SOME FACTS FOR YOUR
«Humourpaper»
When his father died, the boy left
school and for 10 years he worked as a printer. While he was a printer he
spent his free time in the libraries. Samuel began to write for newspapers and
other publications, sending travel letters as he journeyed about the country
from job to job. In 1857 he found a job on a boat and travelled up and down the
Mississippi. This is where he got his pen-name "Mark Twain".
Later the young man went to Nevada
where he worked as a miner. It was here that he began to write short stories
and sent them to newspapers. The publisher of the paper liked them and he was
invited to work as a journalist. Samuel started his literary activity as a
humorist. His humorous stories about the life of the common people of America
soon become very popular.
The writer was a humorist not only in
his literary works but in real life, too. Here are some episodes about M.
Twain.
Once Mark Twain was fishing. A
stranger came along and asked him, "Any luck? How many fish have you
caught?"
"I caught fifteen trout yesterday,"
Mark Twain said.
"Is that so?" said the
stranger. "Well, do you know who I am?"
'No," said Mark Twain.
"Well, I am the fishing
inspector of this place and this is the wrong season to catch trout,"
answered the stranger.
Mark Twain thought for a while.
Then he said, "By the way, do you know who I am?"
"No," replied the fishing
inspector.
"Well, I am the biggest liar in
this place," said Mark Twain.
Mark Twain often received
letters and photos from men who had been told that they
looked like him. One was from Florida and the man in the photo was so much like
Mark Twain that the writer answered him:
"My dear sir! I thank you very
much for your letter and photo. We are so like each other that I am sure that
if you stood before me in a mirrorless frame, I could shave by looking at
you."
Mark Twain was a guest
of honour at a party which went to listen to an opera. His hostess talked all
the time during the performance and greatly irritated the writer. Towards the
end of the performance, she turned to him and said, "Oh, my dear Mr.
Jemens, I want you so much to be with us next Friday evening. I'm certain you
will like it — the opera will be "Tosca"."
"Charming, I'm sure,"
replied Mark Twain. "I've never
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