The Prince and the Pauper

by Mark Twain

The Prince and the Pauper


At a glance:

The Story:

Tom Canty and Prince Edward are born in London on the same day. Tom, however, is unwanted, and Edward has been long awaited. While the prince lies robed in silks, Tom grows up in the filth of Offal Court. As a small child, Tom is forced by his father to beg during the day and is beaten by him at night. Gathering a ragtag court of street urchins around him, Tom often pretends that he is a prince. Father Andrew, a priest who lives in Tom’s house, teaches Tom to read.

One day, hoping to see Prince Edward of England, Tom visits the royal precincts, but when he...

(The entire page is 3094 words.)

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