Tom was a young, imaginative and mischievous 12-year-old. Tom's mother has died. He lived on the banks of Mississippi with his aunt Polly. She loved him as much as she loved her sister. Her aunt knew: "If you spare Rod, you ruin your child." She wanted to be strict, otherwise he was lazy and spoiled. One day her aunt thought for herself. "Tomorrow I will work him. My aunt asked Tom to paint the fence. Saturday morning came. It was a bright day. The hills behind the village were covered with summer greenery. He appeared on the sidewalk with a white bucket and a long-handled brush. He investigated a fence 100 feet wide and 9 feet high. Life was empty to him, and existence was just a burden. With a sigh, he soaked his brush and hung it on the upper board. My worries doubled as I began to think about the fun I had planned for the day, such as going for a swim. Immediately, the free boys stumbled upon him and mocked him, saying he had work to do. Just thinking about it made him uneasy. In that dark moment he came up with a great, great idea. He picked up the brush and calmed down to resume his work. Ben Rogers of all people has arrived. A very mischievous boy with the mockery he was afraid of. Ben was eating an apple and he looked fine. Tom ignored Ben and continued to paint white. Ben said, "Hello! Tom replied," Do I have to work even on holidays? “ Like an artist, he continued to draw fences. Ben saw all this and he became more and more interested. Finally, Ben asked him, ”he, let me plaster." He replied negatively, "My aunt is so accurate that no one can draw everything correctly." He was very enthusiastic and asked him. "he, be careful, let's do it. Tom replied," No, I'm sorry, I can't forgive you. I'm afraid. " Ben begged him. "I will give you an entire apple." Then he gave him a brush, andBen began painting while he was willing to sit in the shade and eat an apple. PoorBen sweated and worked in the sun. When Ben was tired, he gave Billy a brush, and Billy gave him a kite. When Billy was tired, Johnny Miller gave Tom a pair of marbles and took the brush. After all, he was really rich. Everyone paid him the chance to whiten the fence. They started laughing at him, but he made them work. One afternoon, the entire fence was beautifully whitened with three coats. When Aunt Polly saw the fence, she was surprised, she said, "He, I can work whenever I want, but I hardly want to do it." Please go and play.