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有一次，托普西把奥菲利亚小姐最好的一条大红轻飘的广东绉纱披肩当头巾裹在头上，在镜子前搔首弄姿，却被奥菲利亚撞个正着。原来是她疏忽大意把钥匙丢在了抽屉里，她犯这样的粗心以前还从未有过呢。 "Topsy!" she would say, when at the end of all patience, "what does make you act so?"" 托普西，"奥菲利亚小姐忍无可忍，厉声喝道，"你为什么这么干？" "Dunno, Missis,--I spects cause I 's so wicked!"" 不知道，恐怕是我太调皮了，太坏了。" "I don't know anything what I shall do with you, Topsy."" 我真不知该拿你怎么办，托普西。" "Law, Missis, you must whip me; my old Missis allers whipped me. I an't used to workin' unless I gets whipped."" 小姐，那您就打我吧，以前的女主人总是打我，不打我就不干活。" 
可是，托普西，我并不想接人。如果你愿意做事，总是做得很好，为什么你不乐意做呢？" "Laws, Missis, I 's used to whippin'; I spects it's good for me."" 哦，小姐，恐怕我是挨揍挨惯了，挨揍对我很管用。" Miss Ophelia tried the recipe, and Topsy invariably made a terrible commotion, screaming, groaning and imploring, though half an hour afterwards, when roosted on some projection of the balcony, and surrounded by a flock of admiring "young uns," she would express the utmost contempt of the whole affair. 于是，奥菲利亚把那"管用的法子"使了出来。托普西又是尖叫，又是呻吟，大声求饶，一时间闹得不可开交。可半个钟头之后，她又蹲在阳台台阶上，身边围着一群羡慕她的"小黑鬼"们，听她讲如何对挨打受骂报以蔑视的态度。 "Law, Miss Feely whip!--wouldn't kill a skeeter, her whippins. Oughter see how old Mas'r made the flesh fly; old Mas'r know'd how!"" 哈哈！菲利小姐还揍人呢！她连一只蚊子都打不死。我原来的主人才叫会揍人呢，直打得我皮开肉绽，真是厉害，那才真叫会揍人呢。" Topsy always made great capital of her own sins and enormities, evidently considering them as something peculiarly distinguishing. 显然的，托普西认为自己所做的各种荒唐事是值得骄傲的，她把它们当作她吹牛的资本。 
听着，小黑鬼们，"托普西向她的听众们郑重其事地说道，"你们知道你们每个人都是有罪的吗？记着，你，你是有罪的，咱们个个都是有罪的。当然，白人也有罪--这是菲利小姐说的。不过，我认为黑人的罪最大，而你们在座的都比不上我，我是罪大恶极，十恶不赦，谁都拿我没办法。我原来的主人成天咒骂我，我想我是这世上最大的坏人了。"说着，托普西翻了一个筋斗，爬到高处，得意洋洋地站在那儿，完全是一副神气十足、鹤立鸡群的模样。 Miss Ophelia busied herself very earnestly on Sundays, teaching Topsy the catechism. Topsy had an uncommon verbal memory, and committed with a fluency that greatly encouraged her instructress. 每到礼拜日，奥菲利亚便非常认真地教托普西做教义问答。托普西对文字的领悟能力非同一般，她上课时对答如流，连她的老师都很受鼓舞。 "What good do you expect it is going to do her?" said St. Clare." 你认为这样教她有什么用处？"圣克莱尔问道。 "Why, it always has done children good. It's what children always have to learn, you know," said Miss Ophelia." 哎，教义问答向来对孩子有益，是孩子的必修课。"奥菲利亚小姐说。 "Understand it or not," said St. Clare." 她能明白吗？" 
哎，一开始她们当然都不懂，时间长了，她们自然会懂的。" "Mine hasn't come to me yet," said St. Clare, "though I'll bear testimony that you put it into me pretty thoroughly when I was a boy."'" 时至今日，我还不明白呢，"圣克莱尔说，"我非常清楚地记得，小时候你总让我背得滚瓜烂熟。" "Ah, you were always good at learning, Augustine. I used to have great hopes of you," said Miss Ophelia." 噢，奥古斯丁，小时候你学得真棒，那时，我对你期望多大啊。"奥菲利亚小姐说。 "Well, haven't you now?" said St. Clare." 难道现在就不期望了吗？"圣克莱尔说。 "I wish you were as good as you were when you were a boy, Augustine."" 奥古斯丁，要是你仍像小时候那样，那该多好啊。" 
