And now the Emperor, with all the grandees of his court, came to the
weavers; and the rogues raised their arms, as if in the act of holding
something up, saying, “Here are your Majesty's trousers! Here is the
scarf! Here is the mantle! The whole suit is as light as a cobweb;
one might fancy one has nothing at all on, when dressed in it; that,
however, is the great virtue of this delicate cloth.”
“Yes indeed!” said all the courtiers, although not one of them could see
anything of this exquisite manufacture.
“If your Imperial Majesty will be graciously pleased to take off your
clothes, we will fit on the new suit, in front of the looking glass.”
The Emperor was accordingly undressed, and the rogues pretended to
array him in his new suit; the Emperor turning round, from side to side,
before the looking glass.
“How splendid his Majesty looks in his new clothes, and how well they
fit!” everyone cried out. “What a design! What colors! These are indeed
royal robes!”
“The canopy which is to be borne over your Majesty, in the procession,
is waiting,” announced the chief master of the ceremonies.
“I am quite ready,” answered the Emperor. “Do my new clothes fit well?”
asked he, turning himself round again before the looking glass, in order
that he might appear to be examining his handsome suit.
The lords of the bedchamber, who were to carry his Majesty's train felt
about on the ground, as if they were lifting up the ends of the mantle;
and pretended to be carrying something; for they would by no means
betray anything like simplicity, or unfitness for their office.
So now the Emperor walked under his high canopy in the midst of the
procession, through the streets of his capital; and all the people
standing by, and those at the windows, cried out, “Oh! How beautiful
are our Emperor's new clothes! What a magnificent train there is to
the mantle; and how gracefully the scarf hangs!” in short, no one would
allow that he could not see these much-admired clothes; because, in
doing so, he would have declared himself either a simpleton or unfit
for his office. Certainly, none of the Emperor's various suits, had ever
made so great an impression, as these invisible ones.
“But the Emperor has nothing at all on!” said a little child.
“Listen to the voice of innocence!” exclaimed his father; and what the
child had said was whispered from one to another.
“But he has nothing at all on!” at last cried out all the people.
The Emperor was vexed, for he knew that the people were right; but he
thought the procession must go on now! And the lords of the bedchamber
took greater pains than ever, to appear holding up a train, although, in
reality, there was no train to hold.
THE SWINEHERD
There was once a poor Prince, who had a kingdom. His kingdom was very
small, but still quite large enough to marry upon; and he wished to
marry.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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