The Great Escape to Jackson's Island — The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Tom decides nobody loves him and he will live a life of crime. He meets Joe Harper, who feels the same way after his mother whipped him for cream he never drank. They swear to be brothers and never separate until death, then choose Jackson's Island for their hideout because it is wild and far from grown-ups who never understand boys.

They recruit Huck Finn and plan to be pirates. At midnight they meet on the riverbank with stolen ham, bacon, and a skillet. They steal fire from a raft, paddle to the island, and give themselves grand pirate names. Tom is the Black Avenger of the Spanish Main. They look back at the sleeping town and feel like heroes.

They cook supper in the woods and say they will never return to civilization. For a while it feels wonderful. Then conscience wakes up. They stole real food this time, not just apples from a tree, and they know that is different. They promise that true pirates do not steal again, and fall asleep under the stars while Huck smokes in peace and the river murmurs nearby. For one night at least, nobody can punish them or make them spell.