Year: 1871

The swindlers then asked for more
money, and silk, and gold thread, which
they said they wanted to finish the
piece they had begun. But they put,
as before, all that was given to them into
their own pockets, and still continued
to work, with apparent diligence, at the
empty loom.


Some time after, the Emperor sent
another officer to see how the work was
getting on, and if the piece of broad
cloth would soon be finished. But he
Jared like the other He stared at the
loom from every side; but as there was
nothing there of course he could see only
the empty frame.


' Does the stuff not please you as
much as it did the minister p asked
the men, making the same gestures as
before, and talking of splendid colors
and of colors which did not exist.


"Stupid certainly am not" thought
the new commissioner; " then it must
be that am not fitted for the lucrative
office. That were a good joke! How
ever, no one dare even suspect such
thing" And so he began praising the
stuff that he could not see, and told the
two swindlers how pleased he was to
| behold such beautiful colors and such
charming patterns. Indeed, your Ma
iesty," said he to the Emperor, on his
return, Z" the stuff which the weavers
are making is extraordinary fine"


The magnificent brocade that the En-
peror was having woven at his own ex-
pense was the talk of the whole town.
| The Emperor wished to see the costly
stuff while it was on the loom so, &C
companied by chosen train of cour-
tiers, among whom were the two trusty
men who had so admired the work, off
he went to the two cunning cheats.
AS soon as they heard Of the Emper-
or's approach, they began working
with all diligence, although as yet
there was not q single thread on the
| loom.


ais it not magnificent p said the two
officers of the crown. "Will your ma
iesty only look? What a charming
pattern p what beautiful colorsr' said
they, pointing to the empty frames, for
they thought the others could really see
the stuff.


"Whats the meaning of this ?" said
the Emperor to himself. ~ see moth
ing! This is terrible matter Am |
a simpleton, or am not fit to be Emper-
or? Why, that were the worst that
could happen to me. Oh, charming !;
the stuff is really charming" said he
then; 81 approve it highlyW And be
smiled graciously, and examined the
empty looms minutely; for he would
not for all the world say that he could
not see what his two officers had so
much praised. The whole suit strained
their eyes to discover something in the
| looms, but they could see as little as the
others. At the same time, in order to
please their master the Emperor, they
counseled His Majesty to have new
robes made out of this magnificent
stuff, for the grand procession which
was about to take place. " Excellent I!
charmingT was echoed from mouth to
mouth and all were extremely pleased.
| The Emperor was as satisfied as his
courtiers, and conferred on each of the
cheats an order which they were to
wear in their button-hole, and gave
them the title of :" Knights of the most
| honorable order of the loom."


The night preceding the day on
which the procession was to take place
the two men stayed up all night, and
had sixteen candles burning, so that
everybody might see how they worked
to get the Emperor's new dress done in
proper time. They pretended to unroll
the stuff from the loom they cut in the
air with their scise DIS, and sewed with
needles that had no thread. Now,
| Il IL, 30
suit is ready at last"


The Emperor then made his appear
ance in the chamber of his two Knights
of the most honorable Order of the
Loom, accompanied by his chamber
lains of the highest rank; and the two
cheats held up their arms, as though
they had something in their hands and
said "Here are your Majesty's knee
breeches, here is the coat, and here the
mantle. The whole suit is as light as
a cobweb; and when dressed one
would almost fancy one had nothing
on; but that is just the beauty of this
stuff"


"Of course p said all the courtiers,
although not single one of them could
see anything of the clothes.


"Will your Imperial Majesty most
graciously be pleased to undress? We
will then try on the new things Lefore
the glass"


The Emperor allowed himself to be
undressed, and then the two cheats did
exactly as if each one helped him on
with an article of dress, while his ma
jesty turned round himself on all sides
before the mirror.


"How well the dress becomes your
Majesty and how we'll it fits What a
pattern What colors This is, in
deed, a dress worthy of king ~


"The canopy which is to be borne
above by your Majesty in the procession
is in readiness without, announced the
Chief NJ lster of the ceremonies.


81 am quite ready" replied the En-
peror. Do my new things sit well p
asked he, turning round once more be-
fore the looking glass, IN order that 1T
might appear that he examined the
dress very minutely.


The pages who were carry the Empe-
ror's train felt about on the ground as If
| to lift up the end of the mantle, and
did exactly as if they were carrying
something, for they also did not wish to
betray simplicity or unfitness for their
post.


And so the Emperor walked on under
the high canopy, through n the streets OF
| the metropolis, and all the people in
the streets and at the windows cried
out, "Oh, how beautiful the Emperor's
new dress is what splendid train
and the mantle, how well it sits n


In short, there was nobody but wished
| L. IL oo4 h.nnnoIf into the heIiaf hat he