Summary of Mark Twain Prince and the Pauper. Everything falls into place
This story took place at the end of the second quarter of the 16th century.
One autumn day in the ancient city of London, a boy, Tom, was born to a poor Kenty family, who she did not need at all. On the same day, another English child was born into a wealthy Tudor family, who was needed not only by her, but by all of England. It was Edward Tudor, Prince of Wales, heir to the English throne.
Time passed, the boys grew up.
The house where Tom's father lived was in a stinking cul-de-sac called the Garbage Yard. Tom's father was a thief, and his grandmother was a beggar. Both of them were terrible drunkards, brawlers and brawlers. They taught the children (Tom had two more sisters) to beg, but they could not make them thieves. The kind old priest taught Tom to read and write, accustomed him to goodness.
Reading fairy tales and legends changed Tom: he began to play the prince out of himself. The comrades accepted this game because the boy was really smart - even adults came to him for advice.
Hungry and ragged, Tom dreamed of seeing a real prince. Once he got close to the Palace of Westminster - and the desired meeting took place.
The soldiers wanted to drag the little beggar away, but the Prince of Wales stood up for him, invited him to the palace and treated him to unprecedented dishes.
The boys told each other about their lives.
Prince Edward was amazed that Tom's sisters only had one dress each. In these dresses they walk during the day and sleep at night.
However, according to Tom, life in the Garbage Yard is fun. No wonder Tom's last name is Kenty, which means groovy, lively, cheerful.
Stories about the amusements of the boys, who are not forbidden to fight with sticks and wallow in the mud, make the prince jealous.
It occurs to the boys to briefly exchange dresses. When looking in the mirror, it turns out that they are like two peas in a pod.
Noticing the bruise left on Tom's hand by a guard, the prince runs to the gate to teach the rude man a lesson. He forgot that he was wearing beggarly rags!
The soldier beat him up. Everyone thought the rogue had gone mad.
The crowd, with laughter, closed around the poor little prince and drove him along the road with mocking cries:
“Make way for His Royal Highness!” Make way for the Prince of Wales!
The Prince decides to get to the Garbage Court. Already there, Tom's relatives will recognize him as a prince!
However, Tom's father decides that this is his son and he is completely crazy.
And in the palace they decided that the prince had gone crazy, who claims that he is just poor Tom Canty from London, from the Court of Garbage.
The king is depressed by the illness of his imaginary son. He orders Tom not to deny that he is the Prince of Wales, and Tom complies.
Princess Elizabeth and Lord St. John tell him how to behave.
Complex court ceremonies oppress Tom, especially the fact that he is not allowed to do anything himself: “So they will soon begin to breathe for me!”
At the table, Tom makes many mistakes that the courtiers try not to notice. They sincerely love the kind and noble prince and are saddened by his illness.
After dinner, Tom stuffs his pockets with nuts, retires to the prince's study and, eating nuts with pleasure, delves into reading books on English etiquette.
The courtiers ask him where the Great Royal Seal, which was entrusted to the Prince of Wales, is located, but, of course, he does not remember this.
This seal is needed in order to seal the royal order for the execution of the rebel in the Tower. The king insists that the order be sealed with a small seal. The Duke must be executed!
In honor of Prince Tom, a magnificent celebration is held. He is dressed up luxuriously and exquisitely.
And the real prince is severely beaten by Tom's father. He began to beat the boy in the yard, and when the priest rushed to protect his pet, he laid him down with a club blow.
In the closet, his vicious grandmother joins in beating the imaginary Tom. Mother and sisters rush to his defense, then they get it too.
A mother consoles her changed son at night. Doubts creep into her soul that this boy is somehow alien to her.
Tom had a characteristic habit of closing his eyes in a peculiar gesture in response to a bright light. The mother checked: she brought the candle to the boy's eyes. But the madman sleeping on the floor made no special gesture.
So it's really not her son?
However, the mournful thoughts of the mother are interrupted by a new surprise: for the murder of the priest, the elder Kenti should be arrested. The whole family is on the run. There is a lavish celebration on the streets of London - and the imaginary Tom manages to slip away from his cruel father. He makes his way to London City Hall, where there is a banquet in honor of the Prince of Wales. And while Tom is receiving honors, the real prince is raging at the door:
“You bunch of ill-mannered dogs!” They tell you I am the Prince of Wales! And although I am alone and abandoned by friends, and there is no one who would say a kind word to me or want to help me in trouble, nevertheless I will not give up my rights and will defend them!
A noble stranger stands up for the humiliated prince - a brave impoverished nobleman. A street fight broke out. The intercessor would have had a bad time if everyone had not been dispersed by a messenger from the palace. He arrived with the news that the king had died.
And they all shouted, stretching out their hands to Tom:
- Long live the king!
“So from now on, let the will of the king be the law of mercy, and not the law of blood. More to the Tower! Announce the royal will: the Duke of Norfolk, sentenced to death, will live!
The people rejoiced:
The kingdom of blood is over! Long live Edward, King of England!
At this time, Miles Gendon (that was the name of the protector of the ragged prince)
and the boy-prince made their way to the river.
