Novel by Mark Twain, published in 1881. In it Twain satirizes social conventions, concluding that appearances often hide a person's true value. Despite its saccharine plot, the novel succeeds as a critique of legal and moral injustices. On a lark two identical-looking boys, Prince Edward Tudor of Wales and street urchin Tom Canty, exchange clothes. In the ensuing mix-up, each is mistaken for the other and both are believed to be mad. Edward learns about the problems of commoners, while Tom learns to play the role of a prince and then a king. -- The Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature