The year is 1547. In London, two boys from different families live very different lives. One is Edward Tudor, a prince and the future King of England; the other is Tom Canty, the son of a thief. One day they meet and their lives change forever.

What happens when the two boys wear each other's clothes? Why does the prince need the help of a poor man? Who becomes king when Henry VIII dies? And how can a beautiful gold object save the prince? Mark Twain's classic story of two young boys who swap lives has the answers.

A collection of classic and modern stories by some of America's finest writers. The collection brings together six stories which explore the development of the American short story over the past century - from a fierce critique of modern suburban family life to isolation and lost love in the deep mid-west.

Includes stories by Dorothy Parker, Theodore Dreiser, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Patricia Highsmith, O. Henry and Edith Wharton.

* The Gift of the Magi-- by O. Henry.
A young couple exchange Christmas gifts.

* The Lost Phoebe-- by Theodore Dreiser.
An old man cannot accept the loss of his wife.

* The Baby Party-- by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
A child's party has unexpected consequences.

* You Were Perfectly Fine-- by Dorothy Parker.
A young man hears of his adventures on an evening out.

* The Romantic-- by Patricia Highsmith.
A lonely woman finds a new way to create romance.

* Full Circle-- by Edith Wharton.
Fortune leads two writers down opposite roads.
Answer keys and further support are available from the Macmillan Readers student's site: www.macmillanenglish.com/readers