Hearing the news of the death of the king, the prince began to cry: for everyone - a cruel tyrant, for him King Henry was a loving and affectionate father.
Hendon with his pet went up to the poor closet. Miles covers the sleeping boy with his camisole, and for washing and dinner, he serves the prince standing. This amuses the nobleman. In addition, he wants to be merciful to the end to the poor madman.
Gendon tells the prince (and now the king) about how the treacherous younger brother Hugh slandered the middle (Miles) before his father in order to take possession of the rich bride Edith. The girl was betrothed to her older brother (Arthur), but she loved Miles. Arthur was on the side of the lovers, as he had his own chosen one.
Hugh slandered Miles, and his father sent him into exile for three years. After wandering, Gendon is going to return to his father's house and shelter a ragged boy who imagines himself a king.
Edward told him about how he changed clothes with a boy from the Court of Garbage, and promised Hendon any reward for his kindness.
Miles realized that it would be very difficult to stand in the presence of the king all his life. Therefore, he asked that he and his descendants be allowed to sit in the presence of the English king at all times.
“Get up, Sir Miles Hendon, I knight you,” the king said solemnly, striking him on the shoulder with his own sword, “get up and sit down.” Your request has been respected. As long as England exists, as long as royalty exists, this honorable right will remain with you.
Miles went to buy the prince a suit and shoes, all second-hand but durable. However, while he was shopping for clothes, the boy was lured out by the elder Kenty, Tom's father.
And Tom ... Tom became king and suffered greatly from this.
Here is how he was dressed: “First of all, the Lord Chief of the Horse Master took a shirt and handed it to the first Lord Jägermeister, he handed it to the second Lord of the bedchamber, this in turn to the chief forester of Windsor Forest, that to the third chief chamberlain, this to the royal chancellor of the duchy Lancaster, the one to the keeper of the royal clothes, this one to the King of Arms of Norroy, that one to the commandant of the Tower, this one to the lord in charge of the palace household, that one to the chief hereditary tier of the royal napkin, this one to the first lord of the admiralty, that one to the archbishop of Canterbury ... The poor boy does not knew what to think; it reminded him of passing buckets from hand to hand during a fire.”
Reasonable Tom at the council is surprised to find out how many debts the late king has, and offers to "remove a more modest house and dismiss half of the servants."
However, all this is considered a manifestation of madness.
He also remembered his mother - should he not make her a duchess? However, Tom was smart enough to understand that the young king was just a plaything in the hands of the courtiers.
An interesting episode: Tom's acquaintance with Humphrey - a whipping boy. If the prince (and even more so the king!) has learned his lessons poorly, then instead of the highest person, a special boy is punished.
Humphrey Marlo begs the new king to leave him this position. Let them beat him - after all, for this he receives money, on which he lives himself and helps his orphan sisters.
Conversations with Humphrey in many ways help Tom learn court customs.
The newly minted King Edward shows miracles of wisdom and mercy. He frees from the unjust and cruel execution (to be boiled alive in boiling water!) the innocent, who are accused of witchcraft and poisoning the patient.
Tom's judgment is so witty that all the courtiers are delighted.
And the real king at this time finds himself with Tom's father in the den of robbers. From their conversations, he understands that many were on the path of vice against their will - they were forced to this by the cruel English laws of that time.
“My kind, honest old mother,” says one robber, “went after the sick to earn bread; one patient died, the doctors didn’t know why, and my mother was burned at the stake like a witch, and my children watched her being burned and cried. English law! Raise your bowls! All at once! Have fun! Let's drink to the merciful English law that freed my mother from the English hell!"
The boy-king promises that he will repeal these cruel laws. For this, the robbers honor him with the title "Fu-fu First, King of Fools".
Prince Edward refused to help the robbers and ran away from them. He spent the night in a peasant barn, warming himself with the warmth of a calf.
A good peasant widow fed the king, thinking that he was an unfortunate madman.
And, imagine, the king, in gratitude for the food, tried to wash the dishes and peel the winter apples. He was exemplified by the fates of other great rulers who, in difficult circumstances, did not refuse black labor.
But he refused to drown the kittens: he left the basket in the entryway and ran away. Moreover, he saw robbers approaching the house.
In the forest, the boy was captured by a crazy hermit who considered himself an archangel and decided to kill the heir to the cruel Henry the Eighth. However, at the last moment he was kidnapped by robbers. In their gang, Prince Edward even earned respect: no one could beat him in a fight with sticks. Still would! He was taught fencing by the best masters of Europe!
The robber Hugo, shamed by the prince, tricks the boy into the hands of the law - for stealing a pig. But Miles comes to the rescue, he helps the ragged king escape.
Miles takes the foundling to Gendon Hall, but his treacherous younger brother Hugh refuses to acknowledge him. Father and older brother Arthur died. Edith married a scoundrel - and refuses to recognize her former lover. A fake letter was received about Miles' death. Of all the servants, only five villains survived.
Miles is called crazy. Again and again in the book there is a motive of madness, in which a normal person is suspected.
