Synopsis for the The Prince And The Pauper

Young and old alike will thrill to this version of Mark Twain's adventure story of mistaken identities with royal complications.

Edward Tudor, Prince of Wales, and Tom Canty, a young London beggar, born on the same day, meet when they are 10 years old. The boys notice an uncanny similarity between them, and when they exchange clothes, the resemblance is truly amazing. Perhaps too amazing, for soon, young Edward is chased from the palace and mistaken for a beggar, and Tom is treated royally, as befits the Prince of Wales.

Initially, the boys enjoy the adventure of living one another's lives, but the fun soon wears thin when they find that they cannot reclaim their true identities. Garbed as a a pauper, but proclaiming that he is the Prince, Edward is laughed off the streets of London. Tom, declaring that he is a poor street urchin in regal robes, is thought to be made. What started as an innocent prank becomes gravely serious when King Henry VIII suddenly dies and the Prince of Wales must be crowned the new King.

But who will be crowned? Will Edward be able to claim his rightful throne, or will history take a new turn as Tom Canty mistakenly is crowned King of England? For classic storytelling in the inimitable Mark Twain style, meet The Prince and the Pauper!

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