In the first chapters of the book, Tom finds himself in heaps of trouble. Whether it be hanging out with Huck Finn, or stealing food he always finds new ways to get caught, and be punished. One of his earliest punishments from chapter four, he is forced to whitewash a fence. While at first he feels it a chore, he finds a sliver of hope for salvation, and once again, proves his mischievous deeds know no limit: 

There was no lack of material; boys happened along every little while; they came to jeer, but remained to whitewash. By the time Ben was fagged out, Tom had traded the next chance to Billy Fisher for a kite, in good repair; and when he played out, Johnny Miller bought in for a dead rat and a string to swing it with—and so on, and so on, hour after hour. And when the middle of the afternoon came, from being a poor poverty-stricken boy in the morning, Tom was literally rolling in wealth.

[The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Chapter four page 27]

      The mischievous Tom ensnares his unassuming suspects into his charming trap. He convinces several people to whitewash a fence for him because it pretends to find it entertaining. In the end he walks away, with piles of toys and treasure, without breaking a sweat. Throughout the following chapters Tom remains a troublemaker. He lies and steals, but most importantly he learns. He learns how to deal with others mentally, and physically. Most importantly though, through these experiences he learns to deal with his mischievous self