國王的新衣

Many years ago, there lived an emperor who cared about nothing but clothes. He had a different outfit for every hour of the day, and he spent all his money on fine fabrics. One day, two swindlers arrived in the city. They told everyone that they were weavers who could make the most beautiful cloth in the world. "And our cloth has a special quality," they said. "Anyone who is stupid, or not fit for their job, cannot see it at all." The emperor was thrilled. "With clothes like that, I'll know at once which of my ministers are no good at their jobs," he thought. He paid the men a large sum of gold and ordered a new suit. The two swindlers set up their looms and pretended to work day and night. They asked for the finest silk and gold thread, which they kept for themselves. After a while, the emperor sent his oldest and most trusted minister to see how the work was going. The minister stared at the empty looms. "I can't see anything!" he thought in horror. "Does that mean I'm stupid? Nobody must know." So he praised the colours and the patterns, and he reported back to the emperor that the cloth was magnificent. Other officials came and did exactly the same. At last, the suit was ready. The emperor went to see it himself – and he couldn't see a thing. "Am I not fit to be emperor?" he wondered. But he said out loud, "It's wonderful! Simply wonderful!" The swindlers pretended to dress him, piece by piece. Then the emperor set off through the city in a grand procession. The crowds lining the streets cheered. "What a beautiful suit!" they cried, because nobody wanted to look like a fool. Then a small child pointed and said, "But he isn't wearing anything!" There was a moment of silence. Then the whisper spread through the crowd: "The child is right. He isn't wearing anything!" Soon everyone was saying it. The emperor felt a shiver, because he knew they were right. But he held his head high and kept on walking, and his servants carried the train that wasn't there.