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Tom Canty was very poor. He and his family were paupers. Tom Canty's father didn't want to work and he sent his three children out to beg money in the streets. They had to stand at the side of the road and say ,"Please give a penny to a poor child! "If they didn't bring money to John Canty in the evening he would beat them and give them no food. It was a very unhappy life for the children.
Father Andrew lived in the same house. Tom went to sit with Father Andrew every day and he told Tom stories about kings and princes. Father Andrew taught Tom how to speak nicely and how to behave like a prince, and he also taught him Latin.
The King of England had one son called, Edward. Prince Edward would be king when his father died.
Father Andrew said to Tom: "You should go to Westminster Palace, and perhaps one day you would see the son of King Henry".
So Tom went to the Palace. A boy came out of the Palace and went near to the gate. Tom cried: "I want to see the prince!" One of the soldiers said: "Keep back! "but prince Edward said "no" to the soldier "Come with me : " said the prince. "Tell me who you are and why you want to see me so much." Tom told the prince all, and the prince said: "I would like to be a poor boy, and you will be a prince. Let's change clothes just for a little time. You will be the prince and I´ll be poor beggar boy. "Then they changed clothes. "Stay here till I come back, "said the prince then he ran out of the door. Tom stood there alone.
Edward went along the street he went on and on. Suddenly a hand
came out of the darkness and took Edward by the arm. It was Tom's father and he asked him:" How much money have you got ?" Edward answered that he was the prince. He pulled him along.
In the palace
Tom walked up and down. He was looking at all the beautiful pictures on the walls. He began to feel afraid and wanted to get out of the room. So he opened the door. There were four gentlemen standing outside. Tom saw the men and ran back into the room. There he saw a beautiful girl standing at the door. It was Edward's sister The girl went with Tom to the king. King Henry the Eighth was very ill: he had not long to live. Tom said that he wasn't Edward. The king looked at him angrily. Tom was led away to the prince's room. After a short time Lord Hertford came back to King Henry. The king said I know that I have not long to live but laws must be made Bring me the Great Seal from Edward "Lord Hertford went away and soon came back." He told the king that the prince didn't know where it was. The king answered that he would find it later.
Tom went down to the royal barge and got into it. The royal barge moved down the river to the Guildhall. All the rich men of London were waiting for the prince.
Meanwhile John Canty pulled his son home. People laughed at them. Only one old man cried that he should let the boy go free. But John Canty hit the old man on the head - he was dead.
They came home and his mother and grandmother shouted with the boy. Suddenly a friend of John told him that the old man, he had hit, had been Father Andrew. Then John and Edward walked to another street fearfully of punishment. In a big crowd of people he could flee from Canty and tried to find Tom. Edward at last reached the Guildhall. He asked for entrance and was sent away. The people around him got very angry. A man named Miles Hendon fought him free during that moment horsemen came and a voice cried that the king was dead. Miles and Edward could vanish in the darkness. Near the inn they met John Canty he wanted to take him home but Miles didn\'t allow it. Miles took Edward to an inn and gave him to eat and let him sleep. Edward got to know about Miles life. Edward made the man to Sir Miles Hendon. In the morning Miles woke up and went to buy some clothes for the boy. In that time a young man named Hugo came and told the boy that Miles Hendon needed his help because he had been wounded. So Edward went with the young man. Sir Miles returned with the clothes and noticed that Edward had disappeared. The servant of the inn told him the story and Miles set out to find the boy.
At the same time in the Westminster Palace Tom woke up and many servants helped him to get into his clothes. Then he got a big breakfast. Afterwards he had to go to the Council Chamber a big room where meetings were held. He had to sit there for many hours. Then there was a very long dinner. After this he had to sign many political papers. In the evening he said to himself: "The clothes are beautiful and it\'s a beautiful house, and the food is nice, but I don`t like being a king. I wish I could go back to Pudding Lane and play with the other boys and swim in the river."
Hugo did not bring the boy to Miles. He went to a hut in the wood. There was his father again. He wanted him to get money and food for him.They went into the road and Hugo pretended to be very ill and cried for help. A man came and wanted to help them but Edward told the man that Hugo was a beggar The man shouted and Hugo ran away. Edward was glad and went on. Suddenly Hugo appeared again and told him to teach him a lesson. They came to a town. A woman carrying a basket with a hen it passed. Hugo stole the hen and then he cried that Edward had taken it. An angry crowd gathered quickly aroun them. Suddenly Miles came on his horse and helped him He gave Edward some money and so the people could not say that he had stolen the hen. Miles tokk the boy up on his horse and they went to Hendon Hall.
After two days they came to Hendon Hall. It was Mile´s home but there had changed a lot.His father was dead and his brother did not want to help him Nobody knew him anymore Miles got very angry and hit his brother. So they were sent to prison.
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