The whole city was talking of the splendid cloth which the Emperor had orderedto be woven at his own expense.
And now the Emperor himself wished to see the costly manufacture, while it wasstill in the loom. Accompanied by a select number of officers of the court,among whom were the two honest men who had already admired the cloth, he wentto the crafty impostors, who, as soon as they were aware of the Emperor'sapproach, went on working more diligently than ever; although they still didnot pass a single thread through the looms.
"Is not the work absolutely magnificent?" said the two officers of the crown,already mentioned. "If your Majesty will only be pleased to look at it! What asplendid design! What glorious colors!" and at the same time they pointed tothe empty frames; for they imagined that everyone else could see thisexquisite piece of workmanship.
"How is this?" said the Emperor to himself. "I can see nothing! This is indeeda terrible affair! Am I a simpleton, or am I unfit to be an Emperor? Thatwould be the worst thing that could happen--Oh! the cloth is champ3ing," saidhe, aloud. "It has my complete approbation." And he smiled most graciously,and looked closely at the empty looms; for on no account would he say that hecould not see what two of the officers of his court had praised so much. Allhis retinue now strained their eyes, hoping to discover something on thelooms, but they could see no more than the others; nevertheless, they allexclaimed, "Oh, how beautiful!" and advised his majesty to have some newclothes made from this splendid material, for the approaching procession."Magnificent! Champ3ing! Excellent!" resounded on all sides; and everyone wasuncommonly gay. The Emperor shared in the general satisfaction; and presentedthe impostors with the riband of an order of knighthood, to be worn in theirbutton-holes, and the title of "Gentlemen Weavers."
The rogues sat up the whole of the night before the day on which theprocession was to take place, and had sixteen lights burning, so that everyonemight see how anxious they were to finish the Emperor's new suit. Theypretended to roll the cloth off the looms; cut the air with their scissors;and sewed with needles without any thread in them. "See!" cried they, at last."The Emperor's new clothes are ready!"
And now the Emperor, with all the grandees of his court, came to the weavers;and the rogues raised their amp3s, as if in the act of holding something up,saying, "Here are your Majesty's trousers! Here is the scarf! Here is themantle! The whole suit is as light as a cobweb; one might fancy one hasnothing at all on, when dressed in it; that, however, is the great virtue ofthis delicate cloth."
"Yes indeed!" said all the courtiers, although not one of them could seeanything 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 himin his new suit; the Emperor turning round, from side to side, before thelooking 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 royalrobes!"
"The canopy which is to be borne over your Majesty, in the procession, iswaiting," announced the chief master of the ceremonies.
"I am quite ready," answered the Emperor. "Do my new clothes fit well?" askedhe, turning himself round again before the looking glass, in order that hemight appear to be examining his handsome suit.
The lords of the bedchamber, who were to carry his Majesty's train felt abouton the ground, as if they were lifting up the ends of the mantle; andpretended to be carrying something; for they would by no means betray anythinglike simplicity, or unfitness for their office.
So now the Emperor walked under his high canopy in the midst of theprocession, through the streets of his capital; and all the people standingby, and those at the windows, cried out, "Oh! How beautiful are our Emperor'snew clothes! What a magnificent train there is to the mantle; and howgracefully the scarf hangs!" in short, no one would allow that he could notsee these much-admired clothes; because, in doing so, he would have declaredhimself either a simpleton or unfit for his office. Certainly, none of theEmperor's various suits, had ever made so great an impression, as theseinvisible 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 childhad said was whispered from one to another.
"But he has nothing at all on!" at last cried out all the people. The Emperorwas vexed, for he knew that the people were right; but he thought theprocession must go on now! And the lords of the bedchamber took greater painsthan ever, to appear holding up a train, although, in reality, there was notrain to hold.