down- with the inhabitants spending much of their time concerned about tobacco and hogs. We meet the town drunk, Boggs. This drunk insults a man named Colonel Sherburn who promptly shoots him dead. The people of the town happened to like Boggs, so they decide to lynch Sherburn and be done with it.
Chapter 22
The angry crowd go in search of Sherburn, causing terror among the women and children. They find Sherburn calmly holding his gun. He gives them a speech. He states that he knows everyone in the crowd and he's sure they would never have the guts to lynch a man. He cocks his gun and the crowd disperses. Huck goes to the circus. A drunk man climbs into the ring and tries to ride the horses. The crowd made fun of him, except for Huck- who was honestly concerned for the man's safety. The man then is revealed to have never been drunk- a flawless performer. That night is the night of the Shakespeare show- and only twelve people come. So the duke puts a warning on his sign- Women and Children not allowed- in the hopes to intrigue more men to come.
Chapter 23
The sign did the trick, and- after a day of preparation- the house is packed of men. The king comes out, completely naked, and the audience roars with laughter. The duke says that's all and the men get angry. But instead of running the duke out of town, they decide to sell it to the rest of the town- rather than be the laughing stock. They do that for the next two nights as well. The last night, however, was full of those who had already seen the show before, and Huck notices something suspicious. He notices that every man has something under his coat such as a rotten tomato, a dead cat, or something of the like. Huck and the duke run out of there and meet up with the others on the raft. Huck and Jim talk after the others go to sleep, and Huck reckons that all kings are scoundrels like them. Jim mourns his wife and children. He feels guilt surrounding their lives and deaths.
Chapter 24
The duke and the king plan on 'working' some of the towns they drift by. They disguise Jim as a 'Sick Arab' so no one will bother him. The rest of them travel by steamboat to a different town. They talk with a reverend about someone named Mr. Wilks. Mr Wilks is recently dead. The conmen try to get information out of the man surrounding the death and family of Mr Peter Wilks. Huck was ashamed when the duke and the king pretend to be relatives- the duke going as far as pretending to be deaf and dumb.
The chapter starts with the king and the duke taking a swim. Then they try to memorize Romeo and Juliet. The duke then tries to recite Hamlet's famous soliloquy- the one beginning "To be, or not to be, that is the question." He gets it horribly wrong, but Huck doesn't know the difference. The duke mixes many of Shakespeare's plays into one speech. They all decide that he's very good indeed, and make preparations for a performance in town. Huck describes the town they're in. It's run down- with the inhabitants spending much of their time concerned about tobacco and hogs. We meet the town drunk, Boggs. This drunk insults a man named Colonel Sherburn who promptly shoots him dead. The people of the town happened to like Boggs, so they decide to lynch Sherburn and be done with it.
Chapter 22
The angry crowd go in search of Sherburn, causing terror among the women and children. They find Sherburn calmly holding his gun. He gives them a speech. He states that he knows everyone in the crowd and he's sure they would never have the guts to lynch a man. He cocks his gun and the crowd disperses. Huck goes to the circus. A drunk man climbs into the ring and tries to ride the horses. The crowd made fun of him, except for Huck- who was honestly concerned for the man's safety. The man then is revealed to have never been drunk- a flawless performer. That night is the night of the Shakespeare show- and only twelve people come. So the duke puts a warning on his sign- Women and Children not allowed- in the hopes to intrigue more men to come.
Chapter 23
The sign did the trick, and- after a day of preparation- the house is packed of men. The king comes out, completely naked, and the audience roars with laughter. The duke says that's all and the men get angry. But instead of running the duke out of town, they decide to sell it to the rest of the town- rather than be the laughing stock. They do that for the next two nights as well. The last night, however, was full of those who had already seen the show before, and Huck notices something suspicious. He notices that every man has something under his coat such as a rotten tomato, a dead cat, or something of the like. Huck and the duke run out of there and meet up with the others on the raft. Huck and Jim talk after the others go to sleep, and Huck reckons that all kings are scoundrels like them. Jim mourns his wife and children. He feels guilt surrounding their lives and deaths.
Chapter 24
The duke and the king plan on 'working' some of the towns they drift by. They disguise Jim as a 'Sick Arab' so no one will bother him. The rest of them travel by steamboat to a different town. They talk with a reverend about someone named Mr. Wilks. Mr Wilks is recently dead. The conmen try to get information out of the man surrounding the death and family of Mr Peter Wilks. Huck was ashamed when the duke and the king pretend to be relatives- the duke going as far as pretending to be deaf and dumb.
