The Prince and the Pauper

Edward continues to act as a royal, demanding that Miles remove his clothes before he goes to bed and sleep on the ground near the door. In the morning, Miles measures Edward while he sleeps and leaves so that he can buy clothes for the young king. He returns to present Edward with his outfit but discovers Edward has gone missing.

Miles questions the servant at the inn and learns that a young boy came and lured Edward out of the inn, at which point a man abducted him. Miles rightly guesses is John Canty and sets out in pursuit.

Tom wakes up, and, after being dressed by 14 attendants, attends a meeting about matters of state. Upon hearing of the crown’s extensive debts, he questions whether they should reduce the size of the royal household but is quickly stopped by the Earl of Hertford. Tom falls asleep during the meeting, bringing it to a halt. Afterward, he interacts with his half-sisters, finding Lady Mary unnerving.

Following this, Tom meets Humphrey Marlow, the royal whipping boy. Tom is horrified when he learns that Humphrey is whipped if Edward fails in lessons and wants to dismiss him. Humphrey begs to be allowed to keep his job, as the money allows him to provide for his family. Tom then promises to do poorly in his future lessons to ensure that Humphrey may always be employed. Tom begins to ask Humphrey about royal etiquette, using him to gain information about how he should conduct himself while king.

The Earl of Hertford hears that rumors the king is “mad” have spread, so he tells Tom he must start to dine publicly to combat them. While he instructs Tom, he notes that Tom’s manner has improved and, he is more at ease in his royal role.

The next day, Tom meets the foreign ambassadors who are coming to greet the new king. While initially excited by the number and variety of people, he soon becomes bored, and his boredom grows into homesickness as he misses his mother and sisters.

During the next few days, Tom becomes more comfortable in his role as a king. He is soon scheduled to have his first public dinner, which worries him. On the same day, the Earl of Hertford will be appointed as the Grand Protector.

On the fourth day of his reign, Tom sees a crowd of people approaching the palace. He asks what they are doing, and when the crowd stops, it is discovered they are on their way to observe the executions of a man, a woman and a girl. Tom commands them to bring those who will be executed to him. When everyone runs to obey his commands, he reflects on the advantages of his office.

First, the man is brought in front of Tom, and Tom recognizes him as a man that saved his childhood friend from drowning on New Years Day. The man is accused of poisoning someone and proclaims his innocence. If he must be executed, he requests not to be boiled alive, as is the rule for poisoners. Tom is horrified by this brutality and immediately demands that the law be changed. After this, he inquires further into the case and discovers that the supposed poisoning took place on New Years Day. Knowing that the man must be innocent, Tom pardons him. His mercy and intelligent line of questioning impress the court and begin to counteract the rumors of his “madness.”

Next, the woman and the girl are brought before Tom. They are a mother and daughter accused of witchcraft. Their crime was supposedly pulling up their stockings and uttering a magic spell, which caused a destructive storm. Tom demands that they do this again, and if they are able to, he promises that he will pardon the woman’s daughter. When her mother is unable to create a storm, Tom reasons that if she could produce a storm, she would have done so for the sake of saving her daughter, therefore she must not be a witch. He pardons them both and again impresses the court with his wise reasoning.

Tom is still worried about the upcoming state dinner, but his successes in the morning have built up his confidence. As the dinner begins, Twain inserts a quote from the English chronicler Raphael Holinshed to describe the king’s preparations for dinner and the nobles’ entrance ceremony. Throughout the dinner, Tom continues to act appropriately, making it through without making any mistakes. He decides that he would be happy to do this more if it allows him to avoid the more strenuous requirements of being a king.