The Prince and the Pauper read abridged. Main characters of the novel

Prince and the Pauper
Summary stories
London, mid-16th century. On the same day, two boys are born - Tom, the son of the thief John Canty, who huddles in the stinking cul-de-sac of Garbage Yard, and Edward, the heir of King Henry the Eighth. All of England is waiting for Edward, Tom is not really needed even by his own family, where only his thief father and beggar mother have something like a bed; at the disposal of the rest - the evil grandmother and the twin sisters - only a few armfuls of straw and scraps of two or three blankets.
In the same slum, among all sorts of rabble, lives an old

The priest who teaches Tom Canty to read and write and even the rudiments of Latin, but most delightful of all are the old man's legends about wizards and kings. Tom does not beg very hard, and the laws against beggars are extremely harsh. Beaten by his father and grandmother for negligence, hungry (unless his intimidated mother secretly puts in a stale crust), lying on the straw, he draws sweet pictures from the life of pampered princes. Other boys from the Garbage Court are also drawn into his game: Tom is the prince, they are the court; everything is done according to strict ceremony. One day, hungry and beaten, Tom wanders into the royal palace and gazes with such abandon through the lattice gates at the dazzling Prince of Wales that the sentry throws him back into the crowd. The little prince angrily stands up for him and brings him to his chambers. He asks Tom about his life in the Garbage Court, and unsupervised plebeian amusements seem so delicious to him that he invites Tom to exchange clothes with him. A prince in disguise is completely indistinguishable from a beggar! Noticing a bruise on Tom's arm, he runs to give the guard a beating - and gets a slap on the wrist. The crowd, hooting, chases the “crazy ragamuffin” along the road. After much ordeal, a huge drunkard grabs him by the shoulder - this is John Canty.
Meanwhile, there is alarm in the palace: the prince has gone crazy, he still remembers English letters, but does not even recognize the king, a terrible tyrant, but a gentle father. Henry, with a stern order, prohibits any mention of the heir’s illness and hastens to confirm him in this rank. To do this, you need to quickly execute Marshal Norfolk, suspected of treason, and appoint a new one. Tom is filled with horror and pity.
He is taught to hide his illness, but misunderstandings pour in, at dinner he tries to drink water to wash his hands and does not know whether he has the right to scratch his nose without the help of servants. Meanwhile, Norfolk's execution is postponed due to the disappearance of the great seal of state given to the Prince of Wales. But Tom, of course, cannot even remember what she looks like, which, however, does not prevent him from becoming the central figure of a luxurious celebration on the river.
The enraged John Canty swings his club at the unfortunate prince; the old priest who intervened falls dead under his blow. Tom's mother sobs at the sight of her distraught son, but then arranges a test: she suddenly wakes him up, holding a candle in front of his eyes, but the prince does not cover his eyes with his palm outward, as Tom always did. The mother doesn't know what to think. John Canty learns of the priest's death and flees with his entire family. In the turmoil of the above-mentioned celebration, the prince disappears. And he understands that London is honoring the impostor. His indignant protests cause new mockery. But he is repulsed from the mob by Miles Hendon, a stately warrior in smart but shabby clothes, sword in hand.
A messenger bursts into Tom’s feast: “The king is dead!” - and the whole hall bursts into shouts: “Long live the king!” And the new ruler of England orders Norfolk to be pardoned - the reign of blood is over! And Edward, mourning his father, proudly begins to call himself not a prince, but a king. In a poor tavern, Miles Gendon serves the king, although he is not even allowed to sit down. From Miles's story, the young king learns that after many years of adventures he is returning to his home, where he has a rich old father, influenced by his treacherous favorite younger son Hugh, another brother Arthur, as well as his beloved (and loving) cousin Edith. The king will also find shelter in Hendon Hall. Miles asks for one thing - the right for him and his descendants to sit in the presence of the king.
John Canty tricks the king away from Miles' wing, and the king ends up in a gang of thieves. He manages to escape and ends up in the hut of a mad hermit, who almost kills him because his father ruined the monasteries by introducing Protestantism in England. This time Edward is saved by John Canty. While the imaginary king carries out justice, surprising the nobles with his common wisdom, the true king, among thieves and scoundrels, meets honest people who have become victims of English laws. The king's courage eventually helps him gain respect even among the vagabonds.
The young swindler Hugo, whom the king beat with a stick according to all the rules of fencing, throws him a stolen pig, so that the king almost ends up on the gallows, but is saved thanks to the resourcefulness of Miles Hendon, who appeared, as always, on time. But a blow awaits them in Hendon Hall: their father and brother Arthur died, and Hugh, on the basis of a forged letter about Miles’ death, took possession of the inheritance and married Edith. Hugh declares Miles an impostor, Edith also renounces him, frightened by Hugh's threat to kill Miles otherwise. Hugh is so influential that no one in the area dares to identify the rightful heir,
Miles and the king end up in prison, where the king again sees the fierce English laws in action. In the end, Miles, sitting in the stocks in the pillory, also takes upon himself the lashes that the king incurs with his insolence. Then Miles and the king go to London to find the truth. And in London, during the coronation procession, Tom Canty's mother recognizes him by a characteristic gesture, but he pretends that he does not know her. The triumph fades from shame for him. At that moment, when the Archbishop of Canterbury is ready to place the crown on his head, the true king appears. With Tom's generous help, he proves his royal origins by remembering where he hid the missing state seal. The stunned Miles Hendon, who had difficulty getting an appointment with the king, defiantly sits down in his presence to make sure that his eyesight is correct. Miles is rewarded with a large fortune and the title of peerage of England along with the title of Earl of Kent. Disgraced, Hugh dies in a foreign land, and Miles marries Edith. Tom Canty lives to a ripe old age, enjoying special honor for having “sat on the throne.”
And King Edward the Sixth leaves a memory of himself with a reign that was unusually merciful for the cruel times of that time. When some gilded dignitary reproached him for being too soft, the king answered in a voice full of compassion: “What do you know about oppression and torment? I know about this, my people know about it, but not you.”