Miles and the young king are thrown into prison. Edward sees unfair executions, abuse of innocent poor people. People are burned at the stake, their ears are cut off, brands are burnt out on their cheeks... The boy swears that, having regained his royal rights, he will make the laws more merciful and fair.
Miles is sentenced to the pillory for "imposture". The boy-king rushes to defend him, for which Edward is sentenced to whips. His older comrade "takes the lashes on himself." The young king is filled with gratitude: he was saved not only from pain, but also from shame.
Gendon is expelled from his estate, even his donkey and mule are returned to him. He goes to London with his young friend. They say the young king is so fair... Shouldn't you ask him for intercession?
And Edward writes a letter in Greek. Does anyone other than the young king know this language? Certainly not a rogue! His relative the Count will understand. Gotta figure it out...
The couple arrives in London just before the coronation.
And Tom Canty ceases to be ashamed of his royal position. “He fell in love with his luxurious outfits and ordered new ones for himself. He found that four hundred servants were not enough for his greatness, and tripled their number. The flattery of the courtiers sounded like sweet music to his ears. True, he remained kind and meek, a staunch defender of the oppressed, and waged an incessant war against unjust laws.
He rarely remembered the fate of the real king, he almost forgot his own mother and sisters.
However, during the march on the eve of the coronation, the boy recognizes his beggar mother in the crowd. She, too, recognizes him - by a characteristic gesture. The unfortunate woman is taken away by the soldiers, but the young king is clouded, his smile is artificial.
And now - the last rites: the laying of the crown in Canterbury Abbey.
At this decisive moment, a beggar boy burst into the abbey and shouted:
“I forbid you to place the crown of England on this criminal head!” I'm a king!
The boy was taken. But Tom rushed forward and shouted in a ringing voice:
"Let him go and don't touch him!" He really is a king!
The imaginary king with a joyful face rushed to meet the ragamuffin,
fell on his knees before him and exclaimed:
- O sovereign! Let poor Tom Canty be the first to swear allegiance to you and say: put on your crown and take your rights!
A beggar who declares himself king is interrogated. He adequately answers all questions. Then the last test: where is the big state seal?
Eduard answers in detail where the cache with the seal is located. Lord St. John goes to the palace... There is no seal in the cache!
After learning what the seal looks like, Tom begins to suggest:
“Think, my lord! Try to remember! It was the last, the very last thing you did that day before you ran out of the palace, dressed in my rags, to punish the soldier who offended me.
Thanks to Tom's clues, the young king remembers:
“Go, my good St. John: in the Milanese gauntlet that hangs on the wall, you will find the seal of state!”
And so it happened. The seal has been returned. And Tom, to general laughter, admitted that he cracked nuts with it.
Restored in his rights, the king ordered not to offend Tom, because he was honest.
And Miles Hendon, in search of his unfortunate pet, went around the whole city. Finally, he decided to turn to his old friend who served in the palace. It was the father of the "whipping boy". This person is dead. And little Marlo sent an officer to the intercessor of the young king, who, during a search, discovered a letter once written by Edward, then still a ragamuffin, in English and Greek.
This letter was read by the young king. He invited Gendon to the reception hall.
Miles, seeing on the throne the boy whom he patronized, considering him an unfortunate madman, decided that he himself had gone mad.
To test whether this was so, the brave nobleman sat down in the presence of the king.
He was immediately attacked with reproaches. But the king remembered the privilege he had bestowed on Hendon when the good-hearted man had no idea whom he patronized.
He promised Sir Hendon high ranks, money and estates.
Tom Canty was granted the title of royal pupil.
Hugh, the treacherous brother of Miles, left his wife and left for the Continent, where he soon died, and Miles, Earl of Kent, married his widow. When they first visited Hendon Hall, the whole neighborhood was jubilant and celebrating.
Tom Canty's father was never heard from again.
Miles Hendon and Tom Canty, throughout Edward's short reign, were his favorites, and sincerely mourned the king when he died.
Tom Canty lived to a ripe old age.
And King Edward VI did not live long, but he lived his years with dignity. More than once, when some important dignitary reproached him with excessive indulgence, the young king turned his large, eloquent eyes full of sad compassion on him and said:
What do you know about oppression and torment? I know about it, my people know about it, but not you.
Twain's The Prince and the Pauper was written in 1881. In his book, the author, with his characteristic irony, described all the imperfections of the state system in the UK of the 16th century. The chosen topic turned out to be so topical that the work of Mark Twain was repeatedly reprinted and filmed in many countries of the world.
For a reader's diary and preparation for a literature lesson, we recommend reading the online summary of "The Prince and the Pauper" chapter by chapter.
main characters
Tom Canty- the son of a beggar woman and a thief, a representative of the London slums.
Edward, Prince of Wales is the legitimate heir to the throne.
Other characters
Henry VIII- King of England, father of Edward.
John Canty- Tom's father, a thief, a vile and cruel man.
Miles Gendon- a noble warrior, a true friend of Prince Edward.
Tom's mother- a beggar, a poor, downtrodden woman.
Beth and Nan- Tom's twin sisters, uneducated nerds.
