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Alfie is 12 and the leader of the gang. He’s been in charge of his brother and his cousins since his mother died a couple of years ago. Thanks to him, the boys have somewhere to live (their cellar) and food to eat. Alfie is brave and quick-witted, a tough nut with a soft heart which he keeps hidden from most people. |
| Sammy is Alfie’s little brother, aged 11. Blind since birth, he is intelligent and has exceptional hearing and a gift for singing. He earns money for the gang by singing on the street, sometimes performing comic songs with Mutsy the dog. |
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Jack is Alfie’s cousin, aged 12. He is calm and sensible and a hard worker – his regular task is to gather coal from the river for the fire. He is also good with horses. He’s the peacemaker when Alfie and Tom quarrel. |
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| Tom is Jack’s younger brother, aged 10. He’s the opposite of his brother and he finds it hard to accept Alfie’s leadership, so he and Alfie are constantly clashing. |
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Mutsy is a large, hairy dog who has lived with the boys since he followed them home from Smithfield Market one day. He protects them and also performs tricks with Sammy to earn money. |
| Sarah, aged 12, is a friend of the boys. She works as a scullery maid in one of the posh houses in Bloomsbury. Sarah can read and write, which proves so useful that Alfie decides to learn himself. |
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