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 Tom Sawyer – Part Thirty-two
Before you read the text, read the following comprehension questions.
Now read the text and answer the questions.
"Hurry, men!" said the doctor, in a low voice; "The
moon might come out at any moment."
They growled a response and went on digging. For some time there was no noise
but the sound of the shovels digging and working the earth and stones. It was
very boring. Finally a shovel hit against the coffin with a dull woody noise,
and within another minute or two the men had lifted it out on the ground. 
They took off the lid with their shovels, got out the corpse and threw it
aggressively on the ground.
The moon moved slowly from behind the clouds and exposed the pale face of the
dead body. The wheelbarrow was put closer and the
corpse placed on it, covered with a blanket, and tied with the rope.
Potter took out a large knife and cut off the end of the rope and then said:
"Now the damn thing's ready, and you'll give me another five dollars, or the
corpse stays here."
"That's right!" said Injun Joe.
"Look here, what does this mean?" said the doctor. "You asked for your pay in
advance, and I've paid you."
"Yes, and you’ve done more than that," said Injun Joe, approaching the doctor,
who was now standing. "Five years ago you drove me away from your father's
kitchen one night, when I came to ask for something to eat, and you said I
wasn’t a good person.
When I promised I'd get even with you if it took me a hundred years, your father
had me put in prison for being homeless.
Did you think I'd forget? The Indian blood isn’t in me for nothing. And now I've
got you, and you’ve got to pay!"
He was threatening the doctor, with his fist in his face, by this time. The
doctor suddenly hit out and put the Indian on the ground. Potter dropped his
knife, and said:
"Hey, don't you hit my mate!" and the next moment he had jumped on the doctor
and the two were fighting as hard as they could and rolling on the grass.
Injun Joe jumped up, his eyes burning with passion, picked up Potter's knife,
and walked around the two fighting bodies like a cat, looking for an opportunity
to use the knife.
Suddenly, doctor jumped up, grabbed the heavy headstone of Williams’ grave and
hit Potter on the head with it. At the same time, the Indian saw his chance and
pushed the knife deeply into the young man's breast.
He stepped back and fell on Potter, covering him with his blood, and in the same
moment the clouds covered the moon and the two frightened boys ran away quickly
in the dark.
... 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.
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Now read the text and answer the questions.
Soon, when the moon came out again, Injun Joe was
standing over the two men, thinking about them.
The doctor moaned and gasped and then was still. The Indian said to himself, "That
score is settled, damn you."
Then he robbed the body. After which he put the knife in Potter's open right
hand, and sat down on the coffin. A few minutes passed, and then Potter began to
move and moan.
His hand closed on the knife. He lifted it up, looked at it, and let it fall.
Then he sat up and pushed the body from him, and gazed at it, and then around
him. He was confused. He looked at Injun Joe.
"God, how did this happen, Joe?" he said.
"It's a dirty business," said Joe, without moving.
"What did you do it for?"
"Me! I didn’t do it!"
"Look here! I can’t believe that."
Potter shivered and went white.
"I thought I'd got sober. I shouldn’t have drunk tonight. But I still feel drunk.
Worse than when we started. I’m totally confused. I can't remember anything at
all.
Tell me, Joe, honestly, did I do it? Joe, I didn’t mean to. I swear on my soul
and honor. Tell me how it happened, Joe. Oh, it's terrible. He’s so young."
"You two was fighting, and he hit you with the headstone and you fell. Then you
got up and grabbed the knife and stabbed him, just as he hit you again. You’ve
been lying here as if you were dead until now."
"Oh, I didn't know what I was doing. I wish I could die now if I did that. It
was all because of the whiskey and the excitement, I think. I’ve never used a
weapon in my life before, Joe. I've fought, but never with weapons. Everyone
knows that.
Joe, don't say anything! Please don’t say anything, Joe. Be a good mate. I
always liked you, Joe, and stood up for you, too. Don't you remember? You won’t
tell, will you, Joe?"
The poor man fell on his knees before the murderer, and put his hands together.
"No, you've always been fair and honest with me, Muff Potter, and I won't tell
on you. Don’t worry, that's the least I can do."
"Oh, Joe, you're an angel. I'll bless you for this as long as I live." And
Potter began to cry.
"Hey, come on, that's enough of that. This isn’t the time for crying. You go
that way and I'll go this way. Move, now, and don't leave any footprints behind
you."
Potter walked quickly away and then started to run. The Indian watched him go.
He said to himself, "If he's as confused and as drunk as he seemed, he won’t
think about the knife until he’s so far away that he’ll be afraid to come back
for it by himself. Chickenshit!"
Two or three minutes later the murdered man, the blanketed corpse, the empty
coffin, and the open grave were only looked upon by the moon. The stillness was
complete again, too.
... 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.
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