CAPTULO I - Pag 1

In the ancient city of London, on a certain autumn day in the second quarter of the sixteenth century, a boy was born to a poor family of the name of Canty, who did not want him. On the same day another English child was born to a rich family of the name of Tudor, who did want him. All England wanted him too. England had so longed for him, and hoped for him, and prayed God for him, that, now that he was really come, the people went nearly mad for joy. Mere acquaintances hugged and kissed each other and cried. Everybody took a holiday, and high and low, rich and poor, feasted and danced and sang, and got very mellow; and they kept this up for days and nights together. By day, London was a sight to see, with gay banners waving from every balcony and housetop, and splendid pageants marching along. By night, it was again a sight to see, with its great bonfires at every corner, and its troops of revellers making merry around them. There was no talk in all England but of the new baby, Edward Tudor, Prince of Wales, who lay lapped in silks and satins, unconscious of all this fuss, and not knowing that great lords and ladies were tending him and watching over him—and not caring, either. But there was no talk about the other baby, Tom Canty, lapped in his poor rags, except among the family of paupers whom he had just come to trouble with his presence.

En la antigua ciudad de Londres, un cierto da de otoo del segundo cuarto del siglo XVI, le naci un nio a una familia pobre, de apellido Canty, que no lo deseaba. El mismo da otro nio ingls le naci a una familia rica, de apellido Tudor, que s lo deseaba. Toda Inglaterra tambin lo deseaba. Inglaterra lo haba deseado tanto tiempo, y lo haba esperado, y haba rogado tanto a Dios para que lo enviara, que, ahora que haba llegado, el pueblo se volvi casi loco de alegra. Meros conocidos se abrazaban y besaban y lloraban. Todo el mundo se tom un da de fiesta; encumbrados y humildes, ricos y pobres, festejaron, bailaron, cantaron y se hicieron ms cordiales durante das y noches. De da Londres era un espectculo digno de verse, con sus alegres banderas ondeando en cada balcn y en cada tejado y con vistosos desfiles por las calles. De noche era de nuevo otro espectculo, con sus grandes fogatas en todas las esquinas y sus grupos de parrandistas alegres alborotando entorno de ellas. En toda Inglaterra no se hablaba sino del nuevo nio, Eduardo Tudor, Prncipe de Gales, que dorma arropado en sedas y rasos, ignorante, de todo este bullicio, sin saber que lo servan y lo cuidaban grandes lores y excelsas damas, y, sin importarle, adems. Pera no se hablaba del otro nio, Tom Canty, envuelto en andrajos, excepto entre la familia de mendigos a quienes justo haba venido a importunar con su presencia.