"Pudd'nhead Wilson" by Mark Twain *****

• US author
• Originally published in 1964
• Funny bit:  Twain inserts a little comment about small town fire companies and their dedicated fervor for thier work, noting that"...citizens of that village as were of a thoughtful and judicious temperament did not insure against fire; they insured against the fire company."....still true today
• Quote:
• p.139...."A devil born to a young couple is measurably recognizable by them as a devil before long, but a devil adopted by an old couple is an angel to them, and remains so, through thick and thin."......good summary of the story
• Vocabulary:
• bradawls:  an awl for making small holes in wood for brads.
• labrick:  Labrick is substantially ass, a little enlarged & emphasized; let us say, labrick is a little stronger than ass, & not quite as strong as idiot.
• philopena:  a custom, presumably of German origin, in which two persons share the kernels of a nut and determine that one shall receive a forfeit from the other at a later time upon the saying of a certain word or the performance of a certain action
• Review:   This book had been sitting on my shelves for many, and I mean many, years.  I finally read it and what a pleasure!  I was gripped by this "prince and pauper" tale.  It is a gripping story with fantastic characters.  It addresses social issues (slavery), character flaws, family issues, and general difficulties faced by just being human.  Twain opens each chapter with a couple of so-called entries to Pudd'nhead's personal calendar which are pithy quips.  My two favorites appear at the beginning of the same chapter.  First, "He is useless on top of the ground; he ought to be under it, inspiring the cabbages".  Second, on April Fool's Day, "This is the day upon which we are reminded of what we are on the other three hundred and sixty-four".  Additionally, my Signet edition has an afterword by the author in which he explains the evolution of the novella from an idea, and it is worth just reading this alone.....almost.