How to Cure a Cold by Mark Twain. Short summary

5 seconds

McWilliams’ wife went into a panic from an epidemic of croup. When her daughter coughed, the woman began giving her horse doses of medicine. The doctor found out that the girl was chewing on a chip and choked on it.

1 minute

An epidemic of croup swept the town.Mrs. McWilliams went into a panic, worried about her daughter Penelope and the baby. She was so worried that she didn’t look at the children. Only her husband noticed the little girl chewing on a chip.

In the evening Penelope coughed as if she had choked. Her mother became hysterical. She thought it was croup and sent her husband for a doctor. He was ill, but he sent medicine. She had to take a teaspoon of it every hour.

The restless mother at first did not know where to put her daughter’s crib. It was moved from the nursery to the parents’ bedroom, then back to the nursery, then back to the bedroom.

Mrs. McWilliams decided not to stop at half measures. She infused Penelope with the mixture by tablespoonfuls every ten minutes. It made the baby cry. The mother sent her husband for a doctor, ordering him to be brought in sick or well.

The doctor tapped the girl on the back, and she spit out a splinter.