Year: 1871

Many years ago there lived an Empe-
rOr, who cared SO very much about hav-
ing new clothes that he spent all his
money merely for the sake of being
very smartly dressed. He did not care
much about his troops he did not care,
either, about going to the play or driv-
ing out, unless it were that he might
show his new clothes. He had a new
suit for every hour in the day; and, as
one usually says of King or Emperor,
he held privy council, SO of him it was
said, His Majesty sat in council with his
tailors.


In the large town where he resided,
people led merry life. Day after day
fresh visitors arrived at court; one day,
too, a couple of swindlers, who called
themselves first rate weavers, made
their appearance. They pretended that
they were able to weave the richest
stuffs, in which not only the colors and
patterns were extremely beautiful, but
that the clothes made of such stuffs
possessed the wonderful property of re-
manning visible to him who was unfit
for the office he held, or who was
extremely silly.


"What capital clothes they must BET"
thought the Emperor "If | had but
such a suit, | could directly find out
what people in my empire were not
equal to their to their office; and beside,
[ should be able to distinguish the
clever from the stupid. By Jove, must
have some of this stuff made directly
for meG And so he ordered large sums
of money to be given to the two swind-
lers, that they might be set to work i'm
mediately.


The men erected two looms, aud did
as if they worked very diligently; but
in reality they had got nothing on the
loom. They boldly demanded the finest
silk and gold thread, put it all in their
own pockets, and worked away at the
empty loom until quite late at night.


81 should like to know how the
weavers are getting on with my stuff"
said the Emperor, one day, to himself
but he was rather embarrassed when he
remembered that sill felly, or one un-
| fitted for his office, would not be able
to see the stuff. 'Tis true he thought, as
far as regarded himself, there was no risk
whatever but yet he preferred sending
some one else to bring him intelligence
of the two weavers, and how they were
getting on, before he went himself
Every body in the whole town had heard
of the wonderful property that this
stuff was said to possess, and all were
curious to know how clever or foolish
their neighbors might be found to be.


Il will send my worthy old minister -
said the Emperor at last, after much
consideration :" he will be able to say
how the stuff looks better than anybody
for he is a man of understanding, and no
one can be found more fitted than he"


So the worthy old minister went to
the room where the two swin1lers were
working away with all their might and
main. "Lord help me p thought the
old man opening his eyes as wide as
possible; "why | can't see the least
thing whatever on the loom." But he
took care not to give voice to his
thoughts.


The swindlers begged him most po-
litely to have the goodness to approach
nearer to the looms and then pointing
| to the empty frame, asked him if the
| colors were not of great beauty. And
| the poor old minister looked, and look
ed, and could see nothing whatever !;
for, indeed, there was nothing at all
there. "Bless me p thought he to him
self, sam [, then, really a simpleton
Well, never thought so, and nobody
dare know it. | not fit for my Office
No, nothing on earth shall make me say
that have not seen the stuff"


"Well, SIR" said one of the swindlers,
still working busily, "you don't say if
the stuff pleases you or not"


oh, beautiful THE work is admira-
BILE p said the minister, looking at the