Chapter three tom meets becky.
Monday morning always made tom miserable.
With it began another week's slow suffering in school.
Up early tom sat in bed thinking about the evils of school and how he could be free of them.
He felt his head, hoping it was warm.
Sadly, it wasn't.
He inspected his body, hoping to find symptoms of some terrible illness.
There were none.
Just knowing that he was healthy made him feel even worse than before.
Soon Tom was on the way to class feeling, as usual, in very low spirits when he came upon Huckleberry Finn.
Finn, the son of a local troublemaker, was hated and dreaded by all the mothers in town, but loved and envied by their children.
He came and went at his own free will and never had to go to church or school.
Huck could go fishing or swimming whenever he chose and even stay up nights as late as he pleased.
He was really great at swearing and Tom Sawyer, like every other boy, was strictly forbidden to play with him.
So, not surprisingly, Tom played with Huck whenever he got the chance.
Hello there, Huckleberry.
Hello there yourself, Tom.
What's that you got inside that pouch?
A medicine potion.
My, it smells awful.
What's in it?
Catfish, whiskers, four-leaf clovers, owls, eggs, and other stuff.
What other stuff?
That's none of your business.
What's it good for, Huck?
Good for?
It cures warts if you use it right.
How do you cure warts with it?
That's easy.
You take the potion to the graveyard at midnight.
That's when a devil will come, maybe two or three, and they come to get someone wicked who's died.
And when they're taking that feller away, you throw the pouch with the potion in it after.
Then you say, devil fall a corpse, potion fall a devil, warts fall a potion, no more warts.
You ever tried, Huck?
Nope.
When do you think you're going to?
Tonight.
I reckon those devils ought to be there to get old Hoss Williams.
But they buried him Saturday.
Didn't they get him that night?
Why, how you talk.
How could they come till midnight and then it's Sunday?
Devils don't slosh around much on Sunday, I don't reckon.
I never thought of that.
Hey, let me go with you, Tom pleaded.
Of course, Huck replied.
That is, Huck stared at him, assuming you ain't too afraid.
Not likely, Tom shot back.
Then real quiet, like he whispered to Huck.
Will you also tell me the other ingredients in the potions?
I will, if you will show me that you ain't afraid.
I'm not afraid of anything, Huck Finn.
We'll see about that.
I reckon we will.
The two boys went on talking like this for some time before Tom remembered he had to go to school.
Before leaving, he reminded Huckleberry Finn one more time not to forget to come fetch him that very night.
When Tom finally entered the classroom, his schoolmaster, Mr Dobbins, was quietly dozing in the front of the room.
So Tom threw himself into his seat, hoping no one would notice.
No such luck.
"'Thomas Sawyer!'
Whenever he heard his full name pronounced, Tom knew it meant trouble.
"'Come up here, Thomas!'
Now, sir, suppose you tell us why you were late once again.
Tom had been thinking up a lie, a good lie, a doozy of a lie, as he walked slowly to the front of the room.
Then he saw that long yellow hair hanging down and recognized the Thatcher girl sitting all the way on the girl's side of the schoolroom, right next to an empty seat.
Quick as a wink, he knew what he had to say next.
"'I stopped to talk to Huckleberry Finn,' Tom said loudly.
All eyes were on Tom Sawyer now, and his classmates wondered if he'd lost his mind.
"'What did you say?'
Mr. Dobbins asked. not believing his own ears.
I stopped to talk to Huckleberry Finn.
Tom spoke slowly, so there was no mistaking the words.
Thomas Sawyer, that is the most amazing confession I have ever heard.
Take off your jacket, sir.
Dobbins got out his switch, and Tom stuck his arm out bravely to accept his punishment.
Several loud whacks soon filled the air, and Tom winced with each one.
Finally, the schoolmaster got tired, and he put his switch down.
Now, sir, he said sternly, go and sit with the girls and let that be a warning to you.
Tom took a seat at the end of the pine bench next to the girl with the long blonde tails.
Nudges, winks, and whispers soon ran from one end of the room to the other.
Meanwhile Tom sat perfectly still, his arms perched on the long low desk and seemed to study his book.
Although he wore a blank look on his face, inside he couldn't have been happier.
Eventually, the students turned back to their work and the schoolmaster got back to dozing.
Seizing his chance.
Tom stole a glance at the beautiful girl beside him, but Becky only made a face at Tom before turning her head away.
When cautiously she turned back, she saw a fresh peach on her desk.
She quickly pushed it away.
Tom gently put it back.
She thrust the peach away again, and again Tom returned it gently.
This time she let it sit while Tom wrote on his paper.
Please take it.
I got more.
Becky read the message but said nothing.
Now Tom began drawing something else on his paper, hiding his work with his left arm.
Becky pretended not to notice what Tom was writing, but her curiosity soon got the better of her.
She strained to see it, but Tom acted as if he didn't notice her at all.
"'Let me look at it,' Becky finally whispered.
Tom half uncovered the drawing, a crude house with a swirl of smoke floating up from the chimney.
"'It's peachy.
Can you make a man?'
So Tom drew a man standing in the front yard.
He was big enough to step over the house without much trouble, but the girl didn't mention this.
He's dandy.
Now, can you draw a girl like me coming along?
Tom drew an hourglass with a full moon for a head and straw limbs for arms.
It's ever so nice, Becky said.
I wish I could draw.
It's easy, Tom whispered.
I'll learn you.
Oh, will you?
When?
At noon?
Do you go home for lunch?
I'll stay if you want me to, Thomas Sawyer.
That's only my name when I'm in trouble.
Call me Tom, won't you?
Yes.
Tom smiled, then fell to working again, covering his paper with his hand.
He wrote something there, but he kept it covered up.
Again, Becky pleaded with Tom to see it.
Oh, it ain't nothing, Tom mumbled.
Yes, it is.
You wouldn't want to see it.
Yes, I do want to see it.
Please let me.
Are you sure?
I am.
Oh.
You don't want to see, said Tom coyly.
With this reply, a small scuffle ensued.
Becky put her hand over Tom's paper and tried to pull it from him.
Tom pretended to resist, but he finally let her drag his hand away.
Revealed on the paper were the following words.
I love you.
Becky said as she slapped him sharply on the hand.
Still, Tom could tell from her face that she was pleased.
But at just this very moment, Tom suddenly felt a tight grip locking around his ear.
The next thing he knew he was being lifted out of his seat by Mr Dobbins, who dragged him clear across the room before rudely dumping him back again into his regular seat in the boys' section.
Meanwhile, the whole schoolroom burst into fits of wild giggles at the sight.
But although Tom's ear tingled, his heart was filled with joy.
