Tom Sawyer was always getting into trouble. He was the kind of boy who just could not resist adventure.
Tom lived with his Aunt Polly, his cousin Mary and his half-brother Sid. Everyone was used to Tom’s mischief, but Sid never missed a chance to tell Aunt Polly when he thought Tom was up to no good. That’s how she found out that Tom was playing hooky from school and going swimming.
Now, as a punishment for his behavior, Tom found himself faced with the chore of
He looked at the fence. It seemed enormous, and he knew it would take all day to give it only one coat. Tom began to think of all the fun he had planned for this day, and his sorrows multiplied. Soon his friends would come down the street, and he shuddered to think of how they would laugh to see him whitewashing a fence on such a beautiful day. There must be a way out of this situation.
Tom emptied his pockets and looked at his worldly wealth—bits of toys, marbles, and trash. He might be able to bribe someone else to help him for a while, but there wasn’t nearly enough to buy a whole day of freedom.
He picked up the brush and began to spread the whitewash slowly and peacefully over the fence. In only a few minutes, Ben Rogers came walking by, eating a big, juicy red apple. Tom’s mouth watered at the sight of such a treat, but he kept on painting and pretended not to see or hear Ben at all.
“Hey there, Tom, what’s up with you?” called Ben. “It’s too bad you have to work on a day like this. I’m just on my way to the river for a swim. Too bad you can’t come along!”
Tom looked at Ben for a moment, then said, “What do you call work?”
“Why, ain’t that work?” asked Ben, pointing to the fence.
“Well maybe it is, and maybe it ain’t,” answered Tom. “All I know is that it suits me just fine.”
“Come on now, don’t tell me you actually like it!”
“Like it? Well, I don’t see why I shouldn’t like it. It isn’t every day that a boy gets to whitewash a fence.”
That put things in a new light for Ben. He stopped eating his apple and began watching Tom work. Maybe there was something to this whitewashing after all, he thought.
“Hey, Tom, let me try it for a while,” Ben asked.
“No, no!” protested Tom. “Aunt Polly entrusted this fence to me, and I can’t just let anyone take over such a big job.”
But Ben continued to beg Tom to let him have the privilege of whitewashing for just a little while. Tom kept refusing until Ben offered him the rest of his juicy red apple. That had been what Tom was waiting for.
Tom sat in the shade and munched the apple
By mid-afternoon, the fence was completely whitewashed, and Tom was the proud owner of all sorts of treasures. His inspiration had certainly worked. All he had to do was make his chores seem to be fun, and the other boys were eager to do them for him.
When the fence was completed, Tom went into the house. “Can I go out and play now, Aunt Polly?” he asked.
“What! Already? How much have you done?”
“It’s all finished, Aunt Polly.”
“Tom, don’t lie to me. I can’t bear it,” she warned.
“Look for yourself,” answered Tom as he led his aunt to the window.
“Well, I never!” exclaimed Aunt Polly.
“You really can work when you put your mind to it.”
She was so pleased with Tom’s work that she presented him with a large juicy apple and told him he could go out, but to be home in time for dinner. Tom smiled, and when she turned her back, he slipped a sugar-coated doughnut into his left pocket.
Within minutes, Tom was out on the street as free as a bird. As he passed the house where Jeff Thatcher lived, he saw a girl in the garden—a new girl he had never seen before. She was lovely. Her blonde hair fell in two long braids almost to her waist. Tom fell in love instantly!
He tried to attract her attention by standing on his head and showing off in all sorts of silly ways, but she ignored him. Tom vowed that before the week was up he would win her love. He skipped down the street, his head full of romantic plans and adventures.