"When I am king they shall not have bread and shelter only, but also teachings out of books, for a full belly is little worth where the mind is starved." -Mark Twain, The Prince and the Pauper (1881) The Prince and the Pauper-A Tale for Young People of All Ages (1881), by Mark Twain, set in 16th-century England, tells the story of two young boys who were born on the same day and are identical in appearance: Tom Canty, a pauper who lives with his abusive father, and Edward VI of England, son of King Henry VIII of England. In this tale, Twain satirizes social conventions and offers a critique of legal and moral injustices. This replica of the original edition of The Prince and the Pauper , containing 192 illustrations by Frank T. Merrill and John Harley, is a testament to the perennial quality of this classic.