姐姐，说实话，我也是这么想的，"圣克莱尔说，"好了，继续你的教义问答吧，兴许真有点用处。" Topsy, who had stood like a black statue during this discussion, with hands decently folded, now, at a signal from Miss Ophelia, went on: 姐弟俩谈话时，托普西一直斯斯文文地叉着手站着，像一尊黑色塑像。这时，奥菲利亚小姐给了她一道指示，托普西马上接口背诵道： "Our first parents, being left to the freedom of their own will, fell from the state wherein they were created."" 由于上帝准许人类自由运用自己的意志，我们的第一代祖先便从他们最初被创造的那个state堕落下来了。" Topsy's eyes twinkled, and she looked inquiringly. 背到这儿，托普西的眼睛扑闪了两下，脸上露出困惑的神色。 "What is it, Topsy?" said Miss Ophelia." 托普西，怎么啦？"奥菲利亚小姐问。 
小姐，请问那个州是不是肯塔基州？" "What state, Topsy?"" 托普西，哪有什么'州'不'州'的？" "Dat state dey fell out of. I used to hear Mas'r tell how we came down from Kintuck."" 我们的第一代祖先堕落的那个州呀！我过去常听老爷说我们是怎样从肯塔基州过来的。" St. Clare laughed. 圣克莱尔不禁哑然失笑。 "You'll have to give her a meaning, or she'll make one," said he. "There seems to be a theory of emigration suggested there."" 姐姐，你必须给她解释清楚，否则她就会自己瞎琢磨了，"圣克莱尔开玩笑说，"那句话可以理解为移民咧！" 
喂，奥古斯丁，拜托你别再多嘴多舌了，"奥菲利亚小姐说，"你老在旁边笑，我还怎么做事？" "Well, I won't disturb the exercises again, on my honor;" and St. Clare took his paper into the parlor, and sat down, till Topsy had finished her recitations. They were all very well, only that now and then she would oddly transpose some important words, and persist in the mistake, in spite of every effort to the contrary; and St. Clare, after all his promises of goodness, took a wicked pleasure in these mistakes, calling Topsy to him whenever he had a mind to amuse himself, and getting her to repeat the offending passages, in spite of Miss Ophelia's remonstrances." 好吧，我保证不再打扰你上课了。"圣克莱尔拿着报纸走进客厅，坐下来看报，直到托普西背完为止。她背得挺不赖，只是偶尔把几个重要字眼换错了位置，这样听上去就显得滑稽新奇。尽管奥菲利亚使尽了种种办法，托普西仍然改不过来，圣克莱尔虽然再三表示要信守承诺，却依旧幸灾乐祸地对此类错误感到好笑。圣克莱尔把托普西叫到身边，专让她背诵那些让人头疼的段落，纯粹为自己取乐逗笑。奥菲利亚几次抗议，可他仍顽固不改。 "How do you think I can do anything with the child, if you will go on so, Augustine?" she would say." 奥古斯丁，你老这么瞎掺和，我怎么教她？"奥菲利亚责怪道。 "Well, it is too bad,--I won't again; but I do like to hear the droll little image stumble over those big words!"" 是的，这样做的确不好，我以后再不这样了。可是话又说回来，这调皮鬼在大字眼上被难住了，真让我开心。" "But you confirm her in the wrong way."" 可你知道这是错的吗？" 
那有什么关系，对她来说，只是换个字眼而已。" "You wanted me to bring her up right; and you ought to remember she is a reasonable creature, and be careful of your influence over her."" 是你让我把她教育好，引上正轨的，你忘了吗？她可是个有野性的孩子，你应该随时随地注意对她的影响才是。"
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