WELL, I got a good going-over in the morning from old Miss Watson on account of my clothes; but the widow she didn't scold, but only cleaned off the grease and clay, and looked so sorry that I thought I would behave awhile if I could. Then Miss Watson she took me in the closet and prayed, but nothing come of it. She told me to pray every day, and whatever I asked for I would get it. But it warn't so. I tried it. Once I got a fish-line, but no hooks. It warn't any good to me without hooks. I tried for the hooks three or four times, but somehow I couldn't make it work. By and by, one day, I asked Miss Watson to try for me, but she said I was a fool. She never told me why, and I couldn't make it out no way.

I set down one time back in the woods, and had a long think about it. I says to myself, if a body can get anything they pray for, why don't Deacon Winn get back the money he lost on pork? Why can't the widow get back her silver snuffbox that was stole? Why can't Miss Watson fat up? No, says I to my self, there ain't nothing in it. I went and told the widow about it, and she said the thing a body could get by praying for it was "spiritual gifts." This was too many for me, but she told me what she meant -- I must help other people, and do everything I could for other people, and look out for them all the time, and never think about myself. This was including Miss Watson, as I took it. I went out in the woods and turned it over in my mind a long time, but I couldn't see no advantage about it -- except for the other people; so at last I reckoned I wouldn't worry about it any more, but just let it go. Sometimes the widow would take me one side and talk about Providence¹ in a way to make a body's mouth water; but maybe next day Miss Watson would take hold and knock it all down again. I judged I could see that there was two Providences, and a poor chap would stand considerable show with the widow's Providence, but if Miss Watson's got him there warn't no help for him any more. I thought it all out, and reckoned I would belong to the widow's if he wanted me, though I couldn't make out how he was a-going to be any better off then than what he was before, seeing I was so ignorant, and so kind of low-down and ornery.

Pap he hadn't been seen for more than a year, and that was comfortable for me; I didn't want to see him no more. He used to always whale me when he was sober and could get his hands on me; though I used to take to the woods most of the time when he was around. Well, about this time he was found in the river drownded, about twelve mile above town, so people said. They judged it was him, anyway; said this drownded man was just his size, and was ragged², and had uncommon³ long hair, which was all like pap; but they couldn't make nothing out of the face, because it had been in the water so long it warn't much like a face at all. They said he was floating on his back in the water. They took him and buried him on the bank. But I warn't comfortable long, because I happened to think of something. I knowed mighty⁴ well that a drownded man don't float on his back, but on his face. So I knowed, then, that this warn't pap, but a woman dressed up in a man's clothes. So I was uncomfortable again. I judged the old man would turn up again by and by, though I wished he wouldn't.

We played robber now and then about a month, and then I resigned. All the boys did. We hadn't robbed nobody, hadn't killed any people, but only just pretended. We used to hop⁵ out of the woods and go charging down on hog-drivers and women in carts taking garden stuff to market, but we never hived any of them. Tom Sawyer called the hogs⁶ "ingots," and he called the turnips⁷ and stuff "julery," and we would go to the cave and powwow over what we had done, and how many people we had killed and marked. But I couldn't see no profit in it. One time Tom sent a boy to run about town with a blazing stick, which he called a slogan (which was the sign for the Gang to get together), and then he said he had got secret news by his spies that next day a whole parcel of Spanish merchants and rich A-rabs was going to camp in Cave Hollow with two hundred elephants, and six hundred camels, and over a thousand "sumter" mules⁸, all loaded down with di'monds, and they didn't have only a guard of four hundred soldiers, and so we would lay in ambuscade, as he called it, and kill the lot and scoop⁹ the things. He said we must slick up our swords and guns, and get ready. He never could go after even a turnip-cart but he must have the swords and guns all scoured¹¹ up for it, though they was only lath and broomsticks, and you might scour¹⁰ at them till you rotted, and then they warn't worth a mouthful of ashes more than what they was before. I didn't believe we could lick such a crowd of Spaniards and A-rabs, but I wanted to see the camels and elephants, so I was on hand next day, Saturday, in the ambuscade; and when we got the word we rushed out of the woods and down the hill. But there warn't no Spaniards and A-rabs, and there warn't no camels nor no elephants. It warn't anything but a Sunday-school picnic, and only a primer-class at that. We busted¹² it up, and chased the children up the hollow; but we never got anything but some doughnuts and jam, though Ben Rogers got a rag doll, and Jo Harper got a hymn-book and a tract¹³; and then the teacher charged in, and made us drop everything and cut. I didn't see no di'monds, and I told Tom Sawyer so. He said there was loads of them there, anyway; and he said there was A-rabs there, too, and elephants and things. I said, why couldn't we see them, then? He said if I warn't so ignorant, but had read a book called Don Quixote, I would know without asking. He said it was all done by enchantment¹⁴. He said there was hundreds of soldiers there, and elephants and treasure, and so on, but we had enemies which he called magicians; and they had turned the whole thing into an infant Sundayschool, just out of spite. I said, all right; then the thing for us to do was to go for the magicians. Tom Sawyer said I was a numskull.

