The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg by Mark Twain

A mysterious stranger arrives in a town proud of its incorruptible reputation, setting a trap to expose the hypocrisy beneath its surface. Through a tempting act of supposed generosity, he reveals how easily the townspeople abandon their principles. The plot unfolds with irony and mounting tension, ending in the town’s disgrace. A brilliant satire about pride, virtue, and the ease of moral collapse.