Section Ten
Chapter 25
In Chapter 25, the duke and the king, with Huck tagging along, continue with their elaborate ruse. Huck meets the three girls; Mary Jane- a pretty redhead- jumps into her 'long-lost family uncle's arms. The whole family rejoices at seeing these 'family members.' They pretend to pay their respects to the coffin- crying. This makes the whole family cry- and Huck feels rather overwhelmed. The duke and the king volunteer to go get the money from the cellar. They count up the money, and it comes out several hundred dollars short. They count it in front of everyone, though, and pretend it's the correct amount. Then they put all the money away and give it to the girls. Everyone heartily approves. Doctor Robinson comes and calls the duke and the king frauds. Mary Jane defends the king.
Chapter 26
The king arranges for rooms to stay in for him and the duke. They all sit down to dinner and make smalltalk. Huck gets in a fix when he tries to elaborate on his life in England, getting some facts mixed up. Huck goes to the room of the kind and duke. The duke wants to leave, but the king wants to stay to try and swindle more out of the family. Huck takes the money out of the room. He slips out the ladder.
Chapter 27
Huck is on his way out of the house. He hears someone coming along the hallway, so he hides the money in the coffin. The person was Mary Jane, who had gone to the coffin to cry. Huck can't get the money out, so he goes back to his room- worried. The undertaker later seals the coffin with the money still inside. They bury the coffin. The king sells the property and the slaves. The women become upset at the slave family's separation. The king and duke confront Huck about the money, but he makes them think that it was the slaves.
Chapter 28
Huck spies Mary Jane packing to go to England. She is crying. She tells Huck that it is because of the slave family, because they got separated. Huck slips up and tells her that he knows they will be reunited- he just doesn't say that he thinks it's because the conmen will be exposed and the slaves brought back. Huck is moved by her sincerity and emotions, and tells her all about the king and duke. She believes him and plans on having them tarred and feathered. Huck objects and tells her that he needs them to travel with him. Huck tells her to stay at her friend's house. At the end of the chapter, a mob enter. There are two men in the mob who are claiming to be the real relatives of Mr Wilks.
In Chapter 25, the duke and the king, with Huck tagging along, continue with their elaborate ruse. Huck meets the three girls; Mary Jane- a pretty redhead- jumps into her 'long-lost family uncle's arms. The whole family rejoices at seeing these 'family members.' They pretend to pay their respects to the coffin- crying. This makes the whole family cry- and Huck feels rather overwhelmed. The duke and the king volunteer to go get the money from the cellar. They count up the money, and it comes out several hundred dollars short. They count it in front of everyone, though, and pretend it's the correct amount. Then they put all the money away and give it to the girls. Everyone heartily approves. Doctor Robinson comes and calls the duke and the king frauds. Mary Jane defends the king.
Chapter 26
The king arranges for rooms to stay in for him and the duke. They all sit down to dinner and make smalltalk. Huck gets in a fix when he tries to elaborate on his life in England, getting some facts mixed up. Huck goes to the room of the kind and duke. The duke wants to leave, but the king wants to stay to try and swindle more out of the family. Huck takes the money out of the room. He slips out the ladder.
Chapter 27
Huck is on his way out of the house. He hears someone coming along the hallway, so he hides the money in the coffin. The person was Mary Jane, who had gone to the coffin to cry. Huck can't get the money out, so he goes back to his room- worried. The undertaker later seals the coffin with the money still inside. They bury the coffin. The king sells the property and the slaves. The women become upset at the slave family's separation. The king and duke confront Huck about the money, but he makes them think that it was the slaves.
Chapter 28
Huck spies Mary Jane packing to go to England. She is crying. She tells Huck that it is because of the slave family, because they got separated. Huck slips up and tells her that he knows they will be reunited- he just doesn't say that he thinks it's because the conmen will be exposed and the slaves brought back. Huck is moved by her sincerity and emotions, and tells her all about the king and duke. She believes him and plans on having them tarred and feathered. Huck objects and tells her that he needs them to travel with him. Huck tells her to stay at her friend's house. At the end of the chapter, a mob enter. There are two men in the mob who are claiming to be the real relatives of Mr Wilks.
