The Emperor's New Suit

THE EMPEROR'S NEW SUIT Many, many years ago there lived an emperor, who spent all his money on new clothes. His only goal in life was to be always well dressed. He did not care for his citizens or anything else that had to do with his kingdom. He did like to go out and about so he could show off his new clothes. He had a coat for every hour of the day. The city where he lived was very busy and exciting. Everyday strangers from all over the world arrived. One day two swindlers came into the city and told people that they were weavers and said they could make the finest cloth that could be imagined. Their colors and patterns, they said, were not only beautiful, but the material possessed the wonderful quality of being invisible to any man who was unfit for his duties or was very foolish. "That must be a wonderful cloth," thought the emperor. "If I were dressed in a suit made of this cloth I would be able to find out which citizens in my empire are unfit for their duties, and see who is foolish. I must have this cloth woven for me immediately." He gave a large sum of money to the swindlers so that they could get to work right away. The swindlers set up two looms, and pretended to be very hard at work, but they did nothing whatsoever on the looms. They worked at the empty looms until late at night. "I would like to know how they are doing with the cloth," thought the emperor. But he felt a bit uneasy when he remembered that only the people who did their duties and were not foolish would be able to see the cloth. Personally, the emperor thought he had nothing to fear, but thought it smart to send somebody else first to see how the cloth looked. Everybody in the city knew what a remarkable quality the cloth possessed, and everyone was anxious to see how unfit or foolish their neighbors were. "I shall send my honest old minister to the weavers," thought the emperor. "He can judge best how the cloth looks, for he is intelligent and does his job so well." The good old minister went into the room where the swindlers sat before the empty looms. "Oh No!" he thought, and opened his eyes wide, "for he could not see anything at all," but he did not say so. The swindlers requested him to come closer and asked if he liked the exquisite pattern and the beautiful colors, while pointing at the empty looms. The poor old minister tried his very best, but he could see anything, for there was nothing to be seen. "Oh dear," he thought, "can I be so foolish? Nobody must know that I cannot see the cloth! You have nothing to say?" asked one of the swindlers, while he pretended to weave the cloth. "Oh, it is very beautiful," replied the old minister looking through his glasses. "What a beautiful pattern, what brilliant colors! I will tell the emperor that I like the cloth very much." "We are so pleased to hear that," said the two weavers, and described the colors and the curious pattern. The old minister listened carefully so that he could tell the emperor exactly what they said. The swindlers asked for more money which they needed for weaving the cloth. They kept the money for themselves and continued as before to work at the empty looms. Soon afterwards the emperor sent another honest man to the weavers to see how they were getting on, and if the cloth was nearly finished. Like the old minister, the man looked and looked but he could not see anything, as there was nothing to be seen. "Is it not a beautiful piece of cloth?" asked the two swindlers, showing and explaining the magnificent pattern, which, however, did not exist. "I am not a fool" said the man. "so I must be unfit for my duties. It is very strange, but I must not let anyone know that I cannot see the cloth and the man praised the cloth, which he could not see, and expressed his joy at the beautiful colors and the fine pattern. "It is excellent," the man said to the emperor. Everybody in the whole city talked about the precious cloth. Finally the emperor wanted to see the cloth himself while the cloth was still on the loom. The emperor took a number of attendants with him including the two he had sent earlier and they all went to see the two swindlers, who continued to worked as hard as they could, but without using any thread. "Is it not magnificent?" asked the old minister and the man who had been there before. "Your Majesty must admire the colors and the pattern." And then they pointed to the empty looms, for they thought the other men and the emperor could see the cloth. "Oh No!" thought the emperor, "I do not see anything at all. This is terrible! Am I foolish? Am I unfit to be emperor? That would indeed be the most horrible thing that could ever happen to me." "Really" he said, turning to the weavers, "your cloth has my approval;" and nodding happily he looked at the empty loom, for he did not want to say that he saw nothing. All his attendants, who were with him, looked and looked, and although they could not see anything, they said, like the emperor, "It is very beautiful." And all the attendants advised the emperor to wear the new magnificent clothes at a parade that was coming soon. "The cloth is magnificent, beautiful, excellent. Everybody seemed to be delighted, and the emperor appointed the two swindlers the new position of "Imperial Court weavers." The night before the parade, the swindlers pretended to weave, and burned more than sixteen candles while doing so. People could see that they were busy finishing the emperor's new suit. The swindlers pretended to take the cloth from the loom, and went about cutting the air with big scissors, and sewed with needles that had no thread, At last they said "The emperor's new suit is ready." The emperor and all his attendants came to the hall; the swindlers held their arms up as if they held something in their hands and said: "These are the trousers!" "This is the coat!" and "Here is the cloak!" and so on. "They are all as light as a cobweb, and one feels as if they have nothing on but that is the beauty of them." "Indeed!" said all the attendants; but they could still not see anything, for there was nothing to be seen. "Would you please undress" said the swindlers, "that we may assist your Majesty in putting on the new suit before the large mirror!" The emperor undressed, and the swindlers pretended to put the new suit on him, one piece after another; and the emperor looked at himself in the mirror from every side. "How well they look! How well they fit!" said all the attendants. "What a beautiful pattern! What fine colors! That is a magnificent suit of clothes!" The master of the ceremonies announced that the bearers of the canopy, which was to be carried in the parade, were ready. "I am ready," said the emperor. My suit fits me perfectly" Then he looked once more in the mirror, so that people would think he was admiring his new clothes. The chamberlains, who were to carry the train of his new robe, stretched their hands to the ground as if they were lifting the train, and then pretended to hold something in their hands. They did not want people to know that they too could not see anything. The emperor marched in the parade under the beautiful canopy, and all who saw him exclaimed: The emperor's new suit is incomparable! What a long train the robe has! Look how well it fits him!" Nobody wanted to let others know that they saw nothing, for then they would have been unfit for their duties or were too foolish. No clothes that had ever been worn by an emperor were more admired "But he has nothing on at all," said a little child. "OH my! Everyone listen to the voice of an innocent child," said the father, and soon everyone was whispering what the child had said. He has nothing on at all," cried everyone at last. The emperor heard what everyone was shouting, they were right he thought to himself, BUT "Now I must keep walking to the end of the parade and finish what was started. So the chamberlains continued to walk behind the emperor as if they carried the train of a robe that did not exist. THE END