📖 Tom Sawyer – Chapter 6 (Adapted)
Title: The Lure of the Sick Day
Monday morning arrived, and Tom did not want to go to school. He lay in bed, trying to think of a way to stay home. He considered that maybe, just maybe, he was sick enough.
Tom’s First Attempt
Tom looked at his sore toe. He remembered hearing once that a sore toe could be dangerous. Maybe Aunt Polly would believe he was dying! He groaned loudly. Sid, still asleep, didn’t react. Tom groaned again, even louder.
Finally, Sid woke and asked what was wrong. Tom told him in a weak voice that he might not live until morning. Sid panicked and ran for Aunt Polly.
Aunt Polly’s Response
Aunt Polly hurried in, worried—until she heard Tom’s dramatic story about his sore toe. Her concern turned into anger. “Get out of bed, Tom!” she ordered. “That toe’s fine, and so are you.”
Tom sighed, defeated. But then he had an idea—his loose tooth! He complained about the tooth until Aunt Polly decided to fix it right away.
The String Trick
She took a piece of thread, tied one end to Tom’s tooth and the other to the bedpost. Then she suddenly pulled, and the tooth was out! Tom winced but then smiled—he was proud to show off the gap at school.
A Lucky Meeting
On his way to school, Tom met Huckleberry Finn, the boy all mothers warned their children about. Huck was dressed in old clothes and carried a dead cat. Tom asked what it was for, and Huck explained that a dead cat could cure warts if you took it to the graveyard at midnight.
The two boys agreed to meet that night to try it out. Tom arrived at school late and was punished, but his punishment came with a surprise—he had to sit next to Becky Thatcher, Judge Thatcher’s pretty daughter.
Tom no longer wished for a sick day. School suddenly seemed much more interesting.
📘 Glossary
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Dramatic | Overacting to show emotion |
| Defeated | Feeling like you have lost |
| Bedpost | One of the upright posts at the corner of a bed |
| Wince | To make a face because of sudden pain |
| Graveyard | Place where dead people are buried |
| Punished | Made to suffer for breaking a rule |
❓ Comprehension Questions
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Why did Tom pretend to be sick?
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What was his first fake illness?
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How did Aunt Polly remove Tom’s tooth?
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Who did Tom meet on the way to school?
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Why was Tom happy about his punishment?
✅ Answers
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Because he didn’t want to go to school.
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A sore toe.
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She tied it with a string to the bedpost and pulled it out.
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Huckleberry Finn.
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He got to sit next to Becky Thatcher.
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