Tom Sawyer

Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn skip school to perform an incantation they believe can resurrect a dead cat. They think the ritual will be empowered by the imminent death of Hoss Williams. The plan reveals their appetite for danger and superstition guiding their actions.

During their adventure, they meet Muff Potter, the town drunk, who introduces them to Injun Joe. Joe tells them that Doc Robinson intends to exhume Williams's body with their help. The conversation unsettles the boys and foreshadows grim events.

Tom continues to dodge school, weaving elaborate excuses to avoid dinner and chores. Aunt Polly grows frustrated and searches for a firm lesson. Tom's clever manipulation causes other children to take on his punishments.

Williams's grave becomes the target as Muff Potter, Injun Joe, and Doc Robinson quietly prepare to exhume the body. They move under the cover of darkness in the cemetery. The plan sets the stage for a fateful confrontation.

An altercation erupts when Joe demands more payment, and Robinson is knocked into the grave. Injun Joe then uses Muff's knife to kill him, leaving Tom and Huck horrified witnesses. The boys pledge to a silence that will haunt them.

Injun Joe accuses Muff Potter of the murder, and Muff is quickly imprisoned. The town believes Joe's false testimony, turning an innocent man toward punishment. Tom and Huck feel the weight of injustice without being able to reveal the truth.

Becky Thatcher arrives in town and Tom finds himself infatuated with her. Their budding feelings enrich Tom's life amidst the surrounding turmoil. The romance provides a counterpoint to the era's darker events.

During Muff Potter's trial, Tom bravely testifies to the true sequence of events. He carefully omits Huck's involvement to protect his friend. The revelation unsettles the courtroom and calls into question the truth.

Injun Joe retaliates by throwing a knife toward Tom, narrowly missing him. He then escapes through a courthouse window into the streets. The confrontation intensifies the danger surrounding Tom and his friends.

Tom and Becky break off their engagement and decide to run away with Huck, seeking escape and adventure. They travel down the Mississippi River on a makeshift raft that ultimately capsizes. They drift to a river island and witness river-dragging to recover bodies.

Believed dead by the town, Tom and Huck return to town during their own funeral service, interrupting the proceedings with their sudden appearance. The Widow Douglas later adopts Huck, giving him a chance at a new life. The return marks a tentative normalization after the chaos.

During an Independence Day celebration, Tom and Becky's exploration of McDougal's Cave leads to a perilous chase with Injun Joe in pursuit. Muff Potter, joining in the chaos, ends the danger when he throws a torch that causes Injun Joe to fall to his demise. The episode brings a grim, yet hopeful, close to the catastrophe.

Sometime after the cave incident, Huck vanishes, worrying the Widow Douglas. Tom ultimately finds Huck at their favorite fishing spot and chides him for his disappearance. The boys reckon with the lure of further adventures.

With the town settling again, Muff Potter prepares to leave, and Judge Thatcher arranges a two-week trip to St. Louis for Tom and Becky. Tom mends his relationships with family and commits to personal improvement.