The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson

of the Ch

he principal one was, that they escaped

ed to be the beneficiary. In the case of the children, the bears and the prophet, the bears got more real sati

mated, and call the real heir "Chambers" and the usurping little slave "Thomas à Beck

h, while the lips turn blue and the mouth stands wide and rigid, offering for inspection one wee tooth set in the lower rim of a hoop of red gums; and when the appalling stillness has endured until one is sure the lost breath will never return, a nurse comes flying, and dashes water in the child's face, and-presto! the lungs fill, and instantly discharge a shriek, or a yell, or a howl which bursts the listening ear and surprises the owner of it into saying word

ing and everything he saw, simply saying "Awnt it!" (want it), which was a command. When it was brought, he said in a frenzy, and motioning it away with his hands, "Don't awnt it! don't awnt it!" and the moment it was go

ce of the tongs and say "Like it!" and cock his eye to one side to see if Roxy was observing; then, "Awnt it!" and cock his eye again; then, "Hab it!" with another furtive glance; and finally, "Take it!"-and the prize was his.

and milk, and clabber without sugar. In consequence Tom was a sickly child and Chambers wa

ss in practicing these forms that this exercise soon concreted itself into habit; it became automatic and unconscious; then a natural result followed: deceptions intended solely for others gradually grew practically into self-deceptions as well; the mock reverence became real reverence, the mock obsequiousness real obsequiousness, the mock homage real homage; the little counterfeit rift of separation

very dear at headquarters; not at the hands of Roxy, for if she ever went beyond scolding him sharply for "forgitt'n' who his young marster was," she at least never extended her punishment beyond a box on the ear. No, Percy Driscoll was the person. He told Chambers that under no provocatio

and a good fighter because Tom furnished him plenty of practice-on white boys whom he hated and was afraid of. Chambers was his constant body-guard, to and from school; he was present on the playground

pants "holy" at the knees and seat, to drag a sled up the hill for Tom, warmly clad, to ride down on; but he never got a ride himself. He built snow men and snow fortifications under Tom's directions. He was Tom's patient target when Tom wanted to d

-mainly on account of the risk they ran of getting their heads laid open with the butt of the farmer's whip. Tom was a distinguish

he would slip out and tie knots in Chambers's shirt, dip the knots in the water and make them hard to undo,

convenience, and was fond of doing it. He excited so much admiration, one day, among a crowd of white boys, by throwing back somersaults from the stern of a canoe, that it wearied Tom's spirit, and at last he shoved the canoe underneath Chambers while he was in the air-so he came

when the stranger came tearing hand over hand to the rescue, the howler would go on struggling and howling till he was close at hand, then replace the howl with a sarcastic smile and swim blandly away, while the town boys assailed the dupe with a volley o

tion as this to a nigger, and to this nigger of all niggers-this was too much. He heaped insults upon Chambers for "pretending" to think

her sorts of pet names, and told him they meant to call Chambers by a new name after this, and make it common in the town-"Tom Driscoll's niggerpappy,"-to

their heads off! What do you stand the

said, "But, Marse Tom, de

ou he

don't make me! Dey's

uld snatch him away and give the wounded lad a chance to escape. He was considerably hurt,

She saw her darling gradually cease from being her son, she saw that detail perish utterly; all that was left was master-master, pure and simple, and it was not a gentle mastership, either. She saw herself sink from the sublime height of motherhood to the sombe

fatigue, because her rage boiled so high over the day's exp

ays callin' me nigger-wench, en hussy, en all dem mean names, when I's doin' de very bes' I kin.

ese joys fear would strike her: she had made him too strong; she could prove nothing, and-heavens, she might get sold down the river for her pains! So her schemes always went for nothing, and she laid them aside in impotent rage

en,-all her sore places were healed, and she was happy; happy and proud, for this was her son,

at fall-the fall of 1845. One was that of Colonel Ce

on solemnly into the keeping of his brother, the Judge and his wife. Those chil

m had been trying to get his father to sell the boy down the river, and he wanted to prevent the scandal-fo

ng. He was hardly in his grave before the boom collapsed and left his hitherto envied young devil of an heir a pauper. B

r friends and then clear out and see the world-that is to say, she would

Jasper. She found him chopping Pudd'nh

r twelfth year, for her to remember them by; but she sobered in a moment, wondering if he suspected anything; then she said she believed she didn't want them. Wilson said to himself, "The drop of black blood in h