Original subtitles

(lively music)

♫ Ha ha

♫ Now listen here, folks

♫ My name is Tom Sawyer

♫ I don't wanna be no doctor or no lawyer

♫ Fishin' by the river that's the only place to be

♫ I wanna be free sittin' under a tree

♫ That's me

♫ Ha ha

♫ These are the stories of Tom Sawyer

♫ Me and Huck Finn just playin' by the river

♫ Chasin' that steamboat, teacher let me be

♫ I wanna be free sittin' under a tree

♫ That's me

♫ Ha ha ♫

(light bluegrass music)

- Thank you, Jim, a few more oughta be enough.

- Anything you say.

How's Tom this mornin'?

- Just fine.

- [Jim] I'm surprised Miss Polly's lettin' him sleep

this late this mornin' after all the trouble

he caused by runnin' away.

- Mother's so happy to have him back, she's forgiven him.

She thought she'd never see him again.

We all thought he was drowned, just like everybody else did.

- I hear he and his friend spent four

days on Jackson Island.

- Yes, Tom said they were pretending to

be pirates of all things.

Thank you.

That'll do for now.

See ya later, Jim.

- Um hmm.

Runs off playin' with his friends for four

days and ends up a hero, and nobody but Tom Sawyer

coulda thought of comin' back to his own funeral.

(Tom snoring)

- Hey, Tom, you better wake up.

We're gonna be late for school, you know.

(Tom groaning)

Do whatever you like, but I'm going downstairs to breakfast.

- Wish I was back there right now instead of here.

- You wish you were back where?

You mean on Jackson Island?

- That's right, Sid, on the island I could sleep

as late as I wanted, and there was no little

brother tellin' me when to get up.

- But you weren't going to school there, Tom.

- Exactly.

- You've already been out of school for

about four days now.

- That's right, four wonderful days.

- What about Mr. Dobbins?

- What's he got to do with it?

- [Sid] What do you think he'll do to ya?

- Huh?

- Last time you played hooky, he caned you

pretty good, and that was just for missing

one day of school.

Whatta you think he'll give ya for missing four?

- Aw, Sid, just leave me be!

(light music)

- Good morning, Auntie.

- [Polly] Morning, Sid, Tom up yet?

- Yes, Aunt Polly, he's awake.

- [Polly] If he doesn't hurry, he'll miss breakfast.

Now, come and sit down, Sid.

- Don't you just know that Tom'll have a wonderful

time at school today?

- Why is that?

- Well, you know how he loves to tell stories,

and today, all the other kids'll listen

to every word he says.

- Whatta you mean, dear?

- All of his friends at school thought that Tom

and the other boys had drowned.

Everyone did.

They were all convinced they would never see him again.

Now that he's returned, it's only natural

for him to be seen as a hero in the eyes

of the other boys and girls.

- [Polly] Why, yes, I suppose you're right,

come to think of it.

- The children'll want to know every detail

of his adventure on Jackson Island with Huck and Ben.

- Makin' a hero out of him for doin' something

that was wrong don't sit right with me.

- I don't suppose there's much we can do

about it, Mother, after all, everybody

in St. Petersburg was still talkin' about those

three boys attending their own funeral.

- Wish somebody would talk about me like that.

- Well, I pray to the good Lord above that

no one ever has cause to talk about you

for doin' something as wrong-headed

and foolhardy as your brother Tom did.

And I would certainly hope that a good boy like you

would never think of doin' anything like that.

- Don't worry, I don't reckon I ever will, Aunt Polly.

(Tom yawning)

(gentle music)

- Morning, Ben.

Morning, Mr. Rogers.

- Nice morning, ain't it? - Hi, Ben.

Hi, Mr. Rogers.

- Well now, isn't this nice.

Don't tell me you fellas are all waiting for Ben?

- That's right, Mr. Rogers.

We want to be the first to hear about everything

that happened on Jackson Island.

- Yes, I don't blame ya.

Well, son, looks like you've got some talkin' to do.

- Bet you had a lot of fun.

- I sure did.

- It's quite a story, all right.

