Prince and the Pauper: A Tale for Young People of All Ages

by Mark Twain

Overview

"When I am king they shall not have bread and shelter only, but also teachings out of books, for a full belly is little worth where the mind is starved." -Mark Twain, The Prince and the Pauper (1881)

The Prince and the Pauper-A Tale for Young People of All Ages (1881), by Mark Twain, set in 16th-century England, tells the story of two young boys who were born on the same day and are identical in appearance: Tom Canty, a pauper who lives with his abusive father, and Edward VI of England, son of King Henry VIII of England. In this tale, Twain satirizes social conventions and offers a critique of legal and moral injustices.

This replica of the original edition of The Prince and the Pauper, containing 192 illustrations by Frank T. Merrill and John Harley, is a testament to the perennial quality of this classic.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781646793242
Publisher:	Cosimo Classics
Publication date:	01/01/1900
Pages:	416
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 1.06(d)
Age Range:	13 - 18 Years

About the Author

MARK TWAIN (1835-1910), pseudonym of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, was an American writer, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer who became one of America's greatest and most popular writers. Twain was born in Florida, Missouri, and grew up in Hannibal, Missouri, the state which influenced much of his writing. Twain acquired fame for his travel stories such as Life on the Mississippi (1883), and for his boyhood adventure novels The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885).

Date of Birth:

November 30, 1835

Date of Death:

April 21, 1910

Place of Birth:

Florida, Missouri

Place of Death:

Redding, Connecticut

Read an Excerpt

I The Birth of the Prince and the Pauper

In the ancient city of london, on a certain autumn day in the second quarter of the sixteenth century, a boy was born to a poor family of the name of Canty, who did not want him. On the same day another English child was born to a rich family of the name of Tudor, who did want him. All England wanted him too. England had so longed for him, and hoped for him, and prayed God for him that now that he was really come, the people went nearly mad for joy. Mere acquaintances hugged and kissed each other and cried. Everybody took a holiday, and high and low, rich and poor, feasted and danced and sang, and got very mellow; and they kept this up for days and nights together. By day London was a sight to see, with gay banners waving from every balcony and housetop and splendid pageants marching along. By night it was again a sight to see, with its great bonfires at every corner and its troops of revelers making merry around them. There was no talk in all of England but of the new baby, Edward Tudor, Prince of Wales, who lay lapped in silks and satins, unconscious of all this fuss, and not knowing that great lords and ladies were tending him and watching over him—and not caring either. But there was no talk about the other baby, Tom Canty, lapped in his poor rags, except among the family of paupers whom he had just come to trouble with his presence.

All new material in this edition is copyright © 1988 by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC

Table of Contents

I.	The Birth of The Prince and the Pauper	23
II.	Toms Early Life	27
III.	Tom's Meeting with the Prince	37
IV.	The Prince's Troubles begin	49
V.	Tom as a Patrician	57
VI.	Tom receives Instructions	73
VII.	Tom's First Royal Dinner	89
VIII.	The Question of the Seal	97
IX.	The River Pageant	103
X.	The Prince in the Toils	109
XI.	At Guildhall	123
XII.	The Prince and His Deliverer	133
XIII.	The Disappearence of the Prince	151
XIV.	"Le R oi est mort--Vive le R oi"	161
XV.	Tom as King	179
XVI.	The State Dinner	195
XVII.	Foo-Foo the First	203
XVIII.	The Prince with the Tramps	223
XIX.	The Prince with the Peasants	237
XX.	The Prince and the Hermit	247
XXI.	Hendon to the Rescue	259
XXII.	A Victim of Treachery	269
XXIII.	The Prince a Prisoner	281
XXIV.	The Escape	289
XXV.	Hendon Hall	295
XXVI.	Disowned	309
XXVII.	In Prison	317
XXVIII.	The Sacrifice	333
XXIX.	To London	341
XXX.	Tom's Progress	347
XXXI.	The Recognition Procession	353
XXXII.	Coronation Day	365
XXXIII.	Edward as King	385
	Conclusion: Justice and Retribution	399
	Notes	405

Reading Group Guide

Set in sixteenth-century England, Mark Twain’s classic “tale for young people of all ages” features two identical-looking boys—a prince and a pauper—who trade clothes and step into each other’s lives. While the urchin, Tom Canty, discovers luxury and power, Prince Edward, dressed in rags, roams his kingdom and experiences the cruelties inflicted on the poor by the Tudor monarchy. As Christopher Paul Curtis observes in his Introduction, The Prince and the Pauper is “funny, adventurous, and exciting, yet also chock-full of . . . exquisitely reasoned harangues against society’s ills.”

This Modern Library Paperback Classic is set from the Mark Twain Project edition, which is the approved text of the Center for Scholarly Editions of the Modern Language Association.

1. The Prince and the Pauper is set in sixteenth-century Tudor England during the reign of Henry VIII. This time was marked by a great social and economic disparity between the rich and the poor. How does Twain tackle this issue in the novel? What did you learn from this time period about democracy and monarchy?

2. Some might say Miles Hendon acts as the "hero" in this novel. What heroic qualities does he possess? Is he lacking any that prevent him from being a true hero?

3. What are some of the similarities between Tom's and Edward's lives? What makes the other's life more appealing to Tom and Edward, respectively? How do they grow through their experiences?

4. In the novel, children believe that Edward is the king while the adults do not. Are there other examples where children have greater knowledge than adults? ConsiderTwain's implications here.

5. The Prince and the Pauper has been compared in style to works of Dickens. What aspect of the novel stands out to you most?

Editorial Reviews

Gr 4-6Carl Reiner narrates this abridged version of The Prince and the Pauper. It captures the main plot points of the book and retains the rollicking humor of Twain's writing. The story concerns Tom Canty, a poor boy, who bears a striking resemblance to Prince Edward, heir to the throne of England. Through a series of mishaps, the boys change places, and those around them do not believe them when they each claim to be the other boy. Eventually, all ends well, with Edward restored to the throne and Tom retaining a place in his court. Reiner's narration is, at first, a big jarring, since an American accent telling a very British story is unexpected. However, once the story develops, listeners will quickly become engrossed. Various sound effects, such as trumpet fanfares, give the story some color. Overall, this is an entertaining choice for most public libraries.-Melissa Hudak, Roscoe Branch Library, Loves Park, IL

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