"Why," said he, "a magician could call up a lot of genies¹⁵, and they would hash you up like nothing before you could say Jack¹⁶ Robinson. They are as tall as a tree and as big around as a church."

"Well," I says, "s'pose we got some genies to help US -- can't we lick the other crowd then?"

"How you going to get them?"

"I don't know. How do THEY get them?"

"Why, they rub an old tin lamp or an iron ring, and then the genies come tearing in, with the thunder and lightning a-ripping around and the smoke a-rolling, and everything they're told to do they up and do it. They don't think nothing of pulling a shot-tower up by the roots, and belting a Sunday-school superintendent¹⁷ over the head with it -- or any other man."

"Who makes them tear around so?"

"Why, whoever rubs the lamp or the ring. They belong to whoever rubs the lamp or the ring, and they've got to do whatever he says. If he tells them to build a palace forty miles long out of di'monds, and fill it full of chewing-gum, or whatever you want, and fetch an emperor's daughter from China for you to marry, they've got to do it -- and they've got to do it before sun-up next morning, too. And more: they've got to waltz that palace around over the country wherever you want it, you understand."

"Well," says I, "I think they are a pack of flatheads for not keeping the palace themselves 'stead of fooling them away like that. And what's more -- if I was one of them I would see a man in Jericho before I would drop my business and come to him for the rubbing of an old tin lamp."

"How you talk, Huck Finn. Why, you'd HAVE to come when he rubbed it, whether you wanted to or not."

"What! and I as high as a tree and as big as a church? All right, then; I WOULD come; but I lay I'd make that man climb the highest tree there was in the country."

"Shucks, it ain't no use to talk to you, Huck Finn. You don't seem to know anything, somehow -- perfect saphead."

I thought all this over for two or three days, and then I reckoned I would see if there was anything in it. I got an old tin lamp and an iron ring, and went out in the woods and rubbed and rubbed till I sweat like an Injun, calculating to build a palace and sell it; but it warn't no use, none of the genies come. So then I judged that all that stuff was only just one of Tom Sawyer's lies. I reckoned he believed in the A-rabs and the elephants, but as for me I think different. It had all the marks of a Sunday-school.

第二天早晨，为了衣服的事，我被华珍老小姐从头到脚查看了一遍，不过寡妇呢，她倒
没有剋我，只是把我衣服上的油渍和土搞干净了，一脸难过的样子。这叫我想到了，要是做
得到的话，我也该学得规矩些才是。接下来，华珍小姐把我领到那间小房间里，还做了祷告
①。不过祷告没有什么实效。她要我每天都做祷告，还说，我求什么，就能得什么。不过，
事实并非如此。我是试过了的。有一回，我搞到了一根钓鱼竿，可就是没有钓鱼钩。没有钓
鱼钩，钓鱼竿对我有什么用？我为了钓鱼钩，祷告了三四次，可就是无法搞得灵验。有一
天，我请求华珍小姐替我求一求。不过她说我可是个傻瓜蛋。什么原因呢，她可没有说。我
自己呢，也捉摸不出一个道道来。   

