Description
Published in 1882, The Prince and the Pauper is a historical fiction. The young British Prince Edward, son of Henry VIII and Tom Canty look alike. There is one difference between them: Tom Canty is a child of the London slums whereas Edward is heir to the throne of England. The two boys exchanges clothes on a whim. Tom lives in luxury and renders wise judgments, whereas the ragged Prince Edward roams the city and discovers the misery of the subjects. The real Prince wanders on the streets of London and learns about the sufferings of the common people of England. When King Henry dies, he returns to the palace to stop the coronation of the false Prince and takes his crown. He rules as a kind king. The real Prince Edward governs until his early death at the age of 15.
Author's Description
Mark Twain (1835–1910)
A legendary American writer and humourist, Mark Twain authored twenty eight books and many sketches and short stories. His real name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835-1910). He was born and brought up in the American state of Missouri. He left school to earn his living when he was only twelve following the death of his father. He was a great adventurer and travelled around America. He returned to his native place to become a steamboat pilot on the Mississippi River. The Civil War put an end to steam-boating and Clemens joined the Confederate army. He was already engaged in newspaper reporting and became a successful journalist. He started to use the alias Mark Twain during the Civil War and this pen name made him a famous travel writer.
Mark Twain was nostalgic about his childhood and in 1876 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was published, based on his own experiences. The book was soon recognised as a work of genius. Mark Twain was soon famous all over the world. He earned money from writing and lost it on a typesetter he invented. He then made another fortune and lost it on a bad investment. He was an impetuous, hot-tempered man but was also quite sentimental and superstitious. Twain was born when Halley’s Comet was passing the Earth and he always believed he would die when the comet returned – the same happened exactly.
Country Of Origin :- India