You are currently reading: Summary of The Prince and the Pauper – Mark Twain

London, mid-16th century. On the same day, two boys are born - Tom, the son of the thief John Canty, who huddles in the stinking cul-de-sac of Garbage Yard, and Edward, the heir of King Henry the Eighth. All of England is waiting for Edward, Tom is not really needed even by his own family, where only his thief father and beggar mother have something like a bed; at the disposal of the rest - the evil grandmother and the twin sisters - only a few armfuls of straw and scraps of two or three blankets.

In the same slum, among all sorts of rabble, lives an old priest who teaches Tom Canty to read and write and even the rudiments of Latin, but most delightful are the old man’s legends about wizards and kings. Tom does not beg very hard, and the laws against beggars are extremely harsh. Beaten by his father and grandmother for negligence, hungry (unless his intimidated mother secretly puts in a stale crust), lying on the straw, he draws sweet pictures from the life of pampered princes. Other boys from the Garbage Court are also drawn into his game: Tom is the prince, they are the court; everything is done according to strict ceremony. One day, hungry and beaten, Tom wanders into the royal palace and gazes with such abandon through the lattice gates at the dazzling Prince of Wales that the sentry throws him back into the crowd. The little prince angrily stands up for him and brings him to his chambers. He asks Tom about his life in the Garbage Court, and unsupervised plebeian amusements seem so delicious to him that he invites Tom to exchange clothes with him. A prince in disguise is completely indistinguishable from a beggar! Noticing a bruise on Tom's arm, he runs to give the guard a beating - and gets a slap on the wrist. The crowd, hooting, chases the “crazy ragamuffin” along the road. After much ordeal, a huge drunkard grabs him by the shoulder - this is John Canty.

Meanwhile, there is alarm in the palace: the prince has gone crazy, he still remembers English letters, but does not even recognize the king, a terrible tyrant, but a gentle father. Henry, with a stern order, prohibits any mention of the heir’s illness and hastens to confirm him in this rank. To do this, you need to quickly execute Marshal Norfolk, suspected of treason, and appoint a new one. Tom is filled with horror and pity.

