Whitewashed Fence

The whitewashed fence was made famous by Mark Twain’s American classic The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, a coming of age tale about a mischievous boy and his friends growing up on the Mississippi River during the 19th century.

As punishment for ruining his clothes during a fight, Tom’s Aunt Polly assigns him the Saturday task of whitewashing the fence. Miserable because he is forced to work on a play day, Tom begins his chore. As his friend approaches Tom pretends to enjoy his work to curb his embarrassment of having to work on a day meant for pleasure. In turn, his friend asks for a chance to try his hand at whitewashing. As more and more friends come by, each one wants to take a turn at the fun. In exchange for their “work” each one gives Tom a little treat. At the end of his prank, Tom winds up with his chore completed and a fist full of treats.