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Page 1: The Prince and the Pauper Great Illustrated ClassicsPrince+and... · The Prince and the Pauper poked fun at the upper classes in England and their prejudices based on narrow-minded,
Page 2: The Prince and the Pauper Great Illustrated ClassicsPrince+and... · The Prince and the Pauper poked fun at the upper classes in England and their prejudices based on narrow-minded,
Page 3: The Prince and the Pauper Great Illustrated ClassicsPrince+and... · The Prince and the Pauper poked fun at the upper classes in England and their prejudices based on narrow-minded,
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Cover Copyright © 2012

Waldman Publishing Corp.

New York, New York

All rights reserved.

Text Copyright © 2012

Waldman Publishing Corp.

New York, New York

BARONET BOOKS is a trademark ofWaldman Publishing Corp., New York,New York

No part of this book may bereproduced or copied in any formwithout wri en permission from thepublisher.

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Contents

About the Author

CHAPTER

1 Two Different Worlds

2 The Big Switch

3 A Prince Among Paupers

4 The Pauper as a Prince

5 Make Way for the High and

Mighty

6 Lost in the Crowd

7 The Kingdom of Dreams andShadows

8 A Strange Job

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9 Tom Dispenses Justice

10 Foo-Foo, King of the Mooncalves

11 The King on the Run

12 A Surprise at Hendon Hall

13 Trial and Punishment

14 The Great Seal Test

15 The Reunion

16 To a Better Life

Complete List of Great Illustrated

Classics Titles

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About the Author

Mark Twain was born on November30, 1835, in Florida, Missouri. His givenname was Samuel Clemens. When hewas four years old, his father, anunsuccessful storekeeper, moved thefamily to Hannibal, Missouri, where hehope to make a better living.

Hannibal was a river-edge townthrough which many travelers passed:circus troupes, minstrel shows,preachers and pioneers on their way tose le in California. Deeply affected bythe landscape and the people he met inHannibal, Twain later used what helearned and observed in his novels.

Of the many people the boy met,he admired most of all the steamboat

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captains. He dreamed that one day hewould pilot a Mississippi riverboat. Uponhis father’s death, when Twain was 12,he le school to train as a printer. Whenhe was older, he traveled to the Westand began to write. Eventually, he wasable to realize his fondest wish,naviga ng a steamboat up the windingMississippi River. He did this for fouryears. His pen name, “Mark Twain,”comes from a naviga on term for thecall to report the depth of water at twofathoms.

Twain is best known for his storiesof coming-of-age on the river:Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) andThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn(1884), as well as for his first historicalnovel, The Prince and the Pauper (1881),

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and the me-travel tale A Connec cutYankee in King Arthur’s Court (1889).Ini ally published in Canada a fewmonths before the American release,The Prince and the Pauper poked fun atthe upper classes in England and theirprejudices based on narrow-minded,superficial criteria.

Twain died in April 1910, but togenera ons of readers around theworld, his voice remains strong in hismany unforgettable characters.

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CHAPTER 1

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Two Different Worlds

One autumn day in the sixteenth

century, two babies were born. Bothwere boys, both had the same birthday,and both were born in London, England.Aside from these facts, life could nothave been more different for the them

Tom Canty was born into a poorfamily. They wore raggedy clothes andlived in one crowded room. To them,the newborn was just anotherunwelcome mouth to feed.

Edward Tudor was born in a palace.His family celebrated his birth. So did allof England, for Edward was a prince.Cared for by great lords and ladies, li lePrince Edward slept through the noisy

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street parties and bonfires in his honor.

The street where Tom Canty lived,Offal Court, was noisy and crowded anddirty. His family lived on the third floorof a rickety house. His fi een-year-oldtwin sisters, Bet and Nan, were good-natured like their mother. But his father,John, and grandmother, Gammer Canty,were absolute terrors. His father was athief and Gammer cursed. Both of themdrank and fought a lot.

John Canty would roar at his family,“Where is the stuff from today’sbegging?”

Mrs. Canty would midly hand himthe coin she had go en, and one of thegirls would come up with a chunk ofstale bread.

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Next, John Canty would turn to

Tom.

“What about you, brat? Nothing!”

Tom’s silence increased his father’sanger. The man would grab his son andsmack him hard.

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Gammer would shriek at Tom, “I’m

ashamed to call a ro en good-for-nothing like you my grandson!”

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Again, his silence provoked another

beating.

Late at night, Tom would lie sobbingand hungry on a pile of dirty strawunder a scrap of blanket. He would hearhis name whispered and feel a bit ofcrust slipped into his hand.

“No, Ma, it’s yours,” he wouldprotest. “You haven’t had any suppereither.”

Before his mother could reply,someone shouted, “Spoil the no-goodbrat, will you?”

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Tom would freeze as his father hit

his mother, while Gammer Cantycackled through her toothless gums, “It

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serves you right!”

Oddly enough, Tom was not anunhappy boy. Everyone around him hadthe same kind of life, so he thought thathis was typical. Besides, he had a specialfriend, Father Andrew.

The poor priest lived in anotherpart of the rickety house and secretlytaught some of the neighborhoodchildren. He not only taught them rightfrom wrong, but reading and wri ng, aswell. Tom was an eager student andbegan to study La n. Through thestories the old priest told him and fromthe books he read, Tom learned aboutkings and princes. Their lives neverceased to amaze the young boy.

“Do they really wear different

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clothes every day?” he asked FatherAndrew.

“Yes, indeed, Tom. Made of richcloth and always clean.”

“My rags are cleaner lately, and soam I,” Tom said proudly.

“I’ve no ced the change, and agood one it is. But where in the world doyou find enough water to wash them?”Father Andrew asked.

“It’s easy, Father. A er playing inthe mud with my friends, I go down tothe Thames and splash about un l I’mclean.”

Father Andrew nodded hisapproval.

Taking advantage of the priest’s

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good humor, Tom said, “Please, Father,tell me again how the king commandshis council.”

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“You never re of those stories, do

you, Tom? With all of the reading you’vedone on the subject, I think you’re theexpert on royal ways now.”

Tom knew so much about royal lifethat he even began to sound and act likea king, much to the amazement of hisfriends. His words were so intelligentand his decisions so wise that somegrownups came to him for advice, andcame away impressed with the boy.

A er a while, Tom arranged hisfriends into a make-believe court, withhimself at the head. He issued orders tohis “guards” and “lords and ladies-in-wai ng.” He held mee ngs of the “royalcouncil” and gave commands to the“heads of the army and navy.”

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Yet, that was not enough for Tom

Canty. Just once in his life, he longed tosee a real prince. The longing was withhim while he begged for scraps of food,while he suffered his bea ngs, and evenwhile he slept. All of his dreams were setin a dazzling court, where gli ering lordsand ladies murmured to him as hebreathed perfumed air and heardheavenly music.

When he woke to the uglinessaround him, he cried.

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CHAPTER 2

The Big Switch

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One day, Tom woke and went out,

hungry as usual. He was so wrapped upin his dreams of the night before that, ashe wandered about the city, he did notno ce where he was going. When hefound himself before an enormousbuilding with a stone gateway, gold barsand huge stone lions—the sign ofroyalty—he knew that it must be a king’spalace.

“Perhaps, at long last, I’ll get mychance to see a real prince,” hewhispered.

As the ragged boy approached thegold bars, he glimpsed inside thecourtyard a suntanned boy wearingclothes made of silk and sa n andembroidered with sparkling jewels. Near

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the boy stood several well-dressed men.

“They must be his servants,” Tomtold himself.

His eyes wide with wonder anddelight, Tom drew closer to the bars. Buta soldier in armor snatched him awayand pushed him into the crowd oftownspeople who always gathered togaze at the palace.

“Mind your manners, you li lebeggar!” shouted the soldier.

The crowd laughed at poor Tom,but the prince had seen the soldier’saction and came running.

“How dare you!” he cried. “Howdare you treat even the lowest of myfather’s subjects in such a manner!

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Open the gate and let him in!”

Waving the guards aside and taking

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Tom’s hand, Edward Tudor led theragged boy into the palace.

“You look red and hungry,” hesaid. “You look like you have beentreated badly.”

Tom could only look around him inwonder as the prince led him into arichly decorated room called a“cabinet.” The prince ordered a servantto bring Tom some food. It was a moreelaborate feast than the boy could haveimagined.

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The prince sent his servants away

so that Tom could have some privacy toeat and so that they could talk freely.

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First, Edward asked Tom his name

and where he lived and about the Cantyfamily.

“I have parents and twin sisters,Nan and Bet,” said Tom. “And agrandmother, but I don’t like her.”

“I take it she isn’t too kind to you?”the prince surmised.

“She isn’t kind to anyone,” Tomanswered. “She has a wicked heart andmean ways.”

“Does she mistreat you much?” theprince asked.

“Well, there are mes when shedoesn’t, but that’s only because she’sasleep or drunk,” Tom replied. “Onceher head is clear again, she makes up for

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it with some pretty good beatings.”

“Bea ngs!” cried Edward. “I’ll haveher sent to the Tower of Londonprison.”

“No, Your Majesty, you cannot dothat. The tower is only for noble orimportant prisoners,” Tomremonstrated.

“Oh, yes, you are quite right,” theprince acknowledged. “I’ll think of someother punishment. Now, how does yourfather treat you?”

“The same as Gammer,” Tom said.

“Maybe all fathers are the same,”said the prince. “Mine has a pre y badtemper, too. He doesn’t hit me, but hescolds me plenty.”

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What about your mother?” Tom

asked.

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“She is a good person. So are mysisters,” Tom told him.

“How old are your sisters?” Edwardinquired.

“Fifteen,” Tom said.

“My sister, Lady Elizabeth, isfourteen, and I’ve got a cousin my age,Lady Jane Grey. Say, do your sisterskeep telling their servants not to smilebecause smiling is a sin?” Edward asked.

“Your Highness, do you think mysisters have servants?” Tom said, hiseyes open wide in astonishment.

“They must have servants,” Edwardreplied. “Otherwise, who helps them toundress at night? And who dresses themwhen they get up in the morning?”

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“Nobody. You don’t expect them to

take their dress off and sleep withnothing on, as the animals do!” Tomsaid, looking puzzled.

“Their dress?” cried the prince indisbelief. “Do you mean to tell me thatthey have only one dress apiece?”

“Certainly, Your Majesty. Whywould they need more than one dress?They have only got one body apiece.”

Prince Edward laughed, but whenhe realized that Tom was trulyperplexed, he apologized for doing so.

“Your good sisters will soon haveenough clothes,” he promised.

Tom tried to thank the prince, butEdward would not permit it. Instead, he

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asked more ques ons about Offal Court.

“What do you do there all day?”

“There’s a traveling puppet show towatch, and entertainers with monkeys.There are plays with lots of shou ng,figh ng and killing. It costs only afarthing to see the shows, but a farthingis hard to get,” Tom reported.

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“Tell me more,” the prince said

eagerly. “What do you do with yourfriends?”

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“Some mes, we have s ck fights

and we run races. In the summer, we gowading in the canals. We have waterba les in the river, splashing each otherall over the place.”

“How I would love to do that!”cried Edward. “If only I could, just once!Tell me more.”

“At the river’s edge, we bury eachother in the sand and make mud pieswith lovely, oozing mud. There’s nothinglike it for fun in the whole world.”

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“Oh, please,” interrupted Edward,

“if only I could dress in clothes like yoursand swoosh around in the mud

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barefoot, with no one to scold me! Ithink I’d give up the crown for that.”

“Well, I wish, just once, that I couldbe dressed like you and…” Tom startedto say.

“Do you really?” the prince bu edin. “All right, then. You take off yourthings and put on mine. We’ll changeclothes for a li le while, and switch backbefore anyone bothers us.”

