The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg

Mark Twain's classic tale 'The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg' is a well-known short fiction novel. The plot centers on the town of Hadleyburg, a town with a nationwide reputation of being an honest town of noble citizens. But a stranger passing through the town, slighted by an offence, vows to return and take vengeance on the town by taking away its prized reputation and corrupting the townsfolk. A promise he keeps when a mysterious bag, purportedly full of gold is dropped off in the town with a clear set of instructions as to who should get the gold. The message starts of a frenzy of activity among the townspeople, each hoping to win the prize. And true to the stranger's wishes, the competition threatens to tear the town's spotless image to shreds…