The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain Chapters 26-30

Chapter 26 – Question 1 Who are the “daughters”/ nieces of Peter Wilks? Peter Wilks’ nieces/daughters are Mary Jane who is 15, Joanna who is 14, and Susan who is 15. Peter took his nieces in as daughters when their father (Peter’s brother) died. Now that Peter has died, the girls will be sent to live with her living uncles.

Question 2 About what does the “harelip” ask Huck (Adolphus)? How does Huck get out of this predicament? Joanna asks (Huck) Adolphus if he has ever seen the king and where he sits in church. Huck explains that he saw the king when he came to Sheffield to take sea baths. He also says he sits in Uncle Harvey’s pew with 17 other preachers who rotate sermons. As a servant (a “valley”), he is required to go to church and “set with the family.”

Question 3 Why does Huck feel “ornery and low”? Why does he decide to steal the money from the King and the Duke? Huck feels “ornery and low” when the girls are so nice to him, so he must steal the money and return it to the girls.

Question 4 How does Huck avoid being caught stealing the money? What plans of the King and the Duke does Huck overhear? Huck hides behind the curtain in the king’s room. He hears the plan. The Duke wants to just take the money and go. The King wants to stay and sell everything off.

Question 5 Where do the King and the Duke hide the money? The Duke and the King hide the money in the straw tick under the featherbed. The slaves only turn over the straw tick twice a year, so it is not in danger of being found.

Chapter 27 – Question 1 Where does Huck hide the stolen money? Why? Huck hides the money in Peter’s coffin. He heard someone coming, so he had to act fast so as not to get caught.

Question 2 Why is Huck not able to retrieve the money? Huck cannot retrieve the money. He does not want to get caught with it. Also, too many people are standing around the coffin.

Question 3 What noise interrupts the funeral sermon? A dog had a rat outside. He was making a ruckus in the yard that was so loud the funeral director had to take care of it.

Question 4 What are the King’s plans for the girls’ living arrangement? What does the King do with the slaves? The King plans to have the girls go with him to England. The King sells the slaves and separates the families. The girls are sad and do not want the slaves to be sold away from town or separated. The girls cry and hug the slaves. The girls are innocent. They are taken in by frauds, and they truly care for slaves.

Question 5 When Huck is approached by the King about being in his room, who does Huck say he saw go in there several times? How is this a form of regression for Huck? Huck says he saw the slaves leaving the King’s room. He is glad he “worked it off onto the niggers, and yet hadn’t done the niggers no harm by it.” They were already sold. Huck knows he will be believed and escape blame if he passes it off on the slaves.

Chapter 28 – Question 1 Why is Huck able to tell Mary Jane that the slaves will return in two weeks? Huck knows the sale will be invalid once the King and the Duke are found out to be frauds.

Question 2 Where does Huck ask Mary Jane to stay? Why? Huck asks Mary Jane to stay out of town a ways (Mr. Lothrop’s house). Mary Jane is no longer “leather-face.” Her face will show what she knows.

To whom does Huck reveal that the King and the Duke are frauds? Question 3 To whom does Huck reveal that the King and the Duke are frauds? Huck tells Mary Jane the whole truth. It is actually safer than a lie.

Question 4 Why does Huck tell Mary Jane about the Royal Nonesuch? Huck tells Mary Jane that if he is gone, she can send word to Bricksville and mention the Royal Nonesuch. The men there will be able to identify the King and the Duke as frauds.

Question 5 After the auction, who arrives on the steamboat? Another set of Wilks brothers arrive on a steamboat. They are the real Wilks brothers.

Chapter 29 – Question 1 What problems have the real Wilks brothers encountered that caused them not to be able to prove their identity? Their baggage was put off at the wrong town, so they have nothing to prove who they are. William has a broken arm, and he cannot sign. He cannot prove that he is the deaf/mute brother.

Question 2 Where does the husky man claim to have seen the King before, lending evidence that he is a fraud? The husky man is Hines. He says he saw the King in a canoe with Tim Collins and a boy at the time that the King claims to have been on a ship.

Question 3 What does the doctor suggest keeping until the King and the Duke are freed of the suspicion of being frauds? The doctor suggests holding the $6,000 until the true identity is proven.

Question 4 How does it hurt the King and the Duke when they cannot produce this? The King says the slaves took it. The people do not believe him and his credibility is ruined.

Question 5 What is the result of the handwriting test? The King and the Duke both sign. The signatures do not match. Harvey signs, and there is no match. Harvey says that William writes all of his letters for him. William cannot sign because he has a broken arm.

Question 6 Discuss the tattoo incident. Peter Wilks had a tattoo. The people ask the “brothers” what the tattoo was. The King says Peter had a blue arrow. Harvey says Peter had the letters P-B-W. The men who buried Peter say they saw nothing.

Why does Huck now wish that he had not sent Mary Jane out of town? Question 7 Why does Huck now wish that he had not sent Mary Jane out of town? Huck now wishes Mary Jane were not so far away. She could save him and turn in the frauds.

Question 8 How is Huck able to escape in the graveyard? A huge thunderstorm ensues. As lightning flashes across the graveyard, everyone sees the gold in Peter’s coffin. In the excitement, Hines lets go of Huck, and Huck runs.

Question 9 Why does Huck think, “…it was all I could do to keep from crying”? The King and the Duke catches up with Huck and Jim on the raft. Huck thinks he is finally shed of the old frauds but no such luck.

Chapter 30 – Question 1 What do the King and the Duke blame each other for when they are arguing? The King and the Duke blame each other for stealing/hiding the money. Huck is off the hook.