Mark Twain is good at satirizing a phenomenon that someone does stupid things but considered himself to be right. Nowadays, it is common that some people in order to grab others' attention so that they trump up false news. We can't judge whether it is true or not. As the artle has mentioned, the boy was escaped from punishment because of youth, however, what a child was taught when he was young may determine who he will be. It is of vital importanc to concentrate more on a child's behavior.