THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES G108

 THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES

(Continued)

Now at last the Emperor wished to go himself and see the cloth while it was still on the looms. He took with him a few of his officials, including the old Prime Minister and the official who had already been there.

As soon as the weavers heard the Emperor coming, they pretended to work harder than ever, though they were not weaving a single thread through the empty looms.

Isn't the cloth magnificent?” said the official and the Prime Minister. “What a splendid design! And what colors!” they said, while pointing to the empty looms. They thought that everyone else could see the wonderful work of the weavers though they could not see it themselves.

“What on earth can this mean?” said the Emperor to himself. “I don't see anything. This is horrible! But I mustn't let anyone know.”

“The cloth is beautiful,” he cried out loud. “Beautiful! I am very pleased with it.”

The officials could see no more than the Emperor, but they all shouted, “Beautiful! Excellent! Magnificent” and other such expressions. They told the Emperor that he should have new clothes made of this splendid cloth for the coming great procession.

The Emperor nodded. He tried hard to pretend to share in the pleasure of his officials and gave each of the weavers a medal.

The night before the procession, the two men had their lights burning all night long. They wanted everyone to see how hard they were working on the Emperor's new clothes.

At last they cried, “Finished! The Emperor's new clothes are now ready!”

Then the Emperor arrived with all his high officials.

“Now if you will take off your clothes, Your Majesty, we will fit the new clothes on you in front of the mirror,” said the cheats.

The Emperor was then undressed, and the cheats pretended to dress him in his new clothes. The Emperor turned from side to side in front of the mirror.

“How splendid the Emperor looks in his new clothes” everyone cried. “And how well they fit! What a splendid design! What colors?”

“Well, I suppose I'm ready for the procession,” said the Emperor. “Don't you think they are a nice fit?” And he turned again in front of the mirror, in order to make the others think he was looking at his new clothes.

“Yes, perfectly wonderful!” cried his officials.

And so the procession began.

The Emperor walked in the middle of the procession, through the streets of the city. And all the people standing by and those at the windows cried out, “Oh, how splendid our Emperor's new clothes are! What a perfect fit?”

No one dared say that he could not see the Emperor's new clothes.

Suddenly a little child's voice was heard: “But he has nothing on!”

“Good heavens! Listen to that silly child!” said the father.

“Did you hear what the child said?” some people nearby asked each other.

What the child had said was whispered quickly from one to the other.

“I can't see anything at all on the Emperor,” cried one or two of the braver ones.

The cry was taken up and soon everyone was nodding and saying, “BUT HE HAS NOTHING ON!”

The Emperor heard the cries. He felt very silly, for he knew that the people were right. But he thought, “The procession has started, and it must go on!”

So the Emperor held his head higher than ever. And the two officials who were following him took great trouble to pretend to hold up higher the train of the robe that wasn't there at all.