The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn quotes

You can’t pray a lie—I found that out.

You don’t know about me without you have read a book by the name of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer; but that ain’t no matter. That book was made by Mr. Mark Twain, and he told the truth, mainly. There was things which he stretched, but mainly he told the truth.

Well,” he says, “there’s excuse for picks and letting-on in a case like this; if it warn’t so, I wouldn’t approve of it, nor I wouldn’t stand by and see the rules broke—because right is right, and wrong is wrong, and a body ain’t got no business doing wrong when he ain’t ignorant and knows better.

— Spoken by a character · Chapter XXXVI

The pitifulest thing out is a mob; that’s what an army is—a mob; they don’t fight with courage that’s born in them, but with courage that’s borrowed from their mass, and from their officers. But a mob without any man at the head of it is beneath pitifulness.

— Spoken by a character · Chapter XXII

It’s lovely to live on a raft. We had the sky up there, all speckled with stars, and we used to lay on our backs and look up at them, and discuss about whether they was made or only just happened.

“Well, that’s what I’m a-saying; all kings is mostly rapscallions, as fur as I can make out.”

— Spoken by a character · Chapter XXIII

Everybody loved to have him around, too; he was sunshine most always—I mean he made it seem like good weather.

The average man don’t like trouble and danger.

— Spoken by a character · Chapter XXII

I do not wish any reward but to know I have done the right thing.

I couldn’t bear to think about it; and yet, somehow, I couldn’t think about nothing else.

Human beings can be awful cruel to one another.

Well, then, says I, what’s the use you learning to do right when it’s troublesome to do right and ain’t no trouble to do wrong, and the wages is just the same? I was stuck. I couldn’t answer that. So I reckoned I wouldn’t bother no more about it, but after this always do whichever come handiest at the time.

But I reckon I got to light out for the Territory ahead of the rest, because Aunt Sally she’s going to adopt me and sivilize me, and I can’t stand it. I been there before.

All I say is, kings is kings, and you got to make allowances. Take them all around, they’re a mighty ornery lot. It’s the way they’re raised.

— Spoken by a character · Chapter XXIII

A man can’t get his rights in a govment like this. Sometimes I’ve a mighty notion to just leave the country for good and all.

— Spoken by a character · Chapter VI