CHAPTER 15: POOR HUCK

Q1. What surprise had Tom for the company at Widow Douglas?

A1. It was Tom who declared to Widow Douglas and her friends that Huck was rich. To prove this
Tom ran out of doors and came back with heavy sacks. He opened the sacks which had yellow coins.
He poured it on the table. It amounted to twelve thousand dollars. This surprised the company at
Widow Douglas’.

Q2. What good things came out of the boy’s adventure?

A2. After the adventure, wherever Tom and Huck appeared they were admired and stared at and the
village paper published stories of them. Even their past deeds were discovered to be of great
interest. The Widow Douglas put Huck’s money into business that would earn him six percent profit
and Judge Thatcher did the same for Tom on Aunt Polly’s request. Each had an income which was
considered rich. A dollar a day for every week day in the year. Judge Thatcher had a great opinion of
Tom and said he was no ordinary boy who brought his daughter out of the cave. He hoped to see
Tom a great lawyer or a great soldier one day. Huck’s wealth and the fact that he was under Widow
Douglas’ protection, dragged him into society. The widow’s servant saw him to bed at night and kept
him clean and neat. He had to eat with fork and knife, use napkin, cup and plate. He had to learn to
read and speak properly.

Q3. What was the greatest surprise of the day?

A3. When Tom declared to the crowd gathered at the widow’s house that Huck is rich, the people
controlled their laughter out of good manners. When Tom ran out of doors to prove his point, the
company looked at each other with great interest. Even Aunt Polly showed her disbelief by
questioning Sid. When Tom entered the room struggling with the weight of the sacks and poured the
masses of yellow coins upon the table, everybody present there held their breath. They gazed at the
coins and nobody spoke for a moment. When Tom had been asked for an explanation, everyone
present there listened to his tale with great interest. No one dared to interrupt him and Mr. Jones
confessed that this surprise was greater than the surprise the widow had kept for them. The effect
of the surprise was so great that it caused a great stir in the poor little village. St. Petersburg and
neighbouring villages was hunted through until all were quite sure that no further treasure was to be
found.

Q4. Suddenly Judge Thatcher had great admiration for Tom. Justify.

A4. Judge Thatcher had a great admiration for Tom. Becky must have narrated all that had happened
when the two children were lost in the cave. She must have also expressed how the situation they
were in was so hopeless. It was only because Tom didn’t loose hope and kept trying to find the way
tirelessly that they were able to find the way out of the cave. Moreover, Becky also narrated the
incident where Tom took the beating at school for her misdoing. All these incidents had created a
good picture about Tom in the mind of Judge Thatcher. Thus, he was confident of Tom and hoped to
see him a great lawyer or great soldier one day.