Original subtitles

(upbeat music) (Tom laughs)

♫ Now listen here folks, my name is Tom Sawyer

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

♫ Fishing by the river, that's the only place to be

♫ I wanna be free, sitting under a tree, that's me

(whistling music)

(Tom laughs)

♫ These are the stories of Tom Sawyer

♫ Me and Huck Finn just playing by the river

♫ Chasing that steamboat, teacher let me be

♫ I wanna be free, sitting under a tree

♫ That's me (Tom laughs)

(fiddle music)

(Huck grunting)

(easygoing music)

- [Tom] Well, Huck said he was gonna start building

his tree house without me,

and sure enough, he's as good as his word.

Hm, wish I could say the same for me.

- [Huck] That aught to hold her.

This is gonna be the finest tree house in the world.

- [Tom] You know, I had promised Huck I'd come to help him

the minute school let out and, well, school's out,

but as you can see, I ain't there yet.

(Huck grunts)

Now for me not to keep a promise to my best friend Huck

takes a powerful good reason.

I had one, only thing is,

I don't knows how I could explain it to Huck,

or to anybody, for that matter.

I should have figured Huck

was most likely working like a mule,

and probably getting madder at me by the second,

but truth is, Huck, the tree house,

and just about everything else in the whole wide world

had been wiped plum out of my mind.

You see, I was in, well, I think grown-ups call it

puppy love.

- [Girl] You ever have any pets, Tom?

Back in St. Louis, I used to have a rabbit.

- I didn't know you liked rabbits, Becky.

I'll take you along next time I go hunting.

- [Becky] What do we do once we catch them?

- You eat them of course,

but you gotta skin them and roast them first.

I think they're real tasty.

- But I always kept my rabbit in a cage in the back yard

and fed it carrots and lettuce.

I can't believe you'd eat one, they're much too cute.

- Uh, well, I'd only eat it if it was real ugly.

I'm sure your rabbit was a sight prettier

than the ones you find running wild in the woods.

- Oh, Tom, do you mean that?

- Sure I do, Becky, hm.

(easygoing music)

(Huck groaning)

(Huck panting)

- Where in tarnation is that Tom?

He swore he was gonna help me build this here tree house.

- Thanks a lot for coming to visit me, Tom.

- I had a real good time.

- Come back tomorrow, then,

and don't forget these cookies my mother made for you.

- Thanks.

- I hope you like sugar shortbread, Tom.

- Yeah, I sure do.

Listen, if I come visit you tomorrow,

can I come again the day after, too?

- Sure, I'll be here.

- And Wednesday?

- Oh, you can come and play with me

any time you want to, Tom.

You should know you're the very best friend

I have in the whole wide world.

- Becky Thatcher, I guess I'd have to do a whole lot

of looking to find me another girl as sweet as you.

- Let's try to stay friends, even when we're 30 years old.

- (clears throat) Listen, uh, (clears throat)

are you engaged to anybody yet?

- Engaged?

What does that mean?

- Well I don't exactly know, but I think it's something that

you and me should start thinking about because after all,

one of these days, I'm gonna be a, uh oh.

- Oh, now behave yourself, Caesar.

Tom's a good friend of mine,

and I don't want you going and biting his leg off.

- Looks like it's time for me to be heading on home.

- (Dog growling) Hey.

- Thanks for the cookies.

- Hey, Tom, you're gonna come back tomorrow, aren't you?

- Sure, I'll be here.

(dog barking)

I'll see you later.

- Bye.

Caesar, if you don't settle down right now,

all you're gonna get is dry biscuits for your dinner.

Do you hear me, now?

- [Sid] All done, Aunt Polly.

Do you need anything else.

- No thank you, Sid.

You can just go and get Tom.

It's almost dinner time.

- [Sid] Yes, ma'am.

- Man, will you just look at that sugar shortbread, mm.

Tasty. (Tom inquisitively grunting)

- Hey, Tom, dinner's just about ready.

- Sounds good to me.

- [Sid] You better hurry up, or you'll get in trouble.

- Aww, look at that, plum busted into smithereens.

Well, I reckon that shouldn't

make a difference in the taste, though.

Nope, not at all.

(frogs croaking)

(Huck imitates cat meowing)

- Huh?

(Huck imitates cat meowing)

(Tom imitates cat meowing)

(Huck imitates cat meowing)

(cat meowing)

- Hm, oh.

Dag nab it, Peter, I told you before I weren't calling you.

Huh?

- What you prowling around for, Huck?

- Sneak on in to the tool shed and grab me a hammer and saw.

I swear I'll get them back to you real quick.

- Sure, but what do you need tools

in the middle of the night for?

