It was Saturday when the entire summer world was bright and fresh. Tom looked at the fence, which was long and high, feeling all enthusiasm leaving him. He dipped his brush into the whitewash before moving it along the top board of the fence. He knew other boys would arrive soon with all minds of interesting plans for this day. As walking past him, they would tease him for having to work on a beautiful Saturday--which burnt him like fire. 

He, putting his hands into his pockets and taking out all he owned with the expectation of letting someone paint, found nothing that could buy half an hour of freedom. At this dark and hopeless moment, a wonderful idea occurred to him, pouring a great bright light into his mind. He took up his brush and continued to work pleasantly with calm and quietness. 

Presently, Ben Rogers came in sight--munching an apple and making joyful noises like the sound of a riverboat as he walked along. Tom went on whitewashing, paying no attention to the steamboat. "Hello!" Ben said, "I'm going swimming, but you can't go, can you?" 

No answer. Tom moved his brush gently along the fence and surveyed the result. Ben came nearer. Tom's mouth watered for Ben's apple while he kept painting the fence. 

Ben said, "That's a lot of work, isn't it?" 

Tom turned suddenly saying "Here you are! Ben! I didn't notice you." 

"I'm going swimming," Ben said. "Don't you wish you could go? Or would you rather work?" Tom said, "Work? What do you mean 'work'?" 

"Isn't that work?" Tom continued painting and answered carelessly, "Maybe it is, and maybe it isn't. All I know is it suits Tom Sawyer." 

"Do you mean that you enjoy it?" 

"I don't see why I oughtn't to enjoy it." 

"Does a boy have a chance to paint a fence frequently" said Tom. 

Ben stopped munching his apple. 

Tom moved his brush back and forth--stepped back to note the effect--added a little paint here and there. Ben watched every move, getting more and more interested, more and more absorbed. After a short time, he said, "Tom, let me whitewash a little." 

Tom seemed to be thinking for a moment before he said, "No, Aunt Polly wants this fence to be perfect. If it was the back fence, maybe you could do it. But this fence beside the street is where everybody can see it. It has to be done right." 

"Oh, come on, let me try. I'll be careful. Listen, Tom. I'll give you part of my apple if you let me paint." "No, Ben, I'm afraid--" "I'll give you all the apple!" 

Tom handed the brush to Ben with unwillingness on his face but _ in his heart. While the riverboat worked and sweated in the hot sun, Tom, an artist sat in the shade close by, munching his apple, and planning how he could trick more of the boys. 

Before long there were enough boys each of whom came along the street; stopped to laugh but soon begged to be allowed to paint. By the middle of the afternoon, Tom had got many treasures while the fence had had three layers of whitewash on it. If he hadn't run out of whitewash, he would have owned everything belonging to the boys in the village. 

Tom said to himself that the world was not so depressing after all. He had discovered a great law of human action: in order to make a man cover a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to attain.
what was Tom's plan?
what would the boys do as they walked past?
for what?
did it bother him?
how badly?
who was the first boy to approach?
what was he eating?
where was he headed?
did tom convince him painting was fun?
did Ben want to paint?
did Tom let him?
in exchange for what?
Did other boys want to paint?
did they give Tom items too?
how many layers of paint were there?
why did the boys stop painting?
what had Tom discovered?
what was that?
were the boys tricked?
what did he take from his pockets?
letting someone paint
 letting someone paint
tease him
tease him
having to work on a beautiful Saturday
having to work on a beautiful Saturday
yes
 burnt him like fire
burnt him like fire
burnt him like fire
Ben Rogers
Ben Rogers
an apple
an apple
swimming
swimming
yes
let me try
yes
 let me try
yes
Tom handed the brush to Ben
his apple
the apple
yes
begged to be allowed to paint
yes
 many treasures 
three
three
he ran out of whitewash
 run out of whitewash
a great law of human action
a great law of human action
in order to make a man cover a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to attain
in order to make a man cover a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to attain
yes
trick more of the boys
all he owned
all he owned