The Prince and the Pauper is a fable or fairy tale for young readers written in the 19th century by Samuel Clemens, under the pen name of Mark Twain. It tells the story of two boys in 16th century England who were born on the same day and look identical, but are unrelated. One, named Edward Tudor, is a prince and the other, named Tom Canty, is a pauper. Edward Tudor was a real person in history, but Tom was invented by Twain. Through unusual circumstances, Edward and Tom meet and exchange clothing, which leads to everyone confusing the identities of the two boys.