He is taught to hide his illness, but misunderstandings pour in, at dinner he tries to drink water to wash his hands and does not know whether he has the right to scratch his nose without the help of servants. Meanwhile, Norfolk's execution is postponed due to the disappearance of the great seal of state given to the Prince of Wales. But Tom, of course, cannot even remember what she looks like, which, however, does not prevent him from becoming the central figure of a luxurious celebration on the river.

The enraged John Canty swings his club at the unfortunate prince; the old priest who intervened falls dead under his blow. Tom's mother sobs at the sight of her distraught son, but then arranges a test: she suddenly wakes him up, holding a candle in front of his eyes, but the prince does not cover his eyes with his palm outward, as Tom always did. The mother doesn't know what to think. John Canty learns of the priest's death and flees with his entire family. In the turmoil of the above-mentioned celebration, the prince disappears. And he understands that London is honoring the impostor. His indignant protests cause new mockery. But he is repulsed from the mob by Miles Hendon, a stately warrior in smart but shabby clothes, sword in hand.

A messenger bursts into Tom’s feast: “The king is dead!” - and the whole hall bursts into shouts: “Long live the king!” And the new ruler of England orders Norfolk to be pardoned - the reign of blood is over! And Edward, mourning his father, proudly begins to call himself not a prince, but a king. In a poor tavern, Miles Gendon serves the king, although he is not even allowed to sit down. From Miles's story, the young king learns that after many years of adventures he is returning to his home, where he has a rich old father, influenced by his treacherous favorite younger son Hugh, another brother Arthur, as well as his beloved (and loving) cousin Edith. The king will also find shelter in Hendon Hall. Miles asks for one thing - the right for him and his descendants to sit in the presence of the king.

John Canty tricks the king away from Miles' wing, and the king ends up in a gang of thieves. He manages to escape and ends up in the hut of a mad hermit, who almost kills him because his father ruined the monasteries by introducing Protestantism in England. This time Edward is saved by John Canty. While the imaginary king carries out justice, surprising the nobles with his common wisdom, the true king, among thieves and scoundrels, meets honest people who have become victims of English laws. The king's courage eventually helps him gain respect even among the vagabonds.

The young swindler Hugo, whom the king beat with a stick according to all the rules of fencing, throws him a stolen pig, so that the king almost ends up on the gallows, but is saved thanks to the resourcefulness of Miles Hendon, who appeared, as always, on time. But a blow awaits them in Hendon Hall: their father and brother Arthur died, and Hugh, on the basis of a forged letter about Miles’ death, took possession of the inheritance and married Edith. Hugh declares Miles an impostor, Edith also renounces him, frightened by Hugh's threat to kill Miles otherwise. Hugh is so influential that no one in the area dares to identify the rightful heir,

Miles and the king end up in prison, where the king again sees the fierce English laws in action. In the end, Miles, sitting in the stocks in the pillory, also takes upon himself the lashes that the king incurs with his insolence. Then Miles and the king go to London to find the truth. And in London, during the coronation procession, Tom Canty's mother recognizes him by a characteristic gesture, but he pretends that he does not know her. The triumph fades for him from shame. The moment the Archbishop of Canterbury is ready to place the crown on his head, the true king appears. With Tom's generous help, he proves his royal origins by remembering where he hid the missing state seal. The stunned Miles Hendon, who had difficulty getting an appointment with the king, defiantly sits down in his presence to make sure that his eyesight is correct. Miles is rewarded with a large fortune and the title of peerage of England along with the title of Earl of Kent. Disgraced, Hugh dies in a foreign land, and Miles marries Edith. Tom Canty lives to a ripe old age, enjoying special honor for having “sat on the throne.”

And King Edward the Sixth leaves a memory of himself with a reign that was unusually merciful for the cruel times of that time. When some gilded dignitary reproached him for being too soft, the king answered in a voice full of compassion: “What do you know about oppression and torment? I know about this, my people know about it, but not you.”

Option 2

“The Prince and the Pauper” is the very first and famous novel by Mark Twain, in which he ironically described all the shortcomings of the state and judicial system of the sixteenth century.