Section Eleven
Chapter 29
The king and the duke don't let on that they are frauds. However, when the real men do speak, it's apparent that they have real british accents. Harvey Wilks says, calmly, that he is the real Harvey, but he can't prove it until his bags get there so they can't do anything but wait. The king laughs at him and pretends to be sure that the real one is a fake. One man isn't so sure- and challenges the king to tell him how he got to that town. The doctor says that he doesn't know if they are frauds or not, but they should be kept right there until this whole mess is figured out. Then the doctor says that they should send for the money, and if the king and duke aren't frauds of course they wouldn't mind. The only problem is that the money is gone. The lawyer has both sets of relatives write something on a piece of paper to compare handwritings to letters supposedly written by the real ones. He decides that neither of them could have written the letters- but Harvey Wilks says that is because his brother would copy them down in his own hand. The king says it isn't a fair test, refusing to give in. The other man asks the king to tell him what tattoo his brother had. The king describes something wrong, and the other man describes something that no one remembered, so the town decides they're all fakes. They decide to dig up the corpse to find out. They find the bag of gold. Huck runs away. He runs all the way to Jim, yelling to cast off in the raft. Just as they're leaving, however, the king and the duke show up.
Chapter 30
The king shakes Huck- angry at him for trying to give them the slip. Huck makes up a story so that the king doesn't hurt him. The duke tells him to lay off Huck and Jim. The duke and the king get in to a fight. They both blame each other for hiding the money in the coffin. They make up and go to sleep together. While they sleep, Huck fills Jim in on all that he missed.
Chapter 31
They keep going down the river for a long time. The landscape is changing as they move further and further south. The 'frauds' think they've made it safely far enough away, and begin to try to swindle money again. They don't have much success. Jim and Huck plan to get rid of them as soon as possible. Huck gets to the raft one day and Jim isn't there. Apparently he was taken- recognized as a runaway slave. Huck doesn't know what to do. Huck realizes that it was the duke who sold Jim. The duke tells Huck where to find Jim, even though Jim knows he is lying. Huck knows where to find Jim though.
The king and the duke don't let on that they are frauds. However, when the real men do speak, it's apparent that they have real british accents. Harvey Wilks says, calmly, that he is the real Harvey, but he can't prove it until his bags get there so they can't do anything but wait. The king laughs at him and pretends to be sure that the real one is a fake. One man isn't so sure- and challenges the king to tell him how he got to that town. The doctor says that he doesn't know if they are frauds or not, but they should be kept right there until this whole mess is figured out. Then the doctor says that they should send for the money, and if the king and duke aren't frauds of course they wouldn't mind. The only problem is that the money is gone. The lawyer has both sets of relatives write something on a piece of paper to compare handwritings to letters supposedly written by the real ones. He decides that neither of them could have written the letters- but Harvey Wilks says that is because his brother would copy them down in his own hand. The king says it isn't a fair test, refusing to give in. The other man asks the king to tell him what tattoo his brother had. The king describes something wrong, and the other man describes something that no one remembered, so the town decides they're all fakes. They decide to dig up the corpse to find out. They find the bag of gold. Huck runs away. He runs all the way to Jim, yelling to cast off in the raft. Just as they're leaving, however, the king and the duke show up.
Chapter 30
The king shakes Huck- angry at him for trying to give them the slip. Huck makes up a story so that the king doesn't hurt him. The duke tells him to lay off Huck and Jim. The duke and the king get in to a fight. They both blame each other for hiding the money in the coffin. They make up and go to sleep together. While they sleep, Huck fills Jim in on all that he missed.
Chapter 31
They keep going down the river for a long time. The landscape is changing as they move further and further south. The 'frauds' think they've made it safely far enough away, and begin to try to swindle money again. They don't have much success. Jim and Huck plan to get rid of them as soon as possible. Huck gets to the raft one day and Jim isn't there. Apparently he was taken- recognized as a runaway slave. Huck doesn't know what to do. Huck realizes that it was the duke who sold Jim. The duke tells Huck where to find Jim, even though Jim knows he is lying. Huck knows where to find Jim though.
Section Twelve
Chapter 32
Huck arrives at the house where Jim is being held. Huck describes the house at length- it is it's your typical one-horse plantation with a fence and sickly grass patches. Huck is chased by dogs, but a slave woman sends them away. Three slave children follow her and hide behind her. An older white woman comes out then, and is followed by her children. The woman seems to recognize Huck though, who is so befuddled he agrees. The woman proceeds to embrace him and invite him inside. She tells him he doesn't look like his mother much, and he learns that he is supposedly cousin Tom. Huck is doesn't say anything to dissuade her from thinking he's a relative. Huck makes up a story about being on a boat that blew a 'cylinder-head' which is why he didn't get there sooner. Huck becomes uneasy with telling lies. Then he realizes that the person he is pretending to be is none other than Tom Sawyer! Huck tells the folks he'll be gone for a while, looking for his luggage, but really he's going to try to find Tom and explain the situation.
