The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson

Коллекция текстов · novel

A Whisper
to the Reader. There is no character, howsoever good and fine, but it can be destroyed by ridicule, howsoever poor and witless. Observe the…
Chapter I
Pudd’nhead Wins His Name. Tell the truth or trump—but get the trick.—Pudd’nhead Wilson’s Calendar. The scene of this chronicle is the town…
Chapter II
Driscoll Spares His Slaves. Adam was but human—this explains it all. He did not want the apple for the apple’s sake, he wanted it only beca…
Chapter III
Roxy Plays a Shrewd Trick. Whoever has lived long enough to find out what life is, knows how deep a debt of gratitude we owe to Adam, the f…
Chapter IV
The Ways of the Changelings. Adam and Eve had many advantages, but the principal one was, that they escaped teething.—Pudd’nhead Wilson’s C…
Chapter V
The Twins Thrill Dawson’s Landing. Training is everything. The peach was once a bitter almond; cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a co…
Chapter VI
Swimming in Glory. Let us endeavor so to live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry.—Pudd’nhead Wilson’s Calendar. Hab…
Chapter VII
The Unknown Nymph. One of the most striking differences between a cat and a lie is that a cat has only nine lives.—Pudd’nhead Wilson’s Cale…
Chapter VIII
Marse Tom Tramples His Chance. The holy passion of Friendship is of so sweet and steady and loyal and enduring a nature that it will last t…
Chapter IX
Tom Practises Sycophancy. Why is it that we rejoice at a birth and grieve at a funeral? It is because we are not the person involved.—Pudd’…
Chapter X
The Nymph Revealed. All say, “How hard it is that we have to die”—a strange complaint to come from the mouths of people who have had to liv…
Chapter XI (1)
Pudd’nhead’s Startling Discovery. There are three infallible ways of pleasing an author, and the three form a rising scale of compliment: 1…
Chapter XI (2)
“Wet them down! Wet them down! Give them a drink!” Glasses of whisky were handed to the twins. Luigi waved his aloft, then brought it to hi…
Chapter XII
The Shame of Judge Driscoll. Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear—not absence of fear. Except a creature be part coward it is not…
Chapter XIII
Tom Stares at Ruin. When I reflect upon the number of disagreeable people who I know have gone to a better world, I am moved to lead a diff…
Chapter XIV
Roxana Insists Upon Reform. The true Southern watermelon is a boon apart, and not to be mentioned with commoner things. It is chief of this…
Chapter XV
The Robber Robbed. Nothing so needs reforming as other people’s habits.—Pudd’nhead Wilson’s Calendar. Behold, the fool saith, “Put not all…
Chapter XVI
Sold Down the River. If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between…
Chapter XVII
The Judge Utters Dire Prophecy. Even popularity can be overdone. In Rome, along at first, you are full of regrets that Michelangelo died; b…
Chapter XVIII
Roxana Commands. Gratitude and treachery are merely the two extremities of the same procession. You have seen all of it that is worth stayi…
Chapter XIX
The Prophecy Realized. Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example.—Pudd’nhead Wilson’s Calendar. It were not…
Chapter XX
The Murderer Chuckles. Even the clearest and most perfect circumstantial evidence is likely to be at fault, after all, and therefore ought…
Chapter XXI
Doom. He is useless on top of the ground; he ought to be under it, inspiring the cabbages.—Pudd’nhead Wilson’s Calendar. April 1. This is t…
Conclusion
It is often the case that the man who can’t tell a lie thinks he is the best judge of one.—Pudd’nhead Wilson’s Calendar. October 12, the Di…