vised him to have some clothes made from this
magnificent stuff, and to wear them for the first time at the great
procession that was about to take place. "It is magnificent!
beautiful! excellent!" they said one to another, and they were all so
exceedingly pleased with it that the Emperor gave the two rogues a
decoration to be worn in the button-hole, and the title "Imperial
Weavers."

The rogues worked throughout the whole of the night preceding the day
of the procession, and had over sixteen candles alight, so that people
should see how busy they were in preparing the Emperor's new clothes.

They pretended to take the stuff off the looms, cut it in the air with
great scissors, and sewed with needles without thread, and at last
they said:

"See! now the clothes are ready!"

The Emperor, followed by his most distinguished courtiers, came in
person, and the rogues lifted their arms up in the air, just as if
they held something, and said, "See! here are the trousers, here is
the coat, here is the cloak," and so forth. "It is as light as a
cobweb; one might imagine one had nothing on, but that is just the
beauty of it!"

"Yes," said all the courtiers; but they could not see anything,
because there was nothing.

"Will your imperial highness condescend to undress?" said the rogues;
"we will then attire your majesty in the new clothes, here in front of
the mirror."

"Oh! how well they look! how beautifully they fit!" said every one;
"what a pattern! what colors! It is indeed a magnificent dress."

"They are standing outside with the canopy which is to be carried over
your majesty in the procession," announced the Master of Ceremonies.

"Well, I am ready," said the Emperor. "Does it not fit me well!" and
he turned again to the mirror, for he wanted it to appear that he was
admiring his rich costume.

The chamberlains who were to carry the train fumbled with their hands
on the floor just as if they were holding the train up; they raised
their hands in the air, but dared not let any body notice that they
saw nothing; and so the Emperor went in procession beneath the
magnificent canopy, and all the people in the street and at the
windows said: "Oh! how beautiful the Emperor's new clothes are; what a
splendid train, and how well everything fits!"

No one would admit that he could see nothing, for that would have
shown that he was either unfit for his post or very stupid. None of
the Emperor's costumes had ever been