In a few minutes, Edward, Prince ofWales, was clothed in rags, while TomCanty, the beggar boy, was adorned inroyal clothing. When the two boys stoodside by side before a full-length mirror,both were astonished. The changeseemed not to have taken place at all.

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“This is amazing!” cried the prince.“We have the same hair, the same eyes,the same height and weight, the samevoice and manner. Nobody will be ableto tell us apart. Nobody will be able tosay which is the prince and which is thepauper.”

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Tom nodded his agreement but was

at a loss for words.

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“Now that I am wearing yourclothes,” con nued Edward, “I can feelas you did when my soldier pushed you.I say, isn’t that a bruise on your hand?”

“It is nothing, Your Majesty,” Tomsaid.

“Nothing! It was a cruel thing thathappened to you!” said Edward,stamping his bare foot. “I’m going out togive that soldier a good scolding. Do notmove from this room until I return.”

Before dashing outside, the princestopped to put away a gold disc that saton a table. At the gate, he grabbed thebars and shouted, “Open! Unbar thegates!”

The same soldier who had hurt Tom

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obeyed at once and, as Edward ran outangrily, the soldier gave the boy a hardsmack on the ear. Edward went whirlinginto the roadway as the crowd outsideroared with laughter.

“That’s for ge ng me in troublewith His Highness!” called the soldier.

“You’ll hang for laying your handson me!” cried Edward, picking himselfout of the mud. “I’m the Prince ofWales!”

“Oh, so sorry, Your Majesty,”mocked the soldier. “I salute yourgracious Highness. Now get out of here,you crazy beggar!”

The hoo ng crowd closed inaround the prince and pushed him away

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from the palace and chan ng, “Makeway for His Royal Highness!”

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CHAPTER 3

A Prince Among Paupers

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Nobody in the crowd believed that

this ragged creature who called himselfthe Prince of Wales was really EdwardTudor. But he provided good sport, sothey followed him for hours to laugh athis royal commands.

Finally, red of their fun, they lehim to wander the streets of London.Unlike Tom, who knew only a rough life,the prince felt sad and bewildered andlost.

Suddenly, his hopes rose. Herecognized Christ’s Church Hospital, ahome that his own father had set up forpoor and abandoned boys.

He approached a crowd of boyswho were running and jumping and

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playing ball and leapfrog. They stoppedtheir noisy games to stare at the prince.

“Good lads,” said Edward, “tell yourmaster that Edward, Prince of Wales, ishere.”

“Hah! What are you, beggar, theprince’s messenger?” sneered a tall boy.

Edward’s hand automa cally wentto his hip, but nothing was there.

“Hey, look at that!” said anotherboy. “He thought he had a sword, justlike the prince.”

Again everybody hooted, whichmade Edward even angrier.

“I am the prince,” he cried. “Youare here because of the kindness of myfather, the king.”

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The boys roared with laughter,

while the tall boy pretended to scold hisfriends.

“What’s wrong with you, lowlyswine, you who live off his father’s goodwill? Get down on your knees to hisRoyal Ragship.”

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The boys obeyed, making a show of

honoring Edward. But the prince kickedthe boy nearest him.

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“Now he’s gone too far!” said one.

“Drag him to the pond!” yelled

another.

“Let’s get the dogs!” called a third.

Never before in the history ofEngland had the royal heir to the thronebeen roughed up by common hands andset upon by dogs.

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By the end of the day, Edward had

reached the crowded center of the city.He was bruised, bleeding, muddy and

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exhausted. As he wandered helplessly,he kept telling himself, “I must get toOffal Court before I faint. Tom Canty’speople will know I’m not their son andwill take me back to the palace.”

Then, he thought of the boys whohad mistreated him, and he decided,“When I am king, I will make sure theboys at Christ’s Hospital have more thanfood, clothes and shelter. They need aneduca on to so en their hearts andbring kindness to their lives.”

He was making his way through anoisy, winding alley in the cold rainwhen a drunken ruffian grabbed him bythe collar.

“Why are you out so late andwhere are the farthings you earned?”

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the drunkard said.

Before Edward could think of areply, the man shouted in his face, “I’mgoing to break every bone in your body,or my name isn’t John Canty!”

The prince wriggled loose happily.“Oh, you’re John Canty!” he cried.“You’re his father. That’s wonderful!”

“His father? What are you babblingabout? All I know is I’m your father, andyou’ll catch it good when….”

“Please, good sir, do not joke now. Icannot take any more. I am red andwounded. Just get me to my father, theking, and he will make you richer thanyour wildest dreams.”

“You’ve gone mad!” John Canty

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cried, roughly grabbing the boy again.“But crazy or not, your Gammer Cantyand I will soon bruise your bones as wellas your brains!”

Calming a bit a er his rade, hedragged the struggling prince away, as anoisy, swarming crowd followed.

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CHAPTER 4

The Pauper as a Prince

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Meanwhile, back at the palace, Tom

was enjoying parading in front of thegreat mirror and bowing and flourishingEdward’s jeweled dagger. He had funtrying out the richly upholstered chairsand wondering what people at OffalCourt would say if they could see himnow.

A er about an hour, when theprince had not returned, a frighteningthought hit Tom. What if someone camein and saw him dressed in the prince’sclothes, with Edward not there toexplain? The king might have himhanged him first and ask questions later.

He began pacing nervously, fearingevery sound he heard. He jumped whenthe door opened and a page

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announced, “The Lady Jane Grey.”

A pre y blonde girl wearing a fur-trimmed velvet dress came bounding in.Seeing Tom’s expression, she stopped.

“My Lord,” she asked with concern,“what is the matter?”

“I’m not a lord,” Tom stammered ashe fell to his knees. “I’m simply poorTom Canty from Offal Court. I beg you,let me see the prince so that he may giveme back my rags and let me leave heresafely.”

“Oh, Your Highness!” cried thehorror-stricken girl. “You should notkneel to me!”

Before he knew what hadhappened, she had turned and fled from

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the scene.

Rumors of the prince’s madness

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spread through the palace, from servantto servant and from lord to lord.

When word reached the king,immediately he issued an order that noone was to repeat the rumor underpenalty of death. Naturally, thewhispering stopped, but the people atcourt con nued to raise their eyebrowsand shake their head knowingly.

Two nobles and the court doctorwere sent to Tom, and theyaccompanied him to an elegantapartment of the palace. As he stoodsilently in the doorway, he saw si ngbefore him a fat, stern-looking, gray-haired man. Tm realized that it was noneother than King Henry VIII. One of theking’s swollen legs was wrapped in

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bandages and rested on a pillow.

Every head in the room was bowed

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before the king, who kept his sternexpression as he looked upon them. Buthis face grew gentle when his gazereached Tom.

“Well now, Edward, what’s this Ihear? Are you trying to make fun of me—the king and your father, who lovesyou?”

“The king!” cried Tom, falling to hisknees. “Now I’m doomed!”

“Can the rumors that I have heardbe true?” he asked the boy. “Come tome. Do you not know who I am, son?”

“Oh, yes, Your Majesty,” said Tomas he approached Henry. “You are theking, and I am just a poor boy here byaccident, and much too young to die.

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Won’t you save me, please?”

“Die? Of course you won’t die,” hesaid reassuringly.

He took Tom’s curly head andpressed it gently to his chest.

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“Bless you, Your Highness!” cried

Tom, falling to his knees.

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Then, he jumped up and turned tothe nobles. “You heard the king. I amnot to die!” he cried joyously.

The nobles shook their heads ateach other sadly, but no one spoke.

The king looked up hopefully.“Maybe he’s only partly mad,” he said.“I’ll test him.”

So, the king asked Tom a ques onin Latin.

Tom could answer in La n becauseof Father Andrew’s teachings.

Next, the king asked Tom aquestion in French.

But when it came to French, Tomcould not reply, and the disappointedking fell back in his chair.

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“Never mind,” he said with a sigh.

“The boy’s brain has been overtaxedwith his studies. He will have no morebooks or teachers for a while, onlywholesome sports until he is well again.”

Henry took a breath and con nuedwith feeling, “Mad or not, he is my son,and there is one thing that I insist upon.He is the Prince of Wales and he shallreign. Tomorrow, he shall be officiallyinstalled. You, Lord Her ord, as hisuncle, will see to the arrangements.”

“The king’s will is law,” replied LordHer ord. Tom felt like a prisoner in agilded cage with no way to escape. Hewas led to a magnificent suite, and LordSt. John was announced.

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“I have a private message from theking,” he told Tom. “Will Your Lordshipdismiss all of the others except youruncle, Lord Hertford, from the room?”

Tom hesitated. Father Andrew hadnever told him how to dismiss nobility.

Realizing that the boy wasconfused, Lord Her ord whispered,“Just wave your hand. You do not haveto speak unless you want to.”

When the three were alone, LordSt. John said, “His Majesty commandsthat you are to hide your illness as muchas you can. When you think you aresomeone of low birth, you are not to sayso. When you do not understandsomething you are expected to know,you are to pretend to understand. If you

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are confused in ma ers of state, you arenot to show it. You are to look to LordHer ord or me for advice. We will stayclose to you until you are well.”

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“I shall obey the king,” said Tom

quietly.

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His ability to abide by the king’sorders was soon tested, when his sister,Princess Elizabeth, and Lady Jane wereannounced.

As they entered, Lord Her ordwhispered to them, “Do not showsurprise if he acts strangely or forgetsthings.”

All went well un l Lady Jane asked,“Have you visited your mother, thequeen, today?”

Tom looked upset and might havesaid something wrong but Lord St. Johnsaved him.

“Yes, he did,” replied thenobleman, “and they discussed theking’s poor health.”

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Tom mumbled some agreement

and was safe un l Lady Jane said, “Whata shame that your studies have been

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interrupted. You were doing so well, MyPrince. You seemed likely to learn asmany languages as your father.”

“My father!” cried Tom withoutthinking. “The way he speaks, only thepigs in their sties can understand him.”

A warning look from Lord St. Johnstopped his speech.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “It is mysickness again. My mind must havewandered.”

“Do not worry yourself,” saidPrincess Elizabeth, pa ng his hand.“You are not at fault.”

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The me that Tom spent with the

two girls passed pleasantly, and he grewmore at ease. Lord Her ord reminded

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him that he would need to rest before abanquet being given that evening andthe girls announced that they werelooking forward to it. Tom was relievedand delighted. At least he would knowtwo people there.

“Have we the permission of mybrother, the Prince, to leave?” theprincess asked.

“Your Ladyships can have anythingin the world that is in my power to give,”Tom answered. “But it saddens me tolose your pleasant company.”

Enjoying the sound of his ownwords, Tom smiled and thought, “It wasnot in vain that I read about royal waysand gracious speech.”

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When the girls had gone, Tomannounced that he wished to rest. Anobleman was summoned to lead Tomto an inner apartment. Before se lingdown there, Tom reached for a cup ofwater, but a servant snatched the cup,dropped to one knee, and offered it toTom on a golden tray.

When Tom bent to take off hisshoes, another servant kneeled and didit for him. A er a few more a empts toundress, Tom gave up.

“It is a wonder they don’t try tobreathe for me too,” he murmured.

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CHAPTER 5

Make Way for the High and

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Mighty

At one o’clock that a ernoon, theservants began to dress Tom for dinner.Everything was changed from the s fflace ruff that served as a collar to hisshoes. He underwent the ordeal ofbeing dressed with resignation.

Tom was then led in a procession toa huge dining room and seated at a solidgold table that had been elegantly setfor one. Eager to devour the food, as henever had enough to eat, Tom wasprevented from beginning the meal bythe Royal Diaperer. The servant, whosejob it was to keep the prince free ofstraying morsels, sprang forward tofasten a napkin around Tom’s neck.

As Tom was about to pour himself a

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cup of wine, the Royal Cup-Bearer,another diligent servant, stepped up todo it for him. Bewildered by the numberof a endants who watched his everymove, Tom did not know that they werea small frac on of nearly 400 servantsemployed to care for the prince.

