Tom Sawyer and the pinchbug

For Scout. From The Adventures of Tom Sawyer:

About half-past ten the cracked bell of the small church began to ring, and presently the people began to gather for the morning sermon.

The minister gave out his text and droned along monotonously through an argument that was so prosy that many a head by and by began to nod... Presently [Tom] bethought him of a treasure he had and got it out. It was a large black beetle with formidable jaws -- a "pinchbug," he called it.

The first thing the beetle did was to take him by the finger. A natural fillip followed, the beetle went floundering into the aisle and lit on its back, and the hurt finger went into the boy's mouth. The beetle lay there working its helpless legs, unable to turn over. Tom eyed it, and longed for it; but it was safe out of his reach. Other people uninterested in the sermon found relief in the beetle, and they eyed it too.

Presently a vagrant poodle dog came idling along ... He surveyed the prize; walked around it; smelt at it from a safe distance; walked around it again; grew bolder, and took a closer smell; then lifted his lip and made a gingerly snatch at it, just missing it; made another, and another; began to enjoy the diversion ...
and little by little his chin descended and touched the enemy, who seized it. There was a sharp yelp, a flirt of the poodle's head, and the beetle fell a couple of yards away, and lit on its back once more.

The neighboring spectators shook with a gentle inward joy, several faces went behind fans and handkerchiefs, and Tom was entirely happy.

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