- It so happens I'm building something, like a tree house.

- A tree house?

That's great.

(gasps) I forgot, Huck. (groans)

- Right, some friend.

Your promises don't mean nothing?

- [Tom] Sorry.

- That's all right, I can handle it.

- You know, it just plum slipped my mind.

- Tom Sawyer, I know all about your mind

and just how slippery it can be.

Fetch me that there saw and hammer and I'll get going.

- Don't be like that.

Huck, I can still help.

- Just give me the tools.

I don't need your kind of help anymore.

- Well, there you go, Huck.

That's a little shortbread you can hae for your supper.

I'll go get the tools.

(frogs croaking)

(Huck sniffs)

- He shouldn't have promised to help me out

if he really didn't have a mind to do it.

I should never trust anybody but one person,

and that's me, not Tom.

(Huck sighs) Well, let's see what we got, here, hmm.

- Here, Huck, I got you the hammer and saw

and some nails, too.

(Huck's lips smacking)

Are you still mad?

Listen, Huck, I swear, I'll help you tomorrow.

- This sugar shortbread's real good, Tom.

I think it's about the finest I ever tasted.

Where'd it come from?

- Where'd it come from?

I don't know.

I reckon my cousin Mary made them earlier today.

- Mm, good stuff.

- Well, if you like them that much,

I reckon you can have all of them.

- Thank you, Tom, I will.

- Well, here's the tools and nails you need.

I'll see you tomorrow.

- Oh, much obliged, Tom.

Mm-hmm, do you still think you can help?

- Do you really want me to?

- Well, of course I want your help, Tom.

It's a big tree house and I need all the help I can get.

- I'll see you right after school lets out.

- Don't forget, now.

- [Tom] Don't worry, I won't.

(easygoing music)

Dog dang it, I sure did Huck wrong today.

I got so wrapped up in playing with Becky,

I plum forgot about helping him build his house,

but I'm supposed to play with Becky again tomorrow.

Oh, what am I gonna do?

(easy going music)

(bells ringing)

(children chattering)

(brook babbling)

- Oh no, I'm sorry your aunt's so sick.

- Yeah, she started to complain about a stomach ache

about midnight last night.

- Golly.

- She was making all kinds of noises.

(imitates pained groans)

- Goodness. - Like that.

And poor Aunt Polly's got a bad heart on top of it all.

- Mm.

Well, how come you didn't stay home

and take care of your aunt, Tom?

- Aunt Polly's real strict about me going to school,

so I had to go, but when I left her this morning,

she gave me such a mournful look that I couldn't

hardly stand to leave her behind for a minute.

- I think it's probably best you hurry up and go.

Yep, me too.

But I sure am sorry I can't play with you

like we planned this afternoon.

Your mom makes about the best sugar shortbread in the state.

See you tomorrow, I guess.

- I sure do hope your aunt gets better soon, Tom.

- Oh, she will, Becky, don't you worry.

- Bye, now.

- Yeah, bye.

(playful music)

Hey there, Huck.

Here I am, I come to help you, just like I said I would.

- Huh, you're a little bit late, Tom.

I'm just about finished.

- Really?

- [Huck] I've been at it all night, building like a beaver.

Why don't you climb on up and see for yourself.

Come on.

- All right, here I come.

- Yes sir, I got me a fine house here.

- Looks to me like you got a few holes in the floor, Huck,

and if you ain't careful, you'll slip through

and break every bone in your body.

- (groans) Well then, I guess I'll just have to be sure

to watch my step, won't I, Mr. Know-it-all.

- Well if you're gonna build yourself a house,

why don't you at least put together right?

- [Huck] I reckon that's what I'm doing.

- The least you can do is put a roof on it.

That way folks can visit you when it's raining outside.

- I don't mind the rain.

- But Huck, if you want to have a respectable kind of house,

you just gotta put a roof over it.

- Respectable don't matter none to me, Tom.

- I know, Huck, but you could show everybody up

and have the finest tree house in the state if you'd just

quit acting like an old porcupine for a minute,

take it easy, and listen to me.

I swear, you're stubborn, Huck Finn.

(easygoing music)

See what I mean, Huck?

- You mean there's nobody living in there at all?

- That's right.

(easygoing music)

Looky here, we got all the shingles and wood we need,

and they're ours for the taking.

- I said I don't want no civilized house, Tom.

Why don't you just let me do it my own way?

- Why not do it the right way, Huck?

Now quit lollygagging and help me pull up this floor.

(wood creaking) (Tom grunting)

- I reckon I ain't the only stubborn one around here.

