dreadful could
happen to me!"

"Oh, it is very pretty! it has my highest approval," the emperor said
aloud. He nodded with satisfaction as he gazed at the empty looms, for
he would not betray that he could see nothing.

His whole suite gazed and gazed, each seeing no more than the others;
but, like the emperor, they all exclaimed, "Oh, it is beautiful!" They
even suggested to the emperor that he wear the splendid new clothes for
the first time on the occasion of a great procession which was soon to
take place.

"Splendid! Gorgeous! Magnificent!" went from mouth to mouth. All were
equally delighted with the weavers' workmanship. The emperor gave each
of the impostors an order of knighthood to be worn in their buttonholes,
and the title Gentleman Weaver of the Imperial Court.

Before the day on which the procession was to take place, the weavers
sat up the whole night, burning sixteen candles, so that people might
see how anxious they were to get the emperor's new clothes ready. They
pretended to take the stuff from the loom, they cut it out in the air
with huge scissors, and they stitched away with needles which had no
thread in them. At last they said, "Now the clothes are finished."

The emperor came to them himself with his grandest courtiers, and each
of the rogues lifted his arm as if he held something, saying, "See! here
are the trousers! here is the coat! here is the cloak," and so on. "It
is as light as a spider's web. One would almost feel as if one had
nothing on, but that is the beauty of it!"

"Yes," said all the courtiers, but they saw nothing, for there was
nothing to see.

"Will your Majesty be graciously pleased to take off your clothes so
that we may put on the new clothes here, before the great mirror?"

The emperor took off his clothes, and the rogues pretended to put on
first one garment and then another of the new ones they had pretended to
make. They pretended to fasten something round his waist and to tie on
something. This they said was the train, and the emperor turned round
and round before the mirror.

"How well his Majesty looks in the new clothes! How becoming they are!"
cried all the courtiers in turn. "That is a splendid costume!"

"The canopy that is to be carried over your Majesty in the procession is
waiting outside," said the master of ceremonies.

"Well, I am ready," replied the emperor. "Don't the clothes look well?"
and he turned round and round again before the mirror,