The Prince and the Pauper

160 Pages·2008·1.05 MB·English

The Prince and
the Pauper
"
Retold from the Mark Twain original
by Kathleen Olmstead
Illustrated by Jamel Akib
STERLINGandthedistinctiveSterlinglogoareregisteredtrademarksof
SterlingPublishingCo.,Inc.
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Olmstead,Kathleen.
Theprinceandthepauper/retoldfromtheMarkTwainoriginalby
KathleenOlmstead;illustratedbyJamelAkib;afterwordbyArthurPober.
p.cm.—(Classicstarts)
Summary:AnabridgedversionoftheMarkTwainclassicinwhichyoung
EdwardVIofEnglandandapoorboywhoresembleshimexchangeplacesand
eachlearnssomethingabouttheother’sverydifferentstationinlife.
ISBN978-1-4027-3687-2
1. EdwardVI,KingofEngland,1537–1553—Juvenilefiction.[1.EdwardVI,
KingofEngland,1537–1553—Fiction.2.Mistakenidentity—Fiction.
3.Adventureandadventurers—Fiction.4.GreatBritain—History—EdwardVI,
1547–1553—Fiction.] I.Akib,Jamel,ill.II.Twain,Mark,1835–1910.Princeand
thepauper.III.Title.IV.Series.
PZ7.O499Pri2007
[Fic]—dc22
2006014803
2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3
PublishedbySterlingPublishingCo.,Inc.
387ParkAvenueSouth,NewYork,NY10016
Copyright©2007byKathleenOlmstead
Illustrationscopyright©2007byJamelAkib
DistributedinCanadabySterlingPublishing
c/oCanadianMandaGroup,165DufferinStreet,
Toronto,Ontario,CanadaM6K3H6
DistributedintheUnitedKingdombyGMCDistributionServices,
CastlePlace,166HighStreet,Lewes,EastSussex,EnglandBN71XU
DistributedinAustraliabyCapricornLink(Australia)Pty.Ltd.
P.O.Box704,Windsor,NSW2756,Australia
ClassicStartsisatrademarkofSterlingPublishingCo.,Inc.
Printedinthe U.S.A.
Allrightsreserved
SterlingISBN978-1-4027-3687-2
Forinformationaboutcustomeditions,specialsales,premiumand
corporatepurchases,pleasecontactSterlingSpecialSales
[email protected].
C
ONTENTS
"
CHAPTER 1:
TheBirthsofthePrinceandthePauper 1
CHAPTER 2:
TwoWorldsCollide 9
CHAPTER 3:
EdwardFindsHisWaytoOffalCourt 23
CHAPTER 4:
Tom’sAdventureswithEdwardGone 27
CHAPTER 5:
TomLearnstheRulesofthePalace 34
CHAPTER 6:
TheMatteroftheRoyalSeal 42
CHAPTER 7:
Edward’sFirstNightAwayfromthePalace 46
CHAPTER 8:
LongLivetheKingofEngland! 55
CHAPTER 9:
EdwardandMilesLearnMore 62
CHAPTER 10:
EdwardIsTrappedAgain 82
CHAPTER 11:
EdwardLearnsAbouttheLifeofaThief 92
CHAPTER 12:
ATimeofSharing 98
CHAPTER 13:
BackAmongtheThieves 103
CHAPTER 14:
HendonHall 113
CHAPTER 15:
MilestheImpostor 120
CHAPTER 16:
Prison 123
CHAPTER 17:
CoronationDay 129
CHAPTER 18:
AHappyEndingatLast! 140
WhatDoYouThink? 145
Afterword 149
ClassicStarts™Library 153

CHAPTER 1
TheBirthsofthe
PrinceandthePauper
"
A
greatmanyyearsago,ababyboywasbornin
thecityofLondon.HisnamewasTomCanty.His
familywasverypoorandcouldnotaffordhim.
Onthesameday,inadifferentpartofLondon,a
babyboywasborntoarichfamilywhowanted
himverymuch.HisnamewasEdwardTudorand
hisfatherwasthekingofEngland.
Asamatteroffact,allofEnglandwantedthis
littleboy.Peoplecheeredinthestreetswhenhe
wasborn.Strangershuggedeachotherandwept
tearsofjoy.Therewasmusicanddancing,parties
1
THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER
andparades.Everyone—especiallyKingHenry—
wished for a boy. Although he had two older
sisters,Edwardwasnowheirtothethrone.One
dayhewouldbetheking.
Edward,PrinceofWales,paidnoattentionto
allthefuss.Hesleptwrappedinsilksinhiswarm
bed.Hedidn’thaveacareintheworld.Theking
and queen, lords and ladies of the court, and
importantpoliticiansallwatchedoverhim.
YoungTomCantydidnothavethesamerest-
fulsleep.Hesleptwrappedinrags.Therewasno
wood for his fire. His mother worried how she
wouldfindthemoneytofeedthisnewchild.She
lovedTomdearlyandwashappytohavehim,but
she feared life would be hard for the poor little
babe.Shecouldbarelyaffordfoodforherother
children.Mrs.CantykissedTom’sforeheadand
wishedhimpleasantdreams.
Severalyearspassed.Edwardwassurrounded
2
THE BIRTHS OF THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER
byrichesandjewels,whileTomhadverylittleto
callhisown.Nevertheless,theybothgrewinto
strong,helpful,andsmartboys.
Tom Canty and his family lived close to the
London Bridge on a street called Offal Court.
Theirbuildingwasoldandclosetofallingdown.
Tom lived on the third floor with his parents,
grandmother, and older twin sisters, Nan and
Bet.Theyalllivedinoneroom.Tom’sparentshad
abedtuckedintoacorneroftheroom.Hisgrand-
mothersleptintheoppositecorner.Tomandhis
sisters had more freedom with their sleeping
arrangements.Theycouldchoosetosleepany-
whereonthefloorthattheyliked.
Nan and Bet were fifteen years old.The girls
werecaring,good-heartedpeople,justliketheir
mother.Mr.Cantyandtheirgrandmother,onthe
otherhand,werenotsokind.Hewasathief,and
sheearnedhermoneybybegginginthestreet.Mr.
3
THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER
Cantyhadtriedtoturnhischildrenintothieves,
butNan,Bet,andTomwouldnotsteal.Andsothe
childrenhadtobeg.Iftheydidnotbringhome
enough money, Mr. Canty became very angry.
Sometimes he yelled at them—especially
Tom—inmomentsofrage.
Tom’s father often sent him to bed without
supper.“Ifyoucan’tbringmoneyintothehouse,
thenyougetnothingtoeat,”Mr.Cantysaid.On
those nights, Tom’s mother would sneak him
food—atinyscrapormorselthatshehadsaved
fromherownmeal.Everyonefelthungryinthe
Cantyhousehold.Therewasneverenoughfood
togoaround.
Yet despite his many hardships, youngTom
washappywithhislife.Itwasthesameasthatof
all of his friends. He didn’t know there was any
otherwaytolive.
OnedayanoldpriestnamedFatherAndrew
4