The Prince and the Pauper

 The Prince and the Pauper

             The book that I read was The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain. This book was made into many different adaptions, one being by Disney. This is considered an American classic and is a household book name.

            This book is about two boys that were coincidentally born on the same day in London. The first boy is Tom Canty. He was born in Offal Court on Pudding Lane. Tom had wanted to see a prince all his life. He is considered the pauper in this book. His father and grandma are considered drunkards and beat Tom if he comes home empty-handed from a day of begging. The second boy is Edward Tudor. Edward was considered the Prince of England, and son of King Henry VIII. He lives a life of luxury in Westminster with servants abiding to his every will.

            The story starts by Tom Canty becoming curious one day and venturing out to downtown London. "Tom got up hungry, and sauntered hungry away, but with his thoughts busy with the shadowy splendors of his night's dreams." (21) There he saw a mass gathering in front of guarded gates. There he saw a prince at play. As he got closer, a guard struck him and pushed him away. Furious, the Prince ordered Tom in. "How darst thou use a poor lad like that! How darst thou use the king my father's meanest subject so! Open the gates and let him in!" (22) While talking, the prince and the pauper discussed to each other the lives that they lived. Each being curious about the others life, they swapped roles. Suddenly, the Prince noticed a bruise on the hand of Tom and went outside to order that the guard be punished. The guards not knowing that was the Prince, threw him out into the streets. "Then angrily, " Be off, thou crazy rubbish!" (26) He was mocked and chased by dogs back to Offal Court. There John Canty takes his “son” back into his house. There he beats him for not obtaining anything from begging that day.

            Towards the end of the book the “Prince” is named the king after King Henry VIII has passed away. The Prince came back to London and said that he was the real king and that Tom was not. Tom agreed that the statements were true and they had swapped back to their old lives.

            Mark Twain is an American writer famous for stories such as the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer.

            I really enjoyed this book. I had heard many good things and they were right. I would recommend this book to whoever has not read this book.