e money, more silk, and more gold to use in
their weaving. They put it all in their own pockets, and there came no
threads on the loom, but they went on as they had done before, working
at the empty loom. The Emperor soon sent another worthy statesman to
see how the weaving was getting on, and whether the cloth would soon
be finished. It was the same with him as the first one; he looked and
looked, but because there was nothing on the empty loom he could see
nothing.

'Is it not a beautiful piece of cloth?' asked the two impostors, and
they pointed to and described the splendid material which was not there.

'Stupid I am not!' thought the man, 'so it must be my good office for
which I am not fitted. It is strange, certainly, but no one must be
allowed to notice it.' And so he praised the cloth which he did not
see, and expressed to them his delight at the beautiful colours and the
splendid texture. 'Yes, it is quite beautiful,' he said to the Emperor.

Everybody in the town was talking of the magnificent cloth.

Now the Emperor wanted to see it himself while it was still on the
loom. With a great crowd of select followers, amongst whom were both
the worthy statesmen who had already been there before, he went to
the cunning impostors, who were now weaving with all their might, but
without fibre or thread.

'Is it not splendid!' said both the old statesmen who had already been
there. 'See, your Majesty, what a texture! What colours!' And then they
pointed to the empty loom, for they believed that the others could see
the cloth quite well.

'What!' thought the Emperor, 'I can see nothing! This is indeed
horrible! Am I stupid? Am I not fit to be Emperor? That were the most
dreadful thing that could happen to me. Oh, it is very beautiful,' he
said. 'It has my gracious approval.' And then he nodded pleasantly, and
examined the empty loom, for he would not say that he could see nothing.

His whole Court round him looked and looked, and saw no more than the
others; but they said like the Emperor, 'Oh! it is beautiful!' And they
advised him to wear these new and magnificent clothes for the first time
at the great procession which was soon to take place. 'Splendid! Lovely!
Most beautiful!' went from mouth to mouth; everyone seemed delighted
over them, and the Emperor gave to the impostors the title of Court
weavers to the Emperor.

Throughout the whole of the night before the morning on which the
procession was to take p