Huck Finn by Mark Twain. Chapter 3

Huck Finn by Mark Twain. 

CHAPTER 3

Pap took Huck to a small cabin by the Mississippi River. He planned to keep him there because he wanted to find out a way to get Huck's fortune from the judge. Nobody else lived near the cabin. A week later, the widow found out where Huck was and she sent a man to bring him back. But Pap had a gun. He pointed it at the man, and he

ran away and never came back. So Huck and Pap were left alone.

At first Huck didn't mind living with Pap. It was nice not to have any rules again. He didn't have to wash his face in the morning, or keep his clothes clean, or say "Please" and "Thank you." Pap didn't care about such things. But soon Huck started to feel like a prisoner. Sometimes Pap let him out to chop firewood or go fishing, but he never let Huck go anywhere alone. Even worse, Pap sometimes went to town and left Huck locked in the cabin for days. Huck was worried. 'Suppose Pap ended up in jail, or someone killed him,' Huck thought. 'What would happen to me? How would I get out of the cabin?'

Huck decided to escape, but it wasn't easy. The walls were made of thick logs, and there were no windows. Huck spent hours looking for something that could cut through the walls. Finally he found a saw. He started sawing at the back wall of the cabin, and slowly made a hole. Pap didn't see the hole because there was a blanket hanging on the wall. Then Huck got lucky again. It was springtime and the Mississippi River was flooding. The river carried down many things, and one day Huck caught a canoe as it went by. He hid it under some bushes until he was ready to leave.

Finally, one morning Pap locked Huck in and left for the day. Huck now had his best chance. Quickly he crawled out the hole in the wall. However, he knew that Pap and others would look for him. How could he stop them? Huck had an idea.

First, he took the axe and smashed in the cabin door. Next, he took Pap's gun and shot a wild animal. He covered the blade of the axe in the animal's blood, and stuck some of his own hair on it, too. Then he threw the animal in the river. Lastly, he filled a large sack with rocks and dragged it from the cabin to the river. Huck thought: 'They'll think some robbers came to the cabin, broke down the door, and murdered me with the axe. Then they'll see the trail I made with the sack of rocks, and they'll think the robbers threw my body in the river. They'll look in the river for my body, but they won't find me.'

It was night-time when Huck finished. He climbed into the canoe and drifted down the dark river - to freedom, he hoped.

 

 

CHAPTER 3

Comprehension

1. Put the sentences in the correct order

a. Huck decided to escape because he had no freedom.

b. Pap kept Huck in a small cabin by the Mississippi River.

c. In the beginning, Huck enjoyed living with Pap.

d. Huck got in a canoe and went down the river.

e. Huck dragged a large sack of rocks to the river.

f. Huck made a hole in the back wall of the cabin and got out.

 

2. Choose the correct answer.

1. Nobody else lived by the river / near Pap's cabin.

2.  The cabin walls were made of thick logs / rocks.

3.  Huck hid a canoe under a blanket / some bushes.

4.  Huck covered the blade of the axe in the hair / blood of an animal.

5.  Huck wanted to make people believe that robbers / Pap had murdered him.

 

Vocabulary

3.  Complete the following sentences using the prepositions in the box.

of   in  on  to  at  for

1. Sam left and locked the dog _____   the house by accident.

2.  It is rude to point _____  people.

3. On Saturday I am going to look ____ a new pair of shoes.________________

4. Who came _____ your birthday party?

5. What is that cake made _____ ?

6. We have some lovely painting hanging _______ the walls at home.

 

 

4.  Find the opposites of the following words in Chapter 3:

1.     dirty

2.     everywhere

3.     free

4.   difficult

5.   quickly

6.     stay

7.     small

8.     started

 

Follow-up activities

5. Discuss.

        1. Pap doesn't have any rules for Huck, but he locks him in the cabin when he leaves. Do you think that Pap cares about his son? Why? / Why not? What kind of person do you think he is?

        2. Would you like to live near a big river? What could you do there?

         3. If someone has a bad life should they run away? Why?

         4. Huck was alone in a canoe in a big river in the darkness of night. What do you think will happen to him?

6. When he didn't find his son in the cabin, Pap called the police. Imagine that you are a policeman. Write some notes of what you saw in the cabin and what you think happened to Huck. (60-80 words)