The Emperor's New Clothes by Hans Christian Andersen

Many, many years ago there was an emperor who was so terribly fond of beautiful new
clothes that he spent all his money on his attire. He did not care about his soldiers, or
attending the theatre, or even going for a drive in the park, unless it was to show off his
new clothes. He had an outfit for every hour of the day. And just as we say, "The king is
in his council chamber," his subjects used to say, "The emperor is in his clothes closet."
In the large town where the emperor's palace was, life was gay and happy; and every day
new visitors arrived. One day two swindlers came. They told everybody that they were
weavers and that they could weave the most marvellous cloth. Not only were the colours
and the patterns of their material extraordinarily beautiful, but the cloth had the strange
quality of being invisible to anyone who was unfit for his office or unforgivably stupid.
"This is truly marvellous," thought the emperor. "Now if I had robes cut from that
material, I should know which of my councillors was unfit for his office, and I would be
able to pick out my clever subjects myself. They must weave some material for me!" And
he gave the swindlers a lot of money so they could start working at once.
They set up a loom and acted as if they were weaving, but the loom was empty. The fine
silk and gold threads they demanded from the emperor they never used, but hid them in
their own knapsacks. Late into the night they would sit before their empty loom,
pretending to weave.
"I would like to know how far they've come," thought the emperor; but his heart beat
strangely when he remembered that those who were stupid or unfit for their office would
not be able to see the material. Not that he was really worried that this would happen to
him. Still, it might be better to send someone else the first time and see how he fared.
Everybody in town had heard about the cloth's magic quality and most of them could
hardly wait to find out how stupid or unworthy their neighbours were.
"I shall send my faithful prime minister to see the weaver," thought the emperor. "He
will know how to judge the material, for he is both clever and fit for his office, if any
man is."
The good-natured old man stepped into the room where the weavers were working and
saw the empty loom. He closed his eyes, and opened them again. "God preserve me!" he
thought. "I cannot see a thing!" But he didn't say it out loud.
The swindlers asked him to step a little closer so that he could admire the intricate
patterns and marvellous colours of the material they were weaving. They both pointed to
the empty loom, and the poor old prime minister opened his eyes as wide as he could; but
it didn't help, he still couldn't see anything.
"Am I stupid?" he thought. "I can't believe it, but if it is so, it is best no one finds out
about it. But maybe I am not fit for my office. No, that is worse, I'd better not admit that I
can't see what they are weaving."
"Tell us what you think of it," demanded one of the swindlers.
"It is beautiful. It is very lovely," mumbled the old prime minister, adjusting his glasses.
"What patterns! What colours! I shall tell the emperor that I am greatly pleased."
"And that pleases us," the weavers said; and now they described the patterns and told
which shades of colour they had used. The prime minister listened attentively, so that he
could repeat their words to the emperor, and that is exactly what he did.
The two swindlers demanded more money, and more silk and gold thread. They said
they had to use it for their weaving, but their loom remained as empty as ever.
Soon the emperor sent another of his trusted councillors to see how the work was
progressing. He looked and looked just as the prime minister had, but since there was
nothing to be seen, he didn't see anything.
"Isn't it a marvellous piece of material?" asked one of the swindlers; and they both began
to describe the beauty of their cloth again.
"I am not stupid," thought the emperor's councillor. "I must be unfit for my office. That
is strange; but I'd better not admit it to anyone." And he started to praise the material,
which he could not see, for the loveliness of its patterns and colours.
"I think it is the most charming piece of material I have ever seen," declared the
councillor to the emperor.
Everyone in town was talking about the marvellous cloth that the swindlers were
weaving.
At last the emperor himself decided to see it before it was removed from the loom.
Attended by the most important people in the empire, among them the prime minister and
the councillor who had been there before, the emperor entered the room where the
weavers were weaving furiously on their empty loom.
"Isn't it magnifique?" asked the prime minister.
"Your Majesty, look at the colours and patterns," said the councillor. And the two old
gentlemen pointed to the empty loom, believing that all the rest of the company could see
the cloth.
"What!" thought the emperor. "I can't see a thing! Why, this is a disaster! Am I stupid?
Am I unfit to be emperor? Oh, it is too horrible!" Aloud he said, "It is very lovely. It has
my approval," while he nodded his head and looked at the empty loom.
All the councillors, ministers, and men of great importance who had come with him
stared and stared; but they saw no more than the emperor had seen, and they said the
same thing that he had said, "It is lovely." And they advised him to have clothes cut and
sewn, so that he could wear them in the procession at the next great celebration.
"It is magnificent! Beautiful! Excellent!" All of their mouths agreed, though none of
their eyes had seen anything. The two swindlers were decorated and given the title
"Royal Knight of the Loom."
The night before the procession, the two swindlers didn't sleep at all. They had sixteen
candles lighting up the room where they worked. Everyone could see how busy they
were, getting the emperor's new clothes finished. They pretended to take cloth from the
loom; they cut the air with their big scissors, and sewed with needles without thread. At
last they announced: "The emperor's new clothes are ready!"
Together with his courtiers, the emperor came. The swindlers lifted their arms as if they
were holding something in their hands, and said, "These are the trousers. This is the robe,
and here is the train. They are all as light as if they were made of spider webs! It will be
as if Your Majesty had almost nothing on, but that is their special virtue."
"Oh yes," breathed all the courtiers; but they saw nothing, for there was nothing to be
seen.
"Will Your Imperial Majesty be so gracious as to take off your clothes?" asked the
swindlers. "Over there by the big mirror, we shall help you put your new ones on."
The emperor did as he was told; and the swindlers acted as if they were dressing him in
the clothes they should have made. Finally they tied around his waist the long train which
two of his most noble courtiers were to carry.
The emperor stood in front of the mirror admiring the clothes he couldn't see.
"Oh, how they suit you! A perfect fit!" everyone exclaimed. "What colours! What
patterns! The new clothes are magnificent!"
"The crimson canopy, under which Your Imperial Majesty is to walk, is waiting
outside," said the imperial master of court ceremony.
"Well, I am dressed. Aren't my clothes becoming?" The emperor turned around once
more in front of the mirror, pretending to study his finery.
The two gentlemen of the imperial bedchamber fumbled on the floor trying to find the
train which they were supposed to carry. They didn't dare admit that they didn't see
anything, so they pretended to pick up the train and held their hands as if they were
carrying it.
The emperor walked in the procession under his crimson canopy. And all the people of
the town, who had lined the streets or were looking down from the windows, said that the
emperor's new clothes were beautiful. "What a magnificent robe! And the train! How
well the emperor's clothes suit him!"
None of them were willing to admit that they hadn't seen a thing; for if anyone did, then
he was either stupid or unfit for the job he held. Never before had the emperor's clothes
been such a success.
"But he doesn't have anything on!" cried a little child.
"Listen to the innocent one," said the proud father. And the people whispered among
each other and repeated what the child had said.
"He doesn't have anything on. There's a little child who says that he has nothing on."
"He has nothing on!" shouted all the people at last.
The emperor shivered, for he was certain that they were right; but he thought, "I must
bear it until the procession is over." And he walked even more proudly, and the two
gentlemen of the imperial bedchamber went on carrying the train that wasn't there.