The servants had been warned notto react to the prince’s odd behaviors,so no one laughed when Tom ate withhis fingers, nor when he pulled off hisnapkin, inspected it, then said, “Takethis beau ful thing away. I’m afraid I’lldirty it.”

A er finishing his dessert, Tomfilled his pockets with nuts. He realizedthat these nuts were the only food thathe had been permi ed to handle on his

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own. Everything else was assisted by anoverly solicitous hand and overseen by awatchful eye.

Thus, when Tom’s nose began toitch, he wondered if it would be deemedprincely to scratch his nose with his ownhand.

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He tried to ignore the twitching, but

the itch grew worse and tears came tohis eyes. Two lords sprang forward to

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ask him what was the ma er. WhenTom tearfully explained about the itch,they were perplexed.

“There is no Royal Scratcher of theRoyal Nose!” cried one lord. “What arewe to do?”

At last, the twitching nose becametoo much for Tom and, with a silentprayer for forgiveness if he actedwrongly, he scratched it. His ac onbrought relief not only to himself, but toall of the courtiers in the room.

When the meal was over, a lordpresented a golden fingerbowl filledwith sweet-smelling rosewater for theprince to clean his mouth and hands.The Royal Diaperer stood ready with anapkin. Tom stared at the dish, puzzled,

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then slowly li ed it to his lips and took asip.

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“Thank you, my Lord,” he said,pu ng down the bowl. “It has a pre yscent, but not much taste.”

Appalled and saddened by theirprince’s apparent madness, the noblesand servants remained outwardly calmand silent. Neither did they react toTom’s next mistake of leaving the tablejust as the chaplain posted himselfbehind the royal chair, with eyes closedand arms uplifted, to begin the blessing.

Later when Tom was alone in hisroom, he amused himself by trying onparts of a suit of armor and by crackingand ea ng the nuts. For the first me,Tom began to enjoy the role of prince.

An unexpected discovery made himeven happier: books on proper

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etiquette in the English court. Tom madehimself comfortable on the couch andbegan to do some heavy studying.

Meanwhile, King Henry’s illnessgrew more serious. Fearing that he wasdying. The king decided to seal the fateof poli cal enemy, the Duke of Norfolk,who was imprisoned in the Tower ofLondon.

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“I want him beheaded,” Henry

announced from his bed to the LordChancellor. “Fetch me the Great Royal

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Seal to place on the order.”

“The Seal?” asked the LordChancellor. “Your Majesty, you have theSeal.”

“No, I do not. Where can it be? Mymemory must be playing tricks on me.”

“Sire, I believe you gave it to yourson, the prince,” offered Lord Hertford.

“You are correct, Her ord. Iremember now,” mumbled the king.“Go and fetch it.”

A short while later, Lord Her ordreturned, empty-handed, explaining, “Ifear that the prince’s illness is on himagain. He does not remember yourgiving him the Seal.”

“Don’t bother the poor lad

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anymore,” said the king sadly. “We’ll usethe small Royal Seal. Be certain that theDuke of Norfolk dies tomorrow!”

At nine o’clock that evening, theriverfront of the palace was lit bylanterns and torches. The boats andbarges on the water were adorned withbanners and silken flags and li le silverbells that shook out ny showers ofmusic with every breeze.

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Crowds gathered to watch the

proceedings: men-at-arms in glossyhelmets and breastplates, brilliantly

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dressed musicians, and noblemen andladies in colorful finery.

A flourish of trumpets sounded,and Lord Her ord came through agateway, magnificent in a red sa n capedraped over a black and gold doublet.

“Make way for the High and MightyLord Edward, Prince of Wales!” hecalled, bowing at each step.

An extended trumpet blastfollowed the announcement. Themasses burst into a mighty roar ofwelcome as Tom Canty, elegantlydressed, stepped forward and bowed.His purple tunic was sca ered withdiamonds and edged with ermine. Hislong, white cloth-of-gold cape,embroidered with the three-feathered

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Tudor crest and set with pearls andprecious stones, was fastened with aclasp of colorful gems. A collec on ofgold Medals of Honor hung from hisneck, encrusted jewels flashingwhenever the light fell on them.

Thus, the gu er boy accustomed todirt and rags was received as a prince byhis loyal subjects.

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CHAPTER 6

Lost in the Crowd

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Clearly, Tom Canty had come a long

way from his star ng place, Offal Court,where the true Prince Edward nowfound himself being dragged by thedrunken bully, John Canty.

Only one man tried to stop JohnCanty. But Canty hit the would-berescuer over the head with his s ck, andthe man sank to the ground.

When they were inside the Cantyhome—if it could be said to be anythingbut a hovel—Edward peered throughthe weak light of a candle stuck in abo le. In the near-dark, he saw twofrowsy girls (Tom’s sisters) and a middle-aged woman (Tom’s mother) clinging toa corner wall.

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Canty ignored them and spoke to awrinkled old hag with straggly gray hairand mean eyes who stood in anothercorner.

“Get ready for a fine show,Gammer. Don’t interrupt. You get yourchance with him later,” John Canty saidto her.

Gammer looked disappointed butkept silent.

“Step forward, boy,” he demanded,turning to Edward. “Now say it again.What’s your name?”

Edward stared at Canty andindignantly replied, “You are rude tocommand me to speak. But I will tell youagain that I am Edward, Prince of Wales,

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and no other.”

The answer was so unexpected that

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Gammer Canty stood as if nailed to thefloor. Her son thought her amazementso comical that he burst into a roar oflaughter.

But Tom’s mother and sisters wereso distressed at his apparent madness,they ran to him, crying, “Oh, poor Tom!Poor lad!”

Mrs. Canty kneeled before her boyand gazed sadly into his face.

“Why didn’t you listen when Iwarned you?” she sobbed. “All thatfoolish reading has scrambled yourbrains!”

The prince answered gently, “Resteasy, good lady. Your son is fine and hasnot lost his mind. Let me go to the

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palace, where he is, and my father, theking, will send him back to you.”

“Your father a king?” she asked.Oh, shake off that wild dream, Tom, andlook at me. Am I not your mother?”

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The prince shook his head sadly.

“I’m sorry to hurt you,” he said,

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“but I have never seen your face beforein my life.”

The poor woman sank to the floor,sobbing.

John Canty yelled, “On with theshow! Come on, Nan, and you, too, Bet,you ill-mannered brats. Get down onyour knees in the presence of theprince!”

“Please, Father,” pleaded Nan, “lethim go to bed now.”

“Yes, Father,” added Bet.“Tomorrow he’ll go out to beg and bringin some money.”

“Tomorrow we must pay the renton this hole or out we go,” yelled JohnCanty to the boy. “Show me what you

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got with your lazy begging!”

“Do not insult the king’s son withsuch lowly matters,” said Edward.

John Canty’s reply was a punch inthe shoulder that sent the princestaggering. Mrs. Canty caught him andshielded him with her body from therain of blows that followed.

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The two frightened girls shrank

back, but Gammer stepped forwardeagerly to increase the boy’s misery.

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The prince sprang away from Mrs.

Canty, saying, “No, you won’t take theblows for me, madam. Let these swineattack me alone.”

And a ack they did, not only poorPrince Edward, but Mrs. Canty andTom’s sisters. When he was finishedhurling his abuse, John Canty took abreath before addressing his family.

“Now get to bed, all of you,” heordered. “The entertainment has redme out.”

Once the lights were out andGammer and John Canty were snoring,Nan and Bet crept over to Edward andcovered him tenderly with straw andrags. Mrs. Canty stroked his hair and

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whispered words of comfort.

The prince thanked them gratefullyand begged them to go to sleep,promising them that the king wouldreward their kindness.

That night, Mrs. Canty foundherself wondering, “What if the boyreally isn’t my son?”

The idea haunted her un l shedetermined to test him to find out forcertain.

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When the prince gave a startled cry

in his sleep, she remembered that once,as a baby, Tom had been frightened by a

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sudden burst of gunpowder. From thatme on, anything that startled him

always caused him to throw his hand infront of his eyes with the palm facingoutward.

Mrs. Canty held a lit candle beforethe sleeping boy and rapped on thefloor beside his head. His eyes sprangopen, but he made no movement withhis hands. She repeated the test asecond and third time.

“It can’t be,” she told herself. “Aperson’s mind may go mad, but not hishands. No, that boy is not my Tom!”

A loud knocking at the door cut intoher thoughts. John Canty stoppedsnoring and called out, “Who’s there?What do you want?”

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A voice answered, “Do you know

who you fla ened in the street lastnight?”

“No, and I don’t care!” Cantyroared back.

“You’ll care all right when you hearthis. It happens to be the priest, FatherAndrew, and he’s near death.”

“God-a-mercy!” exclaimed Canty.“Everybody up and run for your lives.”

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Within minutes, the family was out

in the dark of night, flying through thestreets, with John Canty gripping

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Edward’s wrist.

“Mind your tongue, mad fool,” hesaid to the boy, “and don’t speak thename Canty. I don’t want the law on ourtrail.”

To the rest of the family hegrowled, “If we get separated, we’llmeet at the last linen shop on LondonBridge. From there, we’ll cross the rivertogether to Southwark.”

Canty had not counted on thecelebra on commencing at theriverfront. Fireworks, singing anddancing filled the streets as most ofLondon made merry. The Cantys werecaught up by the crowds and parted,except for John Canty and Edward, whowere held together by the man’s firm

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grip on the boy’s wrist.

As he pushed through the crowd,Canty jostled a huge boatman, whograbbed his arm and snapped, “What’syour rush?”

The diversion le Edward free for asplit second. He dove among the legssurrounding him and disappeared intothe crowd, determined to make his wayto the Guildhall. There, he would berestored to his role as prince and hangTom Canty for treason!

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CHAPTER 7

The Kingdom of Dreams and

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Shadows

Tom, too, was heading for theGuildhall, in rather a different style,carried on silken cushions in the royalbarge. A er disembarking, he and hisprocession made the short march to theancient town hall.

The Lord Mayor and important cityofficials bowed and led Tom, PrincessElizabeth and Lady Jane to the canopy atthe front of the enormous hall. Noblessat at a lower table, and commoners satlower still.

A er the banquet, at midnight,there was a parade, followed by livelydancing. While Tom sat in his high seat,enjoying the colorful show of people incostume, a furious, ragged boy was

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trying to convince the crowd outside thehall to let him through.

“I am Prince Edward!” he cried. “Imay not have a friend here to believeme, but I am, indeed, a prince.”

At that moment, a tall, well-builtman dressed in a frayed royal costumeand carrying a long sword, pushedthrough the crowd.

“Prince or not,” he said, “I like yourspirit, lad. From now on, you do have afriend in Miles Hendon.”

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“Hah!” jeered someone in the

crowd. “Another prince in disguise. Pullthe li le beggar from him and toss him

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into the pond.”

Miles Hendon had drawn his swordfrom its rusty sheath before anyonecould get a hand on the prince. As themob closed in, he flashed his weaponwith the wildness of a madman. Thoughmany vic ms li ered the ground in thesword’s path, the rest of the mob camesurging forward like a wave, stoppingonly when a trumpet sounded.

“Make way for the king’smessenger!” someone shouted.

As a troop of cla ering horsemencharged the crowd, Miles li ed theprince in his arms and fled as fast as hislegs could run.

The messenger con nued into the

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Guildhall and again the trumpetsounded. There was instant silence.Then came the announcement: “Theking is dead!”

Within the hall, all bowed theirheads and people dropped to theirknees, stretched out their hands to Tom,and burst forth with a great shout:“Long live the king!”

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Tom was dazed at first. When his

wits returned, he asked Lord Her ord ifhis commands would be obeyed.