The main characters of the novel are Tom Canty (son of a thief) and Edward (heir to King Henry the Eighth). Tom often got it from his father and the old priest taught him everything, and everyone loved the heir very much. Then one day, being hungry and beaten, the thief’s son approaches the palace gates, through which he admires the prince. Then the sentry pushes Tom back into the crowd, but the king's heir stands up for him and invites him to his chambers. There, Edward feeds a beggar and asks him about life in the Court of Garbage. So the guys agree to exchange clothes.

The prince is driven away by a sentry and he meets John Canty, and Tom, pretending to be the heir, is considered a madman. Because of him, there was panic in the palace that the prince had gone crazy, he remembered the letter, but did not remember his father. Then Henry the Eighth issues a decree in which he forbids mentioning his son’s illness, and forbids Marshal Norfolk to be accused of treason and executed. Tom was horrified by what was happening. He is also taught to hide his illness, but he is not very good at it. In addition, the execution of the marshal has been postponed because Tom does not know where the state seal is, which the real prince hid. Meanwhile, John Canty swings a club at Edward and kills the priest. Then the thief decides to run away with his entire family, but the real prince hides and learns about the festival on the river that Tom organized. This is how Edward understands that London is honoring the impostor. And he tries to tell the whole truth, only causing more mockery from everyone. But he is repulsed from the mob with a sword in hand by Miles Hendon, the only person who helped him.

And a messenger bursts into Tom’s celebration and says that the king has died. Then everyone began to greet the new king, who pardoned Norfolk. Edward mourns his father, and in the tavern Miles began to serve the new king. Then they want to go home together to Hendon’s family, but John Canty cunningly takes the real king away, where he ends up in a gang of thieves. Here he gains respect among the tramps with his courage while Tom pretends to be him. But again he is unlucky. The swindler Hugo gives him a stolen pig, for which they want to hang Edward. But Miles saved him in time and together they go to Hendon Hall, where a blow awaits them: dad and brother Arthur died, and Hugh married Edith and took possession of the inheritance. Then Edward introduces himself as the heir to the crown, but they do not believe him and he and Miles are sent to prison, where the king experiences the fierce English laws. Then the guys go to London, where they want to tell the truth.

Meanwhile, at the coronation, Tom's mother recognizes her son. And when the Archbishop of Canterbury wanted to place the crown on Tom's head, Edward appeared and proved that he was a real king. With the help of a beggar, he told everyone where he hid the state seal. As a result: Miles received the peerage of England and a huge fortune, and also became an earl and married Edith; Tom Canty lives quietly into old age, enjoying the honor of having sat on the throne; King Edward the Sixth became a merciful ruler.

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1. I really love M. Twain’s book “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”. I became acquainted with it quite a long time ago and have already re-read it several times. And this summer I read another Twain story - “The Prince and the Pauper.” This book has a fascinating plot: in Read More......
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3. History, its meaning, its lessons interested Twain especially strongly. And it is not surprising that all these reflections fill the pages of “The Prince and the Pauper.” Never before had Twain turned to historical prose. But he wrote “The Prince and the Pauper” for his daughters and wanted to talk Read More ......
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8. The author divides the entire society into adults and children, and this distribution does not concern age characteristics person. The main thing is relationships with the outside world. For “adults” the material is important, for “children” the spiritual is important. “Adults” do not know how to fantasize, they have lost their imagination, “children” can Read More......

"The Prince and the Pauper" - the first and most famous historical novel Mark Twain. The work was created in a Connecticut house and published in Canada in 1881. The first experience turned out to be more than successful. In the Soviet Union, the translation of the novel was republished several times.

The novel takes place in London in the 16th century. IN royal family a boy appeared, whose birth the whole country was expecting. It was the heir to the throne, Prince Edward. At the same time, another boy appeared in the poor family, whose birth no one wanted. His name was Tom Canty.

From the first days of his life, the prince was surrounded by prosperity and luxury. Tom Canty lives in poverty. The boy is constantly subjected to physical violence by his father and grandmother. However, Tom does not lose heart. In the slums where the Canty family lives, there lives an old priest with whom Tom spends a lot of time. The old man teaches the boy reading, writing and even Latin. The priest often tells Tom legends about kings and princes. Beautiful fairy tales so capture the boy’s imagination that he begins to try on the role of heir to the throne. Gradually, Tom's friends are drawn into the game. Kenti portrays the prince, and his friends represent his retinue.

