The Emperor’s New Clothes

Abstract

Once there was an emperor who was very vain. He spent hour after hour peering at himself in the mirror. Whenever he got new clothes, he would gather his ministers around him so that they could tell him how wonderful he looked. One day, two men came to see the emperor. They said they were master tailors. They told the emperor they could make him a suit of clothes so magnificent that everything else he owned would seem drab. The cloth would be so unusual that only those with the most refined taste would be able to see it. The emperor was foolish enough to believe them. He agreed to pay whatever they asked. The “tailors” started work at once. Every day the emperor sent his ministers to check on their progress. Of course, they could see perfectly well that the crafty pair were only pretending to weave the cloth, and cut it, and stitch it. But they didn’t dare disclose the truth to the emperor. Disagreeing with the emperor would be like confessing that they had poor taste. They felt uneasy about lying, but they believed they had no choice. They told the emperor only what he wanted to hear: that his new clothes were the most exquisite they had ever seen. Finally the two scoundrels told the emperor that their work was complete. Excited by the news, the emperor announced that the next day would be a public holiday. He intended to walk through the streets of the town in his new clothes so that everyone could admire him. The next morning, the “tailors” carefully laid out the emperor’s new clothes and helped him dress. The ministers gathered around to watch. And when at last the emperor stood proudly before them, turning this way and that, they forced out loud exclamations of delight. But of course the emperor was wearing only his underwear. Meanwhile, officers of the palace guard had been up since before dawn. They were busy making sure that the townspeople turned out to applaud the emperor as he went by. Now the entire town lined the streets to see him. Under the watchful eyes of the officers, the people cheered and waved flags. The emperor loved every minute of it. But then something unexpected