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Her ord assured the boy that his wordwas now law.

Tom said slowly and earnestly,“From this day on, the law of blood isover! The king’s law will be the law ofmercy. The king decrees that the Dukeof Norfolk shall not die!”

As Her ord hurried to the Tower ofLondon to carry out the order, anothercry broke out in the hall: “The reign ofblood is ended! Long live Edward, Kingof England!”

Miles and the prince headed for theriver toward London Bridge, but thenews of the death of Henry VIII was oneveryone’s lips.

When Edward heard it, he was

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filled with grief; a tyrant to the world,Henry, his father, had always been agentle person to him.

“How strange it seems,” hethought. “I am now the king!”

London Bridge was almost a town initself, lined with shops and factories andinns. As Miles neared the door of the innwhere he lodged, a figure blocked hisway.

“So, you finally got here!” said arough voice. “Well, you won’t get awayagain. Not a er I pound your bones topudding!”

The voice belonged to none otherthan John Canty, who grabbed for theboy he thought was his son.

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Miles s ll held Edward and de ly

turned him away from Canty.

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“Not so fast, my friend. What is theboy to you?” Miles asked.

“If it’s any of your business, he’s myson,” replied Canty.

“That’s a lie!” shouted the youngking.

“Lie or truth,” Miles told the boy,“he won’t touch you if you prefer tostay with me.”

“I do, I do!” cried Edward. “I’drather die than go with him!”

“Then the ma er is closed,” Milesannounced.

“We’ll see about that,” said Canty,moving toward the boy.

“Just touch him, and I’ll split you

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open like a goose,” said Miles, his handon the hilt of his sword. “Now getmoving.”

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As John Canty moved off, mu ering

threats and curses, Miles led Edward tohis third-floor room, a poor place withone shabby bed, some old furniture anda few burned-down candles.

Exhausted and hungry, Edwarddragged himself to the bed and laydown.

“You may call me when the table isset,” he said. But no sooner did his headtouch the pillow than he fell into a deepsleep. It was now two o’clock in themorning.

Miles smiled as he bent over thesleeping boy, took off his doublet, andused it to cover the small, shiveringfigure.

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“He should have been born aprince, he plays the part so well,” Milesthought.

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Somewhat agitated by Canty’s

belligerence, Miles paced the room.

“I will be a friend to the poor li lefriendless lad,” Miles decided, “eventhough he must be mad to believe thathe is the Prince of Wales.”

A servant from the inn, delivering ahot meal Miles had ordered, slammedthe door as he le . The sound wokeEdward, who saw the doublet coveringhis body.

“You are too good to me,” said theboy. “Please put it on again.”

Miles did as requested, then said,“Now let’s have a hearty supper.”

Edward nodded eagerly and walkedover to the washstand. He stood before

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it as if expecting something to happen.

“What’s the matter?” asked Miles.

“I’d like to be washed for dinner,”Edward said.

“Go right ahead. Make yourself athome,” Miles replied.

“Will you pour the water and nottalk so much!” the boy demanded,tapping his foot impatiently.

Miles tried not to laugh as hefollowed the boy’s command.

“Come now,” snapped Edward,“what about the towel?”

Handing him the towel and leavingthe boy to dry himself, Miles, too,washed. Then, he walked to the table.

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“Stop!” cried the boy. “Would yousit in the presence of the king?”

“Well, well,” thought Miles. “I hadbe er humor him or he’s liable to orderme to the Tower.”

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The meal and the wine eased

Edward a bit. He asked Miles if Mileswere a nobleman. Edward decided that

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Miles must be, as the man had goodmanners.

“My father is a baronet, a minorlord, Sir Richard Hendon of HendonHall,” Miles answered. “My mother diedwhen I was a boy, and I have twobrothers.”

“What are they like?” Edwardasked.

“Arthur, the oldest, is generous likemy father. But Hugh, the youngest, isabout as mean and vicious a rep le asyou can find.”

“Are there any other people in yourfamily?” Edward prodded.

“My cousin, Lady Edith. She wassixteen-years-old when I last saw her,

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and I was twenty. We were deeply inlove with each other, but she waspromised to Arthur by my father, herguardian, from the me they wereinfants.”

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“Did Arthur love her?” Edward

asked.

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“No. He was anxious to break themarriage contract because he lovedsomebody else,” Miles responded.

“What about Hugh? Did he loveher?” Edward asked, eager to hear thefull story.

“The only thing that Hugh lovedwas her money. She was an heiress, yousee,” Miles explained. “He claimed thathe loved her. My father believed him.

“Hugh was his favorite, being theyoungest. My father believed all ofHugh’s lies, so when Hugh tried to getmy share of our inheritance, hesucceeded.”

“How did he do it?” Edward asked.

“By bringing a ladder to my room

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and convincing my father that I plannedto carry Edith off and marry her.”

“Your father must have beenfurious,” Edward suggested.

“He was,” Miles agreed. “Heordered me away from home. Threeyears of service in the foreign wars, hesaid, would make a man of me.”

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“Did you actually serve in the

army?”

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“That I did,” Miles told Edward. “Inmy last ba le, I was taken prisoner.Seven long years I was away from homebefore I managed to win my freedom.Here I am now, poor in purse, poor indress and poorest of all in not knowingwhat went on at Hendon Hall all theseyears.”

“You have been shamefullyabused,” cried Edward. “But I will rightyour wrongs.”

Fired by Miles’s story, Edwardrelated his own misfortunes.

“What a lively imagina on he has!”thought Miles.

“Good sir,” con nued Edward,“you have saved my life, and so you

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have saved my crown. The king invitesyou now to name your reward.”

Miles played along with Edward.Dropping to his knees, he said, “YourMajesty, the only reward that I and myheirs beg for is the privilege of si ng inthe presence of England’s RoyalMajesty.”

The king took Hendon’s sword andtapped him lightly on the shoulder withit.

“Rise, Sir Miles Hendon, Knight,” hesaid solemnly. “Rise and be seated. Yourpe on is granted so long as Englandlives.”

“It is a good thing,” said Miles tohimself, easing into a chair. “My legs are

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ge ng awfully red. I only hope that hedoesn’t call me a knight in front of otherpeople, for I am merely a Knight of theKingdom of Dreams and Shadows. Theseare the dreams and shadows of a lad’smadness!”

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CHAPTER 8

A Strange Job

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Meanwhile, Tom Canty, asleep in

the palace, was having a wonderfuldream about going home with moneyfor his mother and Nan and Bet andFather Andrew, when he heard a voicesay, “It grows late, Your Majesty. May itplease you to rise?”

The dream faded, and with it Tom’shopes of ge ng home again. Cap veand a king, he would have to go throughthe ridiculous process of being dressedby the Royal Lord of the Bedchamber.

Each garment, from shirt down toshoes, was inspected and passed alongthrough fourteen nobles, ending withthe First Lord of the Bedchamber, whoput it on Tom. If any imperfec on wasnoted in a garment, like a pulled thread

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on a stocking, back it went, hand tohand, and a replacement was passedalong the line.

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Finally, a er the lord assigned to

the task poured wash water, a differentlord handed a towel to the king, and theHairdresser-Royal did his work, Tomstood looking as pre y as a girl in apurple cape, purple suit and a purple-plumed hat.

A er breakfast, he was taken to thethrone room, where he listened tobusiness reports and to requests foraudiences with the king. Always, LordHer ord stood at his side, whisperingadvice.

Poor Tom found it all very boringand wondered why he had been takenout of the fresh air and sunshine andcooped up in a castle.

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The entrance of a newcomer, a boyof about twelve, dressed all in black,interrupted Tom’s misery. The boykneeled before Tom.

“Rise, young man,” Tom asked.“What do you want?”

“I am Humphrey Marlowe, yourwhipping-boy,” the boy answered.

Tom frowned. A whipping-boy wasone court person he knew nothingabout. With Her ord having le theroom on business, Tom stroked hisforehead in confusion.

“You must help me, Humphrey,” hesaid. “You must know that I have anillness that has damaged my memory. Iseem to remember you now, but you

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have to give me a clue about yourbusiness here.”

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“Certainly, Your Majesty. Two daysago, you made three mistakes duringyour Greek lesson, remember?”

“I do recall it now. Go on,” Tomurged.

“Well, your tutor, being angry withsuch careless work, said he would haveto whip me for it.”

“Whip you? Why you, if it was myfault?”

“As you know, he hits me when youfail in your lessons. A er all, no one mayhit the sacred body of the Prince ofWales. So when he errs, I get hit instead.That’s only right. It’s my job.”

“Did he beat you for the Greeklesson?” Tom asked.

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“No, Your Majesty. It was supposed

to be for today, but because of themourning period, I was wondering if youmight wish to….”

Before the boy could finishspeaking, Tom jumped at the chance torelieve his suffering.

“Cancel the whipping? Of course!”he cried.

The boy hesitated, thanked Tom,and kneeled again.

“Now that Your Majesty is king,” hesaid, “I’m worried that you will be givingup your studies. My job will be gone,and my orphaned sisters and I willstarve!”

“Your worries are over,” Tom

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announced. “The job will be in yourfamily forever.

Tapping the boy’s shoulder with theflat of his sword, Tom ordered, “Rise,Humphrey Marlowe, Hereditary GrandWhipping-Boy to the Royal House ofEngland. I will take up my studies againand do so badly that the Royal Treasurerwill have to triple your salary.”

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Tom realized that the grateful boy

could be of help to him, for he was fullof facts about court people and court

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ma ers. Young Marlowe was delightedto visit o en and chat, believing that hewas helping to cure his beloved king andrestore his memory.

So instruc ve were theconversa ons that when Lord Her ordcame to coach Tom on how to act whendining at a state dinner, to be held infour days, Tom needed very li le help.Humphrey had covered it all.

No ng the boy’s “improvedmemory,” Lord Her ord asked, “CanYour Majesty tell me where the lateking’s Great Royal Seal is located?”

Tom looked up blankly.

“The Great Royal Seal? What does itlook like, my Lord?”

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Her ord feared that he had pushedthe boy too far and the young king hadlost his wits again.

“No ma er, Sire,” he said. “Let usspeak of more important things.”

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CHAPTER 9

Tom Dispenses Justice

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Fairly soon, Tom had grown more

comfortable in his kingly du es. Whilewai ng to receive court officials, hewandered over to the window of thelarge audience room and was surprisedto see an unruly mob of the lowest andpoorest class on the road leading to thepalace.

“I wonder what that’s all about,” hesaid.

No sooner were the words out ofhis mouth than Her ord sent a page tothe captain of the guard with an order tohalt the mob.

In a few moments, the messengerreturned.

“The crowd, Your Majesty, is

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following a man, a woman and a younggirl who have been taken as prisoners.”

“What is the reason for this?” askedTom.

“The three are on their way tobeing executed for crimes against ourkingdom,” replied the messenger.

Tom felt a wave of pity for theprisoners.

“Have them brought here!” heordered.

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The page bowed and left.

At that moment, the expected tled

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guests were announced and began to fillthe room. But Tom hardly no ced themas he sat waiting in the Chair of State.

In a li le while, the tramping of feetalerted the room that the king’s guardshad arrived. The men entered with asheriff and the three accused. As thegroup knelt, Tom felt his memory s r atthe sight of one of the prisoners.

“I know that man,” he told himself.“I saw him on New Year’s Day. It was teno’clock in the morning. I am certain ofthe me, because the clock was strikingeleven about an hour later whenGammer Canty gave me the bea ng ofmy life. I’ll never forget the stranger. Hefished my friend, Giles Wi , out of theThames that bi er windy day, and saved

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his life.”

Tom did not let on to the otherswhat he though. Instead, he said, “Takethe woman and girl to the next room. Iwish to know more about this man’soffense.”

“Your Majesty, he killed a man bypoisoning him,” explained the sheriff.