(wood creaking) (boys grunting)

(easygoing music) (wood creaking)

(birds chirping)

- I reckon we took off enough lumber by now, Tom.

- Maybe so, maybe not.

I figure, one more trip.

- We've been there four times.

- Is that all?

- What do you mean, is that all?

We carried back more lumber than we can use already.

- We'll need a lot more

if we're gonna build you a two-story house.

- Well we ain't building no two-story house,

and we ain't making no white picket fence.

- Settle down, I was just kidding.

But I think it'd be a good idea.

- I ain't gonna be respectable.

- [Tom] You know, Huck, was I thinking,

it'd be kinda fun to invite Becky

over here for a picnic some day.

So we gotta have a roof, in case it rains.

- That little girl's running your life.

- [Tom] No she ain't.

- [Huck] Get ready, I'm sending up a plank.

(Huck grunting)

(easygoing music)

- [Tom Voiceover] The work was a lot harder

than I thought it was gonna be,

and I just about gave up any idea

of being a carpenter some day,

but we kept at it and pretty soon,

Huck started looking proud about his house.

Maybe being respectable wasn't so bad for him after all.

(Huck grunting)

- [Huck] Grab a hold of it now, Tom.

(easygoing music)

- Where are you, Jim?

Jim, Jim, where are you?

- Just hiding in here, Miss Mary.

What do you want?

- I'm afraid the latch on the woodshed door is broken again.

Do you think you could take a look at it for us

when you have the time?

- Oh, it won't take me but a minute to fix that.

- What would we ever do without you, Jim?

(easygoing music)

- Are you ready?

- [Crowd] All right, you guys, ready or not--

- I'm gonna be the next king of the hill, Geronimo, hang on.

- [Group] Go on, Joe.

- Here I come.

- That a boy, go get them. - Run Joe, run Joe.

(children laughing and chattering)

- Right behind you.

I made it!

- That's about all we can take.

Oh, no, it's Ben!

- Ben?

(children moaning and groaning)

- Don't you wanna go play with the boys, Tom?

- Nah.

- You seem awfully down and depressed this morning.

How's your poor Aunt Polly doing today?

- Aw, she's doing a little better, thanks for asking.

- Well tell her that I'm surely gonna pray for her

when I go to church Sunday morning, won't you?

- Becky, you're about the nicest girl I ever met,

and I promise I'm gonna come over and play with you

just as soon as my Aunt Polly gets well.

- I understand, Tom.

(Tom clears his throat)

- [Tom] Uh.

- Tom! (Becky laughs nervously)

(Becky sighs contentedly)

(uplifting music)

(Tom sighs and laughs)

(Tom and Becky sighing)

- [Tom Voiceover] I went back to help Huck

again that afternoon.

We was making good progress

and Huck's place was starting to look like a real house.

(easygoing music)

(boys grunting)

- You know that sugar shortbread you gave me the other day?

- Yep.

- You don't really expect me to believe

your cousin Mary made it, do you?

It was too good for her cooking, now weren't it?

- Yeah, Mary ain't too much of a cook.

I got them cookies from Becky.

- I think.

- What?

- Her mom.

- What?

- Made them.

- [Huck] I figured you was lying.

Oh no, look out!

(boys screaming)

- [Tom] Look out, Huck!

- [Huck] (sighs) Oh, no.

- Well, Huck, looks like we got a little hole in the roof.

(easygoing music)

- Here's your package, young lady, all tied up with a bow.

- And how much do I owe you for it, Mr. Rogers?

- Exactly $1.05,

and can I ask who you're spending all your pocket money on?

- It's a get well present for Tom's Aunt Polly.

She's been very sick with a stomach ache recently.

- Aunt Polly's sick?

Must have been real sudden like.

- Oh no, she's been laid up for days.

- Well she was in good health when I saw her yesterday.

Just as right as rain.

- Impossible.

- [Rogers] Here she is, now.

- Isn't it a glorious day today?

- Well there she is, you can see for yourself.

Is there anything special I can show you, Ms. Polly?

- Yes, Mr. Rogers, it seems

I need quite a large quantity of nails.

Every single nail has disappeared from our tool shed.

I can't image where they've gone.

- That good for nothing liar.

- Oh?

(cow mooing) (wood creaking)

- Huh?

Hmm.

(suspenseful music)

(Jim grunting)

(Tom grunting)

Well.

(Tom grunting and groaning)

- [Tom] Huh?

(Tom groaning)

- Tom, you know I need that window

to keep those mosquitoes out of my place.

- Well, hello there, Jim.

What a nice surprise to see you here.

- [Jim] Uh-huh, nice to see you, too, Tom Sawyer.

