Chapter XXI. Hendon to the rescue. Practice Quiz — The Prince and the Pauper
by Mark Twain — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Chapter XXI. Hendon to the rescue.
What is the hermit doing as Edward sleeps at the beginning of Chapter 21?
He is sitting on a bench, watching Edward with "craving eyes" while whetting (sharpening) his knife and mumbling and chuckling to himself.
To what creature does Twain compare the hermit as he watches the sleeping boy?
A "grizzly, monstrous spider, gloating over some hapless insect that lay bound and helpless in his web."
What does the hermit demand Edward do when the boy wakes and sees the knife?
He demands that Edward pray — specifically, "Pray the prayer for the dying!"
How does the hermit address Edward, revealing his motive for wanting to kill him?
He calls him "Son of Henry the Eighth" and "Seed of the Church's spoiler," showing his desire for revenge against the Tudor monarchy for breaking with the Catholic Church.
What interrupts the hermit just as he kneels over Edward with the knife?
Sounds of voices near the cabin, followed by blows and cries for help, and then thundering knocks on the door — it is Miles Hendon arriving.
Why does Edward consider Hendon's voice "the blessedest sound that had ever made music in the King's ears"?
Because Hendon's arrival interrupts the hermit at the very moment he was about to kill Edward, offering the hope of rescue.
What does the hermit do with Edward before going out to meet Hendon?
He drops the knife, casts a sheepskin over the boy to hide him, and closes the bedchamber door behind him.
How did Miles Hendon track Edward to the hermit's cabin?
He caught the scoundrels who stole Edward, made them confess, and they told him they had tracked the boy's footprints to the hermit's door.
What lie does the hermit tell Hendon about Edward's whereabouts?
He claims he sent the "ragged regal vagrant" on an errand and that the boy will return shortly.
Why does Hendon initially doubt the hermit's story about sending Edward on an errand?
Because Hendon knows Edward is too proud — "He would pull thy old beard, an' thou didst offer him such an insolence" — and would never take orders from any man.
What false identity does the hermit claim in order to explain Edward's obedience?
He claims to be an archangel, saying "I am not a man... I am an archangel!"
Why does Hendon accept the hermit's archangel claim?
Because he knows Edward would never obey a mere mortal but reasons that "even a king must obey when an archangel gives the word o' command."
What prevents Edward's muffled cries from reaching Hendon's ears?
Edward's jaws are bound shut (gagged), and the sheepskin covering him further muffles his attempts to call out.
What does the hermit claim when Hendon hears a strange noise from the cabin?
He dismisses it, saying "I heard only the wind" and then claims the sound came "from without — I think from the copse yonder," leading Hendon away outside.
How does the hermit ultimately get Hendon to leave the cabin?
He leads Hendon outside to search the woods for Edward, then volunteers to accompany him on the road, effectively luring him away from the cabin entirely.
What animals are mentioned in connection with Hendon's departure from the cabin?
A donkey ("the wee donkey") meant for the boy, and a mule that Hendon has difficulty mounting, leading to a comical scene of "kicks, cuffs, tramplings and plungings."
What is the emotional state of Edward after Hendon leaves with the hermit?
He falls into utter despair: "All hope forsook him" and "a dull despair settled down upon his heart," as he realizes his only friend has been deceived and led away.
Who actually enters the cabin after Hendon leaves?
John Canty and Hugo — Edward's former captors from the gang of vagabonds.
What is Edward's surprising reaction to seeing John Canty and Hugo?
He is relieved rather than frightened — "He would have said 'Thank God!' if his jaws had been free" — because they are a lesser threat than the hermit who was about to murder him.
What do Canty and Hugo do with Edward at the end of Chapter 21?
They free him from his bonds and hurry him "with all speed through the forest," recapturing him for the vagabond gang.
What is the central dramatic irony in Chapter 21?
The reader knows Edward is bound and gagged just feet away while Hendon searches for him, but Hendon cannot hear the boy and is tricked into leaving by the hermit.
What is the situational irony at the chapter's conclusion?
Edward is "rescued" from certain death not by his loyal friend Hendon, but by his enemies Canty and Hugo — trading one form of captivity for another.
What literary technique does Twain use to lighten the tension during the near-rescue scene?
Dark humor — particularly in Hendon's profane exclamation at the archangel claim and his comical struggle to mount the stubborn mule.
What theme does Edward's helplessness in this chapter reinforce?
The powerlessness of identity without recognition — despite being the true King of England, Edward is completely helpless when no one acknowledges his royal authority.