“Have you proof of the deed?” Tomasked.

“Most clearly, Sire,” the sheriffreplied.

The stranger clasped his hands.

“Your Grace!” he cried. “I beg yourmercy. I am innocent, and the proof isweak, but let that go. All I ask now is thatyou have pity and order me hanged!”

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“I do not understand,” Tom said.

“You want to be hanged?”

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“Yes, Your Majesty. Otherwise, I amto be boiled alive!”

Tom turned to Her ord. “Can thisbe true?”

“It is the law for prisoners, YourGrace. Boiling is be er than what occursin Germany, where the criminal islowered slowly by a rope so that first hisfeet, and then his legs…”

“Enough!” Tom screamed. “I orderthat the law be changed at once. No oneelse must die such a hideous death!”

The sheriff was about to removethe man from the room when Tomspoke again.

“One moment. The man said theproof is weak. What is the proof,

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sheriff?”

“The prisoner visited the sick man’s

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house in Islington town. Three witnessessaw him enter and leave. An hour later,the man died, while his musclescon nued to twitch fiercely, obviouslyaffected by poison.”

“Did anybody see him give thevic m the poison? Was any poisonfound?” To demanded.

“No, Your Grace, but the doctortes fied that this kind of death comesonly from poisoning. Many peopletes fied that a witch, who has since letown, had foretold that the sick manwould die of poison given by astranger.”

“It looks pre y bad for you,” Tomsaid to the man. “Do you have anythingto say on your behalf?”

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“No, Your Majesty. I have no

friends, or I would show that at the verymoment they say I was taking a life, Iwas actually far from that place, savingone.”

“Peace!” cried Tom. “Sheriff, whenwas the deed done?”

“At ten in the morning on the firstday of the year, Your Majesty.”

“Free the prisoner! It is the king’swill. I will not have a man hanged onsuch li le evidence and a witch’sprophecy!”

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The room began to buzz with

admira on for the king’s and wisdom,and with joy that the king’s wits had

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returned. Tom enjoyed the applause,but it also aroused his curiosity. Heordered the woman and girl broughtforth.

“What have they done?” he askedthe sheriff.

“They sold themselves to theDevil,” said the sheriff. “A crimepunishable by hanging.”

“Where and when was this done?”asked Tom.

“It was on a midnight in December,in a ruined church, Sire.”

“Who was there at the time?”

“Only these two and the Devil.”

“Have they confessed?”

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“No, Your Grace. They deny it.”

“If no one else was there and theyhave not confessed, then how did thecrime get known?” Tom probed.

“Witnesses saw them headingthere. What’s more, they used theirpowers to cause a terrible storm thatruined the whole area. About fortywitnesses who suffered from the stormswore to it.”

“Did this woman also suffer as aresult of the storm?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the sheriffanswered. “And by all accounts, shedeserved to have her house sweptaway.”

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“She would have to be mad to ruin

her own home and leave herself andchild without shelter,” Tom said. “Of

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course, if she is mad, she did not knowwhat she was doing and cannot bereckoned guilty.”

Heads nodded, and one elderlynobleman whispered to another, “If theyoung king is mad, then it is a madnessthat should be caught by many sanepeople.”

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“By the way,” Tom asked the

sheriff, “how did they cause the storm?”

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“By pulling off their stockings, Sire.”

“Why, that is wonderful!” he cried.“Please use your power and show me astorm,” he told the woman.

The supers ous people in theroom turned pale and trembled. Thewoman prisoner looked astonished.

“Do not be afraid,” con nued Tom.“You will not be blamed. In fact, if youmake just a ny bit of thunder, you willbe pardoned, and you and your childwill walk out free.”

The woman sank to the ground intears.

“Your Majesty,” she cried. “I haveno such power. I would gladly obey yourcommand if I could to save my child’s

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life.”

“I believe her,” Tom told theassembly. “If my mother were in herplace, she would do it in a minute if shecould, to save me. So would any mother.

“You are free, good woman, andyour child too,” he said to the woman.Do pull off your stockings. Produce astorm and you will be rich.”

The woman tried, but when shepulled off both of her stockings and thechild’s as well, the sky remained calm.

“No more proof is necessary,” Tomdecreed. “Your power has le you. If itreturns, come back to the palace andmake me a storm.”

Tom’s idea of jus ce brought smiles

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to the faces of many of the noblesgathered around them.

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CHAPTER 10

Foo-Foo, King of the

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Mooncalves

Meanwhile, Edward Tudor wasmaking himself comfortable in MilesHendon’s only bed. At his host’sques oning look, Edward ordered, “Youwill sleep laying across the doorway andguard it.”

Accustomed to sleeping in worseplaces, Miles smiled in admiration.

“Truly, he should have been born aking,” Miles said as he stretched out onthe floor.

The next morning, Miles thought tosurprise the ragged boy. A ermeasuring the sleeping form with somestring, he dashed out, returning a shortwhile with a suit of used but clean

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clothing. But the boy was gone!

“Innkeeper! Innkeeper!” Milesshouted.

A servant came in with thebreakfast tray, and Miles sprang at him.

“Tell me fast or you’re a dead man.Where is the boy?”

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Trembling, the servant explained,

“When your worship le , a tall, heavyyouth ran up and said you wanted to see

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the boy at the Southwark end of thebridge. The boy grumbled a bit, butwent with him.”

“Oh, no! Think now. Were theyalone?”

“Only at first. Then a rough-lookingman jumped out of the crowd andjoined them.”

“Out of my way, idiot!” Miles cried,and he plunged down the stairs two at atime.

A er a fu le search on the bridgeand throughout Southwark, Miles restedat an inn and tried to reason things out.To himself, he said:

“It must have been that brute whoclaimed to be the boy’s father. The boy

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must have tried to escape. Since I’m hisonly friend, he’d most likely look for me.He knew that I was heading home toHendon Hall. That’s where I must get toright away.”

When Edward and the heavy youngman reached the Southwark end of thebridge, the rough man who was wai ngdid not join them, but limped alongbehind. A green patch covered one ofhis eyes, his arm was in a sling, and hewalked with the help of an oaken staff.

A er a long walk throughSouthwark, the three reached ahighway. Annoyed now, Edward cried,“Enough! Let Hendon come to me!”

“You’ll wait here while your friendlies wounded?” asked the youth.

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“Wounded?” Edward said. “Lead

on, and faster!”

When they reached a forest, theyouth picked out a trail of s cks withli le rags on them that were placed inthe ground. He followed the trail un lthey reached a clearing with the remainsof an old barn that had burned nearly tothe ground. The youth entered, andEdward followed eagerly.

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“Where is Hendon?” Edward asked.

Seeing no one, Edward had become

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suspicious.

A mocking laugh was his answer.Enraged, the king grabbed a chunk ofwood and was about to strike whenanother laugh rang out. It came from thelame ruffian who had been followingthem.

“Who are you?” demandedEdward.

“Is my disguise so good, you don’tknow your own old man?” growled JohnCanty.

“You are not my father. I am theking. Where is my servant MilesHendon?”

“I see you’re s ll crazy. I won’tpunish you unless you make trouble. But

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get this straight: I’m wanted for murder,so keep your mouth shut! Now, whereare your mother and sisters? They didn’tmeet me at the bridge.”

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“My mother is dead, and my sister

is in the palace,” Edward answered.

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The heavy young man burst intomocking laughter and lunged at the boy.

“Don’t bother with him, Hugo,” saidCanty. “He’s mad. Let him go on with hisravings.”

As the two whispered together in adark corner of the barn, Edward drewback into another corner and,eventually, fell asleep in the straw.

He awoke to the sound of coarselaughter. Lifting his head, he saw a fire atthe other end of the barn. Around itsprawled a scary crew: a big long-hairedmen in rags, blind beggars withbandaged eyes, crippled beggars withwooden legs, and women from half-grown girls to wrinkled hags who wereloud and dirty. Rounding out the motley

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company were a few sore-faced babiesand some half-starved dogs to lead theblind.

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“Pass the whiskey!” somebody

yelled. “And let’s have a song!”

One of the “blind” men stood. Hepulled the patches from his eyes andthrew aside his “Help the Blind” sign.Edward noted that he could see quitewell without the patches.

Another beggar unfastened thewooden leg from around his fullyfunc onal one, and a lively song anddance followed.

When it was over, the thieves andbeggars gathered around Canty andgreeted him like an old friend.

“What’ve you been up to lately?”asked one.

“I killed a man. A priest,” said Canty.

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The news brought cheers and

applause.

“How many are in our gang now,Rumer?” Canty asked the leader.

“Some twenty-five. Most are here.The rest are heading east. We follow atdawn. We’ve also got some new men.Step up, Hodge and Burns. You, too,Yokel. Show your decorations.”

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All of the men had rope welts on

their backs. Burns li ed his hair to showwhere his le ear had once been, and

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Hodge pointed to a “V” branded into hisshoulder.

“I used to be a farmer with a nicefamily,” Yokel said. “That’s over now.They took my land to turn into sheepranges. My wife and I had to beg forfood for our kids. That’s against the law,so they whipped us, and she died. Drinkto my poor kids, who never harmedanyone, but they starved to deathanyway while I got hunted down. Hereon my cheek, if I washed the stain off,you’d see an ‘S’. Yes, I’m a slave, arunaway. And if they find me, curse theEnglish law, I’ll hang!”

“No, you will not hang,” Edwardshouted. “From this day on, that law isnull!”

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Everybody turned as the li le king

strode forward.

“Who are you?” they asked.

“I am Edward, King of England,” hesaid with dignity.

The crowd broke into wild laughter,and Canty had to struggle to makehimself heard.

“That’s my loony son,” he said.“The crazy dreamer really thinks he’sthe king.”

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“I am the king,” protested Edward,

“as you will find out in good me. Youhave confessed to a murder, and you

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will hang for it.”

“What?” roared Canty. “You’d turnme in? Just let me get my hands onyou.”

Before Canty could do any damage,a formidable member of the camp—aruffler, or vagabond, who in his travelstells tales of heroic ba les—knockeddown Canty.

“Have you no respect for kings?”the ruffler asked.

Not giving Canty me to answer thequestion, the man turned to Edward.

“Make no more threats against anyof my mates, nor say anything bad aboutthem on the outside. You can play atbeing a king if you want, but don’t call

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yourself King Edward. That’s treason.We may be bad in some ways, but we’reno traitors. Watch this, for proof.”

The man stood back and li ed hishands to direct his companions.

“All together now,” he ordered.“‘Long live Edward, King of England!’”

“Long live Edward, King ofEngland!” came the hearty response.

The li le king’s face lighted withpleasure as he said simply, “I thank you,good people.”

The company roared with laughter.When the noise had died down, theruffler reminded the boy that he hadbe er give up the farce and be contentwith being a nobody.

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A nker called out, “Let’s call him

Foo-Foo the First, King of the

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Mooncalves!”

“Long live Foo-Foo, King of theMooncalves!” the crowd responded.

“Crown him!” someone shouted.

“Robe him!” another screamed.

“Scepter him!” a third demanded.

“Throne him!” a fourth decreed.

Before he knew what washappening, Edward was crowned with abasin, robed in a ta ered blanket,throned on a barrel, and sceptered withthe nker’s soldering iron. All aroundhim the crowd knelt and pretended begfor favors.

“Pity us, your slaves, and honor uswith a royal kick, oh noble Foo-Foo!”

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“Spit upon us please, that we maybrag of it to our children.”

Tears of shame and anger filled theeyes of the little king.

“I offered them kindness and theyreturn it with cruelty,” he sobbed asthey con nued to chant, “Long live Foo-Foo!”

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CHAPTER 11

The King on the Run

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The ruffler’s band started out on

their thieving at early dawn. Edward’sone thought was to escape as he wassent off in Hugo’s care to either steal orbeg. When Edward refused, Hugoordered him to act as a decoy.