One day Tom finds himself near the royal palace, outside the gates of which he saw the Prince of Wales. The dream of a little beggar from the Court of Garbage to look at a real prince has finally come true. The sentry, who notices the boy, throws him into the crowd. The guard's rudeness attracted Prince Edward's attention. The prince stood up for Tom and then invited him to his chambers. Left alone, the heir to the throne and the beggar suddenly notice that they are very similar to each other. Tom tells Edward about his life, about his thief father and sisters. Poverty seems so romantic to the prince that he invites Canty to exchange clothes. Noticing a bruise on his new friend's arm, the heir to the throne goes to the guard to reprimand him. However, the guard, mistaking the prince for a “ragamuffin”, because of whom he got it from His Highness, pushes Edward out of the gate, and the crowd that met him there drives the prince along the road until he finds himself far from the palace.

Tom waited for Edward in his chambers for a long time, but the heir never returned. Kenti tries to get out of the palace on his own, convincing the servants that he is not who they all think he is. The news of the young prince's "madness" reaches King Henry, a cruel tyrant and loving father at the same time. The king is deeply saddened by the sudden illness of his son. He forbids the courtiers to react to the heir's strange behavior and in any way remind him of his illness.

By chance, Prince Edward ends up in the Court of Garbage, in the family of his double. The heir to the throne is angry at how John, Tom's father, treats him. Kenty's family knew about the boy's painful desire to play the role of a prince. That is why when the real prince tries to put John Canty in his place, Father Tom is nothing but furious.

The Kenty family was forced to flee the Court of Scum. John accidentally killed an old priest who stood up for the prince. Taking advantage of the turmoil, Edward leaves his “relatives”. He needs to get to the palace, because King Henry recently died. This means that it is not the legitimate heir who can be crowned, but an impostor. However, he will not be able to reach the palace very soon. Edward will have to go through many adventures and difficult trials.

Real life experience

The heir learns about the life of the common people, from whom he has always been so far. He also learns about the cruelty of many English laws, about the injustice towards his poorest subjects. The prince has a devoted friend, Miles Gendon, who, being from rich family, also became a victim of injustice.

Edward manages to stop Tom Canty's coronation. Tom does not prevent the rightful heir from returning to the throne. King Edward VI lived short life, but went down in English history as one of the most merciful rulers. The king did not forget to take care of his double’s family. Tom Canty lived a long time, enjoying honor and respect until the end of his days.

Tom Canty

Tom has been different from his peers since childhood. It was as if he lived in two worlds at the same time. Real world, in which he had to starve, endure humiliation and insults, was too different from the radiant, brilliant world that existed in his heart. While all the other children were adjusting to the life they had inherited from their parents, Tom was getting an education in a way that was accessible to him. Despite his difficult existence, full of hardships, the boy does not blame the king for his troubles, as others do. On the contrary, the images of kings and princes are full of nobility in the eyes of Tom.

The true character of the dreamer Kenti is revealed only when he finds himself in the place of his double. Tom shows wisdom and resourcefulness. He does not seek to take advantage of his new position for personal needs. Tom quickly realizes that life in the palace seems attractive only from the outside.

Prince Edward

From birth, Edward lived as heirs to the throne usually live. What seemed like the ultimate dream to thousands of children in his country was an everyday routine for the heir to the throne. Edward lives in a closed world of prosperity and material well-being, not even suspecting the needs of his subjects. Having met his double, the young prince naively asks about his sisters’ attitude towards the servants. It never even occurs to Edward that someone in his country does not have not only servants, but also a piece of bread.

Be sure to read - an American writer whose works are read by many generations of children and adults, and which can distract from any problems and despondency.

Another incredibly exciting and light book is the story by Mark Twain, which depicts the fascinating and almost carefree childhood of the boy Tom.

The prince's character, like Tom's, is revealed only after he finds himself in the place of the poor man. The reader notices a heightened sense of justice in Edward. The heir to the throne, unlike his tyrant father, cannot remain indifferent when a defenseless person is insulted in his presence.

