Fairy Tale - The Emperor's new clothes (Part-1)

     The Emperor's new clothes - Part 1

    A Fairy tale by - Hans Christian Andersen

 

   
   Many years ago, there was an Emperor, who was so extremely fond of new clothes, that he spent all his money in dress. He did not trouble himself in the least about his soldiers; nor did he care to go either to the theater or the hunt, except for the opportunities then afforded him for displaying his new clothes. He had a different set of clothes for each hour of the day; and as of any other king or emperor. It was always said of him, "The Emperor is sitting in his clothes, when he sitting in the council."

   

   Time passed happily in the large town which was his capital, strangers arrived every day at the court. One day, two frauds, calling themselves weavers, made their appearance. They gave out that they knew how to weave stuffs of the most beautiful colors and sophisticated patterns, the clothes manufactured from which should have the wonderful property of remaining invisible to everyone who was unfit for the office he held, or who was extraordinarily simple in character.
 

   "These must, indeed, be wonderful clothes!" thought the Emperor. "Had I such a set of clothes, I might at once find out what men in my kingdoms are unfit for their office, and also be able to distinguish the wise from the foolish! This stuff must be woven for me immediately." The Emperor gave a huge amount of money to the weavers in order that they might begin their work directly.
 

   So the two pretended weavers set up two looms and affected to work very busily, though in reality they did nothing at all. They asked for the finest silk and the purest gold thread, put both into their own shoulder bags; and then continued their pretended work at the empty looms until late at night. 

   "I should like to know how the weavers are getting on with my cloth," said the Emperor to himself. After some little time had passed; he was rather embarrassed, when he remembered that a maniac or one unfit for his office would be unable to see the manufacture. To be sure, he thought he had nothing to risk in his own person; but yet, he would prefer sending somebody else, to bring him the idea about the weavers, and their work, before he troubled himself in the situation. All the people throughout the city had heard of the wonderful property the cloth was to own; and all were nervous to learn how wise, or how ignorant, their neighbors might prove to be.

   "I will send my faithful old minister to the weavers; he will be best able to see how the cloth looks like. He is a man of sense and no one can be more suitable for this work." said the Emperor to himself at last, after some consideration.

   So the faithful old minister went into the entry, where the frauds were working with all their might, at their empty looms. "What can be the meaning of this?" thought the old minister, opening his eyes very wide. "I cannot discover the least bit of thread on the looms." However, he did not express his thoughts clearly. 

   The frauds requested him very politely to be so good as to come nearer their looms. Then they asked him whether the design pleased him, and whether the colors were not very beautiful. At the same time they were pointing to the empty frames. The old minister looked and looked, but he could not discover anything on the looms, for a very good reason, there was nothing there. "What!" thought he again? "Is it possible that I am a maniac? I have never thought like that about myself. Can it be that I am unfit for my office? No, that must not be said either. I will never confess that I could not see the stuff."
 

   "Well, Sir Minister!" said one of the frauds, still pretending to work. "You do not say whether the stuff pleases you."
 

   "Oh, it is excellent!" replied the old minister, looking at the loom through his spectacles. "This pattern, and the colors, yes, I will tell the Emperor without delay, how very beautiful I think them."

   "We shall be much obliged to you," said the frauds, and then they named the different colors and described the pattern of the pretended stuff. The old minister listened attentively to their words, in order that he might repeat them to the Emperor. Then the frauds asked for more silk and gold, saying that it was necessary to complete what they had begun. However, they put all that was given them into their shoulder bags and continued to work attentively with their empty looms.
 

   The Emperor now sent another officer of his council to see how the men were getting on, and to discover whether the cloth would soon be ready. It was just the same with this gentleman as with the minister. The officer surveyed the looms on all sides, but he could see nothing at all but the empty frames.
 

   "Does not the stuff appear as beautiful to you, as it did to my lord the minister?" asked the frauds of the Emperor's second ambassador. At the same time they made the same signs as before, and talking of the design and colors which were not there.
 

   "I certainly am not a stupid!" thought the ambassador. "It must be that I am not fit for my job, profitable office! That is very odd; however, no one shall know anything about it." And accordingly he admired the stuff he could not see, and declared that he was delighted with both colors and patterns.
 

   "Indeed, your Imperial Majesty," said he to his supreme when he returned, "the clothes which the weavers are preparing is extraordinarily and magnificent."

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