Soon, a kind-looking strangerapproached them on the road, andHugo went into his act. He rolled hiseyes, groaned, to ered around andcollapsed at the stranger’s feet, writhingin seeming agony.

“Oh, dear!” cried the stranger. “Youpoor soul. Let me help you up.”

“No, no, good sir,” gasped Hugo. “Ithurts me to be touched when I am likethis. My brother here will tell you of my

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pain when these fits come on. A pennyplease, sir. A penny for a little food.”

“A penny? I’ll give you three, poorboy.”

The gentleman took the coins fromhis pocket and called to Edward, “Comehere, son, and help me carry your sickbrother.”

“I’m not his brother,” interruptedthe king. “He’s a beggar and a thief. He’sgot the money you just gave him, andhe’s picked your pocket, too. He’s notreally sick, but if you want to cure him,hit him with your stick!”

Hugo didn’t wait to be cured. Hewas off like the wind, with the strangerin pursuit.

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Grateful that he was at last free, the

king fled into a dense forest. He did notslow his steps un l nigh all. At last, he

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saw a glimmer of light. He made for itand found himself before a simple hut.Through the open window, he heard alow voice. Standing on ptoe, he saw alarge, bony man with snowy white hairand whiskers, praying before a candlelitshrine. The man’s long robe was ofmade of sheepskins, and beside him onan old wooden box lay a thick book anda human skull.

“A holy hermit,” said Edward.

He thought it would be safe toknock on the man’s door. When theman called out for him to enter, Edwarddid so, announcing himself as the king.

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“Oh, welcome then!” cried the

hermit with enthusiasm. “It is a joy tomeet somebody of high posi on in rags.

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You have renounced your riches for asimple, holy life. Well, here your soul willsurely become pure. You will wearrough clothing, pray most of me, eatcrusts and herbs only, and whip yourbody daily.”

The startled king tried to speak, butthe hermit went right on.

“Shh! I will tell you a secret. I wassupposed to be made pope, but the kingdissolved my religious house and I, apoor monk, was sent homeless into theworld. That’s when a group of angelscame to me and made me an archangelinstead.”

The old hermit went on in hisfrenzy for an hour, while Edward sat andsuffered. Finally, the man’s voice

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so ened, and his gentleness won theking’s heart.

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A er making Edward comfortablebefore a fire, the old man made supperfor the two of them and a ended to theboy’s bruises. A erward, he tuckedEdward snugly into a bed in one cornerof the room.

“You say you’re the king?” he askedthe boy.

“Yes,” came the sleepy reply.

“Of what country?” the hermitasked.

“England, of course,” Edwardmurmured.

“England? Then Henry’s dead?”

“Yes, sadly. I am his son.”

The hermit clenched his fists and

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frowned. “Do you know that your fatherdestroyed my home?”

When Edward did not reply, the oldman bent over the sleeping boy andgrinned wickedly. Mumbling to himself,he searched the house un l he found arusty old butcher knife and a sharpeningstone. Then, he sat by the fire andbusied himself sharpening the blade, allthe while mu ering and chuckling tohimself.

“I’m only an archangel because KingHenry kept me from being pope,” hetold himself.

Noiselessly moving about the hut,he gathered some rags and leatherstrips. He used them to e the boy’sankles and wrists. He wound and

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kno ed a bandage around Edward’shead, doing it so gently that the boy didnot stir.

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The hermit went back to the fire

and sat watching the slumbering boy. Heresembled a monstrous spider gloa ngover a helpless insect in his web.

At last, Edward’s eyes opened.Horror when he saw the knife, he layhelplessly at his captor’s mercy.

“Son of Henry the Eighth, say theprayer for the dying!” the hermitdemanded.

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The boy struggled to free himself as

tears rolled down his face. The old manleaned over the bed and sank to his

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knees. Raising the knife, he brought ittoward the struggling boy.

Suddenly, noises outside the cabininterrupted the hermit’s rambledmu erings, and he dropped the knife.The sound of running feet and angryvoices preceded fists pounding on thedoor.

“Open up, and hurry!” MilesHendon bellowed.

The enraged hermit moved swi lyto open the door, then closed it behindhim. Edward heard Miles explain that hehad caught the kidnappers and that theyhad confessed to following the boy tothe hut.

“Now where is he?” demanded

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Miles.

“I have sent him on an errand,” saidthe hermit.

“Show me the direc on he took; hemay be lost in the woods,” Miles replied.

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Bound and unable to make a sound,

the desperate boy heard their voicesfade. He waited in terror, dreading the

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hermit’s return. Some minutes later, heheard the door open. Terrified, he shuthis eyes.

When he dared to open themagain, he saw standing before him JohnCanty and Hugo. The un ed his bindingsand rushed him out of the hermit’shouse.

Thus, Edward the King was backwith the outlaw gang, befriended bymost of them, but taunted by Canty andHugo behind ruffler’s back. Twice Hugostepped on Edward’s toes, and twice theking ignored it.

But the third me he lost histemper and a acked the bully. Pickingup a stout stick, he knocked Hugo down.

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Hugo grabbed a s ck and came athis small opponent. A ring formedaround them, be ng and yelling andcheering. Though Hugo moved his bulkquickly, he was no match for the well-trained king, who had been taughtswordsmanship by Europe’s masters.

Edward caught and returned everyblow neatly, moving like lightning intoevery opening.

Soon Hugo, bruised and mocked,slunk from the field, while the rabblecarried Edward on their shoulders to theplace of honor beside the ruffler.

“From now on,” said the ruffler,“anyone who calls him Foo-Foo isbanished. We will now crown him ourKing of the Game-Cocks!”

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“All hail to the King of the Game-

Cocks!” the crowd cheered.

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CHAPTER 12

A Surprise at Hendon Hall

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Edward was s ll in Hugo’s care

when they went out to beg. Hugo wasnot a good loser. He made two plans forge ng revenge against the li le fighterwho had beaten him. First, to shameEdward’s proud spirit, he had a climeput on the boy’s leg. This was apurposely-made sore that was supposedto win the pity of strangers and makethem generous to a supposedly diseasedbeggar.

With the nker’s help, Hugo made apaste of strong lime, soap and iron rust,and applied it to a strip of leather, whichwas ed ghtly to the boy’s leg. Theconcoc on would eat away the boy’sskin.

Edward struggled, but the two held

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him down as the paste burned into hisskin. Luckily, before the job wascompleted, Yokel, the farmer, cameupon them. He ripped off the leatherstrip and marched the three up to theirleader, the ruffler.

“No more!” said the leader. “Heshall not beg for us. The boy deservessomething be er than begging. Fromnow on, I’m promoting him to stealing!”

The decision played right intoHugo’s second plan, which was to getthe boy arrested for committing a crime.

That a ernoon, Hugo draggedEdward to a neighboring village, Hugolooking for a vic m and Edward lookingfor a chance to escape. Hugo’s chancecame first.

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A woman came by with a large

package in a basket. Hugo crept upbehind her, grabbed the package andran back to Edward, pulling an old pieceof blanket from his pocket and wrappingit around the package.

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The woman didn’t see Hugo’s

ac on, but felt her basket grow lighter.When she called out that she had been

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robbed, Hugo thrust the package intoEdward’s hands and fled down acrooked alley.

The king threw the bundle on theground. The blanket fell away, exposingthe stolen goods. The woman quicklyseized his wrist with one hand andscreamed for help to the crowd thatbegan to close around them.

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“Let’s teach this young thief a

lesson!” someone shouted.

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Just then, a sword flashed in the airand Miles Hendon’s voice shouted,“Unhand the boy, madam.”

The king sprang to his rescuer’sside, exclaiming, “Sir Miles. Now carvethis mob to ribbons for me!”

Smiling, Hendon whispered to theboy, “Do not speak so, My Prince. Justtrust me; all will end up well.”

To himself he added, “Sir Miles! Ihad forgo en that I was knighted by theKing of Dreams and Shadows.”

Moments later, a constable of thelaw arrived and was about to reach forEdward when Hendon said, “That won’tbe necessary. I guarantee that he’ll gopeacefully.”

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As the officer led the way, Miles

whispered to the king, “Do not think ofrunning off. That would be breaking the

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law. When you are back on your throne,you will remember that you once hadrespect for your own decrees.”

Edward nodded. “You are right.Whatever laws my subjects must obey, Iwill, too.”

When they stood before the judge,the woman swore that Edward hadtaken her bundle, which turned out tohave a plump dressed pig in it.

“How much is it worth?” asked thejudge.

“Thirty-eight pence, YourWorship,” said the woman.

“Hmm. Clear the crowd from thecourt and close the doors,” he ordered.“Only the boy, the woman, the

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constable and the boy’s guarantor are tostay.”

When the court had cleared, thejudge said, “Anyone convicted ofstealing something that costs more thanthirteen pence is to be hanged.”

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Miles and the king grew pale.

“Please change its value to eight

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pence, then. I wouldn’t want to causethe death of this hungry lad,” thewoman relented.

As the judge nodded and began towrite in his record book, Miles surprisedthe king by throwing his arms aroundthe boy and hugging him. The womantook her bundle and headed for thedoor. To Miles’s surprise, the constablefollowed her. Curious to know why, heslipped out into the hall and hid in theshadows to hear their conversation.

“That’s a fine pig,” said theconstable. “I’ll buy it from you for eightpence.”

“Are you crazy?” cried the woman.“I paid thirty-eight pence for it. Eightpence, huh!”

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“Is that so? Then you swore under

oath in there falsely! All I have to donow is go back and report it. You’ll getarrested and the boy will hang!”

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“Give me the eight pence, if you

insist, and keep quiet,” she hugged.

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Miles slipped back into thecourtroom. The constable hid his prizeand followed.

The judge was declaring hissentence: “...to be spent in jail, to teachyou not to take what isn’t yours. You willalso receive a public bea ng. Constable,take him away.”

Miles’s took Edward’s hand to leadhim outside.

Once in the street, Edward pulledhis hand away and stopped.

“Do you expect me to enter acommon jail?” he cried.

“Please trust me,” whispered Miles.

When they reached a desertedsquare, Miles turned to the constable.

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“Just turn your back now, and let theboy escape,” he whispered.

“What!” the constable blustered.

“Don’t be so hasty, my man,” saidMiles. “The pig you bought for eightpence might cost you your life.”

“Oh that? That was just a li lejoke,” the constable said, trying to laughoff his indiscretion.

“Wait here a minute while I go backand share a laugh with the judge,” Milesretorted.

“No!” cried the constable. “Thejudge has no sense of humor. I’ll let theboy go.”

“Good decision. While you are at it,return the pig to the woman,” Miles

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added.

“That I will, and I’ll never touch

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another. I’ll just say that you broke inand took the prisoner from me by force.I’ll smash the door myself.”

“Do it,” said Miles. “And do notworry. The judge had kind feelingstoward the boy, and he won’t be hardon you for letting him escape.”

When the constable was gone,Miles took Edward back to the inn.There, he dressed Edward in the suit ofused clothes that he had bought theboy. Then, they set off for Hendon Hallon Miles’s old donkeys.

As they rode, they told of theiradventures while they were apart. Milesspoke of his kind father, his generousbrother Arthur, and of the lovely Edith.He even managed a brotherly comment

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about Hugh. How happy they would beto see him!

On the last day of the trip, Milescalled out, “There it is! See the towers,and my father’s park. There are seventyrooms, and twenty servants.”

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They turned onto a narrow road

leading to the stately mansion. Milessprang to the ground and helped the

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king down. Then, taking the boy by thehand, he rushed through the great doorand into a large hallway.

In a room to one side, a thin,balding man sat wri ng at a carved tablenear the fireplace.

“Your brother’s come home,Hugh!” cried Miles, holding out his arms.“Call Father.”

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Hugh looked surprised and puzzled.

