Chapter 2 Tom meets the prince My mother and my sisters are very kind,' said Tom. 'I have got sisters, too,' said the prince. 'They are called Lady Elizabeth and Lady Mary. I have also got a cousin called Lady Jane Grey. Lady Elizabeth and Lady Jane are very nice but Lady Mary is not. She gets very angry with her servants. Do your sisters get angry with their servants?' 'They haven't got any servants,' replied Tom. 'Then who helps them to get dressed?' asked the prince. 'We all get dressed ourselves and we don't have many clothes,' said Tom. Theprince did not understand. How could people get dressed themselves? A servant always helped him. 'You can have one of my servants,' he said 'I will also give you and your sisters lots of new clothes. Do not thank me. It is nothing.' 'That is very kind of you, sir,' said Tom. 'You speak very well. Where do you go to school?' the prince went on. 'I don't go to school,' Tom said 'A good man called Father Andrew taught me to read and write.' The prince smiled. 'I have got a teacher as well,' he said. 'Tell me about your home. Are you happy there?' Tom thought about Offal Court. 'Yes,' he said 'Sometimes there are puppet shows and plays in the street. I play with my friends and sometimes we play a game where we hit each other with wooden swords for fun.' 'That sounds wonderful!' the prince said. 'In summer,' continued Tom, 'we go swimming in the river. We also dance and we play in the mud.' 'Excellent!' replied the prince happily. 'I'd really like to wear your clothes, see a puppet show, play with friends and swim in the river! Sometimes I get very bored here.' 'Well,' said Tom, 'I'd really like to dress like a prince!' 'Really?' said the prince 'Well, we'll swap clothes! I'll wear your clothes and you can wear mine!' A few minutes later, Tom was wearing the prince's expensive clothes and the hat with purple feathers. The prince was wearing Tom's dirty old rags. 'Look in the mirror,' said the prince. Tom looked and he was very surprised. 'We have got the same eyes,' continued the prince, 'We have got the same hair. We have even got the same face!’ It was true. The two boys looked exactly the same. They were like twins.
In this chapter, Tom meets the prince and they begin to compare their lives. Tom talks about his kind family, including his sisters, while the prince shares about his own sisters and cousin. Tom explains that his family doesn't have servants and they dress themselves, which confuses the prince who is used to being attended to by servants. The prince offers to give Tom and his sisters servants and new clothes, which Tom gratefully accepts.
They then discuss their education, with Tom explaining that he doesn't go to school but Father Andrew taught him how to read and write. The prince shares that he has a teacher as well. The prince asks Tom about his home and Tom describes the fun activities he enjoys in Offal Court, such as puppet shows, playing with friends, and swimming in the river.
The prince expresses his desire to experience those activities and admits to getting bored at the palace. Tom suggests exchanging clothes so they can experience each other's lives. They swap clothes and when they look in the mirror, they realize they look exactly alike, almost like twins.
This chapter shows the stark contrast between the prince's privileged life and Tom's humble upbringing. It also sets the stage for the switch between the two boys, which will likely lead to interesting and unexpected events.