Bravery and courage are two worthy character traits inherent in the young prince. The heir to the throne is not afraid to fight his offenders alone, even knowing that none of his servants will now come to his aid. Life among the poorest segments of the population helped Edward to know himself. Once he became king, he knew exactly what he had to do for his most disadvantaged subjects.

The unusualness of the situations in which quite ordinary characters find themselves is the basis of the success of the novel. The striking contrast between the royal palace and the miserable shacks in the Court of Garbage immediately arouses interest in the book and a desire to read it to the end.

Despite the gloomy scenes from the life of the inhabitants of London in the mid-16th century, the novel instills optimism in those who read it. The example of poor Tom shows that a person’s place of birth and the wealth of his family are not decisive for his future. The main thing is not how others see a person, but how he is in his soul. The little poor man fell in love with the world he himself created with all his heart. He did not question whether this world was really accessible to him; he simply lived in the reality created in his soul. And one day a daring dream came true...

The action takes place in the mid-16th century in London. On the same day, two boys are born - the son of the heir of King Henry the Eighth - Edward, and the son of the thief John Canty - Tom, who lives in the dead end of the Court of Garbage. England awaits Edward as the heir to the throne, and even his family needs Tom, where only his beggar mother and thief father have the semblance of a bed; and everyone else: the evil grandmother and the twin sisters sleep on straw and on scraps of two or three blankets.

In the same courtyard lives an old priest who teaches reading, writing, and Latin to Tom Canty. Tom is a very bad beggar, but there are strict laws against beggars. Beaten by his grandmother and father for carelessness, he is starving. Sometimes a frightened mother will secretly slip in a stale crust of bread. He dreams a lot, he imagines beautiful pictures from the life of princes. And other boys living in the Yard of Garbage are drawn into his game: Prince - Tom; everything else is like a strict ritual. One day, Tom, beaten and hungry, comes to the royal palace and looks with delight through the lattice gates at the handsome Prince of Wales, which the sentry throws him into the crowd. The future prince stands up for him and leads him to his chambers. The Prince asks Tom to talk about his life in the Court of Refuse, and the rough fun seems so interesting to him that he invites Tom to change places and clothes with him. The prince in disguise looks a lot like a beggar. Tom has a bruise on his arm, and the disguised prince runs to the sentry to give him a beating and as a result receives a slap in the face. The crowd drives the ragamuffin onto the road. After much wandering, John Canty grabs him by the shoulder.

There is alarm in the palace: the prince, who has gone crazy, does not even recognize the king - a tyrant, but a loving father. Henry, by his order, stops all talk about the heir's illness and confirms him in this rank. To do this, it is necessary to quickly execute Marshal Norfolk, suspected of treason, and appoint a new one. Tom is filled with horror and pity.
Tom does not know how to behave in the palace, and whether to resort to the services of servants, and he is taught to hide his madness. The great state seal that was given to the prince disappears, and because of this, Norfolk's execution is postponed. Accordingly, Tom doesn’t remember anything, doesn’t even know what she looks like. But no matter what, he becomes the central figure of a chic celebration on the river.

The embittered John Canty swings his club at the prince; The priest stood up for him, but under the blow he fell and died. Tom's mother roars at the sight of her stunned son, but then arranges a test: she wakes him up at night, holding a candle in front of her eyes, but the prince does not cover his eyes with his palm, as Tom always did. Mother is shocked. In the midst of the holiday, Prince Tom goes into hiding; he realizes that London is welcoming an impostor. His stern protests provoke further bullying. But the warrior Miles Gendon fights him off from the people.

A messenger comes to Tom at the feast and reports that the king has died. The people welcome the new king. The new king of England releases Norfolk. At this time, Edward, mourning his father, already calls himself king. Miles Hendon serves the king in the tavern. The king learns from Miles that after many years of wandering he is returning home to his rich old father, his youngest son Hugh, his brother Arthur, and his beloved cousin Edith. Hendon Hall will house the king. Miles asks the king to have his descendants sit in the king's presence.

