In Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck Finn may be "ignorant" (at least according to Tom Sawyer) and lacking in formal education. He may even have a streak of "wickedness" in him in comparison to Tom's upbringing. But Huck does have something that Tom lacks: a strong practicality and logic.

Huck has had to rely on his wits to survive for a long time. Unlike Tom, Huck has had no one to care for him. He has learned to do everything for himself, and in the process, he has developed a sense of what he needs to do and when he needs to do it.

When Huck's father turns up again, Huck quickly and practically hands over his money to Judge Thatcher so his father can't get it. Huck goes with the flow for a while, living with his father. When he can no longer take his father's abuse, he escapes by faking his own death.

When Huck and Jim meet the "Duke of Bridgewater" and the "Dauphin of France," Huck logically realizes that they are not at all who they claim to be, but he goes along with them for the moment. When Huck and Tom go to rescue Jim, Huck proposes a simple idea that would work perfectly well, but Tom has to add all kinds of romantic complications (complete with secret tunnels). Indeed, Huck is much more practical than Tom, and if Tom had followed Huck's plan, the two boys would have saved themselves plenty of trouble.