The Art of Strategic Misbehavior — The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Monday morning Tom dreads school and pretends to be sick. He groans about a sore toe until Aunt Polly yanks out his loose tooth with a string and hot coal. His plan fails, but the missing tooth makes him a hero at school because he can spit in a new way. Another boy who had been famous for a cut finger loses his crowd.

Tom meets Huckleberry Finn, the town outcast every mother hates. They trade folk cures for warts, swap Tom's pulled tooth for a tick, and plan a midnight trip to the graveyard with Huck's dead cat. Tom agrees to meow when it is time to sneak out, even though Aunt Polly almost caught him signaling last time.

At school Tom sees the only empty seat is beside Becky Thatcher. He tells the teacher he stopped to talk with Huck Finn and takes a whipping on purpose. The punishment lands him next to Becky. They draw houses on a slate, trade a peach, whisper "I love you," and get engaged. The teacher catches Tom by the ear and moves him back to his seat, but Tom's heart is happy even though he fails reading, geography, and spelling and loses his pewter medal at the foot of the class.