The prince and the pauper door Mark Twain

Tom Canty was a very poor boy and he lived in the year 1547 in London. Tom said to ‘father’ Andrew, he lived in the same house, : “I want to be like a prince. I want to speak nicely, as princes do; and I want to learn Latin, because princes learn Latin.” Father Andrew taught him Latin. The king of England at that time was King Henry the Eight and he lived in Westminster Palace in London. Tom go to Westminster Palace, he would see a real prince, Edward. By the palace were two soldiers. One of the soldiers hit Tom. He fell down on the ground. The prince saw this and he was angry. He said: “Open the gate and bring him in.” Tom must tell about himself. Then the prince said that they must change clothes. He would like to play at being a poor boy… Edward needed food. At last Edward came to Christ’s Hospital. It was a school for poor boys. Edward said to a boy that he must go to his teacher and tell him to come. The boys laughed and throw him into the water. Night was coming on. Edward go to Tom’s house and sleep there. Meanwhile was Tom alone in the prince’s room in Westminster Palace. The prince was a long time away. Tom began to feel afraid. He opened the door in the next room. There were four gentlemen and Tom ran back into the room and shut the door. One of the gentlemen thought that ‘Prince Edward’ was ill and he told it the king. Tom said that he wasn’t the prince, but he don’t believed him. John Canty, Tom’s father, was pulling Edward along to his home. An old man said: “Let him go!” John Canty hit the old man on the head. He fell down on the ground, he was dead. When they are by the house, a friend, Ned, come and said that the old man Father Andrew was. So flewed John. Tom and all the richest men of the city of London sat at the long tables in the Guidhall, a hall where the banquet was to be. Edward at least reached the Guidhall and he said: “I won’t go! I tell you I am Prince Edward!” The soldiers said that he was mad, but a man, Miles Hendon, believed him. Lord Hertford, a very important man, told Tom a message; his father the king was dead. Then he cried out to the people: “King Henry is dead. Long live King Edward!” Edward said that he Miles Hendon made of his own men. Miles pointed during a walk to a big house. “There” he said, “that’s my home!” His brother Arthur had stolen his home, his land, and now he want to steal Lady Edith, who was to be his wife. Later Sir Miles got his home and his land again. The young Prince Edward is not crowned yet, but he will be crowned soon, and he will be our king. Edward must go to London to be crowned. Edward write a letter. As Edward came in through the door, Tom ran and threw himself down on his knees. “Your Majesty!” he cried. “You have come just in time!” The secret of the king and his family was the Great Seal. In the letter of Edward was: Where is the Great Seal? So Edward was crowned king and he was very good for the people. Tom lived in the palace and was the king’s best friend. Kind Edward did not live very long. When he died, Tom went and lived with his mother and sisters, and he wrote this story telling how Tom, the pauper, was for a few days King of England.