Chapter 33
Huck starts up to town, but around halfway there he sees Tom Sawyer making his way down. Tom is shocked to see Huck, presumably because he thought Huck was dead. He tells Huck to go away and stop haunting him. Huck tells him that he never was murdered, and Tom is glad. Huck explains it all to Tom, and Tom tells him to take his luggage. Huck then tells Tom about Jim. Instead of being angry, Tom offers to help steal Jim. Tom shows up a half an hour later claiming to be one William Thompson. Then he decides to change things up a bit and tell them he's Sid Sawyer, Tom's half brother. Aunt Sally is overjoyed to see him. Huck and Tom are told about a show in town- and Huck realizes that the duke and the king aren't far away. They share a room, and Huck tells Tom about all of his adventures. Then they sneak out of the house, and while they're out they see the duke and the king being tarred and feathered.
Chapter 34
Tom thinks he knows where Jim is. Huck comes up with a plan to steal him away, but Tom disapproves. Huck is still surprised that Tom agreed to help steal Jim back- because it is illegal and Tom hasn't shown much sympathy towards slaves before. Huck and Tom find a way to see Jim. Jim recognizes Huck and Tom. The slave keeping Jim is confused, but Huck and Tom act like no one ever said anything. Tom promises to Jim that they will set him free, and Jim is ever so grateful.
Huck arrives at the house where Jim is being held. Huck describes the house at length- it is it's your typical one-horse plantation with a fence and sickly grass patches. Huck is chased by dogs, but a slave woman sends them away. Three slave children follow her and hide behind her. An older white woman comes out then, and is followed by her children. The woman seems to recognize Huck though, who is so befuddled he agrees. The woman proceeds to embrace him and invite him inside. She tells him he doesn't look like his mother much, and he learns that he is supposedly cousin Tom. Huck is doesn't say anything to dissuade her from thinking he's a relative. Huck makes up a story about being on a boat that blew a 'cylinder-head' which is why he didn't get there sooner. Huck becomes uneasy with telling lies. Then he realizes that the person he is pretending to be is none other than Tom Sawyer! Huck tells the folks he'll be gone for a while, looking for his luggage, but really he's going to try to find Tom and explain the situation.
Chapter 33
Huck starts up to town, but around halfway there he sees Tom Sawyer making his way down. Tom is shocked to see Huck, presumably because he thought Huck was dead. He tells Huck to go away and stop haunting him. Huck tells him that he never was murdered, and Tom is glad. Huck explains it all to Tom, and Tom tells him to take his luggage. Huck then tells Tom about Jim. Instead of being angry, Tom offers to help steal Jim. Tom shows up a half an hour later claiming to be one William Thompson. Then he decides to change things up a bit and tell them he's Sid Sawyer, Tom's half brother. Aunt Sally is overjoyed to see him. Huck and Tom are told about a show in town- and Huck realizes that the duke and the king aren't far away. They share a room, and Huck tells Tom about all of his adventures. Then they sneak out of the house, and while they're out they see the duke and the king being tarred and feathered.
Chapter 34
Tom thinks he knows where Jim is. Huck comes up with a plan to steal him away, but Tom disapproves. Huck is still surprised that Tom agreed to help steal Jim back- because it is illegal and Tom hasn't shown much sympathy towards slaves before. Huck and Tom find a way to see Jim. Jim recognizes Huck and Tom. The slave keeping Jim is confused, but Huck and Tom act like no one ever said anything. Tom promises to Jim that they will set him free, and Jim is ever so grateful.
Section Thirteen
Chapter 35
Tom is very upset at the lack of adventure that would be involved in rescuing Jim. He tries to create drama and obstacles to make the rescue more like a book. For example, Tom says that they will have to cut the bed that Jim's chain is attached to, even though they could just pick up the post and slip the chain off. Although cutting off Jim's leg would also be an option. Huck takes some things from the relatives, calling it borrowing. Tom gets upset when Huck takes and eats a watermelon. Tom gets everything ready except for tools. He says they can't go the easy way and use shovels or picks- they must use knives.
Chapter 36
Huck and Tom don't manage with the cave-knives, and change to using picks instead. They 'borrow' more things from the family- spoons, candlesticks... Huck and Jim dig into Jim and Jim is very happy. Huck and Tom convince Nat, the slave taking care of Jim, that there are witches. Tom says the only solution is to make a witch pie. Nat doesn't know how to, so Tom agrees to help him. Tom plans to bake in a rope ladder.