　　①诺顿版注：《圣经》上说，“祷告时，要进你的内屋。”华珍小姐严格按照《圣
经》行事。

　　①诺顿版注：哈克把传奇小说中属于幻想性质的东西跟宗教里面神鬼之事联系了起
来。这也表现了马克·吐温幽默逗笑中对传统观念那一套刻意讥刺的笔法。

    有一回，我在树林子后边坐着，对这件事想了好一会儿。我自个儿盘算盘算，要是一做
祷告，求什么就有什么，那么，教堂管事威恩为什么没有能讨回他买猪肉丢掉的钱？寡妇为
什么就找不到被偷走的那只银器的鼻烟盒子呢？华珍小姐又为什么不能长得胖一点？不，我
对自个儿说，没有那么一回事。我把这个道理对寡妇说了。她说，一个人，做了祷告，所能
得到的是“精神方面的礼物”。这对我可太难了。不过，她倒是把她的意思都对我讲了——
说我务必帮助别人，该为了别人竭尽一切，并且随时随地照看他们，从不想到自己。据我推
想这包括华珍小姐在内。我进了树林子里，在心里琢磨来，琢磨去，琢磨了好长一个时辰，
可是我看不出这样琢磨有什么好处——除了对别的人有好处——这样，我想，我又何必为这
个操什么心，还是随它去吧。有的时候，寡妇会把我叫到一边去，把上帝讲得天花乱坠，能
叫小孩子听了直流口水。可是到第二天，华珍小姐也许会抓住了你，把原先那一套打得粉
碎。我就想，这样看来，是有两个上帝。一个穷光蛋，要是能摊上寡妇说的那个上帝，就会
有出头之日。不过，要是给华珍小姐的上帝管治了的话，那就什么都捞不到了。我把这个想
了又想，想来我还是归顺寡妇那个上帝划得来，只要他肯收我，尽管我不明白，他怎样能比
他过去那么样的更好些，因为我明摆着那么笨，那么下贱，脾气又坏①。    

　　①诺顿版注：和哈克一样，马克·吐温常常思考宗教问题。例子很多，突出的是
渡衩氐哪吧人》。作者常常对之运用喜剧性的评论。

    至于我爸爸呢，我可有一年多没有见到了。这样，我也乐得能自在些。我根本不想再见
到他。他不醉的时候，只要见我在一旁，总是揍我。而我呢，只要有他在一起，总是溜进林
子里去。这一回，人家说，有人发现他在河里淹死了，说是在离镇上十二英里那边。他们
说，反正是他，没错。说淹死了的那个人，身材是他的身材，穿着破烂的衣衫，头发长得出
奇——这一切正是我爸爸的模样——不过从脸上就看不出什么了，因为泡在水里太久，脸就
不象脸了。人家说，他身子躺在水面上。他们把他打捞了上来，就在河边安葬了。不过我并
没有能舒坦多久，因为我突然想到了一件事。我很清楚，淹死的人决不是脸朝天浮在水面上
的，而是背朝天的。所以我就断定，那不是我的爸爸，而是一个穿了男人衣服的女子。这
样，我就舒坦不起来了。我断定，老头儿有一天又会出现，尽管我不希望他会回来。
如今有一个月光景，我们还是玩充当强盗那码子事儿。后来我退出不干了。哥儿们一个
个全都退出了。我们并没有抢劫过什么人，我们并没有杀过什么人，不过是装成这样罢了。
我们总是从林子里跳将出来，冲向那些赶猪的人和那些赶着车把菜蔬运往菜市场去的妇女。
不过我们从没有把她们扣押起来过。汤姆·索亚把那些猪叫做“金条”，把萝卜之类的东
西，叫做“珍宝”。我们会到山洞里去，吹嘘我们的功绩，我们杀了多少人啦，给多少人留
下了伤疤啦。不过我看不出这一套有什么好处。有一回，汤姆派一个哥儿们，手里举着一根
正燃着的火棍，到镇上跑了一圈。他把这火棍叫做信号（是通知全帮的哥儿们集合的）。接
着，他说他获得了他派出去的密探所得的秘密情报：明天，有一大队西班牙商人和阿拉伯富
翁要到“洼洞”那里宿营，随带有两百匹大象，六百匹骆驼和一千多头“驮骡”，满装着珍
珠宝贝，他们的警卫才只四百个人。因此，用他的话来说，我们不妨来一个伏击，把这伙子
人杀掉，把财宝抢过来。他说，我们需得把刀枪擦亮，做好一切准备。他连一辆装萝卜的车
子都对付不了，却非得把刀枪全都擦洗好，准备一切。其实刀枪不过是薄木片和扫帚把，你
再擦，擦得累死累活，这些东西原本是那个料，不过是一堆灰烬罢了。我可不相信我们能打
垮这么一大群西班牙人和阿拉伯人。不过，我倒想见识见识那些骆驼啊，大象啊之类的。因
此，第二天，星期六，伏击时我也到场。一得到消息，我们就冲出林子，冲下小山。不过不
见西班牙人和阿拉伯人，不见骆驼，不见大象。就只是主日学校举行的一次野餐，而且只是
一年级生参加。我们把他们冲散了，把小孩子们冲进了洼地。不过东西呢，我们什么也没有
捞到，就只是一些炸面包、果子酱。朋·罗杰斯总算捞到了一只破旧的洋娃娃，乔·哈贝搞
到了一本赞美诗集和一本小册子。接着，他们的老师赶来了，我们只能把一切全扔掉，赶快
溜走。我可没有见到什么钻石。我也对汤姆·索亚这么说了。他说，反正那里一驮驮有的
是。他还说，那儿还有阿拉伯人哩，还有大象哩，还有其它等等的。我说，怎么我看不见
啊？他说，只要我不是这么笨，并且读过一本叫做《堂·吉诃德》的书，我就不会这么问
了，就会懂得了。他说这是魔法搞的。他说，那儿有士兵成百上千，有大象，有珍珠宝贝，
如此等等，不一而足。不过，我们还有敌人，他把他们叫做魔法师，是他们，把整个儿这一
切这么一变，变成了主日学校，就只是为了存心捣鬼。我说，那么好吧，我们该干的就是要
去寻找那些魔法师了。汤姆·索亚说我真是个呆脑壳。
“那怎么行，”他说，“一个魔法师能召唤出一大批精灵。在你们还没有来得及喊一声
哎哟，他们就能把你们剁成肉酱。
他们的身子有大树一般高，有一座教堂那般大。
“啊，”我说，“要是我们能让一些精灵帮我们那就好了——那样我们就能把那群人打
垮了吧？”
“你怎么能搞到他们呢？”
“我可不知道。人家又怎么能搞到他们的呢？”
“啊，他们把一盏旧的白铁灯或者铁环那么一摸，精灵们便在一阵阵雪声隆隆、一道道
电光闪闪、烟雾腾腾中，呼的一声涌现了。然后叫他们干什么，他们便马上干什么。要他们
把一座炮弹塔从塔基上拔起来，或是要他们用皮带抽打一个主日学校监督或是别的什么人的
脑袋，在他们看来，那都不在话下。”①    

