which men in my kingdom are unfit for the
offices they hold; I could distinguish the wise from the stupid! Yes,
this cloth must be woven for me at once.' And he gave both the impostors
much money, so that they might begin their work.

They placed two weaving-looms, and began to do as if they were working,
but they had not the least thing on the looms. They also demanded the
finest silk and the best gold, which they put in their pockets, and
worked at the empty looms till late into the night.

'I should like very much to know how far they have got on with the
cloth,' thought the Emperor. But he remembered when he thought about it
that whoever was stupid or not fit for his office would not be able
to see it. Now he certainly believed that he had nothing to fear for
himself, but he wanted first to send somebody else in order to see how
he stood with regard to his office. Everybody in the whole town knew
what a wonderful power the cloth had, and they were all curious to see
how bad or how stupid their neighbour was.

'I will send my old and honoured minister to the weavers,' thought
the Emperor. 'He can judge best what the cloth is like, for he has
intellect, and no one understands his office better than he.'

Now the good old minister went into the hall where the two impostors sat
working at the empty weaving-looms. 'Dear me!' thought the old minister,
opening his eyes wide, 'I can see nothing!' But he did not say so.

Both the impostors begged him to be so kind as to step closer, and asked
him if it were not a beautiful texture and lovely colours. They pointed
to the empty loom, and the poor old minister went forward rubbing his
eyes; but he could see nothing, for there was nothing there.

'Dear, dear!' thought he, 'can I be stupid? I have never thought that,
and nobody must know it! Can I be not fit for my office? No, I must
certainly not say that I cannot see the cloth!'

'Have you nothing to say about it?' asked one of the men who was
weaving.

'Oh, it is lovely, most lovely!' answered the old minister, looking
through his spectacles. 'What a texture! What colours! Yes, I will tell
the Emperor that it pleases me very much.'

'Now we are delighted at that,' said both the weavers, and thereupon
they named the colours and explained the make of the texture.

The old minister paid great attention, so that he could tell the same to
the Emperor when he came back to him, which he did.

The impostors now wanted mor