Ben, Tom and Huck explored every inch of Jackson Island,

and then during the storm, they came close

to gettin' hit by a bolt of lightning.

- Golly, Ben, a bold of lightning?

- I think you boys'd best be on your way now.

You don't wanna be late for school, do ya?

- Right, come on, fellas.

- Whoa, hold on. - Bye, have a good time.

- Wait for me, everybody! - Did you see any

real pirates?

- [Woman] Mr. Rogers?

- Yes?

- [Woman] Isn't it wonderful having your son back again?

- It's like a miracle.

I thought he was gone, that I'd never see him again.

I should be angry with him, I suppose,

after him worrying me like that.

But it's turned out that goin' off on his own

was all for the best.

Having to take care of those other two boys

when they were frightened and homesick

has changed him somehow, made him less

of a boy and more of a man.

Know what I mean?

- Um hmm.

Anybody'd be proud to have a son like Ben.

- Uh huh.

(dog barking)

- Bye, Caesar.

- Well, what I heard is they slept in a cave,

but only when it was raining.

- [Tom] Scared, of course not, we were pirates, weren't we?

And pirates ain't scared of nothing.

- Morning.

- [Tom] It was something, Amy.

- Hmm?

- And then the lightning almost got us.

- Wow, how close was it, Tom? - Well, I'll put

it to you this way, Amy, if it'd struck

any closer, I wouldn't be standin' here

talkin' to you right now.

- Weren't you just frightened half to death?

I know that I would've been.

- Me, scared?

Nah.

- Golly.

I'll tell you one thing, Tom, if I would've

been there, I would've been cryin' all night.

- But I would've been there with ya,

so you wouldn't've been scared of nothin'

'cause you'd a knowd I was there to take care of ya.

Hi, Becky.

- Hiya, Becky.

I've just been hearing about Tom's adventure

on Jackson Island.

Go on, Tom, tell Becky what you told me.

- Sure, I'd be happy to!

- As fr as I'm concerned, it would just be a waste of time.

Excuse me.

- You wanna have lunch together today?

- [Becky] No, thank you.

- I wonder what's wrong with her.

Well, go on, tell me the rest of it, Tom.

- Huh?

Oh, yeah, let's see where was I?

- [Amy] The big thunderstorm when the lightning--

- Hey, there's Huck.

How are ya this morning?

- [Huck] Okay, I suppose.

Got a lotta work to do, though.

- Must not have heard you right, did you say work?

- That treehouse of mine got real tore up in the storm.

Gonna take a lotta work to fix her up.

- Be happy to help ya.

- Thanks, go a lot faster that way.

- I'll meet you over there as soon as school lets out.

- Oh yeah, you and Ben are back in school again, ain't ya?

He passed by here a little while ago.

- Wonder why he went so early.

- Wasn't just Ben, there was a whole bunch

of kids with him, and they were carryin' on kinda strange.

- (laughing) Don't you understand, Huck?

All three of us are heroes!

- Can't understand why.

There ain't nothin' special about goin'

fishin' for four days, is there?

- It's not how long we was gone or what we was doin'

but because we came back for our own funeral

when everybody thought we were dead.

Nobody's ever done that before.

- They must need heroes awful bad, I guess.

- Tom, you better hurry!

We're gonna be late!

- Well, I'll be seein' you later, Huck.

- Okay.

- Run!

Come on.

- Funny, Tom says he loves Becky Thatcher,

and now he's holdin' hands with Amy Lawrence.

(light music)

- Well, of course I knew it was dangerous.

That's what made it so much fun.

Guess I'm just the kind of fella that don't

see no point that ain't got plenty of danger

to go with it, 'cause facin' danger is about the only

thing that makes life interesting.

Now, the storm took us by surprise.

We were freezing cold and drenched to the skin.

It was just terrible.

- [Boy] What did you do then?

- Took care of Tom.

He was scared half to death.

All he wanted to do was go home.

- You mean he was cryin'?

- Yup. - Golly.

Well, whatta you know about that?

- But Huck's the one that really surprised

me on account of my figuring he was used

to sleeping out in the open.

But I could see that he was just as scared as Tom was,

even though he was tryin' awful hard not to show it.

