The Emperor’s New Clothes

“The Emperor’s New Clothes “ story tells us two messages, the first one is that we should never let pride or fear keeps us from speaking up or telling the truth about some matter, and the second one is that children always speak the truth when no one else will; always believe the instincts and innocent sound of a child.

The Emperor’s New Clothes    

many many years ago lived an emperor who thought so much of new clothes

that he spent all his money to obtain them, his only ambition was to be

always well dressed.

He did not care for his soldiers, and the theater did not amuse him, the only thing

he thought anything of was to drive out and show a new suit of clothes.

He had a coat for every hour of the day, and as one would say of a king he is in his

cabinet so one would say of him, the emperor is in his dressing room.

The great city where he resided was very gay, every day many strangers from

all parts of the globe arrived.

one day two swindlers came to the city, they made people believe that they were

weavers and declared they could manufacture the finest cloth to be imagined.

“The colors and patterns,” they said, “were not only exceptionally beautiful

but the clothes made of their material possessed the wonderful quality of being

invisible to any man who was unfit for his office or unpardonably stupid”.

“that must be wonderful cloth,” thought the emperor “if I were to be dressed in a suit

made of this cloth, I should be able to find out which men in my empire were unfit

for their places and I could distinguish the clever from the stupid, I must have

this cloth was woven for me without delay”, and he gave a large sum of money

to the swindlers in advance that they should set to work without any loss of time

they set up two looms and pretended to be very hard at work. but they did nothing

whatever on the looms, they asked for the finest silk and the most precious gold

cloth all they got they did away with and worked at the empty looms till late at night,

“I should very much like to know how they are getting on with the cloth,” thought

the emperor but he felt rather uneasy when he remembered that he who was not fit

for his office could not see it personally, he was of the opinion that he had nothing

to fear, yet he thought it advisable to send someone else first to see how the matter

stood.

Everybody in the town knew what a remarkable quality the stuff possessed and all

were anxious to see how bad or stupid their neighbors were.

“I shall send my honest old minister to the weavers,” thought the emperor ” he can

judge best how the stuff looks for he is intelligent and nobody understands his office

better than he”, the good old minister went into the room where the swindlers sat

before the empty looms heaven’s preservers, he thought and opened his eyes wide

“I cannot see anything at all” but he did not say, so both swindlers requested him

to come near and asked him if he did not admire the exquisite pattern

and the beautiful colors pointing to the empty looms, the poor old minister tried his

very best but he could see nothing for there was nothing to be seen, “oh dear,”

he thought “can I be so stupid, I should never have thought so and nobody must

know it, is it possible that I am not fit for my office?! no no I cannot say that I was

unable to see the cloth”,

“now have you got nothing to say?!” said one of the swindlers while he pretended

to be busily weaving,

“oh it is very pretty, exceedingly beautiful” replied the old minister looking through

his glasses “what a beautiful pattern, what brilliant colors, I shall tell the emperor

that I like the cloth very much”,

“We are pleased to hear that,” said the two weepers and described to him the colors

and explain the curious pattern, the old minister listened attentively that he might

relate to the emperor what they said and so he did, now the swindlers asked for more

money silk and gold cloth, which they required for weaving, they kept everything

for themselves, and not a thread came near the loom, but they continued as hitherto

to work at the empty looms.Soon afterward, the emperor sent another honest courier

to the weavers to see how they were getting on and if the cloth was nearly finished,

and as the old minister, he looked and looked but could see nothing as there was

nothing to be seen.

“is it not a beautiful piece of cloth!!” ask the two swindlers showing and explaining

the magnificent pattern which however did not exist,

“I am not stupid,” said the man “it is, therefore, my good appointment for which I am

not fit, it is very strange, but I must not let anyone know it,” and he praised the cloth

which he did not see and expressed his joy at the beautiful colors and the fine pattern

“It is very excellent,” he said to the emperor.

Everybody in the whole town talked about the precious cloth, and at last, the emperor

wished to see it himself while it was still on the loom, with a number of couriers

including the two who had already been there; he went to the two clever swindlers

who now worked as hard as they could but without using any thread, “is it not

magnificent!!!” said the two old statesmen who had been there before, “your majesty

must admire the colors and the pattern,” and then they pointed to the empty looms

for they imagined the others could see the cloth.

“What is this??!!” thought the emperor. “I do not see anything at all; that is terrible,

am I stupid?! am I unfit to be emperor?! That would indeed be the most dreadful thing

that could happen to me really”, he said turning to the weavers “your cloth has our

most gracious approval and nodding contentedly,” he looked at the empty looms

for he did not like to say that he saw nothing, all his attendants who were with him

looked and looked, and although they could not see anything more than the others

they said like the emperor it is very beautiful and all advised him to wear the new

magnificent clothes at a great procession which was soon to take place,

“It is a magnificent, beautiful, excellent one” heard them say, everybody, seemed to be

delighted, and the emperor appointed the two swindlers imperial court weavers,

the whole night previous to the day on which the procession was to take place

the swindlers pretended to work and burned more than 16 candles; people should see

that they were busy finishing the emperor’s new suit, they pretended to take the cloth

from the loom and worked about in the air with big scissors and sewed with needles

without thread and said at last “The emperor’s new suit is ready,” now the emperor

and all his barons then came to the hall; these 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

must feel as if one had nothing at all upon the body”,

“but that is just the beauty of them indeed,” said all the courtiers, but they could not

see anything, for there was nothing to be seen, “does it please your majesty? now to

graciously undress,” said the swindlers, “that we may assist your Majesty in putting on

the new suit before the large looking glass”,

“the emperor undressed, and the swindlers pretended to put the new suit upon him

one piece after another, and the emperor looked at himself in the glass from every

side “How well do they look? how well do they fit?”,

said all “What a beautiful pattern, what fine colors that are a magnificent suit of

clothes”,

The master of the ceremonies announced that the bearers of the canopy, which was

to be carried in the procession were ready, “I am ready,” said the emperor

“does not my suit fit me marvelously?”, then he turned once more to the looking glass

that people should think he admired his garments.

the chamberlains who were to carry the train stretched their hands to the ground

as if they lifted a train and pretended to hold something in their hands,

they did not like people to know that they could not see anything, the emperor

marched in the procession under the beautiful canopy and all who saw him

in the street and out of the windows exclaimed indeed the emperor’s new suit

is incomparable, “what a long train he has! how well it fits him!” nobody wished

to let others know he saw nothing for then he would have been unfit for his office

or too stupid, never emperor’s clothes were more admired,

“but he has nothing on it all!!” said a little child, at last, “good heavens listen

to the voice of an innocent child,” said the father, and one whispered to the other

what the child had said but he has nothing on it all cried, at last, the whole people

that made a deep impression upon the emperor for it seemed to him that they were

right, but he thought to himself “now I must bear up to the end”,

and the chamberlains walked with still greater dignity as if they carry the train

which did not exist

The End