Chapter 37
Aunt Sally notices the missing items. She especially notices that they have 9 spoons instead of 10. Huck and Tom make her very confused. They have her count the spoons multiple times and each time Huck either takes or adds a spoon. Aunt Sally is so confused and worried that she doesn't know how many of anything she has anymore. Huck and Tom figure it's safe to keep them permanently. Tom bakes the witch-pie, and puts the rope in it. They send it to Jim.
Chapter 38
Tom tells Jim to scratch something on the wall of the room he was kept in- like they do in the books. They make pens and Tom writes something for Jim to inscribe on the wall. Tom thinks it would be better to write on stone, however, and the mill stone they try to take is too heavy- so they bring Jim out of his building. Huck notices that Tom prefers to watch, instead of work. Tom wants Jim to bring a snake to tame back in with him, but Jim refuses. Jim doesn't think that Tom should be making so much of a fuss of getting Jim out. Jim doesn't like that Tom is trying to create problems.
Tom is very upset at the lack of adventure that would be involved in rescuing Jim. He tries to create drama and obstacles to make the rescue more like a book. For example, Tom says that they will have to cut the bed that Jim's chain is attached to, even though they could just pick up the post and slip the chain off. Although cutting off Jim's leg would also be an option. Huck takes some things from the relatives, calling it borrowing. Tom gets upset when Huck takes and eats a watermelon. Tom gets everything ready except for tools. He says they can't go the easy way and use shovels or picks- they must use knives.
Chapter 36
Huck and Tom don't manage with the cave-knives, and change to using picks instead. They 'borrow' more things from the family- spoons, candlesticks... Huck and Jim dig into Jim and Jim is very happy. Huck and Tom convince Nat, the slave taking care of Jim, that there are witches. Tom says the only solution is to make a witch pie. Nat doesn't know how to, so Tom agrees to help him. Tom plans to bake in a rope ladder.
Chapter 37
Aunt Sally notices the missing items. She especially notices that they have 9 spoons instead of 10. Huck and Tom make her very confused. They have her count the spoons multiple times and each time Huck either takes or adds a spoon. Aunt Sally is so confused and worried that she doesn't know how many of anything she has anymore. Huck and Tom figure it's safe to keep them permanently. Tom bakes the witch-pie, and puts the rope in it. They send it to Jim.
Chapter 38
Tom tells Jim to scratch something on the wall of the room he was kept in- like they do in the books. They make pens and Tom writes something for Jim to inscribe on the wall. Tom thinks it would be better to write on stone, however, and the mill stone they try to take is too heavy- so they bring Jim out of his building. Huck notices that Tom prefers to watch, instead of work. Tom wants Jim to bring a snake to tame back in with him, but Jim refuses. Jim doesn't think that Tom should be making so much of a fuss of getting Jim out. Jim doesn't like that Tom is trying to create problems.
Section Fourteen
Chapter 39
Huck and Tom accidentally infest the house with vermin they planned on confining to Jim's room. Jim has trouble with all of the animals with him. Tom begins to write anonymous letters. They speak of trouble coming for the family, because Tom and Huck are concerned that the father of the family is carrying out his plan of writing about the runaway in the newspaper- which would probably reach Miss Watson. Tom writes many letters to the family about a supposed plot against them.
Chapter 40
Huck and Tom are sent to bed right after dinner. They spy a group of armed men outside of the house, but Tom isn't worried. He's all the more excited. The men attack the shed. Huck, Tom, and Jim all make it out through a hole in the wall. They are chased down to the river. However, they make it safely to the canoe. Tom is very excited because he got shot in the leg, which is all a grand adventure. Huck and Jim are concerned, however, and decide to get a doctor.
Huck and Tom accidentally infest the house with vermin they planned on confining to Jim's room. Jim has trouble with all of the animals with him. Tom begins to write anonymous letters. They speak of trouble coming for the family, because Tom and Huck are concerned that the father of the family is carrying out his plan of writing about the runaway in the newspaper- which would probably reach Miss Watson. Tom writes many letters to the family about a supposed plot against them.
Chapter 40
Huck and Tom are sent to bed right after dinner. They spy a group of armed men outside of the house, but Tom isn't worried. He's all the more excited. The men attack the shed. Huck, Tom, and Jim all make it out through a hole in the wall. They are chased down to the river. However, they make it safely to the canoe. Tom is very excited because he got shot in the leg, which is all a grand adventure. Huck and Jim are concerned, however, and decide to get a doctor.