Priest- a kind old man, Tom's neighbor.
Lord Saint John- a courtier who helped Tom "remember" secular rules.
Chapter 1
"One autumn day" in London, a boy named Tom was born into a poor Kenty family, who no one needed. And on the same day, the long-awaited heir appeared in the Tudor family, who was needed not only by his family, but by the whole of England.
Chapter 2
The house where Tom was born "stood in a stinking cul-de-sac behind Glutton's Row". His father was a thief, and his mother was a beggar. Also in the tiny room were Tom's old grandmother and older twin sisters Beth and Nan. "The good old priest", who lived next door, taught Tom to read and write, instilled a love of books. Only thanks to them, Tom could endure hunger, poverty and regular beatings from his always drunk father.
Chapter 3
Tom passionately longed to get a glimpse of the real prince. Outside the fence of the royal palace, he saw a smart boy, but the guard "rudely dragged him away and threw him into a crowd of village onlookers." The little prince interceded for Tom and led the dumbfounded boy to his chambers.
Tom told Prince Edward about his adventures in the slums, and he decided to switch places with him for a while to taste a different life. Noticing how much they looked alike, the boys changed into each other's outfits. Forgetting that he was wearing the clothes of a beggar, the prince ran into the park, and was expelled from there by the guard.
Chapter 4
The prince "went aimlessly", and soon came across a church that served as a refuge "for abandoned and poor children." The boy's words that he was the Prince of Wales at first "seemed extremely funny" to the young pupils, but after that they set a pack of dogs on the tramp. Only in the evening did he manage to get to Glutton Row and meet with the elder Kenty, who mistook Edward for his son.
Chapter 5
Meanwhile, in the courtyard, Tom had to play the role of a prince. Upon learning that the son stopped recognizing relatives and began to behave strangely, the king called the doctors. They concluded that the prince's mind was "only eclipsed, but not hopelessly damaged".
Chapter 6
In order for the imaginary prince to quickly get used to court life, Lord St. John was assigned to him, who followed the boy everywhere and suggested how to behave.
Chapter 7
The real test for Tom was his first royal dinner, where he "took food straight with his hands", did not know how to use a napkin, stuffed his pockets with nuts and drank water from a vessel designed "for rinsing the mouth and washing the fingers". The courtiers looked at the antics of the prince with deep sadness - they were sure that the heir had lost his mind.
Chapter 8
Feeling his imminent death, King Henry VIII was in a hurry to sign a decree on the death of the traitor, the Duke of Norfolk. However, without the great royal seal, which he gave to Prince Edward, this decree could not take effect. Tom did not know where she was, and had to seal the decree with the small seal of the king.
Chapter 9
From early morning, the royal court was preparing for a magnificent festival on the river. A sumptuous feast was given in honor of the Crown Prince of Wales, whose place was taken by "Tom Canty, born in a shanty, reared in London's stinking ditches".
Chapter 10
Prince Edward had a hard time in the Kenty family, where he fully enjoyed the humiliation, beatings and bullying. When the boy learned of the death of the priest, his only protector, he was forced to flee London.
Chapter 11
While Tom was enjoying the party, the real prince unsuccessfully tried to get through the gates of the town hall. He amused the crowd with his words about belonging to the royal family. He was saved from the ridicule and humiliation of the crowd by a warrior named Miles Gendon.
Chapter 12
Like everyone else, Hendon did not believe Edward that he was the Prince of Wales. He simply took pity on the poor boy, whom he decided to play along with and ask for the greatest favor "to sit in the presence of the English king." In response, Edward knighted his friend.
Chapter 13
In the morning Gendon went to the market to buy new clothes for Edward. When he returned, he saw that the boy had disappeared. The warrior went in search of him - he had no doubt that the boy was taken away by his cruel father.
Chapter 14
Tom Canty had a dream that he was back in Glutton Row. He happily opened his eyes, but the reality was different. The duties of the future king overly tired yesterday's beggar.
Chapter 15
Tom Canty was able to demonstrate his logical thinking, common sense and mercy when he examined the cases of three unfortunate people condemned to a painful death.
Chapter 16
Tom consolidated his success at a ceremonial dinner, during which he "never got into trouble."
Chapter 17
John Canty managed to lure the prince out by cunning. He committed murder, and he needed the boy for cover. Canty led Edward to a robbery den, where the little prince received a new nickname - "Fu-fu First, the king of fools."
Chapter 18
Together with the vagabonds, Edward was forced to wander around the villages, ruining the unfortunate inhabitants. Only by a miracle did the boy manage to get rid of the "society of low and rude tramps."
Chapter 19
Exhausted by hunger and a long journey, the unfortunate prince received shelter in a kind family of simple peasants, who fed him and let him rest. Only the unexpected appearance of John Canty caused the prince to flee.
Chapter 20
In the forest in which Edward hid from his tormentor, he stumbled upon a crazy hermit who decided to kill the boy and thereby take revenge on the deceased King Henry.
Chapter 21
When Gendon appeared in the hut, the bound and gagged boy was sure that help was at hand. However, the old man managed to deceive the man, and Edward became an easy prey for John Canty and his partner.
