Chapter 9 Summary

When Twain was 14 years old, he suffered a humorous and awful humiliation. His older sister gave a party, and he was to play the part of a bear in a fairy tale play. Not long before the play, he went to an empty house to practice his part and get into costume. While practicing, in the nude, he was unaware that two girls of the party were hiding behind a dressing screen, watching him make a fool of himself. When he finally heard one of them giggling, he was mortified.

Twain was surprised and relieved that the story did not spread all over Hannibal, but because he never could figure out which two girls had seen him, he suspected every girl he saw. For weeks, he fled as soon as he could from any contact with females. It was 46 years before he found...