The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson
The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson and the Comedy of Those Extraordinary Twins

Another of Mark Twain's best selling yarns of skullduggery and mischief. Set in the deep South, Pudd'nhead Wilson is the central character as an attorney who solves a murder mystery and lays bare the wicked deeds of a larger than life ensemble of personalities in his own wry and peculiar way.David Wilson is called “Pudd’nhead” by the townspeople, who fail to understand his combination of wisdom and eccentricity. He redeems himself by simultaneously solving a murder mystery and a case of transposed identities.Two children, a white boy and a mulatto, are born on the same day. Roxy, mother of the mulatto, is given charge of the children; in fear that her son will be sold, she exchanges the babies.The mulatto, though he grows up as a white boy, turns out to be a scoundrel. He sells his mother and murders and robs his uncle. He accuses Luigi, one of a pair of twins, of the murder. Pudd’nhead, a lawyer, undertakes Luigi’s defense. On the basis of fingerprint evidence, he exposes the real murderer, and the white boy takes his rightful place.The book implicitly condemns a society that allows slavery. It concludes with a series of witty aphorisms from Pudd’nhead’s calendar.Table of ContentsA Whisper to the ReaderChapter 01 Pudd'nhead Wins His NameChapter 02 Driscoll Spares His SlavesChapter 03 Roxy Plays a Shrewd TrickChapter 04 The Ways of the ChangelingsChapter 05 The Twins Thrill Dawson's LandingChapter 06 Swimming in GloryChapter 07 The Unknown NymphChapter 08 Marse Tom Tramples His ChanceChapter 09 Tom Practices SycophancyChapter 10 The Nymph RevealedChapter 11 Pudd'nhead's Thrilling DiscoveryChapter 12 The Shame of Judge DriscollChapter 13 Tom Stares at RuinChapter 14 Roxana Insists Upon ReformChapter 15 The Robber RobbedChapter 16 Sold Down the RiverChapter 17 The Judge Utters Dire ProphesyChapter 18 Roxana CommandsChapter 19 The Prophesy RealizedChapter 20 The Murderer ChucklesChapter 21 Doom ConclusionAuthor's Note to Those Extraordinary Twins