Summary
Summary of The $30,000 Bequest, and Other Stories
Key ideas
Key idea 1
A promised fortune invites secret dreams
Saladin Foster, called Sally, keeps books in Lakeside, while his wife Electra, called Aleck, builds a small income through careful saving. Then Sally's rich uncle Tilbury promises to leave him thirty thousand dollars. The gift comes without affection: Tilbury believes money causes trouble and wants his wealth to keep doing harm.
Sally must keep the promise secret, ask no questions about his uncle and stay away from the funeral. The couple agree, leaving themselves free to imagine what the money might bring.
Key idea 2
Imaginary money begins shaping real choices
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Key idea 3
A dog remembers her mother's words
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Key idea 4
Strict truth meets another person's fear
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Key idea 5
Laughter gives way to quiet feeling
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Key idea 6
Small choices reveal familiar habits
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Key idea 7
Twain makes himself part of the joke
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Key idea 8
Satire exposes the appetite for notice
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Key idea 9
Adam and Eve see different worlds
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The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
Read the rest freeWho it’s for
This book will delight readers who enjoy dry humor, comic exaggeration and sharp little portraits of human folly, and anyone who likes a collection they can dip into for a tale, a joke or a quiet moment of feeling.
What this book is
What if a letter could change how you live without handing you a single coin? Mark Twain, the American humorist who died in 1910, fills this book with tales, sketches, mock reviews, essays and two diaries kept by Adam and Eve. It opens with a bookkeeper and his wife who dream of a fortune from a rich uncle. A dog tells her life story. Two old aunts face a test of their love of truth. Under the laughter you find a sharp eye for greed, vanity, habit and the small lies people tell each other.
In this summary
- 1A Letter Promises Thirty Thousand DollarsFree
- 2Imaginary Wealth Takes Over Their Lives
- 3A Dog Keeps Her Mother's Last Request
- 4Two Aunts Face the Cost of Truth
- 5A Dreadful Book And A Haunted Cottage
- 6Small Tales of Habit and Choice
- 7Twain Turns His Wit on Himself
- 8Hoaxes, Letters, and Pointed Essays
- 9Adam and Eve Keep Their Diaries
Key point 1 of 9
A Letter Promises Thirty Thousand Dollars
Lakeside is a pleasant little town in the Far West. Saladin Foster, called Sally, keeps the books at the leading store. His wife Electra, called Aleck, is the sharper mind in the house. She has built a small income from careful savings and a bit of land.
Then great news arrives. Tilbury Foster, a sour bachelor of seventy, writes that he will soon die and leave Sally thirty thousand dollars. He does it without love. Money has caused him most of his troubles, and he wants it to go on doing harm.
There is a condition. Sally must never speak of the bequest, never ask after the old man, and never attend the funeral. The couple swear silence. After that, the two begin to dream, and the dreaming is where the real story starts.
That’s 1 of 9 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
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Check yourself
How does the promised inheritance affect Sally and Aleck?
Right. “The title tale shows a couple who lose themselves in a daydream of money.”Not quite. “The title tale shows a couple who lose themselves in a daydream of money.”
What does Aileen's mother ask her to do?
Right. “When they part, her mother asks her to live for others and to do what she would do when someone is in danger.”Not quite. “When they part, her mother asks her to live for others and to do what she would do when someone is in danger.”
What does Twain emphasize about telling an American humorous story?
Right. “The American humorous story, he says, lives on a straight face and above all the pause.”Not quite. “The American humorous story, he says, lives on a straight face and above all the pause.”
Questions about The $30,000 Bequest, and Other Stories
What is the title tale of this collection about?
It follows Sally and Aleck Foster of Lakeside, who learn that a rich uncle will leave them thirty thousand dollars. Aleck invests the money in her imagination, and the couple spend it on dream palaces and royal marriages for their daughters.
What other stories are in the collection?
The book includes A Dog's Tale, Was It Heaven? Or Hell?, A Cure for the Blues, The Californian's Tale, Edward Mills and George Benton, and many sketches and essays, ending with the diaries of Adam and Eve.
Is the review of The Innocents Abroad a real review?
No. Twain wrote it himself as a mock review after reading that a London paper had seriously criticized his travel book. It appeared in The Galaxy and fooled many readers, and Twain later explained the joke.
What is the humorous story that Twain describes?
Twain says the humorous story is American and depends on how it is told. The teller keeps a straight face, drops the point carelessly, and uses a well-timed pause. He gives The Golden Arm as an example to practice.
Is this collection easy to read?
Yes, in the sense that it is made of separate pieces. Each is short and lively, with plain language, clear voices, and a joke or a surprise close at hand, so you can read one at a time.