Section Fifteen
Chapter 41
The doctor comes, and he is very nice. Huck spins a tale of a hunting trip, involving his brother- Tom- accidentally shooting himself probably in his sleep. Huck slips up and tells the doctor that there were three people on the boat on the way over to the island, but tries to pass it off as meaning three people including the guns. Huck is concerned that fixing Tom's leg might take longer than Huck had expected. The doctor goes over to the island by himself, leaving Huck alone on shore. In the morning, Uncle Silas finds Huck and brings him back to the Phelps' house. Everyone at their house is talking about the contents of Jim's house. Aunt Sally won't let Tom go and find Huck, who he says is just in town.
Chapter 42
They look for Tom. The family gets a letter from Tom's mom. But before they can open it, Tom shows up on a mattress with the doctor and Jim in a dress with his hands tied behind him. Sally is happy Tom is even alive. Some of the men want to hang Jim, but decide against it. Jim never says anything even when they hit him. The men do decide to up the security around Jim though. The doctor sticks up for him, however, saying he's a good slave. Sally stays with Tom the whole time. Tom tells Huck that Miss Watson died and left Jim his freedom in her will. Aunt Sally comes in, and Tom tells her the whole story of how they freed Jim. She is shocked. Tom realizes that Jim isn't free still mid sentence. Tom tells them to let Jim go. Tom tells Sally that he's really Tom not Sid. Huck comes out from under the bed he was hiding. Then Aunt Polly walks into the room. She scolds Tom and Huck.
Chapter The Last
Huck asks Tom what he was doing, trying to set free a slave he already knew was free. Tom says that he just wanted to go on down the river, having adventures. They set Jim free officially, and everyone is very nice to him on account of his having helped Tom so much when Tom was shot. Tom gives Jim forty dollars, and Jim is ever so grateful. Tom makes plans for more adventures in the future. Huck figures his father took all the money from Judge Tatcher, but Tom assures him it isn't so. Tom recovers from his gun shot wound. Jim tells Huck that the dead man on the floating house they saw all that time ago was Huck's dad. That ties up the loose ends nicely, and Huck says he's going to go off to the territories, because he doesn't want to stay and be sivilized by Aunt Sally. He's been there before.
The doctor comes, and he is very nice. Huck spins a tale of a hunting trip, involving his brother- Tom- accidentally shooting himself probably in his sleep. Huck slips up and tells the doctor that there were three people on the boat on the way over to the island, but tries to pass it off as meaning three people including the guns. Huck is concerned that fixing Tom's leg might take longer than Huck had expected. The doctor goes over to the island by himself, leaving Huck alone on shore. In the morning, Uncle Silas finds Huck and brings him back to the Phelps' house. Everyone at their house is talking about the contents of Jim's house. Aunt Sally won't let Tom go and find Huck, who he says is just in town.
Chapter 42
They look for Tom. The family gets a letter from Tom's mom. But before they can open it, Tom shows up on a mattress with the doctor and Jim in a dress with his hands tied behind him. Sally is happy Tom is even alive. Some of the men want to hang Jim, but decide against it. Jim never says anything even when they hit him. The men do decide to up the security around Jim though. The doctor sticks up for him, however, saying he's a good slave. Sally stays with Tom the whole time. Tom tells Huck that Miss Watson died and left Jim his freedom in her will. Aunt Sally comes in, and Tom tells her the whole story of how they freed Jim. She is shocked. Tom realizes that Jim isn't free still mid sentence. Tom tells them to let Jim go. Tom tells Sally that he's really Tom not Sid. Huck comes out from under the bed he was hiding. Then Aunt Polly walks into the room. She scolds Tom and Huck.
Chapter The Last
Huck asks Tom what he was doing, trying to set free a slave he already knew was free. Tom says that he just wanted to go on down the river, having adventures. They set Jim free officially, and everyone is very nice to him on account of his having helped Tom so much when Tom was shot. Tom gives Jim forty dollars, and Jim is ever so grateful. Tom makes plans for more adventures in the future. Huck figures his father took all the money from Judge Tatcher, but Tom assures him it isn't so. Tom recovers from his gun shot wound. Jim tells Huck that the dead man on the floating house they saw all that time ago was Huck's dad. That ties up the loose ends nicely, and Huck says he's going to go off to the territories, because he doesn't want to stay and be sivilized by Aunt Sally. He's been there before.