Chapter 22
The crown prince was again forced to wander "in the company of vagabonds and renegades". He stubbornly refused to beg, and "thought of running away all the time." When the boy was framed in one dirty business, his faithful friend Gendon came to his rescue.
Chapter 23
The policeman took the boy to court, where he learned that he could be hanged for a theft he did not commit. The woman whose basket was stolen took pity on the boy and dropped the accusations. Hanging was replaced by imprisonment in a general prison.
Chapter 24
Hendon managed to convince the policeman who had accompanied Edward to the prison to turn his back for a moment and let the "poor boy run away".
Chapter 25
Hendon was sure that "peace and right life" would restore his young friend's sanity. He took the boy to the village, to his ancestral home, Hendon Hall. The warrior was looking forward to meeting his relatives, whom he had not seen for many years. However, disappointment awaited him - his brother, who wanted to receive Gendon's "father's heritage and bride", called him an impostor.
Chapter 26
Lady Edith, his fiancée, and now the wife of an insidious brother, secretly came to Hendon. She wanted to warn her former lover to run away from the massacre, but did not have time - the soldiers burst into the room, who took Gendon and the prince to prison.
Chapter 27
An old faithful servant of Hendon came to the prison, who alone told his master about the misadventures he had suffered. From him, the warrior learned the sad story of his family, as well as the fact that the coronation of the Prince of Wales would soon take place.
Chapter 28
The court recognized Hendon as a violent vagabond and sentenced him "to a humiliating punishment" - for two hours he had to "sit in the stock at the pillory". Hendon also took over a dozen lash gifts meant for his young friend. Touched by Edward, he was granted the title of count.
Chapter 29
Hendon understood that he urgently needed to "find an influential patron" in order to restore his rights. He decided to go to London and ask for justice from the young king.
Chapter 30
Meanwhile, Tom began to find "an attraction in royalty". He fell in love with his luxurious outfits, elaborate ceremonies and his great influence on those around him. Tom looked forward to the upcoming coronation with joy.
Chapter 31
In honor of the coronation of the Prince, London was festively decorated. A magnificent procession led by Tom Canty moved towards Westminster Abbey, where the ceremony was to take place. On the way, Tom saw a beggar woman, whom he recognized as his mother.
Chapter 32
At the last moment, when the crown of England was about to be on Tom's head, a boy appeared in the middle of the cathedral and solemnly declared that he was the real king. Tom Canty had no choice but to acknowledge the truth of his words. After a thorough interrogation, Edward was able to prove his origin. On the same day, "the real king was anointed with the world, a crown was placed on his head."
Chapter 33
Gendon managed to get into the palace, and with surprise he recognized his friend in the young king. Edward told everyone how much he owed to Hendon, and announced all the privileges due to him.
The king also said that from now on Tom Canty is under the "special protection and patronage of the crown."
Conclusion. Justice and retribution
When everything fell into place, Edward generously rewarded those who helped him during his wanderings as a ragamuffin, and justly punished the villains who got in his way.
King Edward VI briefly ruled the country, "but he lived his years worthily", and is remembered as a just and indulgent monarch.
Conclusion
The main idea of the work is that it is necessary to remain human under any circumstances, without losing one's own dignity and respect for other people. Wealth and power are very conditional, and cannot serve as a criterion for evaluating a person.
After reading a brief retelling of The Prince and the Pauper, we recommend reading Mark Twain's novel in its entirety.
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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 getting acquainted with this interesting book will certainly 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 has been passed from mouth to mouth for three hundred years. The author says that maybe it was actually or is a legend.
The first chapter takes the reader to the end of the 16th century and introduces the poor Canti family and the rich Tudor family. And there, and there in London, boys were born one autumn day. If the family of the poor 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.
Second chapter
This chapter takes the events forward several years. It is called "Tom's Childhood" and tells about a boy from a poor Canti family. He lived in a dilapidated old house, which was at the end in the garbage yard. The description of the wretchedness of the place where Tom lived is continued by the author of The Prince and the Pauper. The summary tells that the boy did not even have a bed. Together with his grandmother and two twin sisters, Beth and Nan, he slept on the floor.
So Tom lived among thieves, beggars, along with his father and grandmother, who often got drunk and swore. 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 to read and write. He taught the yard children kindness and love. Tom, reading books, sometimes dreamed and even imagined himself a prince.
Mark Twain, The Prince and the Pauper. Contents of the 3rd chapter
Once Tom got 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 as if spellbound, but the palace guards began to scold the beggar and drive him away. But the prince was a kind child, he took pity on Tom and called him to the palace. This is how the prince and the beggar met. The summary goes to one of the most interesting moments of the work.
The boys got to know each other. began to ask Tom how he was doing, he was surprised that his father was beating him. The beggar said that he had two twin sisters fifteen years old. Eduard spoke about his 14-year-old sister Elizabeth and his cousin. The prince was interested in the story of the beggar, he also wanted to wallow in the mud, like Tom, swim in the river, frolic with friends. Eduard offered to change clothes so that he would feel like a beggar for a moment, who can walk barefoot and have fun as he pleases. 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 drove 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.
