The Prince and the Pauper

The Prince and the Pauper Are Born

Two boys were born on the same day. Edward Tudor was born in Westminster Palace. His father was the King of England.

Everybody blessed the birth of the Prince of Wales.

The other child was Tom Canty.

He was born in a family of paupers.

Nobody blessed the birth of the child.

Tom's family lived in a small, dirty place in London.

Tom had to beg every day, but he was a bright boy.

Father Andrew taught Tom how to read and write.

He told Tom charming tales about kings and princes.

“How wonderful it would be to be a prince! I would like to see one some time,” Tom said to himself.

One day, Tom went to the great palace and saw the prince!

He had nice silk clothes and jewels hanging from the clothes.

A soldier pushed Tom away from the gate.

“How dare you treat a poor boy like that? Open the gate and let him in!” Prince Edward cried out.

Then Edward said to Tom. “You look tired and hungry. Come with me.”

Edward took Tom into his nice room.

“What is your name?” asked Edward.

“Tom Canty, sir,” answered Tom.

“Tom, tell me about the life of people outside the palace,” said Edward.

Tom talked about running in the street and swimming in the river.

“Oh, it sounds so wonderful! I want to take off these clothes and swim in the river like you,” said Edward.

“I want to wear clothes like you,” said Tom.

A few minutes later they stood in front of a mirror. They looked so alike.

“Well, stay here until I come back. That's a command!” said Edward.

He hid something in a hurry and ran out of the room.

Edward ran to the gate and shouted,“Open the gate!”

The soldier hit Edward on the ear.

“Get out of here, you pauper!” shouted the soldier.

“I am the Prince of Wales!” cried out Edward.

A crowd of beggars surrounded him and laughed.

Edward began to run and got lost.

Night fell and he was cold and alone.

Suddenly, a drunken man grabbed him and said, “Where have you been?”

“Oh, are you his father?” cried Edward.

“His father? What do you mean? I'm your father,” he cried.

“No, I am the Prince of Wales. Return me to my father, the King,” said Edward.

“Ha-ha! You're mad. Let's go home!”

At the palace, Tom began to worry.

The prince's cousin, Lady Grey, walked in.

Tom fell on his knees and cried out,“Please don't kill me. I am not a prince, but poor Tom Canty.”

She was surprised and ran away.

Soon a group of servants took Tom to the King.

“My child, you know me, don't you?” asked the King.

“Yes, I do,” said Tom, “but I am not the prince. I was born a pauper.”

The King seemed worried.

He asked Tom a question in Latin.

Tom answered him, because he had learned a little Latin.

“Mad or not, he is my son. He has studied too much. He will get well,” said the King.

The Prince Meets Miles Hendon

John Canty, Tom's father, was dragging Edward through the streets.

Soon they arrived at the Cantys' home.

“What is your name? Say it again,” said John.

“I am Edward, Prince of Wales,” said Edward.

Tom's mother came to him and said sadly, “Poor Tom, you've read so much.”

In the middle of the night the family quickly left home.

John Canty was being searched for as a murderer.

They got to London Bridge. There was a great crowd. When some people started a fight, Edward ran away from John.

Edward went to the Guildhall and cried out, “Open the door! I am the Prince of Wales!” Soon Edward was surrounded by a crowd.

The crowd only laughed at the young boy.

A strange man said to Edward, “Prince or not, you are brave! Come with me.”

At that moment, a messenger yelled,“The King is dead!” Everyone bowed their heads. Then someone shouted,“Long live the King!”

Everyone was shouting for Edward Tudor, the new King of England. Edward was very sad. His father was dead!

The strange man took Edward to his room.

“Who are you?” Edward asked.

“I am Miles Hendon,” he answered and told his story.

“My father was a very rich and kind man. But my younger brother was bad and turned my father against me. I was sent away to fight in the wars. I was captured there and put in prison for many years. But I got free and have just returned.”

Then Edward told his own story.

“Poor boy! He thinks he is the king! His mind must be sick. Well, I will be his friend,” Miles said to himself.

The next morning, Miles went out to buy some clothes for Edward.

When he returned to the room, Edward was gone!

A strange man came and took Edward with him.

Edward followed the stranger out of London into the forest.

He thought they were going to meet Miles Hendon, but it was a trick. Tom's father was waiting for him. A group of thieves and beggars were there.

“Well, now do you know your father?” asked John Canty.

“My father was the king!” cried Edward.

The beggars and thieves laughed, and someone shouted.

“Long live Foo-foo the First!”

Edward went with a man named Hugo to beg.

When a man came near, Hugo screamed, “Ahhh!”

And he said, “Please, sir, give me a penny. My brother will tell you how sick I am.”

“I will give you three, you poor man,” the man said.

“He is not my brother,” Edward said.

“What? Not your brother? Who is he, then?” the man asked.

“A thief! He has picked your pocket,” Edward answered.

Hugo jumped up and ran away. Then Edward ran the other way.

