CHAPTER 38 Practice Quiz — The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
by Mark Twain — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: CHAPTER 38
What three tasks are Huck, Tom, and Jim working on at the start of Chapter 38?
Making pens, a saw, and preparing to carve an inscription on the wall.
Which historical figures does Tom cite as examples of prisoners who left inscriptions?
Lady Jane Grey, Gilford Dudley, and old Northumberland.
What does Jim think a "coat of arms" is when Tom first mentions it?
Jim thinks it refers to an actual coat or shirt, saying he has nothing but his old shirt.
What materials do Huck and Jim use to file their pens?
They file pens on brickbats — Jim makes his from brass, and Huck makes his from a spoon.
What is the motto on the coat of arms Tom designs for Jim?
"Maggiore fretta, minore atto" — Italian for "the more haste, the less speed."
Can Tom explain heraldic terms like "fess" and "bar sinister" when Huck asks?
No. Tom admits he does not know what they mean but insists Jim must have them anyway.
How many mournful inscriptions does Tom compose for Jim?
Four inscriptions, and he ultimately decides Jim should carve all of them.
What fictional claim does the fourth inscription make about the prisoner?
It claims the prisoner is the "natural son of Louis XIV."
Why does Tom decide they need to switch from logs to a rock for the inscriptions?
He says real dungeons have stone walls, not log walls, so inscriptions must be carved into rock.
Where do the boys get the grindstone?
They fetch it from the mill near the property.
Why do Huck and Tom need Jim's help to move the grindstone?
The grindstone is so heavy it keeps falling over and nearly crushes them; they cannot move it alone.
What "dumb pet" does Tom first suggest Jim should keep in his cabin?
A rattlesnake, which Tom says Jim could tame and sleep with.
How does Jim respond to the idea of keeping a rattlesnake?
He says he would bust right through the log wall with his head and leave if they brought one in.
What compromise does Tom offer instead of a rattlesnake?
Garter snakes with buttons tied to their tails to imitate rattlesnakes.
What does Tom say Jim should use to attract and soothe the rats?
Jim should play his jews-harp, especially the tune "The Last Link is Broken."
What plant does Tom insist Jim grow in his prison, and what must he water it with?
A mullen stalk, which Tom says must be called "Pitchiola" and watered with tears.
Why can't Jim water the plant with tears as Tom demands?
Jim says he hardly ever cries, so the plant would die on his hands.
What solution does Tom devise to produce the tears Jim needs?
He promises to drop an onion into Jim's coffee pot in the morning.
What literary tradition is Mark Twain satirizing throughout this chapter?
The European Romantic adventure-novel tradition, with its emphasis on noble prisoners, heraldry, and elaborate escape conventions.
How does Jim's role in moving the grindstone create dramatic irony?
The supposed prisoner must do the hardest physical labor for his own staged escape, highlighting the absurdity of Tom's plan.