　　①诺顿版注：上边这些记叙，仿自《天方夜谭》（关于神灯）和十七世纪塞万提斯
的《堂·吉诃德》，既表现汤姆的心态，也表现了马克·吐温对幼时读书的美好回忆。有关
孩子们“假想”“假作真”的描写，既是逗趣性质，又提供了哈克与杰姆后来河上真实历险
的一个背景。
另据马克·吐温童年时的一位友人在１９１３年的回忆，当时汉尼拔没有什么书可供阅
读，全镇只有一部《天方夜谭》，是马克·吐温的父亲的书，马克·吐温对书中的故事颇为
熟悉。

    “谁叫他们这么飞快赶来的呢？”
“怎么啦，当然是那个擦灯、擦铁环的人啰。他们得听从擦灯、擦铁环的人的指挥，他
怎么说，他们就得怎么干。要是他叫他们造一座皇宫，四十英里长，用珍珠宝贝砌成，里边
装满了口香糖，或是别的什么的，还搞来一位中国皇帝的公主嫁给你，那他们也得服从命令
去办——并且非得在第二天太阳升起以前办好。还不只如此，——他们还得把这座宫殿在全
国各地来回地搬来又搬去，只要你高兴到哪里就到哪里，你懂么？”
我们这件事想过来、想过去，想了两三天功夫。最后决定我不妨试它一试，看究竟有没
有道理。我搞到了一盏破旧的白铁灯，还有一只铁环。我到了林子里去，擦啊，擦啊，擦得
我全身汗湿透，湿透，活象个野人，为的是指望建造一座皇宫，然后把它出售。可是啊，怎
么也不管用，始终不见精灵出现。我就断定，这全是汤姆·索亚撒的谎，这不过是其中的一
件罢了。我估摸，他还是相信阿拉伯啊，大象啊那一套，我可不是那么想。这全是主日学校
的那一套罢了①。