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148 Cub Pilot on the Mississippi

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Preparing to Read

Literary SkillsUnderstand elements of

style, including diction and

tone.

Reading Skills

Read aloud and

paraphrase.

Cub Pilot on the MississippiBased on the autobiography by Mark Twain

LITERARY FOCUS: STYLE AND TONEStyle and tone are tools that a writer uses to get his or her point across.

An author’s style relates to his or her:

• diction, or choice of words (do they seem formal, or funny, or direct?)

• use of images (does the language create a picture?)

An author’s tone includes:

• attitude (is the writer sad, angry, happy, or sarcastic?)

• voice (can you tell if the writer is old or young, tired or energetic?)

As you read this selection by Mark Twain, make notes to yourself about his

choice of words. In the chart below, write words from the text that seem

formal, funny, and direct.

READING FOCUS: READING ALOUD AND PARAPHRASINGReading text aloud can help you “hear” the writer’s style and tone. To

paraphrase means to restate in your own words. Paraphrasing can help you

understand the writer’s meaning. You can also compare the style and tone

of the original to the style and tone of the words you used.

VOCABULARY

Look for these words as you read the selection.

apprenticeship (UH PREHN TIH SHIHP) n.: a period of training for a job by

working under someone who is an expert.

dread (DREHD) n.: great fear or uneasiness.

unaware (UHN UH WAYR) adj.: not knowing or realizing.

trembled (TREHM BUHLD) v.: shook, sometimes with fear or cold.

Formal Funny Direct

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Cub Pilot on the Mississippi 149

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Cub Pilot on the Mississippi

INTO THE STORYMark Twain’s real name was Samuel Clemens. He held many jobs before becoming a famous writer. “Cub Pilot on the Mississippi” is a true story written by Mark Twain about his own life. When he was 22, he began working as a cub pilot on a steamboat. A cub pilot is an assistant to the pilot. (A pilot steers the ship.) As you read, keep in mind that the author is writing events as he remembers them. Although it is a true story, it is influenced by his point of view.

When I was a boy growing up on the Mississippi River, the only job my friends and I ever wanted was to work on a steamboat1. Sometimes we had other ideas, but they passed quickly. When a circus came to town, we all wanted to be clowns. Now and then we hoped that, if we were good, God would permit us to be pirates. A These ideas faded, but the wish to work on a steamboat always remained.

Some of my friends did get jobs on steamboats on the river, as engineers, barkeepers, and pilots. Pilot was the best job and came with a large salary. Some of us, though, could not get on the river—our parents would not let us. So I ran away. I said I never would come home again until I was a pilot.

During the two and a half years of my apprenticeship, I worked with many kinds of people and on many kinds of steamboats. B This helped me to be a writer. I got to know

VocabularyIn line 13, the author talks about his apprenticeship. I know he spent more than two years on steamboats learning from pilots. I checked the meaning of apprenticeship in my dictionary. It means “a period of learning a job by working under someone skilled at it.”

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Based on the autobiography by Mark Twain

1. A steamboat (STEEM BOHT) is a type of boat usually used on rivers. In the 1800s, many steamboats traveled the rivers of our country carrying people and goods.

Literary FocusI am looking for clues to the author’s style and tone as I read. In lines 4–6, the author talks about how he and his friends wanted to be clowns and pirates. This makes me think that Twain has a sense of humor. He also remembers what it was like to be a young boy.

HERE’S HOWA

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HERE’S HOWB

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about all the different types of people that there are in the world or in any kind of story.

The person I remember most often is Brown. He was an ugly, mean bully. No matter how good a time I was having, my soul became lead in my body the moment I got near him. A

I still remember the first time I met Brown. He was the pilot, so he was at the wheel of the boat. B I waited, but he did not look around. There was silence for ten minutes; then, my new boss turned and looked me over. After what seemed like a long time, he asked, “What’s your name?”

I told him. He repeated it after me. But he never used my name again. He always called “Here!” when he wanted me.

“Where was you born?”“In Florida, Missouri.”He kept asking questions about my family until he had to

turn back to his work.When he turned to me again, what a change! His face was as

red as fire. He yelled, “Here!—You going to sit there all day?”I stood and apologized—“I have had no orders, sir.”“You’ve had no ORDERS! My, how fine we are! We must

have ORDERS! Our father was a GENTLEMAN—and we’ve been to SCHOOL. WE are a gentleman, TOO, and got to have ORDERS! What you standing there for? Take that ice down to the officers!”

The moment I got back, Brown said, “Here! What was you doing down there all this time?”

“I couldn’t find the room,” I told him.“Likely story! Fill up the stove.”He watched me like a cat. Then he shouted, “Put down that

shovel—ain’t even got sense enough to fill up a stove!”This went on for months. I always started my work with

dread. C I often wanted to kill Brown, but a cub had to take everything his boss gave.

Later, I got into serious trouble. Brown was steering. My younger brother appeared on deck, and shouted to Brown to stop in about a mile. Brown did not reply. But that was his way.

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VocabularyThe author says that he always started his work with dread. Considering what you have read about his boss, the pilot named Brown, which of the following words seems like the best definition for dread: joy, fear, or confusion?

YOUR TURNC

Reading FocusI know that paraphrasing, or restating in my own words, can help me to understand meaning. In line 20, the author uses the phrase “my soul became lead in my body.” I can paraphrase this as “I got really scared.”