The Prince's Adventures

Edward ran until he saw a little hut.

An old man was praying inside.

“A holy hermit!” exclaimed Edward.

The hermit looked at him and said,“Who are you?”

“I am the King,” said Edward.

“Oh, welcome! Please come in,” said the hermit.

Edward went in and the hermit gave him some food.

But as soon as the boy fell asleep, he took out his knife.

“His father, Henry, was a bad king. I will kill this boy!” he said to himself.

The hermit tied him up and put a cloth in his mouth.

The hermit stood over Edward with his knife.

Suddenly, a man shouted, “Open the door!”

Oh, it was Miles Hendon.

The hermit dropped the knife and went outside.

“Where is the boy? I know he is here because I saw his footprints!” said Miles.

“Oh, the poor boy? I sent him to get something. I will show you which way to go in order to find him,” said the hermit.

Edward tried to cry out but he couldn't. He was very sad when he heard them both walk away.

At that moment, the door opened again and John Canty and Hugo came in!

Hugo took Edward to the city.

He stole a woman's pig and ran away, putting the pig into Edward's hands.

The woman shouted, “Thief! Thief!”

Soon a crowd surrounded Edward.

Miles was close by to help.

The police came and took him to a judge.

The judge asked, “How much does the pig cost?”

The woman answered, “Three shillings and eight pence.”

Then he said, “When someone steals a thing over the value of thirteen pence, he will be hanged. Did you know that?”

“Oh, I don't want the poor boy to be hanged! What can I do?” cried out the woman.

The judge said, “Change the value of the pig.”

“Yes. The pig is eight pence,” the woman said.

The woman left and the policeman followed her out.

He said, “It is a fat pig. I will buy it for eight pence.”

“No! It is worth more than that,” she said.

“Oh, is it? Then you lied. Come with me and tell the truth to the judge. The boy will be hanged,” he said.

“OK, give me eight pence.”

Then she walked away crying.

The judge sentenced Edward to a short time in prison.

When the policeman led them away, Miles said to him, “I saw how you cheated that woman for her pig. Let us go, or I'll go to the judge and say everything.”

The policeman looked the other way as they ran away.

Miles and Edward traveled to Hendon Hall.

Miles ran into the great house and shouted, “Brother! I am home!”

A man looked up and said, “Poor stranger. I don't know you.”

“What! You are my brother, Hugh!” said Miles.

“Who are you?” asked the man.

“I am Miles Hendon, of course!” answered Miles.

“We got a letter about six or seven years ago that Miles was dead,” said the man.

“Oh, stop this! Call my father, call my brother Andrew! They will know me,” shouted Miles.

“They were dead,” said the man.

Suddenly a policeman came and Miles and Edward were arrested.

Miles and Edward were taken to prison.

Miles' old servant secretly came to see him.

The servant said, “Hugh knows you are Miles, but he wants to keep all the family's wealth.”

One day the servant said, “A new king will be crowned.”

“Oh, no! The true king of England is here,” cried Edward.

Edward met two women in the prison.

“Why are you in prison?” asked Edward.

“Because we have a different religion from others,” answered the women.

Edward was taught a great lesson: “All kings should experience their own laws, and so learn mercy.”

Who Is the True King?

Tom's coronation day arrived.

He rode on a horse through the city streets.

When he smiled to the crowd, he saw a woman.

“Oh, she's my mother! Mom, I am Tom,” he said to himself.

He was alone and he missed his family.

Tom arrived at Westminster.

The Archbishop of Canterbury held up the crown above Tom's head.

Suddenly somebody shouted, “Stop! Don't put the crown on his head!”

It was the true King, Edward.

Tom fell on his knees and cried out,“Oh, my King!”

All the people were confused. Who was the true king?

Then the king's advisor asked Edward,“Where is the missing Great Seal of England?”

Edward said, “Go to my room and open the closet.”

A servant ran to get it but returned with nothing.

“The Seal is not there!” he said.

“Is it round? Does it have letters carved on it? Oh, I see,” Tom shouted,“remember, my King, you put it in another place before you ran out of the room that day.”

“Oh, yes! I did! It's in the coat of armor in my room!” exclaimed Edward.

Finally the servant appeared with the Great Seal in his hand.

When Edward was crowned, the crowd shouted, “Long live the King!”

Later, King Edward asked Tom, “How did you remember where I hid the Seal?”

“Because I used it for days,” said Tom.

“Used it? How?” asked King Edward, but Tom was silent.

“Speak up and don't fear,” said the King.

“To crack nuts with.”

The King laughed loudly.

That Tom was not the true King of England was now clear.

The King didn't forget his friends. He sent Hugh Hendon to prison and gave Miles his family home.

Tom was appointed as Chief of Christ's Hospital.

He took care of the poor people in the streets.

Finally, the Prince and the Pauper were in their places again.

The King learned many things from his adventures.

He never forgot those important lessons.

For the rest of his life, he was a good king.

Because he understood his people, and ruled them with love.