The Prince and the Pauper

Two boys meet and learn they are identical. For fun, they exchange clothes. The prince, dressed as the pauper, is driven from the palace grounds, and soon makes his way to the home of the pauper, while the pauper is presumed to be the prince.

It does not take long for the prince to learn the miseries of life as a commoner. He sees men falsely convicted of crimes and harsh sentences carried out. He witnesses the horrors of living with the pauper's alcoholic father who disciplines cruelly and vindictively. On the street, he learns about the dire struggles to get the necessities of life for the poor.

It does not take long for the pauper to learn of the miseries of life as a royal either. He is subject to strict rules about what to do and when to do things and how to do things. His time is not his own. He gradually learns to fit in and begins to take pleasure by enjoying the perks of a rich person's life.

It is the prince who returns to his position as ruler, now king, with a deep appreciation for the struggles of the poor, and who uses his new knowledge to rule justly and fairly.

The Prince and the Pauper is a story that makes it clear that there is nothing like walking in another's shoes to develop empathy and concern for others.