The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I got a scolding from old Miss Watson as soon as I woke up in the morning, because she saw my dirty clothes; but the widow didn't scold me, she washed the oil stains off my clothes, and looked very distressed. , which made me very embarrassed, and I thought I couldn't make trouble anymore for the time being.Miss Watson took me into the hut to pray, but nothing happened after praying for a long time.She told me that as long as I pray every day, I will have whatever I want.In fact, this is not the case at all.I have tried it before.Once I got a fishing line but no hook.Line is useless to me without a hook.I prayed three or four times for the hook, but for some reason, to no avail.Then one day I asked Miss Watson to pray for me, and she said I was a fool.She didn't say why, and I couldn't figure out why.

Once, I came to the woods and thought about it for a long time.I said to myself, if a man can ask for anything and everything just by praying, why Dickon?Can't Wen make back the money he lost from selling pork?Why can't the widow's stolen silver snuff box be recovered?Why can't Miss Watson gain weight?It's no use, I said to myself, there's no use in praying.I went to share this with the widow, and she said that prayers can only bring "spiritual gifts."Seeing that I couldn't understand, she explained it to me-I must constantly help others, try to do things for others, always think about others, and never think about myself.As far as I understand, she meant others as well, including Miss Watson.I went to the woods and thought about it for a long time, but I still couldn't think of any good--it was only good for others--but I finally figured it out, and I don't worry about it anymore. it goes.Sometimes, the widow would pull me over and tell me about God, and the words would make people itch.But the next day, Miss Watson will give me a big lecture again, and reverse all the widow's story.From this point of view, I think there should be two gods. With the widow's god, a poor child will be happy, but with Miss Watson's god, he will be miserable.I made a careful calculation and thought it would be more beneficial to follow the widow God, as long as he wanted me; but I still couldn't figure out what good I was for him, because I was afraid that he would think I was too ignorant, too shabby and too naughty.

I was comfortable with Dad not showing up for over a year; I never wanted to see him again.He used to beat me up when he caught me, as long as he wasn't drunk; so I used to hide in the woods when he was around.He was seen drowned in the river lately, twelve miles north of town, or so they say.They decided that it was he who had drowned, and they were sure; they said he was about his size, in rags, and with very long hair--exactly like Papa--but nothing could be seen from his face, for he was in the water It's been too long, it doesn't look like a human face anymore.People say he floated face up in the water.They picked him up and buried him on the bank.Anyway, I was sad for a long time after I heard about it, because I happened to remember something.I know very well that the drowned man floats not on his back but on his face.So I knew it wasn't Dad, but a woman in a man's clothes.So I was uncomfortable again.I figured the old guy would show up again sometime, but I really didn't want to see him again.

We were bandits on and off for a month, and then I quit.The partners did not do it either.We didn't rob anyone, we didn't kill anyone, we were just playing around.Often they would run out of the woods suddenly, at the pig drivers or at the women who were bringing vegetables to the market in a cart, but we never locked anyone up.Tom?Sawyer called pigs "gold bars" and radishes "jewels."Afterwards, everyone went to the cave together to celebrate the results crazily, celebrating how many people were killed and how many people were injured.But I don't see any advantage to be gained by doing it.Once Tom?Sawyer sent a boy to run around town with a burning stick, and Tom called it a signal (a rallying call for Sawyer's gang), and he called everyone together, saying that a spy had given him a secret message : Tomorrow a large party of Spanish merchants and wealthy Arabs will camp in Hollow Hollow, with two hundred elephants, six hundred camels, and more than a thousand mules, all laden with diamonds, and only four hundred soldiers escorting them, so We could lay him in an ambush (that's what he said), kill 'em all, and grab everything.He said we had to polish our guns and get ready.He is like this, even if he is chasing a turnip cart, he always tells us to polish our knives and guns; in fact, there are no knives and guns, they are just wooden boards and broom bumps, no matter how hard you polish them, it is useless , Even if I'm exhausted, it's the same as if I didn't wipe it.

I don't believe we can get past such a horde of Spaniards and Arabs, but I wanted to see the camels and elephants, so I went to lay an ambush the next day.It was a Saturday, and everyone was lying in ambush in the woods. We only heard an order, and we suddenly got out of the woods and rushed down the mountain.But there were no Spaniards and Arabs, no camels and elephants.It turned out to be a Sunday school picnic, and only a beginner class came.We cleared 'em off at once, and chased 'em up the hill; and got nothing but donuts and applesauce, Ben?Rogers was lucky enough to get a rag doll, Joe?Harper snatched a hymn book and a church pamphlet; but the teacher rushed up, and we threw away our snatches and ran away in fright.I told Tom?Sawyer I don't see any diamonds, he says whether he sees them or not, they're loads of diamonds; and he says there's Arabs there, and elephants and stuff.I said, why can't we see it?He said that if I was not too ignorant, if I had read a book called "Don?Quixote" book, I don't need to ask.He said it was all because of magic.He said there were hundreds of soldiers there, and elephants and treasure, and other things, but we had enemies, which he called magicians, who, out of spite, turned those things into Sunday school for fur kids.I said, well, let's go deal with the magician.Can Tom?Sawyer said I was a fool.

"Well," said he, "the magician can summon a whole host of goblins at once, and they'll let you see Hades before you can call for help. They're all giants, as tall as trees and as thick as churches. "

"Well," I said, "wouldn't we be able to beat that crowd if we had the goblin to help us?"

"Then how can you find them?"

"I don't know. How did the magician find them?"

"Oh, they just take an old tin oil lamp or a small iron ring, just rub it on it, there will be thunder and lightning in the air, and there will be clouds of smoke around, and in the blink of an eye, monsters and monsters will fly in front of them, you tell them They'll do whatever they want. They don't give a damn if they're told to uproot a toilet and smash it over the head of a Sunday-school principal or whatever."

"Who made them fly here so quickly?"

"Oh, as long as you hold the lamp or the iron ring, anyone can do it. Whoever holds the lamp or the iron ring rubs it, and the monsters will obey whoever's order, and do what they are told. Even if they are ordered to build a four-story building with diamonds Ten miles of palace, fill it with gum or whatever you want, go to China and get the emperor's daughter to marry you, they'll do it too - and they'll do it before the sun comes up the next day Don't. And, you know, they'll be carrying the palace all over the country if you want."

"Hey," I said, "I think they're a bunch of fools who have palaces they don't enjoy themselves, but work hard for others. Besides--if I'm a monster, tell me to forget my own business, people Take a broken iron lamp and wipe it like this, and I will obediently run to listen to others' orders, I will never do this, even if I go to hell."

"You're right, Huck? Finn. In fact, whether you like it or not, you just need to rub it like this, and you must go."

"What! I'm a monster as tall as a tree and as thick as a church, so I'm free to play with it? Well, I'll go, but I'll scare that guy into climbing the tallest tree in the country No."

"Bah! It's no use talking to you, Huck? Finn. You don't understand anything, you're a real fool."

I mulled the matter over for two or three days, and then I wanted to try to see if the statement was true or not.I found an old iron lamp and a small iron ring, took them to the woods, wiped them left and right, until I was sweating profusely, wanting a palace, and then selling it; but I was busy for a long time, Not a single monster came.That's when I concluded it was Tom?The story Sawyer made up was pure nonsense.I think he believed in real Arabs and elephants and all, but I don't think so.It was clearly a group of Sunday school students, and I could see it all too clearly.

(End of this chapter)