In this amusing satire of Renaissance England, Mark Twain relates a story of Edward IV, son of Henry VIII who was England's boy king, and Tom Canty, his pauper look-alike. In the story the boys become acquainted and exchange clothes and life styles in order to learn how the other lives.

Edward is the King of England. He's also dying, which is inconvenient, as he's only sixteen and he'd rather be planning his first kiss than who will inherit his crown. Jane, Edward's cousin, is far more interested in books than romance. Unfortunately, Edward has arranged to marry her off to Gifford secure the line of succession. And Gifford is, well, a horse. That is, he is an Eðian (eth-y-un, for the uninitiated) who becomes a chestnut steed every...

When chance brings Edward Tudor and Tom Canty together, they decide for fun to switch clothes and places. Exchanging their roles as heir of the throne of England and as a pauper's son, they learn how the other half really lives.