Chapter 3

TOM'S MEETING WITH THE PRINCE

One day Tom got up hungry and left home hungry. His head was full of his night's dreams.

He walked along the streets, and he did not know where he was going. He passed many streets and suddenly found himself near the king's palace — Westminster.

Poor little Tom, in his rags, came up to the gates and looked at the guards who were standing at each side of the gates. Then suddenly through the bars of the gates he saw a good-looking boy, who was beautifully dressed. Oh, that was a prince, a living prince, a real prince!

Tom was so happy to see him that he did not know what he was doing: he had his face against the bars of the gates.

The next moment one of the soldiers pushed him away and he fell down. The crowd that stood near the palace began to laugh at Tom, but the young prince ran up and cried out:

" Open the gates and let him in! "

The guard opened the gates and little Tom passed in.

" Come with me, boy, " said the young prince, Edward Tudor.

Не took Tom to a beautiful room in the palace, which he called his cabinet.

" What is your name, boy? " asked the prince.

" Tom Canty, sir. "

" And where do you live? "

" In Offal Court, sir. " " Do you have parents? "

" Yes, sir, I have parents and a grandmother and also twin sisters named Nan and Bet. "

" How old are your sisters? " asked the prince again.

" Fifteen years old, sir. "

The prince said: " I too have sisters. One of them, the Lady Elizabeth, is fourteen. And my cousin, the Lady Jane Grey, is of my own age. They both are very kind to me, but the Lady Mary, my other sister, is not kind to anybody. She does not even allow the servants to smile. Do your sisters not allow their servants to smile? "

" Oh, do you think that they have servants? "

" Why not? " asked the prince. " Who helps them to dress in the morning and undress at night? "

" Nobody, sir, " answered Tom. " Do you think that they take off their clothes at night and sleep without them, like beasts? "

" But do they have only one dress? " asked the prince.

" Of course, sir, " answered Tom. " They have only one body, so they have only one dress. "

The prince thought a little and then said:

" Is your life very hard in Offal Court? "

" No, not very. Only when I am hungry. But we lads of Offal Court, have much fun, too. In summer we play together and we fight to see who is the strongest and we run to see who is the fastest. In summer we swim in the canals and in the river, and we push each other under the water... "

" Oh, I should like to do that too! " cried the prince. " Tell me more about your life. "

" We dance and we sing near the river, we play in the sand and we cover ourselves with mud and... "

" How pleasant it must be to play in the mud! " cried the prince. " I should like so much to do it! To be clothed like you, to walk about without shoes and to play in the mud! Listen, boy, will you change your clothes for mine just for a few minutes? Take off your clothes and put on mine, and I shall put on yours. Thus I shall be able to have the pleasures of your life for a few moments. "

Five minutes later the two boys, the pauper and the Prince of Wales, stood side by side before a great mirror. It was as if they had not exchanged their clothes. They looked at each other, then at themselves in the mirror, then at each other again. At last the prince said:

" You see that we are very much alike? You have the same hair, the same eyes, the same face that I have. "

Suddenly he saw a bruise on Tom's hand.

" Did the guard bruise your hand? "

" Oh, it is nothing, " answered Tom.

" Yes, it is, " cried the prince, " I shall punish that soldier! Wait here till I come back. "

He took something that was on the table and put it away, and the next moment he was out of the room, running towards the gates of the palace.

He shouted to the guard: " Open the gates! "

The guard opened the gates and threw the prince into the mud, and the crowd near the palace began to laugh. The prince got up and ran to the soldier, shouting:

" I am the Prince of Wales, and I shall hang you! "

The crowd only laughed and closed around the little prince. They pushed him, and beat him, and drove him away from the palace, crying: " Way for his royal highness, way for the Prince of Wales! "

1. Answer the questions.

1) One day Tom got up hungry and left home, didn’t he?

2) Where did he find himself?

3) Whom did he see through the bars of the gates?

4) Did Tom meet the young prince?

5) What were the boys talking about?

6) What did the young prince decide to do?

7) What did the guard do when the prince ordered him to open the door?

2. Match the following and find the sentences with them in the text:

Bruise толпа

Servant парень

Guard синяк

Bar грязь

Mud стража

Lad слуга

Crowd решетка

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