A BOY'S ADVENTURE [The Whipping Boy's Story].

Twain, Mark

From the Bazaar Budget, Hartford, June 4, 1880. [No place: privately printed for Merle Johnson, 1928.] Original folded leaf forming four pages.

First Edition. Twain originally wrote this chapter, "The Whipping Boy's Story" -- the tale of a boy trying to ride an unrideable bull -- as part of THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER, which was first published in 1882. During the finalization of that novel, this chapter was set aside (per the recommendation of William Dean Howells), and Twain allowed it to be printed by the Bazaar Budget, "a little special-edition sheet printed in Hartford" [per Twain's autobiography]. Twain later adapted the passage for his JOAN OF ARC, in which Joan's father rides a bull to a funeral. Almost forty years later (in 1928), Twain's bibliographer Merle Johnson produced this leaflet; it is today rather uncommon, especially in decent shape.

This is a near-fine copy (a couple of tiny edge-nicks). At the top of the first page is penciled "First Edition | Merle Johnson"; in our experience he signed relatively few of the copies. Blanck 3545. Item #14784

Price: $475.00