The Prince and the Pauper: Original & Unabridged

by Mark Twain

Overview

The Prince and the Pauper tells the tale of two boys who are identical in appearance: Tom Canty, a pauper who lives with his abusive father, and Prince Edward, son of King Henry VIII.

Tom Canty (youngest son of a family living with the dregs of society in Offal Court off Pudding Lane in London) has always aspired to a better life, encouraged by the local priest (who has taught him to read and write). Loitering around the palace gates one day, he sees a prince (the Prince of Wales - Edward VI). Tom is nearly caught and beaten by the Royal Guards; however, Edward stops them and invites Tom into his palace chamber. There the two boys get to know one another, fascinated by each other's life and their uncanny resemblance. They decide to switch clothes "temporarily". Edward leaves in a hurry before the boys are caught at their game. Soon Prince Edward is trying to escape the brutality of Tom's abusive drunken father. Tom, posing as the prince, tries to cope with court customs and manners.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781499262162
Publisher:	CreateSpace Publishing
Publication date:	04/25/2014
Pages:	198
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.45(d)
Lexile:	610L (what's this?)
Age Range:	1 - 17 Years

About the Author

Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist. He wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and its sequel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the latter often called "the Great American Novel." Twain grew up in Hannibal, Missouri, which provided the setting for Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer. After an apprenticeship with a printer, he worked as a typesetter and contributed articles to the newspaper of his older brother. He later became a riverboat pilot on the Mississippi River before heading west. His wit and satire, in prose and in speech, earned praise from critics and peers, and he was a friend to presidents, artists, industrialists, and European royalty. Twain was born shortly after a visit by Halley's Comet, and he predicted that he would "go out with it," too. He died the day following the comet's subsequent return. He was lauded as the "greatest American humorist of his age," and William Faulkner called Twain "the father of American literature."

Date of Birth:

November 30, 1835

Date of Death:

April 21, 1910

Place of Birth:

Florida, Missouri

Place of Death:

Redding, Connecticut