- [Boy] Good thing you were there to keep

up their courage, Ben.

- [Student] Tom Sawyer, cryin' like a baby?

I don't believe it.

- Yup, it's true.

- [Pupil] What about you, Ben?

Weren't you home sick, even a little?

- Huh?

Suppose it's natural for a body to get homesick

after a while, but to leave after being there

only a couple days just woulda been cowardly.

When we heard the ferryboat cannon, we knew

somebody had drowned, and they was lookin' for the body.

And then, all of a sudden, it came to me.

I knew what they were looking for.

They were looking for the bodies of none other than

Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn and me, Ben Rogers.

- [Several Children] Golly, that sounds scary.

- [Ben] And that's when I came up with the idea

of comin' back and showin' up at our own funeral.

- Hi, Becky.

How ya doing?

- Fine, Charlie, thank you.

- I guaranteed Tom and Huck it'd work, and it did.

- Did it ever!

The whole town's still talkin' about it.

- Uh huh.

(Ben laughing)

(organ music)

- We shall always remember their winning ways,

their rare promise, their sweet and generous natures,

their graceful innocence and their spirited

enjoyment of life itself.

Lord, may they dwell happily in a better

world than this, in the glorious kingdom

of heaven above.

Eh, g-g-g

- Oh dear!

- Huh?

Oh!

(congregation gasping)

- It's the boys. - It's a miracle.

- Ugh!

- It's Ben!

- Hello, Aunt Polly.

- Oh, Tom, Tom, you're back! (crying)

- Is it really you, son?

- Hello, Father.

(laughing)

I gotta admit, it's the best idea I ever had.

- That's the best idea, Ben. - Best I ever heard.

(bell ringing)

- Uh, (throat clearing) excuse me, Mr. Dobbins?

- Yes, Mr. Stevenson, what is it?

- Eh, well, are Tom Sawyer and Ben Rogers

attending school today?

- Ben Rogers is already here.

As for Tom Sawyer, I don't know if he's coming or not.

- I can't recall a more astonishing event

than the appearance of those three boys at the church.

Quite amazing, wasn't it?

- Yes, indeed.

But they were also absent from school

for four days, which I cannot condone,

and for that they shall be severely punished.

You can certainly be sure of that!

- But, uh...

- You mustn't run in the building, Thomas!

It's not allowed!

Do you hear me?

Walk!

- Yes, sir. - Slowly, slower.

(children chatting)

- [Student] Oh look, there's Tom.

- [Pupil] And Amy.

- [Girl] Oh, I wonder what Becky thinks.

- [Boy] There's Tom, I get him on my team.

- She thinks she's so smart. - Hi, Tom, good to see ya.

- Hey, mornin' everyone.

- [Girls] Hey, Tom.

- Welcome back, Tom.

- Back from the dead, ha ha!

- Yeah, when I saw you at the funeral,

I thought you were a ghost. (laughing)

- Well, sure, everybody did.

Ben and Huck thought my plan wouldn't work, but--

(students gasping)

- [Class] Good morning, Mr. Dobbins.

- [Ben] Tom.

- Hmm?

- Listen, you don't have to bother yourself

tellin' everybody what happened on Jackson Island,

'cause I already told 'em.

- You did?

Exactly the way it happened?

- Exactly, Tom.

- Well, that's okay.

(stick cracking)

(boys gulping)

- Before we start today's lesson, I have

an unpleasant duty to perform.

(stick cracking)

For four days, two boys were absent!

Benjamin Rogers and Tom Sawyer, stand up!

You know the rules here, and you chose

to disregard them, but worst of all is that such a

flagrant offense should result in praise and adulation.

Should we praise those responsible for causing

their families and friends so much suffering and heartaches?

No.

They must face the consequences of their wrong doing.

The consequences in this case shall be 20 lashes apiece.

- What? - Huh, that's an awful lot.

- Nonsense, you deserve 50.

Which one of you shall be first?

- Ben, wanna go first?

- Don't reckon I do.

- On second thought, 20 lashes apiece is too harsh

a punishment, one of you must've been the leader

of the group on Jackson Island, and no doubt,

he's the one responsible for mocking the church

and the good citizens of this town.

