The Emperor’s New Clothes
Hans Christian Anderson
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Retold by The Legendary Connection
TLC #00003
Once upon a time, there was an Emperor who loved nothing more than new clothes. He didn’t care about his soldiers, his palace, or even attending events—unless he had the chance to show off his latest outfit. He had a different suit for every hour of the day, and while most kings and emperors spent their time in important meetings, everyone knew this Emperor was usually sitting in his wardrobe, trying on clothes.
One day, two strangers came to town. They claimed to be weavers who could make the most beautiful fabric in the world. Not only that, but the fabric had a special magic: it would be invisible to anyone who was foolish or unfit for their job.
The Emperor was very excited. "If I have clothes made from this fabric," he thought, "I’ll be able to see who in my kingdom is clever and who isn’t. Plus, I’ll look amazing!" So, the Emperor gave the weavers a huge amount of gold and silk to start their work right away. But the weavers were not really weavers at all. They were tricksters! They set up their looms and pretended to work day and night, but there was nothing on the looms at all. Instead, they secretly stuffed the gold and silk into their bags.
After some time, the Emperor became curious. He wanted to know how the new clothes were coming along, but he was worried. What if he couldn’t see the fabric? What if that meant he was foolish or not fit to be Emperor? To avoid embarrassment, he sent his most trusted minister to check on the weavers. The minister walked into the room where the weavers were "working" and looked closely at the empty looms. But he couldn’t see anything!
"What’s this?" the minister thought. "I can’t see a single thread! Does that mean I’m a fool? I can’t let anyone know." So, instead of telling the truth, the minister praised the weavers. “The colors are so beautiful! And the pattern is extraordinary!” he told the Emperor. Hearing this, the Emperor was pleased. The weavers asked for more gold and silk, and the Emperor sent even more supplies, which the tricksters quickly hid away. A little while later, the Emperor sent another official to check on the progress. This official, like the minister, couldn’t see anything either. But he didn’t want anyone to think he was unfit for his job. So, he also praised the weavers, saying the cloth was magnificent.
Finally, the day came when the Emperor decided to see the clothes for himself. He gathered all his advisors and went to visit the weavers. The tricksters were working harder than ever, pretending to weave and sew, but the looms were still empty.
"What’s this?" the Emperor thought. "I can’t see anything! Am I foolish? Am I unfit to be Emperor?" But he didn’t say a word. Instead, he smiled and nodded as the weavers showed him the "clothes."
"Your Majesty," they said, "this suit is as light as a feather. It’s so fine, it feels like you’re wearing nothing at all!" The Emperor’s advisors, afraid to admit they saw nothing, all agreed. “Yes, your Majesty, what beautiful clothes! You must wear them for the grand parade through the city.” The Emperor agreed and allowed the weavers to pretend to dress him in the "invisible" clothes. He looked in the mirror and, though he saw nothing, he smiled and said, “I look splendid!”
The next day, the Emperor paraded through the city in his "new clothes." All the people had heard about the magical fabric, so they didn’t dare admit they saw nothing. “How beautiful the Emperor’s new clothes are!” they all shouted.
But then, a little child in the crowd spoke up. “But he’s not wearing anything at all!” the child exclaimed. The crowd fell silent. Soon, everyone began to whisper, “The child is right! He’s not wearing any clothes!”
The Emperor blushed. He knew the people were right, but he was too proud to admit it. So, he stood tall and continued the procession, while his advisors pretended to hold up the train of his "invisible" clothes. From that day on, the Emperor learned an important lesson: honesty is always the best choice. Sometimes people are too afraid to tell the truth, but one brave voice can show the way.
Original Source: “Andersen’s Fairy Tales.” Gutenberg.org, 2021, www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/1597/pg1597-images.html#link2H_4_0001.
