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.
