Pudd’nhead Wilson by Mark Twain. Short summary

5 seconds

Slave and master were switched in infancy by the slave’s mother. But Wilson’s lawyer, «Chaffin Head,» manages to discover the truth during the trial.

1 minute

A young lawyer, David Wilson, arrives in the small town of Dawson Landing on the banks of the Mississippi. The townspeople think he is a fool and call him a chump or «Chaffin Head.»

Slave owner Driscoll has a slave girl, Roxie. She is only 1/16 black and her young son Chambers is 1/32. The baby is the same age as the master’s son Tom. Roxie changes babies in the cradle.

Driscoll died and gave Roxie a «free pass.» But the bank where she kept her savings went bankrupt and she has nothing to live on. Chambers, who thinks he is Tom, grows up to be greedy and promiscuous. Roxie comes to him, tells him the truth, and blackmails him, demanding money.

Two Italian twins come to town. Chambers kills his rich uncle and blames one of them. But during the trial, Wilson proves through fingerprints that Chambers is the murderer and not Driscoll’s heir.

The real Tom is reinstated, but he remains an outcast because he is used to a life of slavery. Chambers is sold to the South.