Many years ago there was an Emperor so exceedingly fond of new clothes that he spent all his money on being well dressed.He cared nothing about reviewing his soldiers,going to the theatre,or going for a ride in his carriage,except to show off his new clothes.He had a coat for every hour of the day,and instead of saying,as one might,about any other ruler,“The King's in council,”here they always said.“The Emperor's in his dressing room.”
In the great city where he lived,life was always gay.Every day many strangers came to town,and among them one day came two swindlers.They let it be known they were weavers,and they said they could weave the most magnificent fabrics imaginable.Not only were their colors and patterns uncommonly fine,but clothes made of this cloth had a wonderful way of becoming invisible to anyone who was unfit for his office,or who was unusually stupid.
“Those would be just the clothes for me,”thought the Emperor.“If I wore them I would be able to discover which men in my empire are unfit for their posts.And I could tell the wise men from the fools.Yes,I certainly must get some of the stuff woven for me right away.”He paid the two swindlers a large sum of money to start work at once.
They set up two looms and pretended to weave,though there was nothing on the looms.All the finest silk and the purest old thread which they demanded went into their traveling bags,while they worked the empty looms far into the night.
“I'd like to know how those weavers are getting on with the cloth,”the Emperor thought,but he felt slightly uncomfortable when he remembered that those who were unfit for their position would not be able to see the fabric.It couldn't have been that he doubted himself,yet he thought he'd rather send someone else to see how things were going.The whole town knew about the cloth's peculiar power,and all were impatient to find out how stupid their neighbors were.
“I'll send my honest old minister to the weavers,”the Emperor decided.“He'll be the best one to tell me how the material looks,for he's a sensible man and no one does his duty better.”
So the honest old minister went to the room where the two swindlers sat working away at their empty looms.
“Heaven help me,”he thought as his eyes flew wide open,“I can't see anything at all.”But he did not say so.
Both the swindlers begged him to be so kind as to come near to approve the excellent pattern,the beautiful colors.They pointed to the empty looms,and the poor old minister stared as hard as he dared.He couldn't see anything,because there was nothing to see.“Heaven have mercy,”he thought.“Can it be that I'm a fool?I'd have never guessed it,and not a soul must know.Am I unfit to be the minister?It would never do to let on that I can't see the cloth.”
“Don't hesitate to tell us what you think of it,”said one of the weavers.
“Oh,it's beautiful—it's enchanting.”The old minister peered through his spectacles.“Such a pattern,what colors!”I'll be sure to tell the Emperor how delighted I am with it.”
“We're pleased to hear that,”the swindlers said.They proceeded to name all the colors and to explain the intricate pattern.The old minister paid the closest attention,so that he could tell it all to the Emperor.And so he did.
The swindlers at once asked for more money,more silk and gold thread,to get on with the weaving.But it all went into their pockets.Not a thread went into the looms,though they worked at their weaving as hard as ever.
The Emperor presently sent another trustworthy official to see how the work progressed and how soon it would be ready.The same thing happened to him that had happened to the minister.He looked and he looked,but as there was nothing to see in the looms he couldn't see anything.
“Isn't it a beautiful piece of goods?”the swindlers asked him,as they displayed and described their imaginary pattern.
