Try to image the English countryside before it was the English countryside.  One can almost here someone call out "Oh! There's some lovely filth down here."

The ungentle laws and customs touched upon in this tale are historical, and the episodes which are used to illustrate them are also historical. It is not pretended that these laws and customs existed in England in the sixth century; no, it is only pretended that inasmuch as they existed in the English and other civilizations of far later times, it is safe to consider that it is no libel upon the sixth century to suppose them to have been in practice in that day also.

It's Monday and Tom must return to school.  Contemplating a number of ploys to get out from going end up costing him a loose tooth.  We are introduced to Huckleberry Finn.    

Tom goes to church and can barely tolerate it.  He does find some relief in a small treasure he carries, a pinch bug.    

Tom has managed to collect enough Sunday School tickets to win a bible despite the fact that he can barely recall a single verse.  This chapter ends with a tantalizing cliff hanger on just how deal with Tom's apparent achievement of stowing away thousands of such verses.