One of you boys thought up the infamous

scheme of attending your own funeral.

That boy shall receive the 20 lashes,

the other only 10.

- [Class] Huh?

- Which one was it, Ben or Tom?

20 for one, 10 for the other.

- [Ben] Tom, we need to talk.

- Someone must know.

What about you, Amy?

I saw you holding hands with Tom this morning.

You're one of his best friends.

So I'm sure that he would have informed you

which boy was the ringleader.

- Uh uh.

- You must know, Amy, now tell me.

- I don't remember that part.

- How dare you lie to me!

- I'm not lyin', I just can't remember.

- I'm waiting for your answer.

- [Amy] But I already told ya, Tom never said who it was.

Honest, he didn't. (crying)

- Stop crying and answer me!

- [Amy] But I don't know!

- Ugh, Amy, tell me!

(Amy crying)

- Mr. Dobbins, you have no cause to pick on Amy like that!

- Hmm?

So, Tom, your guilty conscious has betrayed you.

Come forward, Tom Sawyer.

(gentle music)

One. - Ugh!

- Two - Oo!

- Three, - Ugh!

- Four, five.

- Now, don't get me wrong,

I don't like gettin' caned any more than

the next feller, especially by Mr. Dobbins.

He may be small and skinny, but he can

make it hurt plenty when he wants to.

But it was worth it, 'cause now everyone thinks

I'm the best thing to come along since strawberry jam,

except for Becky Thatcher, darn it.

Once the raft disappeared in the storm,

the only way to get to shore was to swim,

a mile or so, I guess.

Not too much of a challenge for a swimmer

as strong as I am.

- Mm, golly, nobody else could've done it,

and that's a fact.

- To tell you the truth, I almost turned back

'cause the storm had riled the river up

so much, and the current was so strong,

I didn't think I was (swallowing) gonna make it.

- Sure was brave of ya, Tom.

- Well, what happened then?

- Well, I knew I had to catch the last ferryboat,

but the current had carried me so far down river,

I didn't know if I could get there in time.

- Golly. - Gee willikers.

- [Boy] Go on, Tom, what did you do then?

- I ran, faster than I ever have in my whole life,

'cause I just had to catch that ferryboat.

I had about two minutes to get there,

and it was almost a mile away!

- But nobody can run that fast.

- I had to get there before it left,

or my plan wouldn't work, see?

- [Students] Wow.

- Oh, Becky, afternoon.

- Why's she talkin' to him?

- Okay?

- All right, Charlie, tell you what,

I'll wait for you at the bench while you

run back and get it.

- All right, I'll be right there.

- Tom, hey Tom, tell us what happened next.

- Huh?

Uh well, you see, that was the night after the storm,

and I knew the current would be a lot stronger,

but I knew I'd make it anyhow.

- We heard that part already.

What happened after you got to the ferry landing, Tom?

- When I got there, I saw that the crew

of the ferryboat was standing guard,

just in case anyone like me was tryin'

to sneak on without payin' the fare,

but that didn't stop me, no sir.

You see, the ferry's got a little boat

tied to her stern, like a lifeboat, you know?

And that's how I got a free ride back to St. Pete.

- Wow. - That's a great story, Tom.

- Oh, hi there, Charlie.

Uh, nice afternoon, ain't it?

- You know, you would've been as big a hero

as Tom is right now, 'cept now they all know

that you lied to them.

You shouldn't have done that, Ben.

(upbeat music)

(Ben groaning)

It's about a man named William Tell

who lived in a country called Switzerland,

and he could shoot a bow and arrow better than anybody.

Not the kind injuns use but a crossbow,

like that one over there.

William had a fine young son.

As they were walking along one day,

the evil sheriff rode by.

He made William put an apple on the boy's head.

Mm, no point in goin' on - Huh?

- if you aint' gonna listen.

- I was so listening.

A man named William had a wonderful bow,

and he tied it around an apple.

Well, go on.

- Yup, just like I thought.

I'm not surprised.

I should've known that the only one you

wanna listen to is Tom.

- Don't be silly.

- Don't bother denying it.

I know it's the truth.

