The Boys Crash Their Own Funeral — The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

While the boys play on the island, St. Petersburg is in mourning. Families dress in black, children mope, and the whole village walks around in a sad daze. Becky Thatcher wanders the empty schoolyard wishing she had not been so mean to Tom. She misses his brass andiron knob and cries over her last harsh words. Other kids compete over who saw the drowned boys last, turning grief into a strange contest.

On Sunday the church fills for Tom and Joe's funeral. The bell tolls instead of ringing, and the minister praises the boys as if they were angels. Grown-ups cry because they only remember the boys' faults now that they are gone. The whole room sobs together, including Aunt Polly and Mrs Harper. Even the preacher breaks down in the pulpit.

Just when the crying is loudest, Tom, Joe, and Huck march down the aisle. They have been hiding in the church gallery listening to their own funeral sermon. Families rush to hug them, and the service turns into a celebration with singing that shakes the rafters. Huck stands alone until Tom makes Aunt Polly welcome him too. Tom has never felt more famous, and he gets more hugs and cuffs from Aunt Polly than he has earned all year.