The Hickman courier., 1872-09-28
The Invisible Web.


villains who gave themselves out as
great masters of weaving, and said
they knew how to make web OF
the finest and most splendid kind.
1t, however, would be invisible to a
liar and a coward. This pleased
the king very much, for he thought
to discover by this means, those
faults which made so much mischief,
and were so carefully concealed. He
let the three men have the use Of
some halls in his palace. They beg
ged he would let them be locked in
until the web was done, that he
might be convinced that they did
not deceive him. They obtained a
quantity OF gold, silver, and silk
stuff, set up their frames, and seem
ed TO be weaving the whole day.
After some time, one Of them
stepped before the king and said the
web was already done, and anything
more beautiful could not be found
J in the whole world No liar nor
coward, however, could see this.
Thereupon he described what figures,
flowers, fruits, trees and ornaments
they had designed, and how all had
been executed with the most lively
and brilliant colors. II the king
would be pleased to inspect it. The
king sent one of his chamberlains
When he saw the masters and heard
what they said, he dared not venture
to say that he saw nothing, but said
on his return, that ne had seen the
weaving. Even so did q second and
a third, whom the king had sent,
and when they had all confessed the
same to the king. he went himself
When he cane into the hall, he
saw the masters working with all
their might. "See those designs"
said one, and "That represents
this, and "That is something else"
said the other, and third showed
the vividness and harmony OF colors.
When the king saw them working
and displaying their designs, and he
still saw nothing but the white silk
ground while others had seen 1t all,
he grew very much frightened, for
he feared that it would come to light, |
that he himself was not attentive to |
the truth, and that he naturally pos |
sessed very little courage. If the |
world learn this, he thought, L shall |
lose all respect, and finally my |
crown and my throne. For this
reason he began to praise the web
excessively; he noticed particularly
how the masters had described it,
and when he turned back, he told
his court wonderful things about the
artistic work; but his heart was full
OF anxiety. Some days afterward,
he commanded his judge to call on
the weavers. He went; the masters
wove industriously and conversed
about the figures and ornaments.
and because he could see nothing,
and vet the chamberlains and king
had seea it all, he thought he could
not be courageous as he ought to be.
If this should be known among the 1
people, it should take from him all |
his honor If ths king had praised !
the artists work, he praised 1T still |
more, and the king grew continually
more fretful and more ungracious,
that he should be the only one, who,
on account of stated faults, could see
nothing.
After some time a great feast W
and then the web VS.
finished. Some of the court advised
the king to dress himself In it and
appear in state procession. The
came, and took the measure,
cut the silk cloth and brought the
garment on the evening
before the feast for trial. The cour-
tiers offered their praise, and the
king with a feeling of weakness
and error let it pass. On the next
day they put the festive dress upon
him and he rode with his followers
through the streets of his capital
The people looked on, knowing that
whoever did,not see the pattern must
be a liar and q coward, and every
one thought the other saw 1T, and he
should be disgraced if he confessed
that he saw nothing. Thus the
secret was kept FOR a long time, until
a negro servant, a hostler OF the
kings stable, who had nothing TO
lose, stepped forward and said to
kim "My Lord, it makes but little
difference to me, whether you hold
me for a liar or a coward or both
together; therefore 1 tell you plainly,
and 1 surely know, that you sit on
vour horse with no dress from the
one you wear at night In your
bed, namely, a shirt of white silk"
The king struck angrily upon the
black, and called him a
wicked, dishonorable man. But
after the negro had once spoken
out the truth, another said, who had
heard his speech, the same and so,
several more, until the king and
the others, putting aside the fear of
the truth, saw the decep-
ton which the three Williams had
played upon them. When they
sought for them, they were nowhere
to be found, for they had run away
with the booty they had obtained by
their craft during their residence in
the town.
If any one offers you unusual ad-
vantage, but makes condition silence
come or secret proceedings, you have
everycAuse to be on your guard
Fromthe German Of Hans andersen.
The AUTHOR ofThe Formers ALni-
a =: otI,,,,~. H,,f 49,, -,