Now you wouldn't, by any chance, happen to know

where the hammer and saw is, would you?

- No, I don't.

- And we also missing every single nail

that ain't already stuck in some place around here.

- I don't know nothing about that, Jim.

- Oh, I bet you do know something about it, Tom Sawyer,

so you better tell me where them tools went,

or I'll go to Aunt Polly

and she'll whoop the truth out of you.

It don't make no nevermind to me,

I'll get them tools back either way, understand?

- Well, you're a dag burned, scheming,

low down, dirty, double-crosser!

- You can all me names til your head turns blue

and falls off, Tom, but that don't change nothing,

and I ain't the one that's gonna get a whooping.

The way I figure, you're gonna tell anyway,

so why don't you just forget your fool pride,

and tell me now.

Well, well, well, looks like you boys

been working pretty hard, mm.

(birds chirping)

(playful music)

- Where'd that hammer and saw go to?

I don't see them.

- I got them, look.

But why in the world did you bring old Jim back here, Tom?

- It was either that or get a whooping.

Hey!

(playful music)

(Jim grunting)

(wood creaking)

- Uh oh, uh oh.

First strong wind blows, this thing gonna fly away.

Where's the hammer and nails gone to, Tom?

- Mm, dogged if I know.

- You know, you just ain't gonna give them back until you

done thrown together this rickety old tree house shack.

- That's right, Jim, and you can go tell Aunt Polly.

- [Jim] No, I ain't gonna tell on you, Tom,

cause you'd just run off and stay up in this tree

all year long just to keep from getting whooped,

but I'll tell you what I will do.

If you'll give me that hammer and saw,

I'll help you boys build this tree house.

- [Both] Huh?

- Now get on up here with them tools, and let's get to work.

I'll be you we can build a real nice tree house

by sundown tonight.

Well come on, what are you waiting for?

- [Tom] All right. (Huck laughing)

- Yay Jim, yay Jim, hooray. - Yay, hip hooray, hip hooray.

- [Tom Voiceover] Once we had Jim helping us,

Huck's house went up real fast.

Jim knowed a lot more about building things

than either one of us.

(easygoing music)

Word got around about what we was doing,

and pretty soon just about everybody turned out to see.

(easygoing music)

I must admit, it was a real proud moment.

I reckon after building that tree house,

I could build just about anything.

- Well, boys, that just about does it.

(boys laughing)

- We really up and did it, Huck old buddy.

- This here's the respectablest house I ever lived in.

And I got you to thank.

- I think we aught to build a bigger one next year.

Hey, come on up, everybody,

and take a look at Huck's new tree house, why don't you?

(children chattering)

- Hey, don't everybody come up at one time,

or you'll bust the floor of my house clean through,

and you don't want to do that, now do you?

- Now don't you worry, Huck.

We gave this house a plenty strong floor.

I figure it can hold just about anything.

- It's Becky!

(birds chirping)

- Tom Sawyer, you're the world's biggest liar.

- Well I'm sorry I told you a lie, Becky.

I just didn't want anybody to know about

Huck's new tree house until it was all finished.

Why don't you come on up and take a look at it.

It's real pretty on the inside.

- No, I don't like to go visiting liars.

- Oh, come on, Becky, just forgive me this one time

and I promise I'll never tell you another lie again

as long as I live, really.

- Come on, I wanna show off to you

what I been working on all week.

- But I'm afraid I'll fall down and hurt myself, Tom.

- Don't worry about that, Becky,

I'll hold on to you real tight.

- I've never climbed a tree before.

- That' all right, there's a stairway going up.

Huck said he didn't want it, but I made him build it

just specially in case you came to call.

- Just for me?

- That's right.

Come on, let's go.

- Look, yonder's a paddle wheeler.

- [Boy] Hey, I think that's the Ben Franklin.

- [Boy] No it ain't, it's the Mississippi Queen.

- [Boy] You're both wrong, it's just a freight boat.

- [Huck] That's the Chris Noel, hauling up a load of cotton

all the way from New Orleans.

Sure can see some sights from my new house.

- Thank you, Tom.

Oh, how lovely.

- [Tom Voiceover] Huck was right.

You could see the steamboats from his new house.

You could see St. Louis, too,

and all the way down the great Mississippi.

It seemed like up there in the trees,

we could see the whole wide world.

Yes sir, that tree house was a fine piece of building.

About the finest piece of building

I ever done in my whole life.

(whistling music)

♫ These are the stories of Tom Sawyer

♫ Me and Huck Fin just playing by the river

♫ Chasing that steamboat, teacher let me be

♫ I wanna be free, sitting under a tree

♫ That's me

(Tom laughs)

(fiddle music)