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The Emperor's New Clothes
Long ago and
far away, there lived
an
Emperor. This Emperor
was very
vain and could think about
nothing
but his
clothes. He had
wardrobes
and
cupboards full of clothes. They
filled his spare bedrooms and upstairs
corridors of the palace.
The courtiers were worried
that the wardrobes would begin to appear
downstairs and in their chambers.
The Emperor
spent hours every morning getting dressed. He had
to
choose
his
outfit,
preferable
a
new
one,
and
the
shoes
and
wig
to
go
with
it.
Mid-morning,
he
invariably
changed
into
something
more
formal
for
his
short meetings with his
councillors and advisors. He would change again
for
lunch,
and
then
again
for
a
rest
in
the
afternoon.
He
just
had
to
change
for dinner and them
again for the evening!
He
kept
all
the
weavers,
tailors,
cobblers
and
silk
merchants
of
the
city very busy and very happy! News of
the Emperor spread to distant
kingdoms
and finally came to the ears of two very shady
characters.
loves new
clothes?
They
left
their
homes
and
traveled
to
the
Emperor's
city.
there
they
saw
the
many
shops
selling
clothes,
shoes
and
fabrics.
For,
if
the
Emperor
dressed finely, so too did his
couriers. The two travelers went to the
palace along with many
other
tradesmen hoping
to sell their
wares to the
Emperor.
They
asked
to
meet
the
Emperor.
have
something
very
special
to
show
him,
they
told
the
Chamberlain.
what
everyone
says,
said
the
Chamberlain.
a new cloth by using a
very special and secret method.
The Chamberlain felt that
it was his duty to bring new items to the
Emperor's attention and he went to tell
him.
the
Emperor,
who
was
changing
for
lunch
and
admiring
himself
in
the
mirror.
The
two weavers were shown in, and began to describe
their cloth to
the Emperor.
time,
wool,
wonderful
fabric.
The
Emperor
was
enchanted.
He
must
have
an
outfit
from
this
new
cloth.
is
a
grand
parade
in
the
city
in
two
weeks
time,
he
said.
need
a new outfit
for it. Can one be ready in time?
said
the weavers.
to make.
object.
I must have an outfit. Just see the Chamberlain
and he'll sort
it out. Make it here in
the palace.
The Chamberlain
showed the two
weavers to
a large airy
room and they
set to work. They asked for a loom, and
a sack of gold to start buying