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.

Sparkling with mischief, jumping with youthful adventurousness, Mark Twain"s Tom Sawyer is one of the most splendid re-creations of childhood in all of literature. It is a lighthearted romp, full of humor and warmth. It shares with its sequel, the masterpiece Huckleberry Finn, not only a set of unforgettable characters-Tom, Huck, Aunt Polly, and others-but a profound understanding of humankind as well. Through such hilarious scenes as the famous fencewhitewashing incident, Twain gives us a portrait perceptive yet tender of a humanity rendered foolish by its own aspirations and obsessions.An enduring classic that famously appeals to young and old alike, Tom Sawyer is the work of a master storyteller performing in his shirtsleeves,using his best talents to everyone"s delight.

Tom Plays, Fights, and Hides

The Glorious Whitewasher

Busy at War and Love

Showing Off in Sunday School

The Pinch Bug and His Prey

Tom Meets Becky 

Tick-Running and a Heartbreak

A Pirate Bold to Be

Tragedy in the Graveyard

Dire Prophecy of the Howling Dog

Conscience Racks Tom

The Cat and the Painkiller

The Pirate Crew Set Sail

Happy Camp of the Freebooters

Tom"s Stealthy Visit Home

First Pipes-"I"ve Lost My Knife"

Pirates at Their Own Funeral

Tom Reveals His Dream Secret

The Cruelty of"I Didn"t Think"

Tom Takes Becky"s Punishment

Eloquence--and the Master"s

Gilded Dome

Huck Finn Quotes Scripture

The Salvation of Muff Potter

Splendid Days and Fearsome Nights

Seeking the Buried Treasure

Real Robbers Seize the Box of Gold

Trembling on the Trail

In the Lair of Iniun Joe

Huck Saves the Widow

Tom and Becky in the Cave

Found and Lost Again

"Turn Out! They"re Found!"

The Fate of Injun Joe

Floods of Gold

Respectable Huck Joins the Gang

Conclusion

NOTES

AFTERWORD BY ALFRED KAZIN