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.
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.
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.