- end_line
- 1651
- extracted_at
- 2026-01-28T02:26:05.050Z
- extracted_by
- structure-extraction-lambda
- start_line
- 1598
- text
- asked him what his name was. The boy stammered, gasped, and got it out:
“Tom.”
“Oh, no, not Tom—it is—”
“Thomas.”
“Ah, that’s it. I thought there was more to it, maybe. That’s very well.
But you’ve another one I daresay, and you’ll tell it to me, won’t you?”
“Tell the gentleman your other name, Thomas,” said Walters, “and say
sir. You mustn’t forget your manners.”
“Thomas Sawyer—sir.”
“That’s it! That’s a good boy. Fine boy. Fine, manly little fellow. Two
thousand verses is a great many—very, very great many. And you never can
be sorry for the trouble you took to learn them; for knowledge is worth
more than anything there is in the world; it’s what makes great men
and good men; you’ll be a great man and a good man yourself, some
day, Thomas, and then you’ll look back and say, It’s all owing to the
precious Sunday-school privileges of my boyhood—it’s all owing to
my dear teachers that taught me to learn—it’s all owing to the good
superintendent, who encouraged me, and watched over me, and gave me a
beautiful Bible—a splendid elegant Bible—to keep and have it all for my
own, always—it’s all owing to right bringing up! That is what you will
say, Thomas—and you wouldn’t take any money for those two thousand
verses—no indeed you wouldn’t. And now you wouldn’t mind telling me and
this lady some of the things you’ve learned—no, I know you wouldn’t—for
we are proud of little boys that learn. Now, no doubt you know the names
of all the twelve disciples. Won’t you tell us the names of the first
two that were appointed?”
Tom was tugging at a button-hole and looking sheepish. He blushed,
now, and his eyes fell. Mr. Walters’ heart sank within him. He said
to himself, it is not possible that the boy can answer the simplest
question—why _did_ the Judge ask him? Yet he felt obliged to speak up
and say:
“Answer the gentleman, Thomas—don’t be afraid.”
Tom still hung fire.
“Now I know you’ll tell me,” said the lady. “The names of the first two
disciples were—”
“_David and Goliah!_”
Let us draw the curtain of charity over the rest of the scene.
- title
- Chunk 7