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Preparing to Read
Cub Pilot on the Mississippi
Based on the autobiography by Mark Twain
LITERARY FOCUS: STYLE AND TONE
Style 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.
Funny
Direct
READING FOCUS: READING ALOUD AND PARAPHRASING
Reading 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.
Literary Skills
Understand
elements of
style, including
diction and
tone.
Reading
Skills
Read
aloud and
paraphrase.
148
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
Cub Pilot on the Mississippi
BUHLD)
v.: shook, sometimes with fear or cold.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
Formal
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Cub Pilot on the
Mississippi
Based on the autobiography by Mark Twain
© Mary Evans Picture Library/Alamy
INTO THE STORY
Mark 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
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
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
10
came with a large salary. Some of us, though, could not get on
A
HERE’S HOW
Literary Focus
I 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.
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
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.
B
HERE’S HOW
Vocabulary
In 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.”
[TK copyright slug]
Cub Pilot on the Mississippi
149
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about all the different types of people that there are in the world
A
or in any kind of story.
HERE’S HOW
The person I remember most often is Brown. He was an
Reading Focus
I 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.”
ugly, mean bully. No matter how good a time I was having, my
20
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
B
long time, he asked, “What’s your name?”
HERE’S HOW
I told him. He repeated it after me. But he never used my
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.
name again. He always called “Here!” when he wanted me.
“Where was you born?”
“In Florida, Missouri.”
30
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
YOUR TURN
red as fire. He yelled, “Here!—You going to sit there all day?”
Vocabulary
I stood and apologized—“I have had no orders, sir.”
The 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?
“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!”
40
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
50
younger brother appeared on deck, and shouted to Brown to
stop in about a mile. Brown did not reply. But that was his way.
150
Cub Pilot on the Mississippi
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
C
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.”
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“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.”
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“It’s a lie!”
I said, “You lie, yourself. He did tell you.”
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
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
D
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He never spoke to people if he didn’t think they were important.
YOUR TURN
Reading Focus
Reading 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 spoken by the captain. Write a B
next to lines spoken by Brown.
Write an N next to lines spoken by the narrator. Is there a
difference in the diction and
tone of each character?
E
HERE’S HOW
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.
F
QUICK CHECK
Why did the narrator hit
Brown?
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.
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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,
G
YOUR TURN
Vocabulary
Think 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.
and I trembled when I saw the captain. G He was usually very
kind, but I was sure he would be angry with me.
Cub Pilot on the Mississippi
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A
YOUR TURN
Literary Focus
© Index Stock/Alamy
Mark 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?
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
90
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?”
“What with?”
“A stool, sir.”
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“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.
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“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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Cub Pilot on the Mississippi
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
“Yes, sir.”
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Applying Your Skills
Cub Pilot on the Mississippi
LITERARY 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
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
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
“Now and then we hoped that, if
we were good, God would permit
us to be pirates.”
In my own words
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.
Cub Pilot on the Mississippi
153