The Prince and the Pauper is Mark Twain's historical adventure novel for young readers, set in sixteenth-century England. It tells of two boys who look alike—Prince Edward and the poor boy Tom Canty—and what happens when they accidentally exchange places. Twain mixes lively storytelling with a warm look at justice and compassion, making it an engaging listen.
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Cover of the original edition (Project Gutenberg, public domain).
Text source: gutenberg.org · The work is in the public domain.
Opening of the book
THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER by Mark Twain frontispiece1.jpg (135K) frontispiece2.jpg (123K) titlepage.jpg (62K)
greatseal.jpg (68K) The Great Seal dedication.jpg (21K) inscription.jpg (16K) I will set down a tale as it was told to me by one who had it of his father, which latter had it of HIS father, this last having in like manner had it of HIS father—and so on, back and still back, three hundred years and more, the fathers transmitting it to the sons and so preserving it. It may be history, it may be only a legend, a tradition. It may have happened, it may not have happened: but it COULD have happened. It may be that the wise and the learned believed it in the old days; it may be that only the unlearned and the simple loved it and credited it. CONTENTS I. The birth of the Prince and the Pauper.
II. Tom’s early life. III. Tom’s meeting with the Prince. IV. The Prince’s troubles begin. V. Tom as a patrician. VI. Tom receives instructions. VII. Tom’s first royal dinner. VIII. The question of the Seal. IX. The river pageant. X. The Prince in the toils. XI. At Guildhall. XII. The Prince and his deliverer. XIII. The disappearance of the Prince. XIV. ‘Le Roi est mort’—vive le Roi.‘ XV. Tom as King. XVI. The state dinner. XVII. Foo-foo the First. XVIII. The Prince with the tramps. XIX. The Prince with the peasants. XX. The Prince and the hermit. XXI. Hendon to the rescue. XXII. A victim of treachery. XXIII. The Prince a prisoner. XXIV. The escape. XXV. Hendon Hall. XXVI. Disowned. XXVII. In prison. XXVIII. The sacrifice. XXIX. To London. XXX. Tom’s progress. XXXI. The Recognition procession. XXXII. Coronation Day. XXXIII. Edward as King. CONCLUSION. Justice and Retribution.
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