The Prince and the Pauper is a novel by American author Mark Twain.<br/><br/>It was first published in 1881 in Canada, before its 1882 publication in the United States.<br/><br/>The novel represents Twain's first attempt at historical fiction.<br/><br/>Set in 1537, it tells the story of two young boys who are identical in appearance: Tom Canty, a pauper who lives with his abusive father in Offal Court off Pudding Lane in London, and Prince Edward, son of King Henry VIII.<br/>(from wikipedia.org)