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Facsimile of the title page of the first American edition of Tom Sawyer.
Chapter 1—Y-o-u-u Tom—Aunt Polly Decides Upon her Duty—Tom Practices Music—The Challenge—A Private Entrance
Chapter 2—Strong Temptations—Strategic Movements—The Innocents Beguiled
Chapter 3—Tom as a General—Triumph and Reward—Dismal Felicity—Commission and Omission
Chapter 4—Mental Acrobatics—Attending Sunday-School—The Superintendent—“Showing off”—Tom Lionized
Chapter 5—A Useful Minister—In Church—The Climax
Chapter 6—Self-Examination—Dentistry—The Midnight Charm—Witches and Devils—Cautious Approaches—Happy Hours
Chapter 7—A Treaty Entered Into—Early Lessons—A Mistake Made
Chapter 8—Tom Decides on his Course—Old Scenes Re-enacted
Chapter 9—A Solemn Situation—Grave Subjects Introduced—Indian Joe Explains
Chapter 10—The Solemn Oath—Terror Brings Repentance—Mental Punishment
Chapter 11—Muff Potter Comes Himself—Tom’s Conscience at Work
Chapter 12—Tom Shows his Generosity—Aunt Polly Weakens
Chapter 13—The Young Pirates—Going to the Rendezvous—The Camp-Fire Talk
Chapter 14—Camp-Life—A Sensation—Tom Steals Away from Camp
Chapter 15—Tom Reconnoiters—Learns the Situation—Reports at Camp
Chapter 16—A Day’s Amusements—Tom Reveals a Secret—The Pirates take a Lesson—A Night Surprise—An Indian War
Chapter 17—Memories of the Lost Heroes—The Point in Tom’s Secret
Chapter 18—Tom’s Feelings Investigated—Wonderful Dream—Becky Thatcher Over-shadowed—Tom Becomes Jealous—Black Revenge
Chapter 19—Tom Tells the Truth
Chapter 20—Becky in a Dilemma—Tom’s Nobility Asserts Itself
Chapter 21—Youthful Eloquence—Compositions by the Young Ladies—A Lengthy Vision—The Boy’s Vengeance Satisfied
Chapter 22—Tom’s Confidence Betrayed—Expects Signal Punishment
Chapter 23—Old Muff’s Friends—Muff Potter in Court—Muff Potter Saved
Chapter 24—Tom as the Village Hero—Days of Splendor and Nights of Horror—Pursuit of Indian Joe
Chapter 25—About Kings and Diamonds—Search for the Treasure—Dead People and Ghosts
Chapter 26—The Haunted House—Sleepy Ghosts—A Box of Gold—Bitter Luck
Chapter 27—Doubts to be Settled—The Young Detectives
Chapter 28—An Attempt at No. Two—Huck Mounts Guard
Chapter 29—The Pic-nic—Huck on Indian Joe’s Track—The “Revenge” Job—Aid for the Widow
Chapter 30—The Welchman Reports—Huck Under Fire—The Story Circulated—A New Sensation—Hope Giving Way to Despair
Chapter 31—An Exploring Expedition—Trouble Commences—Lost in the Cave—Total Darkness—Found but not Saved
Chapter 32—Tom Tells the Story of their Escape—Tom’s Enemy in Safe Quarters
Chapter 33—The Fate of Indian Joe—Huck and Tom Compare Notes—An Expedition to the Cave—Protection Against Ghosts—“An Awful Snug Place”—A Reception at the Widow Douglas’s
Chapter 34—Springing a Secret—Mr. Jones’ Surprise a Failure
Chapter 35—A New Order of Things—Poor Huck—New
Adventures Planned
Conclusion
TO
MY WIFE
THIS BOOK
IS
AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED.
Most of the adventures recorded in this book really occurred; one or two were experiences of my own, the rest those of boys who were schoolmates of mine. Huck Finn is drawn from life; Tom Sawyer also, but not from an individual—he is a combination of the characteristics of three boys whom I knew, and therefore belongs to the composite order of architecture.
The odd superstitions touched upon were all prevalent among children and slaves in the West at the period of this story—that is to say, thirty or forty years ago.
Although my book is intended mainly for the entertainment of boys and girls, I hope it will not be shunned by men and women on that account, for part of my plan has been to try to pleasantly remind adults of what they once were themselves, and of how they felt and thought and talked, and what queer enterprises they sometimes engaged in.
— The Author. Hartford, 1876.