Many ago there an Emperor who so excessively new that he all his money on them. He nothing about his , nor for the theatre, nor for driving in the except for the sake of showing off his new . He had a costume for every hour in the day, and instead of saying as one does about any other King or Emperor, "He is in his council chamber," here one always said, "The Emperor is in his dressing-room."
Life fun in the great town where he ; of came to visit it every day, and among them one day two . They gave themselves out as , and said that they how to weave the most beautiful imaginable. Not only were the and unusually fine, but the that were made of the had the peculiar quality of becoming invisible to every person who was not fit for the office he held or if he was impossibly dull.
"Those must be splendid ," thought the Emperor. "By wearing them I should be able to discover which men in my kingdom are unfitted for their . I shall distinguish the from the . Yes, I certainly must order some of that stuff to be woven for me."
He paid the two a lot of money in advance so that they might begin their work at once.
They did put up two and pretend to weave, but they had nothing whatever upon their . At the outset they asked for a quantity of the finest silk and purest gold thread, all of which they put into their own while they worked away at the empty far into the night.
"I should like to know how those are getting on with the stuff," thought the Emperor; but he a little queer when he that anyone who or unfit for his post to see it. He certainly he need have no fears for himself, but still he he would send somebody else first to see how it . Everybody in the town what wonderful power the stuff , and everyone to see how stupid his neighbour .
"I will send my faithful old minister to the ," the Emperor. "He will be best able to see how the stuff , for he is a clever man and no one his better than he !" So the good old minister went into the room where the two sat working at the empty loom.
"Heaven preserve us!" thought the old minister, opening his very wide. "Why I can't see a thing!" But he care not to say so.
Both the him to be good enough to step a little nearer, and him if he it a good pattern and beautiful colouring. They to the empty loom, and the poor old minister as hard as he but he anything, for of course there nothing to see.
"Good heavens!" he, " that I am a fool. I so and nobody it. for my post? It to say that I the stuff."
"Well, sir, you anything about the stuff," said the one who to weave.
"Oh, it is beautiful! quite charming!" the old minister, looking through his spectacles; "this pattern and these colours! I the Emperor that the stuff me very much."
"We to hear you say so," said the , and then they all the colours and the peculiar pattern. The old minister great attention to what they , so as repeat it when he home to the Emperor.
Then the to demand more money, more silk, and more gold, to be able to proceed with the weaving; but they their own not a single strand was ever put into the loom, but they as before the empty loom.
The Emperor soon another faithful official to see how the stuff , and if it ready. The same thing him as to the minister; he , but as there only the empty loom he nothing at all.
"Is not this a beautiful piece of stuff?" said both the , showing and explaining the beautiful pattern and colours which not there to be seen.
"I know I am not a fool!" the man, "so it that I for my good post! It is very strange though! however one it appear!" So he the stuff he , and them of his delight in the beautiful and the originality of the design. "It is absolutely charming!" he to the Emperor. Everybody in the town about this splendid stuff.