of 7
/7
| Date post: | 31-Oct-2014 |
| Category: |
Education |
| Author: | campfiregn |
| View: | 721 times |
| Download: | 2 times |
OUR KINGDOM HAS AN HEIR. I HAVE
WAITED ANXIOUSLY FOR THIS DAY. RAISE HIM TO THE HEAVENS, FOR ONE DAY THEY
SHALL BE HIS. ALL HAIL EDWARD, PRINCE OF
ENGLAND!
THERE WAS NO TALK IN ALL ENGLAND BUT OF THE
NEW BABY, EDWARD TUDOR, PRINCE OF WALES.
ANOTHER MOUTH TO FEED. HE’LL
BE CALLED TOM, I GUESS. PUT HIM DOWN NOW, WOMAN, AND GET BACK TO WORK. HE’S
WORTHLESS TO ME UNTIL HE CAN EARN SOME
MONEY.
BUT THERE WAS NO TALK ABOUT THE OTHER BABY, TOM CANTY, COVERED IN HIS POOR RAGS.
IT’S A BOY!
...A BOY WAS BORN TO A POOR FAMILY OF THE NAME OF CANTY, WHO DID NOT WANT HIM. ON THE SAME
DAY, ANOTHER ENGLISH CHILD WAS BORN TO A RICH FAMILY OF THE NAME OF TUDOR, WHO DID WANT HIM.
IN THE CITY OF LONDON, ON A CERTAIN AUTUMN DAY IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY...
www.campfire.co.inCAMPFIRETM
TOM'S LIFE WENT ALONG WELL ENOUGH. HE BEGGED JUST ENOUGH TO SAVE HIMSELF. BUT
ONE DESIRE HAUNTED HIM DAY AND NIGHT. IT WAS TO SEE A REAL PRINCE, WITH HIS OWN EYES.
HE WOULD DREAM ABOUT IT ALL NIGHT LONG.
AND WHEN HE AWOKE IN THE MORNING AND LOOKED UPON THE MISERY ABOUT HIM...
...THE AGONY OF HIS SURROUNDINGS WOULD GET INCREASED A THOUSAND TIMES.
TOM! GET YOUR LAZY BONES
OUT OF BED!
THERE ARE ALOT OF RICH FOLKS
OUT AND ABOUT TODAY. SO, GET OUT THERE WITHOUT ANY DELAY AND BEG FOR
YOUR FOOD.
TOM, DON’T YOU DARE COME HOME WITHOUT ANY MONEY AGAIN. ELSE, YOU’LL GET THE BEATING OF
A LIFETIME!
THE HOUSE WHICH TOM’S FATHER LIVED IN WAS A DIRTY LITTLE POCKET CALLED OFFAL COURT. TOM’S FATHER, JOHN CANTY, WAS A THIEF; AND HIS MOTHER A BEGGAR. THEY MADE BEGGARS OF
THE CHILDREN, BUT FAILED TO MAKE THIEVES OF THEM.
HIS DESIRE TO SEE A REAL PRINCE GREW UPON HIM, DAY BY DAY, UNTIL, AT LAST, IT ABSORBED ALL OTHER DESIRES, AND BE-CAME THE ONE PASSION OF HIS LIFE.
www.campfire.co.inCAMPFIRETM
TOM WANDERED HERE AND THERE IN THE CITY, HARDLY NOTICING
WHERE HE WAS GOING, OR WHAT WAS HAPPENING AROUND HIM.
HE LEFT HIS HOUSE TO BEG, BUT HIS THOUGHTS WERE BUSY WITH THE
GLORY OF HIS NIGHT’S DREAMS.
BY-AND-BY HE FOUND HIMSELF AT TEMPLE BAR, THE FARTHEST FROM HOME HE HAD EVER TRAVELLED IN THAT DIRECTION. HE STOPPED AND CONSIDERED A MOMENT, THEN FELL INTO HIS DREAMS AGAIN...
...AND PASSED ON OUTSIDE THE WALLS OF LONDON.
MY GOODNESS. I HAVE WANDERED FAR ENOUGH. I HAD BETTER GET BACK TO MY BEGGING.