So suddenly the prince and the beggar switched places. The summary continues the story.
Chapters 4-5
No one believed Edward that he was a prince - neither the boys from Christ's monastery, nor Tom's family. They mocked him and even poisoned him with dogs. And what happened to the beggar who remained in the palace in Edward's clothes? The fifth chapter of the work will tell about this.
At first, Tom admired his rich clothes in the mirror, but then he wondered why the prince had been away for so long? He was frightened, and thought that the guards would seize him now, and punishment would come. When a pretty girl who was Edward's cousin entered, Tom fell on his knees before her and began to beg for mercy. She was very surprised that the crown prince was kneeling before her. The courtiers saw it too. A rumor floated 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 inadvertently the prince and the beggar switched places.
The king forbade rumors about his son's insanity to spread around the palace, but he himself was sure that his son was "out of his mind." After all, the boy claimed that he lived in the yard of the Dregs in a poor family.
Chapters 6-10
In the sixth chapter, The Prince and the Pauper introduces readers to Lord St. John. He helps Tom learn some royal mannerisms. Milord taught Tom to refer to his illness when he can't remember something. Tom was helped to speak royally by the books he had previously read. Gradually, he began to master, but he failed to show off his knowledge at dinner. Tom shocked many present during this dinner.
In the tenth chapter tells about the misadventures of Edward M. Twain. The prince and the beggar inadvertently switched places, and now each of them had to live in an environment unusual for themselves. The real prince had a very hard time. He was abused not only verbally, but also physically. The Kenty family was sure that their Tom had gone mad. After all, he imagined himself a prince. The only one who stood up for the boy was Miles Hendon - he saved him from the evil crowd, his drunken father and took him to him.
11-12 chapters
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 Hendon, after taking the child to himself, laid the table, and he and Edward began to eat. He, as befits a royal person, was indignant, why is a friend sitting in his presence? Then Hendon asked Edward to grant him mercy, so that he and his descendants would sit in the presence of kings. The prince took the sword from Gendon and made him a knight. The request was granted.
Chapters 13-16
Miles Hendon was kind to the child. He gave him his bed, bought not new, but good clothes.
And at this time in the palace everyone is preparing for the coronation of the prince. Now he is forced to take up public affairs. Several people appeared before the court of the future king. One said that he was sentenced to death. Tom was horrified when he learned that a man should be executed, but his guilt was not proven. Tom judged fairly and ordered the poor fellow to be released. The palace nobility present began to whisper that the prince had regained his sanity and was thinking sensibly. He also did a good job with another case, proving that two women were also condemned in vain. For 4 days, Tom was quite comfortable. At dinner, he also behaved decently.
Everything falls into place
The prince still had many trials to go through. He saw the life of his kingdom from within. Edward lived with vagrants. He heard their sad story. They told how cruelly they had once been 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 Hendon saved his little friend, taking upon himself the punishment of whips. Then the friends went to London. Prince Edward decided at all costs to regain the title.
He came to the coronation and did not let Tom put the crown on his head. He was delighted that a real prince had finally appeared. Everything ended up great. 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 just ruler, as he perfectly studied the life of his kingdom from the inside. And everyone respected Tom Canty as a royal pupil. This concludes Mark Twain's book. The Prince and the Pauper is a captivating piece that appeals to people of all ages.
Prince and the Pauper
London, mid-16th century. On the same day, two boys are born - Tom, the son of the thief John Canty, huddled in the stinking dead end of the Garbage Yard, and Edward, the heir to King Henry the Eighth. All England is waiting for Edward, Tom is not really needed even by his own family, where only a thief father and a beggar mother have something like a bed; at the service of the rest - the vicious 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 trash, there lives an old priest who teaches Tom Canty to read and write and even the rudiments of Latin, but the old man's legends about wizards and kings are most intoxicating. Tom does not beg very hard, and the laws against beggars are extremely harsh. Beaten for negligence by his father and grandmother, hungry (unless a frightened mother secretly sticks a stale crust), lying on the straw, he draws sweet pictures for himself from the life of pampered princes. Other boys from the Court of Garbage are also drawn into his game: Tom is the prince, they are the court; everything - according to strict ceremonial. Once, hungry, beaten, Tom wanders to the royal palace and with such self-forgetfulness looks 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 Court of Garbage, and unsupervised plebeian fun seems so tasty to him that he invites Tom to change clothes with him. A disguised prince is completely indistinguishable from a beggar! Noticing Tom has a bruise on his arm, he runs to make a drag on the sentry - and gets a slap. The crowd, hooting, drives the "crazy ragamuffin" along the road. After long ordeals, a huge drunkard grabs him by the shoulder - this is John Canty.
Meanwhile, there is alarm in the palace: the prince has gone mad, he still remembers the English letter, but he does not even recognize the king, a terrible tyrant, but a gentle father. Henry, by a threatening order, forbids any mention of the heir's illness and hurries to confirm him in this rank. To do this, you need to quickly execute the suspected of treason, Marshal Norfolk and appoint a new one. Tom is filled with horror and pity.
