What's Everybuggy Reading: Thistle
The Prince and the Pauper
by Mark Twain
Piccadilly Books, 2009
Did you notice all the eerie resemblances in this month’s Spider? There were the double-trouble Vikings in Doodlebug & Dandelion, the lifelike glass flowers in “Fooled You!”, and the grandson who sees an awfully familiar picture in “Arash and Babajun.” Have you ever met someone who looks just like you? (Some people say I look like a tiny version of Ophelia!)
This book is one of the most classic tales of eerie resemblances. It’s about two boys who look very similar: Edward Tudor, the prince of England who’s destined to become king, and Tom Canty, a beggar boy who practically lives in the streets. One day Edward sees Tom outside the palace gates and invites him inside. The boys are fascinated by each other’s lifestyles, and both of them want to know what it’s like to be someone else. So they exchange clothes—and they’re shocked to see how similar they look! But before they can change back, Edward is thrown out onto the street like a beggar, and Tom is treated like the prince!
It’s a long, crazy adventure for both of the boys. Tom finds out that he’s about to be crowned king, and Edward finds out just how awful it is to be a poor boy in the London streets. But there’s a happy ending: Edward becomes the prince again, and Tom gets a very special reward!
H'm, Spider tells me that he's the king of everybuggy . . . I wonder if he'd switch identities with me so I can find out what it's like to be large and in charge!
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