BUT…
WHERE AM I?
IT DID NOT TAKE TOM MUCH TIME TO RECOGNISE THE SIGNS AND SYMBOLS OF ENGLISH ROYALTY AROUND HIM.
www.campfire.co.inCAMPFIRETM
I CAN’T BELIEVE IT… THE ROYAL CASTLE!
WILL THE DESIRE OF MY SOUL BE SATISFIED AT LAST? WILL THIS BE MY CHANCE TO SEE
THE PRINCE WITH MY OWN EYES?
WHAT WAS THAT? IS IT
POSSIBLE?
OH! HE IS A PRINCE... A LIVING
PRINCE, A REAL PRINCE... WITHOUT THE SHADOW
OF A QUESTION!
HOW DARE YOU TREAT ONE OF
MY FATHER’S SUBJECTS IN THIS WAY? OPEN THE
GATE AND LET HIM IN AT ONCE!
MIND YOUR MANNERS, YOU YOUNG
BEGGAR! LOOKS LIKE YOU NEED TO BE TAUGHT
A LESSON.
STOP!
NO!
IN HIS RAGS, TOM MOVED SLOWLY AND TIMIDLY PAST
THE GUARDS, WITH A BEATING HEART AND RISING HOPE.
ALL AT ONCE, HE CAUGHT SIGHT OF A SPECTACLE THAT ALMOST MADE HIM SHOUT FOR JOY.
TOM’S PRAYER HAD BEEN ANSWERED AT LAST.
TOM’S BREATH CAME QUICK AND SHORT WITH EXCITEMENT. EVERYTHING GAVE WAY IN HIS MIND INSTANTLY TO ONE
DESIRE � TO GET CLOSE TO THE PRINCE AND HAVE A GOOD LOOK AT HIM.
THE YOUNG PRINCE SPRANG TO THE GATE WITH HIS FACE FLUSHED AND
EYES FLASHING WITH ANGER.
www.campfire.co.inCAMPFIRETM
YOUR HIGHNESS,
ARE YOU SAFE? SHALL I…
WHAT’S YOUR NAME, LAD?
WHAT A STRANGE NAME! AND PRAY TELL ME, WHAT WERE YOU DOING ON THE GATE
JUST THEN?
WELL, HERE IS YOUR DREAM FULFILLED. I AM SORRY TO DISAPPOINT YOUR
FANTASY, TOM.
IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY DREAM TO SEE
A PRINCE, MY LORD.
HOW COULD YOU
SAY THAT, YOUR MAJESTY?
WHY WOULD YOU WANT
THAT?
I…I WAS TRYING TO GET A GLIMPSE OF YOUR
MAJESTY.
TOM CANTY, IF IT PLEASES YOUR
HIGHNESS.
ENOUGH! LEAVE US ALONE!
THANK YOU, YOUR MAJESTY.
YOU LOOK TIRED AND HUNGRY.
YOU HAVE BEEN TREATED BADLY. COME
WITH ME.
PRINCE EDWARD TOOK TOM TO A RICH APARTMENT IN THE PALACE, WHICH HE CALLED HIS CABINET.
THE PRINCE SENT EVERYONE AWAY BECAUSE HE REALISED THAT TOM WOULD FEEL UN-
COMFORTABLE IN THEIR PRESENCE.
www.campfire.co.inCAMPFIRETM
A chance meeting between a member of the royal family and a street urchin triggers a course of events that form the basis of this enthralling story.
Tom, the pauper; and Edward, the prince, discover that not only do they share the same birthday, but they also look identical. Being the boys that they are, they decide to have some fun and exchange clothes. However, little do they know that this will land them up in the most bizarre of situations.
Inadvertently, the boys end up swapping places with each other – Tom becomes the prince; and Edward, the pauper. No one believes them when they try to explain their true identities, so they are forced to adapt to their new lifestyles, with very interesting consequences.
This well-loved novel by Mark Twain takes a humorous look at the sixteenth-century society, and the inequalities that existed at that time, and perhaps still do today.
www.campfi re.co.in
