Fairy Tales - The Emperor's new clothes (part-2)

     The Emperor's new clothes - part 2

    A Fairy tale by - Hans Christian Andersen

   
  The whole city was talking of the wonderful cloth which the Emperor had ordered to be woven at his own expense.

   And now the Emperor himself wished to see the costly clothes, while it was still in the loom. Accompanied by a select number of officers of the court, among them were the two honest men, who had already admired the cloth, he went to the crafty frauds. The frauds, as soon as they were aware of the Emperor's approach, went on working more attentively than ever; although they still did not pass a single thread through the looms.
 

   "Is not the work absolutely magnificent?" said the two officers of the crown, already mentioned. "What a splendid design! What glorious colors!" and at the same time they pointed to the empty frames; for they imagined that everyone else could see this wonderful piece of fashion.

   "How is this? I can see nothing! This is indeed a terrible situation! Am I a mad, or am I unfit to be an Emperor? That would be the worst thing that could happen.”- said the Emperor to himself. “Oh! The cloth is charming," said the Emperor, loudly. 

   "It has my complete approval.", the Emperor smiled most decently, and looked closely at the empty looms; for on no account would he say that he could not see what two of the officers of his court had praised so much. All his followers now stressed their eyes, hoping to discover something on the looms, but they could see no more than the others. Yet they all exclaimed, "Oh, how beautiful!" and advised his majesty to have some new clothes made from this wonderful material, for the approaching procession. "Magnificent! Attractive! Excellent!" resounded on all sides; and everyone was unusually glad. The Emperor shared in the general satisfaction and presented the frauds with the ribbon of an order of knighthood, to be fixed in their button-holes, and the title of "Gentlemen Weavers."

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.