The part about Tom painting the wall

Tom did not answer. Just looking at the last piece he painted with an artist's eye, then brushing it lightly. He looked at the fence again as before. Ben came over and stood beside him. Seeing the apple, Tom drooled with greed, but he continued to paint his wall. Ben said:

"Hey, old man, you still have to work, huh?"

Tom suddenly turned around and said: "Ahem! It's you, Ben. "I haven't noticed you yet."

"Ha, tell you, I'm going to swim. Don't you want to go? Of course, you'd rather work here, right?" Of course you do!"

Tom looked at the boy and said:

"What do you mean, this is work?"

"This is not enough. "What's it called work?"

Tom started painting the wall again and said casually: "Maybe it's work, maybe it's not. I just know that it's good for Tom Sawyer." "Jin."

"Oh, come on! Do you mean you like doing this?"

The brush keeps brushing.

"Like to do it? Hey, I really don't understand why I don't like to do it. Which boy can have the opportunity to paint the wall every day?"

This is something new. So Ben stopped chewing the apple. Tom moved the brush deftly back and forth - pausing now and then to step back to see the effect - a touch up here, a touch up there - then looking at the effect again - Ben watched Tom's face carefully. Every move made me more interested, and the more I looked, the more attracted I became. Later he said:

"Hey, Tom, let me do some brushing and take a look."

Tom thought for a moment and was about to agree to him; but he immediately changed his mind :

“No—no, Ben—I don’t think that’s possible. You know, Aunt Polly is very particular about this wall—this is the street side—but if it’s the back Yes, it doesn't matter if you paint it, my aunt won't care. Yes, she is very particular about this wall. I think among a thousand, maybe two thousand children. , and I can't find anyone who can paint the wall as Aunt Polly wants." "Oh, really? Well, just let me try a little bit--Tom, if I were you. If so, I'll let you try."

"Ben, I'd like to, to be honest. But, Aunt Polly - well, Jim wants to brush, but she doesn't ask him to brush. De also wants to do it, but she won't let Sid do it. Now, do you know how embarrassed I would be if you messed with this wall, what if something goes wrong..."

"Ah, it's okay. , I'll be careful. Let me try."

"Oh, no, Ben, forget it. Afraid..."

"I'll give you all this apple!"

Tom gave the brush to Ben, showing reluctance on his face, but feeling happy in his heart.

While the "Big Missouri" was working in the sun and sweating profusely, the retired artist was sitting in a wooden barrel in the nearby shade. Go up, cross your legs, eat apples with big mouthfuls, and secretly plan how to kill more fools. There are many such little fools. Every once in a while, some boys would pass by; at first they wanted to come and joke, but in the end they were all left to paint the walls. When Ben was exhausted, Tom had already made a deal with Billy Fisch. Billy trades a well-repaired kite for the chance to succeed Ben. When Billy was almost done playing, Jenny Miller bought the privilege with a dead mouse and a small rope tied to it - one stupid boy after another was deceived, and there was no money for hours on end. intermittent. It was almost mid-afternoon. Tom, who had been a poor boy in the morning, suddenly became a rich man with huge pockets.