gn and colors which were not there.

"I certainly am not stupid!" thought the messenger. "It must be that I
am not fit for my good, profitable office! That is very odd; however,
no one shall know anything about it." And accordingly he praised the
stuff he could not see, and declared that he was delighted with both
colors and patterns. "Indeed, please your Imperial Majesty," said he
to his sovereign, when he returned, "the cloth which the weavers are
preparing is extraordinarily magnificent."

The whole city was talking of the splendid cloth which the Emperor
had ordered to be woven at his own expense.

And now the Emperor himself wished to see the costly manufacture while
it was still on the loom. Accompanied by a select number of officers
of the court, among whom were the two honest men who had already
admired the cloth, he went to the crafty impostors, who, as soon as
they were aware of the Emperor's approach, went on working more
diligently than ever; altho they still did not pass a single thread
through the looms.

"Is not the work absolutely magnificent?" said the two officers of the
crown already mentioned. "If your Majesty will only be pleased to look
at it! what a splendid design! what glorious colors!" and at the same
time they pointed to the empty frames; for they imagined that every
one but themselves could see this exquisite piece of workmanship.

"How is this?" said the Emperor to himself; "I can see nothing; this
is, indeed, a terrible affair! Am I a simpleton? or am I unfit to be
an Emperor? that would be the worst thing that could happen. Oh, the
cloth is charming," said he aloud; "it has my entire approbation." And
he smiled most graciously, and looked closely at the empty looms; for
on no account would he say that he could not see what two of the
officers of his court had praised so much. All his retinue now
strained their eyes, hoping to discover something on the looms, but
they could see no more than the others; nevertheless, they all
exclaimed, "Oh! how beautiful!" and advised his Majesty to have some
new clothes made from this splendid material for the approaching
procession. "Magnificent! charming! excellent!" resounded on all
sides; and every one was uncommonly gay. The Emperor shared in the
general satisfaction, and presented the impostors with the ribbon of
an order of knighthood to be worn in their buttonholes, and the title
of "Gentlemen Weavers."

The rogues sat up the whole of the ni