“I am afraid that you are mad, poor

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stranger,” he said so ly. “As yourclothing shows, you’ve probably gonethrough rough times.”

“Poor stranger? Come, Hugh. Don’tyou know your own brother?” Milespleaded.

Hugh pulled Miles to the windowand studied him from head to foot.

“No,” he said. “I wish it were so thatI did recognize you as my brother. But Ifear that the le er that we received sixyears ago told truth. My brother died inbattle.”

“That’s a lie!” protested Miles. “Justcall our father. He will know me.”

“I cannot call the dead,” Hugh said.

“Father is dead?” Miles asked.

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Hugh shook his head in agreement.

“Please, call my brother Arthur. He

will know me,” Miles requested.

“Arthur died, as well,” Hughresponded.

“And Lady Edith….”

“She is alive,” Hugh answered.

“Bring her to me, with whicheverservants remain at the hall,” Milesdemanded.

Hugh left the hall.

A er a few minutes, a beau ful,dark-haired lady, richly clothed in velvet,accompanied Hugh into the room,followed by five servants.

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Miles sprang forward.

“Oh, Edith, my darling….” Milesbegan.

Hugh waved him back.

“Look him over,” he said to thelady. “Do you recognize this man?

The woman trembled and hercheeks flushed. Slowly, she li ed herhead and looked at Miles withfrightened eyes.

“I do not know him,” she said in avoice drained of emotion.

Covering her mouth to s fle a sob,she fled from the room.

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Hugh turned to the servants. “Do

you know him?” he asked.

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All of them shook their heads.

“You see,” said Hugh. “There mustbe some mistake. The servants do notrecognize you, nor did my wife.”

“Your wife!” gasped Miles, and inan instant he had pinned his brother tothe wall with an iron grip about thethroat. “Now I understand. You wrotethe le er saying that I was dead so youcould steal my bride and my property.You had be er leave now, or I’ll shamemy soldier’s honor by killing such amiserable creature.”

Miles eased his grip on his brother’sthroat, and Hugh collapsed into a chair.

“Grab him and e him up!” Hughshouted.

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The servants hesitated.

“He’s armed,” said one.

“Then go get your weapons,cowards, while I send for help.”

Hugh shakily rose from the chairand headed for the door, where heturned and said to Miles, “You hadbetter not try to escape.”

“Escape?” Miles countered.” Haveno fear, Miles Hendon is master ofHendon Hall and all that it contains. I willsay right here.”

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CHAPTER 13

Trial and Punishment

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“It is very strange,” said Edward

when they were alone. “I just cannotexplain it.”

“My Lord, my brother has alwaysbeen dishonest,” Miles replied.

“No, not that,” said Edward. “Imean that the king isn’t missed. Whyaren’t messengers looking for me?Shouldn’t it cause concern when thehead of a nation disappears?”

“I suppose that it is odd,” saidMiles.

“Listen to my plan,” cried Edwardexcitedly. “I will write a letter at this deskhere, in La n, Greek and English. Youmust get it to my uncle, Lord Her ord,and he will know that I wrote it.”

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As Miles’s was preoccupied with his

brother’s betrayal, he allowed Edward

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to do whatever the boy wanted. WhenEdward finally handed Miles the paper,he absent-mindedly put it into hispocket and spoke of Lady Edith’sbehavior.

“How oddly she acted. She seemedto know me, but she said she did not.Edith would not tell a lie. So, Hughforced her to do his bidding.”

Just then the door opened andLady Edith entered, pale and sad, butwith grace and dignity.

“I have come to warn you,” shesaid. “You are in great danger. Hugh is apowerful man, and I am forced to be aslave to him. If you did not resembleMiles Hendon, Hugh would simplydenounce you as a madman and an

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impostor. But you do resemble Miles.Hugh is a tyrant, and you havethreatened him in his own house. Takethis purse, I beg you, and bribe theservants to let you go.”

“I cannot accept your offer,” Milessaid. “Can you not see that I am MilesHendon?”

“No,” she said nervously. “I do notknow you. Now, hurry to save yourself.”

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At that moment, officers burst into

the room and, a er a struggle, put Milesand Edward in chains and led them off

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to prison.

They spent troubled days andnights in a cell with twenty rowdy jail-mates, whose noisy singing and brawlingkept them awake un l the jailer clubbeda couple of heads.

A er a week, the jailer appearedwith an old man.

“The villain’s in this cell,” he toldthe visitor. “See if you can tell which onehe is.”

Miles recognized the man as an oldHendon family servant.

“Blake Andrews will know me,” hesaid to himself, “but he will probablydeny it like the rest of them.”

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Sure enough, the old man said,

“Miles Hendon isn’t here. Which oneclaims to be him?”

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The jailer laughed.

“Check this large animal,” he said,

pointing to Miles.

The servant approached him,looked him over, and shook his head.“This is not Hendon,” he said.

The jailer laughed again andsauntered off, leaving the old man tocurse the impostor. Instead, the old mandropped to his knees and whispered,“Thank the heavens, you are back,Master Hendon. I believed you weredead all these years. I’m old and poor,but just say the word and I’ll tell thetruth, even if they hang me.”

“No, you mustn’t. It wouldn’t helpeither of us. You have done enough.

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Thank you for giving me back my faith inman.”

In the next few days, old BlakeAndrews came o en, supposedly toamuse himself at Hendon’s expense. Hewas able to smuggle decent food toMiles and the boy and, in between hisloud insults, whispered news of theoutside world.

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That is how Edward learned that in

a week’s me, the new king would becrowned at Westminster Abbey, and

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that Hugh Hendon would be traveling tothe ceremony in the hopes of beingnamed a lord by a friend at court, theLord Protector.

“What Lord Protector?” askedEdward.

“The Duke of Somerset,” answeredAndrews.

“Who is the Duke of Somerset?”Edward prodded.

“Why, the Earl of Her ord, ofcourse.”

“Oh? And who made him a dukeand the Lord Protector?”

“The king, of course!” the servantanswered.

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The boy started violently. “Whatking?” he shouted.

“His Sacred Majesty, King Edwardthe Sixth,” the servant stammered.“There are some who say he’s mad, butif he is, he’s ge ng be er daily. He hasbegun his reign most kindly, too, bypardoning the Duke of Norfolk and bychanging some of England’s cruelestlaws.”

The king was struck dumb.

“Is it possible,” he wondered, “thatthe li le beggar boy I le dressed in myclothes has taken the throne?”

The mystery perplexed the boy andmade him more impa ent than ever toescape.

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The harshness of prison life took allof Edward’s a en on. He saw first-handthe unfairness of the country’s laws. Forinstance, two women who hadbefriended him were burned at thestake because of their religious beliefs,before the eyes of their daughters.

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Edward also learned that another

woman would be hanged for stealing ayard of cloth, and a man for killing a

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deer in the king’s park.

An old lawyer who had wri en apamphlet against the Lord Chancellorwould have his ears cut off, his cheeksbranded and be imprisoned for life.

The boy was enraged over theseinhumani es and swore to himself:“When I return to my throne, I will seeto it these shameful laws are swept offthe books.”

Finally, the me came for MilesHendon’s trial. He was accused ofa acking Hugh Hendon in his home, butno one men oned his claim that he wasMiles Hendon. He was sentenced to sitfor two hours in the public stocks.Because of his youth, Edward was let offwith a warning to avoid such bad

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company.

When the king saw his faithful

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servant and friend locked into place onthe pla orm amid the jeering crowd, hewas furious. A heckler threw an egg thatlanded on Miles’s face, and the kingcould no longer control his temper.

“Let him go!” he cried.

“Give that brat a couple of lashes,”called an officer, “to teach him alesson.”

“Be er make that six,” said HughHendon, who had come to watch Miles’spunishment.

The king clenched his teeth as twoofficers seized him. Rather than pleadfor mercy, with dignity he submi ed tothe whipping.

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But Miles spoke up. “Let the child

go. I will take his lashes.”

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“Splendid!” said Hugh with awicked laugh. “Let the li le beggar goand give this fellow a dozen in his place.Well laid on, too!”

Miles was removed from the stocksand his bare back severely whipped.With tears streaming down his cheeks,Edward watched as Miles took thelashes without a sound.

When Miles was returned to thestocks, the king stepped up to him andwhispered, “I will never forget yournoble conduct on the king’s behalf.”

Edward picked up the whip fromthe ground and gently touched Miles’sbleeding shoulder with it.

“Edward of England dubs you Earl!”

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he said.

Despite his pain, Miles was

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touched, and his eyes filled with tears.“Poor lad,” he mu ered. “First I was aknight in his Kingdom of Dreams andShadows, and now I am his make-believe earl. He gives the tle in love andI shall take it in love.”

When his me in the stocks was up,Miles was ordered to leave the area andnever return.

At first, the good soldier had noidea of where to go. Then, rememberingwhat old Andrews had said about theyoung king’s fairness, he decided tohead for London. Perhaps his father’sold friend, Sir Humphrey Marlowe,could help him get an audience with thenew ruler.

He wondered how the boy would

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feel about returning to the place wherehe had known only misery. Continuing inhis role of servant to the king, Milesasked, “Where to, My Lord?”

“To London!” came the surprisingreply.

At about ten o’clock on the night ofFebruary 19th, on the eve of thecorona on of the new king, the tworeached London Bridge. It was filled withrevelers in early celebra on of thefollowing day’s coronation.

A few ro ng heads of noblemenpunished by King Henry for variouscrimes s ll decorated the upright spearsof the bridge. One of the heads fell andhit Hendon’s arm before it landed onthe ground. A drunken ci zen stumbled

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over it and fell against somebody else.He, in turn, hit the first person he couldreach, and was knocked out by thatman’s friend.

The free-for-all that followed soonbecame a riot, and Miles Hendon andEdward Tudor were hopelesslyseparated.

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CHAPTER 14

The Great Seal Test

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By now, Tom Canty was thoroughly

enjoying his royal life and thinking lessand less of the real prince who hadvanished. When Tom wanted to talk, hewould send for Princess Elizabeth andLady Jane. He came to enjoy beingdressed ceremoniously, marching todinner in a procession, and receivinggreat ambassadors. But he remainedkind-hearted and fair as he changedunjust laws.

Midnight of February 19th foundTom Canty dri ing to sleep in his richbed guarded by his loyal servants. Thatsame midnight found Edward, the trueking, hungry, red, and dirty, wedged inwith a crowd outside WestminsterAbbey, watching the busy workmen

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making last-minute prepara ons for thenext day’s coronation.

On the morning of the 20th, Tom,splendidly dressed and perched on awhite horse adorned with rich trappings,led an almost endless procession.

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He smiled and waved to the

thousands who lined the way, cheering.Every now and then he flung a handful

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of bright coins to the scrambling pack.

At one point, as he was about tothrow out another handful, he caughtsight of a pale, astonished face in thecrowd, its eyes fixed on him. His hand,palm outward, flew up before his eyeshis old habit as he recognized hismother.

The next instant, the woman hadpushed her way past the guards and washugging and kissing his leg.

“Oh, my child, my darling!” shecried, her face full of joy and love.

The guard snatched her back andpushed her into the crowd just as thewords, “I do not know you, woman,” fellfrom Tom’s lips.

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Her brokenhearted expression

shamed Tom. His heart was filled withsorrow and wished that he were no

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longer king.

He rode with bowed head andempty eyes as his conscience keptrepea ng those shameful words: I donot know you, woman!

When the crowd began to no cethe king’s changed a tude, the LordProtector became worried. He rode upto the king, saying, “Shake off that sadexpression, Sire. The eyes of England areon you. That woman was just a beggar.Forget her.”

Tom turned and, in a numb voice,said, “She is my mother.”

The Lord Protector put Tom’soutburst down to the boy’s illness anddisregarded the astonishing

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pronouncement.

