The Emperor's New Clothes

Many years ago, in a grand palace, lived an Emperor who loved clothes more than anything else in the world. He had a different coat for every hour of the day. He didn’t care about his soldiers or his people, only about showing off his new outfits.

One day, two strangers arrived in the city. They were clever tricksters. They told the Emperor they were master weavers who could make the most beautiful cloth imaginable. “But this cloth is special,” they whispered. “It has a magical quality. It is invisible to anyone who is stupid or unfit for their job.”

The Emperor was thrilled. “This is perfect!” he thought. “If I wear a suit made of this cloth, I will be able to tell which of my ministers are foolish and which are wise.” He gave the men a large bag of gold and ordered them to start weaving immediately.

The tricksters set up two large looms in a royal room. They pretended to work day and night, moving their hands in the air as if weaving threads. But the looms were completely empty! A few days later, the Emperor sent his wise old Prime Minister to check on the work. The Prime Minister walked into the room. He stared at the empty looms. “Heaven help me!” he thought. “I don’t see anything at all! Am I stupid? Am I unfit to be Prime Minister?” But he didn’t dare say that. “Oh, it is magnificent!” he lied to the weavers. “Such colors! Such patterns!” He went back and told the Emperor the cloth was beautiful.

Next, the Emperor sent another official. This man also saw nothing. But he didn’t want to lose his job, so he too pretended. “Exquisite! Truly artistic!” he praised.

Finally, the suit was “ready.” The Emperor came to try it on. The tricksters pretended to hold up the heavy fabric. “Light as a spider web, Your Majesty!” they said. “You won’t even feel it on your skin.” They pretended to dress him. “Here are the trousers! Here is the coat! And the cape!” The Emperor stood in front of the mirror, turning this way and that. He saw only his own reflection in his underwear. But he thought, “Every one else sees it. I must not be the only fool.” “It fits perfectly!” he declared.

The day of the Grand Parade arrived. The Emperor marched proudly down the main street of the city. His noblemen walked behind him, holding their hands up as if carrying a long train. The people in the streets lined up to watch. They had all heard about the magic cloth. No one wanted to admit they couldn’t see anything, for fear of being called stupid. “Look at the Emperor’s new clothes!” they cheered. “How beautiful! How elegant!”

The Emperor beamed with pride. Suddenly, a small child in the front row tugged on his father’s sleeve. The child looked at the Emperor with clear, honest eyes. “But Daddy,” said the child loudly, “he isn’t wearing any clothes!”

First, a hush fell over the crowd. Then, a whisper started. “The child says he has no clothes.” “He has no clothes!” “He is naked!” Suddenly, the whole crowd began to laugh. “The Emperor has no clothes!”

The Emperor’s face turned red with embarrassment. He realized the child was right. He had been tricked by his own vanity. But he knew he couldn’t stop now. He held his head high and finished the parade, walking all the way back to the palace, having learned a very embarrassing lesson about pride and honesty.

Moral of the Story: Do not let vanity blind you to the truth. An honest voice is worth more than a thousand flatteries.

Moral of the Story: Do not let pride or fear prevent you from speaking the truth.