Tom Sawyer – Part Fifty-four

Before you read the text, read the following comprehension questions.

1. What prevented Tom from going with Huck and Joe?

2. What did Tom have that stopped the boys from leaving?

3. What did the boys have for dinner?

4. Tom and Joe hadn’t smoked tabacco before, but what had they smoked?

5. How did smoking a pipe for the first time affect Tom and Joe?

Now read the text and answer the questions.

Huck began to pick up his scattered clothes. He said, "Tom, I wish you'd come, too. Think it over. We'll wait for you when we get to shore."

"Well, you'll wait a very long time, that's for sure."

Huck walked away, and Tom looked after him. He really wanted to go with Huck and Joe, but his pride wouldn’t let him. He hoped the boys would stop, but they still slowly moved through the water.

Tom suddenly realized that it had become very lonely and still. He made one final struggle with his pride, and then ran after his friends, shouting,

"Wait! Wait! I want to tell you something!"

They stopped and turned around. When he got to where they were, he began telling them his secret, and they listened until at last they saw the "point" he was driving at, and then they clapped and shouted and said it was "wonderful!" and said if he had told them at first, they wouldn't have walked away.

He made a logical excuse, but his real reason had been the fear that not even the secret would keep them with him for a long time, and so he had meant to hold it in reserve as a last resort.

The boys walked back happily and started playing games again. They were full of energy and constantly talking about Tom's great plan and admiring the genius of it.

After a lovely egg and fish dinner, Tom said he wanted to learn to smoke, now. Joe liked the idea and said he would like to try, too. So, Huck made pipes and filled them with tabaco.

These novices had never smoked anything before except cigars made of grape leaves. Now they stretched themselves out on their elbows and began to puff, happily, and with confidence. The smoke had an unpleasant taste, and they gagged a little, but Tom said:
"It's just as easy! If I'd known this was all, I'd have learnt a long ago."

"So would I," said Joe. "It's just nothing."

"I've watched people smoking many times, and thought well I wish I could do that, but I never thought I could," said Tom.

"That's the same as me, isn’t it, Huck? You've heard me say the same thing, haven't you, Huck?

"Yes, loads of times," said Huck.

"Well, I have too," said Tom; "oh, hundreds of times. Once down by the slaughter-house. Don't you remember, Huck? Bob Tanner was there, and Johnny Miller, and Jeff Thatcher, when I said it. Don't you remember me saying that, Huck?"Diccionario online

"Yes, that's true," said Huck.

"I told you so," said Tom. "Huck remembers it."

"I believe I could smoke this pipe all day," said Joe. "I don't feel sick."

"Neither do I," said Tom. "I could smoke it all day. But I bet you Jeff Thatcher couldn't."

"Jeff Thatcher! He'd fall over just with two puffs. Just let him try it once. He’d see!"

"I bet he would. And Johnny Miller. I wish could see Johnny Miller try it once."

"Oh, me too!" said Joe. "I bet you Johnny Miller couldn't do this. Just one little puff would finish him off."

"'Yes it would, Joe. Hey, I wish the boys could see us now."

"So do I."

"Boys, don't say anything about it, and next time we see them, I'll come up to you and say, 'Joe, got a pipe? I want a smoke.' And you'll say, as if it was nothing, you'll say, 'Yes, I got my old pipe, and another one, but my tobacco isn’t very good.' And I'll say, 'Oh, that's all right, if it's strong enough.' And then you'll take out the pipes, and we'll light up as calm as anything and watch them looking at us!"

"Yes! That'll be great, Tom! I wish it was now!"

"So do I! And when we tell them we learned to smoke when we were away pirating, won't they wish they'd been with us?"

"Oh, I’m sure they will!"

So the talk continued. But is soon began to become weak and unenthusiastic. The silences became longer. The two boys were feeling the effects of the tabacco. Their throats were sore, their tongues burned and they felt sick.

Both boys were looking very pale and miserable, now. Joe's pipe dropped from his fingers. Tom's pipe followed. Joe said weakly:
"I've lost my knife. I’d better go and find it."

Tom said, quietly:
"I'll help you. You go over that way and I'll look around by the water.
You don’t need to come, Huck. We can find it."

... to be continued!

* The text has been adapted from the Adventures of Tom Sawyer
by Mark Twain


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*Consulta un PDF con la información y resumen de 100 libros en inglés
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Tom Sawyer – Part Fifty-five

Before you read the text, read the following comprehension questions.
 

1. How long did Huck wait before he went to look for his friends?

2. Did Tom and Joe tell Huck they were sick because of the pipe?

3. What time did Joe wake up?

4. How did the boys feel when the storm started?

5. Where did the boys run to for shelter when the storm began?
   

Now read the text and answer the questions.
 
Huck sat down again, and waited an hour. Then he got lonely and went to find his friends.

They were wide apart among the trees, both very pale, both fast asleep. But something told him that if they had had any trouble they had got rid of it.

They were not very talkative at dinner that night. When Huck prepared his pipe after the meal and was going to prepare theirs, they said no, they were not feeling very well. Something they ate at dinner had disagreed with them.

About midnight Joe woke up and called the boys. There was a depressing atmosphere in the air that seemed to predict something bad was going to happen. The boys moved close together in front of the friendly companionship of the fire, though the dull dead heat of the breathless atmosphere was stifling.

They sat still, waiting. The oppressive silence continued. Beyond the light of the fire everything was swallowed up in the blackness of darkness.

Soon there was a glowing light that showed trees and bushes for a moment and then it vanished.

Then, another came, a little stronger. Then another. Then a faint moan came sighing through the branches of the forest and the boys felt a short breath on their faces, and shivered with the idea that the Spirit of the Night had gone by.

There was a pause. Now a weird flash turned night into day and showed every little blade of grass around their feet. And it showed three white, scared faces, too. A deep rumble of thunder went rolling and tumbling down from the sky and lost itself in the distance.

A cold air passed by, moving all the leaves and blowing the ashes around the fire. Another angry flash of light lit up the forest and an instant crash followed that seemed to push the top of the trees right over the boys’ heads.

They clung together in terror. In the heavy darkness that followed a few big rain-drops fell on the leaves.Diccionario online

"Quick! boys, run for the tent!" shouted Tom.

They jumped up, falling over roots and rocks in the dark.

A furious blast roared through the trees. One blinding flash came after another, followed by deafening thunder. And now heavy rain poured down and the rising hurricane blew it in sheets along the ground.

The boys shouted out to each other, but the roaring wind and the booming thunder-blasts drowned their voices completely.

However, one by one they took shelter under the tent, cold, scared, and totally wet. But to have company in misery seemed something to be grateful for.

... to be continued!

* The text has been adapted from the Adventures of Tom Sawyer
by Mark Twain


  Download the original book for free
 

*Consulta un PDF con la información y resumen de 100 libros en inglés
que puedes descargar en 1 único archivo.

 

  Haz click para comprobar las soluciones

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