John Canty tricks the king away from Miles, and the king immediately falls into the thieves. The king manages to escape and ends up in a hermit's hut, where he is almost killed due to the king's laws. Edward is saved by John Canty. In this courtyard the king also meets honest people. Thanks to his courage, the king gains respect among the vagabonds.
Hugo, a swindler, gives the king a stolen pig, so that the king almost faces the death penalty. He is saved by Miles Hendon. Miles Hendon is disappointed in Hendon Hall, his brother Arthur and father have died, and Hugh forged letters about Miles' death, and became an inheritor and married Edith. Gyu declares Miles an impostor; Edith, intimidated by Gyu, also refuses Miles, otherwise Gyu will kill him.

The King and Miles end up in prison, where the King sees English laws in action. Miles, interceding for the king, receives punishment with whips. Then Miles and the king go to London to find the truth. During the coronation, Tom Canty's mother recognizes him by a gesture, but he pretends not to know her. At the moment when Tom is ready to put the crown on his head, the real king appears. With the help of Tom, he proves that he is the real king and says where the state seal is hidden. Miles receives the peerage of England with the title of Earl of Kent and a large fortune from the king. Hugh dies in a foreign country, and Miles marries Edith. Tom Canty will live to a ripe old age and be proud that he sat on the throne.

The memory of King Edward the Sixth remains his merciful reign, in those cruel times. Sometimes when some dignitary reproached Kolya for his softness, he was answered that he knew everything about the torment and oppression of the people, but he knew nothing.

Please note that this is only a summary literary work"Prince and the Pauper". This summary omits many important points and quotes.

Mark Twain wrote his famous book “The Prince and the Pauper” in 1882. A summary will help you get acquainted with this work in just a few minutes, while reading the original may take more than one day. Anyone who once read this fascinating story as a child will be able to remember it after reading the retelling. And those who have not yet had the pleasure of meeting this an interesting book, will probably want to read the original source.

M. Twain, “The Prince and the Pauper.” Chapter 1

The novel begins with a preface. Here the author writes that he dedicates this work to his children, and tells that this story was passed on from mouth to mouth for three hundred years. The author says that maybe it really happened or is a legend.

The first chapter takes the reader to the end of the 16th century and introduces the poor Canty family and the rich Tudor family. Both here and there in London, one autumn day, boys were born. If the poor family did not need a child, then the son of the Tudors, the Crown Prince of Wales, was welcome throughout England. The whole country rejoiced at this event.

Chapter two

This chapter moves events forward several years. It is called "Tom's Childhood" and is about a boy from a poor family, Kanti. He lived in a dilapidated old house, which was located at the end of the garbage yard. The author continues the work “The Prince and the Pauper” with a description of the wretchedness of the place where Tom lived. The summary tells that the boy did not even have a bed. He slept on the floor with his grandmother and his twin sisters Beth and Nan.

So Tom lived among thieves, beggars, with his father and grandmother, who often got drunk and cursed. All family members were dressed in rags. Tom was lucky enough to make friends with a former priest, who also begged, but did not lose his dignity. He taught the child writing and reading. He taught the children of the yard about kindness and love. Tom, reading books, sometimes dreamed and even imagined himself as a prince.

Mark Twain, "The Prince and the Pauper." Contents of Chapter 3

One day Tom came to the gates of the palace. He saw a richly dressed boy with a sword and dagger studded with jewels. It was the prince. Tom looked at him enchanted, but the palace guards began to scold the beggar and drive him away. But the prince was kind child, he took pity on Tom and called him to the palace. That's how the prince and the pauper met. The summary moves on to one of the most interesting moments of the work.

The boys met. began to ask Tom how his life was, and was surprised that his father was beating him. The beggar said that he has two twin sisters, fifteen years old. Edward spoke about his 14-year-old sister Elizabeth and his cousin. The prince was interested in the beggar's story; he also wanted to wallow in the mud, like Tom, swim in the river, and frolic with friends. Edward suggested exchanging clothes so that he could feel, at least for a moment, like a beggar who could walk barefoot and have fun as he pleased. The prince and the beggar exchanged clothes and realized that they were alike. Edward noticed a bruise on Tom's arm and ran to the guard to express his indignation. After all, it was he who tried to drive out the beggar and treated him so harshly. But the prince forgot what clothes he was wearing. The soldier was sure that this was the beggar, and kicked the real prince out of the palace. No matter how the Prince of Wales tried to prove who he really was, the soldiers and the crowd laughed at him.