Finally, the procession reached theAbbey. That great building was filledwith dukes, earls, barons and ladiesdecorated with jewels.

At the center of the pla orm andraised up four steps stood the throne.On its seat was a rough, flat rock, theStone of Scone, on which Sco sh kingsonce sat to be crowned. Today, thethrone and footstool were covered withcloth-of-gold.

The great heads of the church andthe Archbishop of Canterbury mountedthe pla orm. A peal of music burstforth, and Tom Canty, draped a goldenrobe, was led to the throne. Pale anddespondent, the boy felt only regret.

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The Archbishop li ed the heavy

crown from its cushion and held it overTom’s head. Every nobleman raised hisown diamond coronet above his ownhead, and sparkling flashes filled thegreat church.

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At this impressive moment, an

unexpected figure moved down thecenter aisle. It was a bareheaded, ragged

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boy.

“I forbid you to set the crown uponthat head!” he cried. “I am the king! I amEdward Tudor!”

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In an instant, several angry hands

grabbed the boy, but in the sameinstant, Tom Canty stepped forward and

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demanded, “Let him go! He is the king!”

Everyone froze except Her ord,who exclaimed, “Do not mind HisMajesty. Seize the boy!”

Tom stamped his foot and cried,“Do not dare touch him! He is the king!”

Lords and ladies looked at eachother in confusion. No one movedexcept the ragged boy as he made hisway to the platform.

Tom ran to him and fell to hisknees.

“Your Majesty, let poor Tom Cantybe the first to swear loyalty to YourHonored Self. Put on the crown and takeover what is rightly yours.”

Her ord recognized the strong

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resemblance between the two boys, butwas not convinced.

“If it pleases Your Majesty, I wish toask some ques ons first,” he said. “Letme remind you that the existence of twopeople claiming to be king could dividethe land in war. We must arrest atraitorous pretender.”

Edward answered ques ons aboutthe royal family and the palace, so manynow believed him.

“Anyone could learn those facts,”the Lord Protector said.

Then, Her ord’s face lit up. “I havethe perfect test. If you can tell us theone thing that our king cannot tell us,the throne is yours. Where is the Great

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Seal of England?”

Edward replied, “My Lord St. John,

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go to my cabinet in the palace. On thewall opposite the door is a small brassnail-head. Press it and a li le door willopen, leading to my secret jewelrycloset. Inside you will find the Seal.”

The lord mentioned hesitated.

“Why do you hesitate, St. John?”said Tom. “That was a command fromthe king.”

Unsure about which boy deservedhis a en on, Lord St. John bowed to thespace between them before leaving theroom. One by one, the nobles movedaway from Tom and toward the raggedlydressed Edward.

When Lord St. John returned, hebowed directly before Tom and said,

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“Sire, the Seal is not there.”

The other cour ers quickly turnedaway Edward as if he had the plague.Now, he was the one le standingdeserted.

“Throw the beggar into the streetand whip him through the town!” calledLord Hertford.

But as the guards sprang to obey,Tom waved them away.

“Back!” he cried. “Anyone whotouches the king risks his own life!”

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Her ord stood confused turned to

Lord St. John and said, “It is too strangethat something as large as the Seal

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should vanish into thin air. Surely,anyone would no ce such an impressivegold disc.”

“Wait a minute!” Tom shouted.“Did you say a gold disc? Does it havele ers and designs on it? Is that theGreat Seal?”

“Yes, My Lord,” said Her ord. “Doyou know where it is?”

“I do. But the true king shall tellyou.”

Tom turned to Edward and said,“Think now. What was the last thing youdid on the day a er we exchangedclothes?”

Poor Edward shook his head. Withhis future at stake, he could not

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remember.

“Let me help you recall it as ithappened,” said Tom. “We were talkingof my family in Offal Court. You gave mefood and drink. Then, we changedclothes. When we looked in the mirrorand saw our resemblance to each other,you no ced that your soldier hadwounded my hand. You ran outside toscold him. Before you reached the door,you passed a table and took somethingfrom it and looked for a hiding place.”

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“You are right. Now, I recall what

happened,” Edward agreed. “Run, LordSt. John, to the suit of Milanese armor.

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The Seal is in the arm-piece!”

As Lord St. John raced from theroom, the cour ers began to speak atthe same me. When the lord returned,silence fell over the chaos.Triumphantly, he held up the Great Seal,igni ng another round of shouts, thistime directed at Edward.

“Long live the king! Long live thetrue king.”

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Hertford eyed Tom angrily.

“Let that young villain be stripped

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of his royal clothes and thrown into theTower in rags!” he ordered.

“No! If not for him, my crown wouldnot be restored to me,” Edward said.“My good uncle, you schemed to getyour new tle. I declare that you are nolonger a duke. You are to remain anearl.”

Turning to Tom, Edward inquired,“How did you remember where I hid theGreat Seal and I could not?”

“Your Majesty, I used it on severaloccasions,” Tom answered

“You used it, yet you could not tellme where it was?” Edward asked.

“No one described the Seal to me,so I did not know what they meant.”

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“Then how did you use it?”

Tom blushed and was silent.

“Speak up, good Tom. Do not be

afraid. Just how did you use the GreatSeal of England?”

Tom stammered in embarrassment,“I used it to crack nuts.”

The rush of laughter that followedthe confession nearly swept Tom off hisfeet. His answer le no doubt that TomCanty was not the King of England.

Thus, the royal robes wereremoved from Tom’s shoulders andplaced around Edward’s, over the ragsthat the young king wore. The crowningceremony proceeded as boomingcannons thundered the news to all of

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London!

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CHAPTER 15

The Reunion

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Meanwhile, Miles Hendon made his

way out of the London Bridge mob, onlyto find that pickpockets had taken hislast coin. He wandered through London,searching in vain for his poor, madfriend un l, exhausted, he fell asleep ina doorway.

The next morning, he awokefamished. Without any resources, hedecided to find his late father’s friend atthe court.

At eleven o’clock, he arrived at thepalace gates. The king’s whipping-boyrecognized Miles from a descrip on theking had given him.

“This must be the man that the kinghas been seeking,” the whipping-boy

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said to himself.

Before the boy could say anything,Miles asked, “Since you have come fromthe palace, perhaps you know SirHumphrey Marlowe?”

The boy stared and nodded. Thatwas his own dead father.

“Please tell him that Miles Hendon,the son of his friend Sir Richard, wishesto see him.”

“Wait right here, sir,” said the boy,pointing to a bench.

Hardly was the boy out of sightwhen guards seized Miles and chargedhim with prowling outside the palacegrounds.

“Take his sword and search him!”

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ordered an officer.

His men obeyed, but all they found

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was a bit of folded paper in a pocket. Itwas the note that Edward had wri en inthree languages at Hendon Hall.

“Another claimant to the throne!”shouted the officer when he read thenote. “Hold him while I take this note tothe king!”

“Now, I’ll hang for sure,” Milesmu ered. “What will happen to mypoor boy?”

The officer came flying back andordered the guards to free Miles andreturn the sword.

“Please follow me, sir,” the officerrequested.

“I should strike him for mocking mewith false politeness,” Miles thought.

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A er a long walk through a great

hall and up a broad staircase, theyreached a huge room. The officercleared a path through the crowd ofnobles, and le Miles standing,bewildered, in the center.

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The young king sat five steps away

under a canopy, with his head turnedaside, as he spoke with a nobleman.

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While Miles was wishing that the

king would hurry and get the sentencingover with, Edward raised his head andMiles got a good look at the boy’s face.There, on a throne, was the Lord of theKingdom of Dreams and Shadows!

“Is this a dream?” Miles askedhimself, “or is he truly the King ofEngland and not my poor, friendlesslad?”

To find out, Miles walked to a chair,picked it up and plunked it down in frontof the king. Then, he sat in the chair.

A buzz of anger broke out in theroom, and a rough hand shook hisshoulder.

“Get up, you beggar, No one is

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permi ed to sit in the king’s presence!”said a guard.

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“Let him alone!” ordered the king.“It is his right!”

The crowd fell back in amazement.

“Lords and ladies all, I want you toknow that this is my trusted and belovedservant, Miles Hendon,” said Edward.“For using his sword to save his princefrom bodily harm and possible death, hewas made a knight. For saving his kingfrom shame and a whipping, taking bothupon himself, he was made an earl, theEarl of Kent. He shall now have the goldand lands that befit his tle. The right tosit before me is his by royal grant. Themen of the Hendon line may sit in thepresence of England’s kings as long asthere is a crown.”

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Two latecomers to the room stood

silently, unable to comprehend the turnoff events. They were Sir Hugh and Lady

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Edith. They were not no ced by the newEarl of Kent.

Miles was absorbed by his thoughtsand mu erings: “This is the poor,ragged boy I was going to impress withmy seventy-room house. This is the madboy I was going to cure and makerespectable. Oh, how I wish I had a bagto hide my head in.”

When he came to himself, Milesbowed before the king and swore hisloyalty. As Miles rose and moved backtoward the envious crowd, Edward’seyes caught sight of the pair fromHendon Hall.

“Take the stolen tle and landsfrom this robber and lock him up,” theboy ordered.

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As Hugh Hendon was led away, all

eyes turned toward a boy who wasbeing ushered in by more guards. It wasTom Canty, wearing a magnificent royalsuit. The boy knelt before his king.

“I have heard about how well youruled these past few weeks, withgentleness and mercy and how you havefound your mother and sisters again,”King Edward said. “They will be cared forand, if you wish, your father will hang. Ihereby order that from now on, theboys at Christ’s Hospital be given aneduca on along with their other needs.Tom Canty shall live there and be itsboard chief all of his life.

“Because he has been a king, healone is to wear this special royal

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clothing. He is always to be treated withrespect and be called by the honorable

tle of King’s Ward, to show that he hasthe king’s protec on and support all ofhis life.”

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CHAPTER 16

To a Better Life

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All of the mysteries were cleared up

when Hugh Hendon admi ed he hadforced Lady Edith to pretend not toknow Miles. He had threatened to haveMiles killed unless she lied, and she hadagreed, to save the man she loved.

Neither Lady Edith nor Miles wouldtes fy against Hugh, who le for France.He died there soon a er. Now the Earlof Kent, Miles married Lady Edith, andthe town rejoiced when the happy pairentered Hendon Hall.

John Canty was never heard fromagain. Tom lived to be a wise old man,handsome and white-haired. Whereverhe went, he was known by his specialroyal clothing. Crowds would make way,whispering, “Hats off! It’s the King’s

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Ward!” Tom would smile kindly inreturn, and the smile would meansomething, coming from a man with anhonorable history.

As for Edward VI, he lived for only afew years, but he lived them well. Heremembered and saved many of thevic ms he had met: the farmer who hadbeen sold as a slave, the old imprisonedlawyer, the woman who had stolensome cloth, and the daughters of thetwo women he had seen burned at thestake. He also praised publicly the judgewho had pi ed him when he wasaccused of stealing a pig.

A few mes, when some wealthycour er complained that his laws weretoo easy, the young king would turn his

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kindly eyes on him and say, “What doyou know of suffering and oppression? Iand my people know, but not you!”

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9.

Journey to the Center of the Earth

10.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

11.

Swiss Family Robinson

12.

Heidi

13.

Merry Adventures of Robin Hood

14.

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

15.

Three Musketeers

16.

Moby Dick

17.

Adventures of Robinson Crusoe

18.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

19.

Mutiny On the Bounty

20.

Kidnapped

21.

Great Expectations

22.

Prince and the Pauper

23.

David Copperfield

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24.

Last of the Mohicans

25.

Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

26.

A Tale of Two Cities

27.

Red Badge of Courage

28.

Count of Monte Cristo

29.

Captains Courageous

30.

Frankenstein

31.

King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table

32.

Time Machine

33.

Tales of Mystery and Terror

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