The Prince and the Pauper

by Mark Twain

"The Prince and the Pauper" by Mark Twain is a novel first published in 1881. Two identical boys—Prince Edward Tudor and pauper Tom Canty—meet by chance and swap clothes, only to find themselves trapped in each other's lives. As Edward experiences the brutal reality of poverty and injustice firsthand, Tom struggles to maintain the royal charade. This tale of mistaken identity explores class inequality and the harsh English judicial system, while both boys discover what it truly means to walk in another's shoes.