HERE’S HOWA

Language Coach

When Twain says wheel in line 22, I think he means a “steering wheel.” Wheel must be jargon, or specialized vocabulary, for steamboat workers.

HERE’S HOWB


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He never spoke to people if he didn’t think they were important. The wind was blowing and I thought he probably had not heard the order.

We went sailing by the stopping point. The captain came on deck, and said, “Turn the boat around. Didn’t Henry tell you to land here?”

“NO, sir!”“I sent him up to do it.”“He did come up, but he never said anything.”“Didn’t YOU hear him?” the captain asked me.Of course I didn’t want to be mixed up in this, but I said,

“Yes, sir.”Brown said, “Shut your mouth! you never heard anything of

the kind.” D

An hour later, Henry came up, unaware of what had been going on. E Brown began, “Here! why didn’t you tell me we’d got to land at that stop?”

“I did tell you, Mr. Brown.”“It’s a lie!”I said, “You lie, yourself. He did tell you.”Brown looked at me in surprise, then he shouted to me, “I’ll

deal with you in a minute!” then to Henry, “And you get out!”Henry was just outside the door when Brown picked up a

ten-pound lump of coal and aimed at him. I picked up a heavy stool and hit Brown with it so hard it knocked him flat. F

I had committed the worst crime—I had hit a pilot! I was sure I was going to jail, so I decided I might as well hit him for as long I wanted. Finally he jumped up and ran to the wheel. All this time, the steamboat had been speeding down the river with no pilot to steer it! By luck alone, the boat was still steering straight down the middle of Eagle Bend.

Brown ordered me to get out. But I was not afraid of him now. The noise of our fight had brought everybody to the deck, and I trembled when I saw the captain. G He was usually very kind, but I was sure he would be angry with me.

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Why did the narrator hit Brown?

QUICK CHECKF

Reading FocusReading aloud can help you hear the writer’s use of style and tone. Read lines 55–65 aloud. Pay special attention to who is speaking in each line and how the character talks. Write a C next to lines spo-ken by the captain. Write a B next to lines spoken by Brown. Write an N next to lines spo-ken by the narrator. Is there a difference in the diction and tone of each character?

YOUR TURND

Vocabulary

The word unaware sounds familiar, but I want to make sure I understand its meaning. The root word seems to be “aware.” When I am aware of something, I know about it. The prefix un- means “not.” So, I think, Henry being unaware means he does not know what has been going on.

HERE’S HOWE

VocabularyThink about the word trembled in context. Is it a noun, adjective, or verb? What do you think it means? Use your dictionary to double-check your answers.

YOUR TURNG


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The captain stood in silence a moment or two, then said, “Follow me.”

He led the way to his room. We were alone, now. He closed all the doors. Then he said, “So you have been fighting Mr. Brown? Do you know that that is very serious?”

“Yes, sir.”“Are you aware that this boat was going down the river for

five whole minutes with no one at the wheel?”“Yes, sir.”“Did you strike him first?”“Yes, sir.”“What with?”“A stool, sir.”“Did you do anything further?”“Pounded him, sir.”“I’m glad of it! Now never tell anyone that I said that. You

are guilty of a great crime; and don’t you ever be guilty of it again on this boat. BUT—wait for him when he gets off the boat! Give him a good beating, do you hear?! Now go—and not a word of this to anybody.”

I slid out and I heard him laughing to himself after I had closed his door. A

Brown went to the captain and demanded that I be fired. “I won’t even stay on the same boat with him. One of us has got to go.”

“Very well,” said the captain to Brown, “let it be you.”

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Literary FocusMark Twain uses images as part of his style to help get his meaning across. Re-read lines 107–108 and describe how the captain feels about Brown’s beating. Why will the captain only show his feelings behind a closed door? How does Twain’s style here help us better understand the captain?

YOUR TURNA


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Applying Your Skills


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Cub Pilot on the MississippiLITERARY FOCUS: STYLE AND TONE

DIRECTIONS: In “Cub Pilot on the Mississippi,” Mark Twain uses style and tone

to help the reader understand how he felt about the character named Brown.

What feeling or picture do you get about Brown from each of the three

sentences below?

1. “His face was as red as fire.”

2. “He never spoke to people if he didn’t think they were important.”

3. “Henry was just outside the door when Brown picked up a ten-pound

lump of coal and aimed at him.”

4. “I always started my work with dread. I often wanted to kill Brown, but a

cub had to take everything his boss gave.”

READING FOCUS: READING ALOUD AND PARAPHRASING

DIRECTIONS: Below are several sentences from the selection you just read.

First, read each sentence aloud to yourself or to a partner. Then, complete the

second column of the chart by paraphrasing the sentence. The first line has

been completed as an example.

Sentence In my own words

“Now and then we hoped that, if

we were good, God would permit

us to be pirates.”

Once in a while we wished that

if everything went perfectly we

would get the best job of being

pirates.

“No matter how good a time I was

having, my soul became lead in my

body the moment I got near him.”

“We must have ORDERS! Our

father was a GENTLEMAN—and

we’ve been to SCHOOL. WE are

a gentleman, TOO, and got to

have ORDERS!”

I slid out and I heard him laughing

to himself after I had closed his door.

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