"It's perfect," cried the Princess. "We'll switch clothes, you can go see palace life, and I can experience your freedom!" "Uh, no," said the Pauper. "It's rubbish. I don't look anything like you, and I'm a boy."

The Princess waved the objection away like a bad smell. "You'll say you've been cursed by the gnome who lives under the streets, and he wants food each day or he'll keep me like this for ever. Oh, brilliant! And that way they'll bring me food. Tell them to leave it here."

"They'll never believe me, they'll just think I'm some street kid who's taken your clothes." The Pauper paused. "And I'll be that, I guess. And then they'll execute me."

"Not if you're cursed," she said.

"Look, your highness, I don't think they'll believe curses the way you, eh, you or I do," said the Pauper.

The Princess thought about this. "You might be right, urchin. I will return to the castle, where I will faint and act sick and complain of a curse. That way they'll believe it. After two weeks, I'll return here and we can trade places. Very well?"

Pause. "Yeah, okay."

The Pauper left town the next morning.