He is taught to hide his illness, but misunderstandings are pouring in, at dinner he tries to drink water to wash his hands and does not know if he has the right to scratch his nose without the help of servants. Meanwhile, Norfolk's execution is delayed by 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 festival on the river.
An enraged John Canty swings a club at the unfortunate prince; the old priest, who intervened, falls dead under his blow. Tom's mother weeps 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 the whole family. In the turmoil of the festivity mentioned above, the prince goes into hiding. And he understands that London honors the impostor. His indignant protests provoke new mockery. But Miles Gendon, a stately warrior in smart but shabby clothes, beats him off with a sword in his hand.
A messenger rushes to Tom at the feast: "The king is dead!" - and the whole hall bursts into cries: "Long live the king!" And the new ruler of England orders pardon for Norfolk - the kingdom 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 Hendon waits on the king, although he is not even allowed to sit down. From the story of Miles, the young king learns that after many years of adventures he returns to his home, where he is left with a rich old father, who is under the influence of his treacherous pet younger son Hugh, another brother Arthur, and also his beloved (and loving) cousin Edith. The king will 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 from under Miles' wing, and the king falls into a gang of thieves. He manages to escape, and he ends up in the hut of a mad hermit, who almost kills him because his father ruined the monasteries, introducing Protestantism in England. This time Edward is saved by John Canty. While the imaginary king is doing justice, surprising the nobles with his common sense, the true king among thieves and scoundrels also meets honest people who have become victims of English laws. The courage of the king in the end 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 a stolen piglet to him, so that the king almost falls on the gallows, but is saved thanks to the resourcefulness of Miles Gendon, who appeared, as always, on time. But in Hendon Hall, a blow awaits them: their father and brother Arthur died, and Hugh, on the basis of a letter forged by him about the death of Miles, took possession of the inheritance and married Edith. Hugh declares Miles an impostor, Edith also disowns him, frightened by Hugh's threat to kill Miles otherwise. Hugh is so influential that no one in the district dares to identify the rightful heir,
Miles and the king end up in prison, where the king once again sees the ferocious English laws in action. In the end, Miles, sitting in the stocks at the pillory, also takes on the lashes that the king incurs with his insolence. Then Miles and the king go to London for the truth. And in London, during the coronation procession, Tom Canty's mother recognizes him by a characteristic gesture, but he pretends not to know her. From shame the triumph fades for him, At the moment when the Archbishop of Canterbury is ready to lay a crown on his head, the true king appears. With Tom's generous help, he proves his royal lineage by remembering where he hid the vanished state seal. Stunned, Miles Hendon, who had hardly made it to the king's reception, defiantly sits down in his presence to make sure that his eyesight does not change him. Miles is rewarded with a large fortune and the peerage of England, along with the title of Earl of Kent. The disgraced Hugh dies in a foreign land, and Miles marries Edith. Tom Canty lives to a ripe old age, being held in special esteem for "sitting on the throne".
And King Edward the Sixth leaves a memory of himself as an extremely merciful reign in those cruel times. 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, but not you."
Mark Twain
"Prince and the Pauper"
London, mid-16th century. On the same day, two boys are born - Tom, the son of the thief John Canty, huddled in the stinking dead end of the Garbage Yard, and Edward, the heir to King Henry the Eighth. All England is waiting for Edward, Tom is not really needed even by his own family, where only a thief father and a beggar mother have something like a bed; at the service of the rest - an evil grandmother and twin sisters - only a few armfuls of straw and scraps of two or three blankets.
In the same slum, among all sorts of scum, lives an old priest who teaches Tom Canty to read and write and even the rudiments of Latin, but the old man's legends about wizards and kings are most delightful. Tom does not beg very hard, and the laws against beggars are extremely harsh. Beaten for negligence by his father and grandmother, hungry (except that a frightened mother secretly sticks a stale crust), lying on the straw, he draws sweet pictures for himself from the life of pampered princes. Other boys from the Court of Garbage are also drawn into his game: Tom is the prince, they are the court; everything - according to strict ceremonial. Once, hungry, beaten, Tom wanders to the royal palace and looks through the lattice gate at the dazzling Prince of Wales with such self-forgetfulness 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 Court of Garbage, and unsupervised plebeian fun seems so tasty to him that he invites Tom to change clothes with him. A disguised prince is completely indistinguishable from a beggar! Noticing that Tom has a bruise on his arm, he runs to make a drag on the sentry - and gets a slap. The crowd, hooting, drives the "crazy ragamuffin" along the road. After a long ordeal, a huge drunkard grabs him by the shoulder - this is John Canty.
Meanwhile, there is alarm in the palace: the prince has gone mad, he still remembers the English letter, but he does not even recognize the king, a terrible tyrant, but a gentle father. Henry, by a threatening order, forbids any mention of the heir's illness and hurries to confirm him in this rank. To do this, you need to quickly execute the suspected of treason, Marshal Norfolk and appoint a new one. Tom is filled with horror and pity.