Just like that, the prince and the beggar suddenly changed places. The summary continues the story.

Chapters 4-5

No one believed Edward that he was a prince - neither the boys from the monastery of Christ, nor Tom's family. They mocked him and even poisoned him with dogs. What happened to the beggar who remained in the palace in Edward's clothes? The fifth chapter of the work will talk about this.

At first Tom admired his rich clothes in the mirror, but then he wondered why the prince had been gone for so long? He was frightened and thought that the guards would grab him and that he would be punished. When a pretty girl, who was Edward's cousin, entered, Tom fell on his knees in front of her and began to beg for mercy. She was very surprised to see the Crown Prince kneeling in front of her. The courtiers also saw this. A rumor spread around the palace that the prince The boys were like two peas in a pod, so no one could even suspect that the prince was not real. That's how the prince and the beggar accidentally switched places.

The king forbade rumors about his son’s insanity to spread throughout the palace, but he himself was sure that his son was “not himself.” After all, the boy insisted that he lived in the yard of the Garbage in a poor family.

Chapters 6-10

In chapter six, The Prince and the Pauper introduces readers to Lord St. John. He helps Tom learn some royal manners. My lord taught Tom to refer to his illness when he cannot remember something. The books he had read earlier helped him express himself like a king. Gradually he began to master it, but he was not able to show off his knowledge at dinner. Tom shocked many of those present during this dinner.

The tenth chapter tells about the misadventures of Edward M. Twain. The prince and the beggar accidentally switched places, and now each of them had to live in an environment unusual for themselves. The real prince had a very difficult time. He was abused not only verbally, but also physically. The Kenty family were sure that their Tom had gone crazy. After all, he imagines himself to be a prince. The only one who stood up for the boy was Miles Gendon - he saved him from an evil crowd, a drunken father, and took him to his place.

Chapters 11-12

In Chapter 11, Edward learns that his father has died and he has become king. But the prince could not begin his duties, since it was impossible for him to get into the palace.

Miles Gendon, after taking the child to his place, set the table, and he and Edward began to eat. He, as befits a royal person, was indignant, why was his friend sitting in his presence? Then Gendon asked Edward to grant him the favor that he and his descendants would sit in the presence of the kings. The prince took the sword from Gendon and made him a knight. The request was respected.

Chapters 13-16

Miles Hendon was kind to the child. He gave him his bed, bought not new, but good clothes.

Meanwhile, everyone in the palace is preparing for the coronation of the prince. Now he is forced to take up government affairs. Several people appeared before the future king. One said that he was sentenced to death penalty. Tom was horrified when he learned that the man was to be executed, but his guilt had not been proven. Tom judged fairly and ordered the poor fellow to be released. The palace nobles present began to whisper that the prince had regained his sanity and was thinking sensibly. He also dealt well with another case, proving that the two women were also convicted in vain. In 4 days, Tom got completely comfortable. He also behaved decently at dinner.

Everything falls into place

The prince still had to go through many trials. He saw the life of his kingdom from the inside. Edward lived with tramps. He heard their sad story. They told how cruelly they were once treated, like slaves. But he preferred hunger and cold, not begging and stealing with them. The prince was even arrested, but the faithful Miles Gendon came to his aid. And once again the generous Gendon saved his little friend, taking upon himself the punishment of the lashes. Then the friends went to London. Prince Edouard decided to regain his title at any cost.

He came to the coronation and did not let Tom put the crown on his head. He was glad that a real prince had finally appeared. Everything ended well. Each of the children returned to their place, and Miles Hendon and Lord St. John were rewarded for their nobility and kindness.

King Edward was a fair ruler, as he perfectly studied the life of his kingdom from the inside. And Tom Canty was respected by everyone as a royal pupil. This is where Mark Twain ends his book. The Prince and the Pauper is a fascinating read that appeals to people of all ages.