- (gasps) Hmm.

- Ben!

Listen, all the kids from the lower grades

want you to tell 'em what happened to us on Jackson Island.

- They want me to tell 'em?

- You bet they do.

- Hmm, I really am sorry about what I said

this morning, Tom.

My mouth just sorta ran away with me, I reckon.

- What did ya say?

- Well, for instance, I said when we were

on Jackson Island, it was you and Huck who

were scared, not me, and that you were the one

crying on account of being so homesick.

And that I was the one that came up with the idea

of showin' up at our own funeral.

Whatever you do to me, I got it comin', Tom.

I don't blame you for bein' mad at me,

'cause you got every right.

- I'm not mad, Ben.

Everyone tells a fib now and then, right?

- Sure enough, ugh!

- (laughing) Don't worry, Ben, I forgive ya.

- That's all I wanted to hear!

- Those kids are waitin', don't disappoint them.

- You bet I won't.

- And you better tell the truth this time.

(hand smacking) - Ow!

(funny music)

Gosh, I wish you hadn't've done that, Tom.

- It couldn't hurt that bad, Ben.

- Very funny.

Oh, boy.

- Tom, Becky's waiting for you outside on the bench.

- Charlie, that's a downright lie.

- I wish it was, but it's not.

- You swear you're really tellin' me the truth?

- Go take a look for yourself if you don't believe me.

- Hey, thanks, Charlie.

- Good luck.

He ain't no hero if you ask me.

(light music)

(sinister music)

When Mr. Dobbins sees this, Tom'll get

another 20 lashes.

- Huh? - Serves him right.

(Becky's throat clearing)

Hmm?

If you're lookin' for Tom, he's outside.

- Well, I'm not.

- Suit yourself, but he was lookin' for you,

at least I thought it was you.

But I suppose it could've been Amy Lawrence,

them being such good friends and all.

- I have no interest in Tom Sawyer or his friends,

so talking about him's a waste of time.

- Yup, must've been lookin' for Amy.

- What?

- Don't see her.

Huh, Charlie's gonna get it.

- [Mr. Dobbins] Destruction of school property

is absolutely inexcusable!

- But, sir, I swear it wasn't me.

- I've had enough of your lies, Tom Sawyer!

Stand up!

I find it difficult to understand why you

come to school at all!

- [Tom] Honest, Mr. Dobbins, I don't know how that ink--

- Not another word, young man!

Evidently, the punishment you received this morning

wasn't enough to convince you that your

irresponsible and childish pranks will not

be tolerated in this classroom!

The punishment, therefore, will now be doubled!

You must learn the error of your ways, Tom Sawyer!

And learn it you shall!

(country music) (Tom groaning)

- Hurry up, Tom, you're walkin' slower than

a turtle's grandpa.

It's gettin' late, and there's a lot of work to do.

- Sorry, Huck, I'd like to help you,

honest I would, but I just can't today.

- How come?

- On account of my rear end's so sore

I can't hardly move, that's how come.

I can't even get up there.

- For somebody who's as good at makin' up excuses

as you are, that's the dumbest one I ever heard.

- I ain't fibbin' to ya, Huck.

My teacher caned me good today.

If you think I'm makin' an excuse to get

outta work, come take a look.

- Oo ee.

- [Tom] See what I mean?

- You musta done somethin' awful bad to deserve that.

- Well, only partly, I reckon.

- Whatta ya mean, Tom?

- Ugh, I got whipped twice, ugh!

20 strokes for playin' hooky for so long.

Ugh

- What then?

- 20 more for spillin' ink on a textbook, Huck.

But I didn't do it!

- Well, there ain't no justice.

(dog whining)

(Becky crying)

(sad music)

- I knew that Tom was innocent, and I shoulda said so!

Even if I was mad at him!

I'll never forgive myself, never! (sobbing)

I like him an awful lot, and I think it's

about time I told him.

(lively music)

♫ These are the stories of Tom Sawyer

♫ Me and Huck Finn just playin' by the river

♫ Chasin' that steamboat, teacher let me be

♫ I wanna be free sittin' under a tree

♫ That's me, ha ha ♫