He is taught to hide his illness, but misunderstandings are pouring in, at dinner he tries to drink water to wash his hands and does not know if he has the right to scratch his nose without the help of servants. Meanwhile, Norfolk's execution is delayed by 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 festival on the river.
An enraged John Canty swings a club at the unfortunate prince; the old priest, who intervened, falls dead under his blow. Tom's mother weeps 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 the whole family. In the turmoil of the festivity mentioned above, the prince goes into hiding. And he understands that London honors the impostor. His indignant protests provoke new mockery. But Miles Gendon, a stately warrior in smart but shabby clothes, fights him off with a sword in his hand.
A messenger rushes to Tom at the feast: "The king is dead!" - and the whole hall bursts into cries: "Long live the king!" And the new ruler of England orders that Norfolk be pardoned - the kingdom 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 Hendon waits on the king, although he is not even allowed to sit down. From the story of Miles, the young king learns that after many years of adventures, he returns to his home, where he left a rich old father, who is under the influence of his treacherous pet younger son Hugh, another brother Arthur, and also his beloved (and loving) cousin Edith. The king will 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 from under Miles' wing, and the king falls into a gang of thieves. He manages to escape, and he ends up in the hut of a mad hermit, who almost kills him because his father ruined the monasteries, introducing Protestantism in England. This time Edward is saved by John Canty. While the imaginary king is doing justice, surprising the nobles with his common sense, the true king among thieves and scoundrels also meets honest people who have become victims of English laws. The courage of the king in the end 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 a stolen piglet to him, so that the king almost falls on the gallows, but is saved thanks to the resourcefulness of Miles Gendon, who appeared, as always, on time. But in Hendon Hall, a blow awaits them: their father and brother Arthur died, and Hugh, on the basis of a letter he forged about Miles's death, took possession of the inheritance and married Edith. Hugh declares Miles an impostor, Edith also disowns him, frightened by Hugh's threat to kill Miles otherwise. Hugh is so influential that no one in the district dares to identify the rightful heir,
Miles and the king end up in prison, where the king once again sees the ferocious English laws in action. In the end, Miles, sitting in the stocks at the pillory, also takes upon himself the whips that the king incurs with his insolence. Then Miles and the king go to London for the truth. And in London, during the coronation procession, Tom Canty's mother recognizes him by a characteristic gesture, but he pretends not to know her. From shame, the triumph fades for him. The moment the Archbishop of Canterbury is ready to place a crown on his head, the true king appears. With Tom's generous help, he proves his royal lineage by remembering where he hid the vanished state seal. Stunned, Miles Hendon, who barely made it to the king's reception, defiantly sits down in his presence to make sure that his eyesight does not change him. Miles is rewarded with a large fortune and the peerage of England, along with the title of Earl of Kent. The disgraced Hugh dies in a foreign land, and Miles marries Edith. Tom Canty lives to a ripe old age, being held in special esteem for "sitting on the throne".
And King Edward the Sixth leaves a memory of himself as an extremely merciful reign in those cruel times. 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 it, my people know about it, but not you.”
"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 (the son of a thief) and Edward (the heir to King Henry the Eighth). Tom often got from his father and the old priest teaches him everything, and everyone loved the heir very much. One day, being hungry and beaten, the son of a thief comes to the gates of the palace, through which he admires the prince. Then the sentry pushes Tom back into the crowd, but the heir to the king stands up for him and invites him to his chambers. There, Edward feeds a beggar and asks him about life in the Garbage Yard. So the guys agree to change clothes.
The sentry drives the prince away and he meets John Canty, and Tom, pretending to be the heir, is considered a madman. Because of him, a panic arose in the palace that the prince had gone mad, he remembers the letter, but his father is gone. Then Henry the Eighth issues a decree in which it is forbidden to mention the illness of his son, and to accuse Marshal Norfolk of treason and execute him. Tom was horrified by what was happening. He is also taught to hide his illness, but he does not succeed very well. In addition, the execution of the marshal has been postponed, because Tom does not know where the state seal, 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 whole family, but the real prince hides and learns about the festival on the river, which Tom arranged. So Edward understands that London is honoring the impostor. And he tries to tell the whole truth, only causing new mockery in everyone. But Miles Hendon, sword in hand, beats him off from the mob - the only person who helped him.
And a messenger breaks into Tom's feast and says that the king is dead. 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 together they want to go home to the Hendon family, but John Canty tricks the real king, where he gets into a gang of thieves. Here he wins respect among the vagabonds with his boldness while Tom pretends to be him. But again he has no luck. Fraudster Hugo, throws him a stolen pig, for which they want to hang Edward. But Miles saved him in time and together they go to Gendon Hall, where a blow awaits them: dad and brother Arthur died, and Hugh married Edith and took over the inheritance. Then Edward appears as the heir to the crown, but they do not believe him, and he and Miles go to prison, where the king feels 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 a crown on Tom's head, Edward appeared and proved that he was the real king. He, with the help of a beggar, 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 quietly lives to old age, enjoying the honor that he sat on the throne; King Edward the Sixth became a merciful ruler.
