The Emperor's New Clothes | Bedtime Stories for Kids
Illustrated By: Stella Wei
THERE WAS ONCE AN EMPEROR who loved nothing better than wearing fancy new clothes. Three times a day he would change from one royal outfit to another. Many Emperors spend their days talking to advisors and fixing the problems of the land. Not this Emperor! He was too busy sending out his servants to find the next great outfit to wear.
One day two strangers came to town. If anyone asked, they said they were weavers and they were going to open a new fabric shop in town. But in fact, they were not weavers – they were crooks.
Indeed, the two fake weavers did open up a shop. They hung this sign outside: "The Finest Fabric in All the Land."
But in fact, they were not weavers - they were crooks.
"This sign will bring in the customers," said the first weaver with a sly grin.
"Look!" said the second weaver. "Here comes our first customer now."
The two fake weavers warmly greeted the villager who walked in the door. The customer looked around, puzzled. Why was there no merchandise in the store?
The first weaver said quickly, "I know what you're thinking! That you've never before seen such beautiful fabric."
When what the customer was really thinking was this: "I have no idea what he's talking about - this store is completely empty!"
The first weaver said quickly, "I know what you're thinking! That you've never before seen such beautiful fabric."
The second weaver added in a serious tone, "Our fabric is so exclusive that not just ANYONE can see it. Only people who are the most smart and clever can see our special MAGIC fabric. Those who aren't so smart and clever – well, they see nothing!"
The customer was distressed. "I mustn't let them know the truth! They will think I'm not smart and clever." So what he said aloud was: "Of course I see your beautiful fabric! Such bright colors! These patterns are out of this world!"
"We could tell the moment you walked in," said the second weaver, vigorously nodding his head, "that you were smart enough to see our magic fabric."
"I must tell all my friends about this new store!" exclaimed the first customer. He left after buying a large quantity of pretend fabric, pretending to carry it in his arms.
"I must tell all my friends about this new store!" exclaimed the first customer.
After the door closed behind him, the two fake weavers let out a big laugh. "This is too easy!" said the first weaver.
"They'll be putty in our hands," said the second. "We'll be rich in no time."
Soon the town was abuzz about the new magic fabric shop. Of course, each customer who walked in couldn't see any fabric. Yet they raved about how beautiful it all was. The fake weavers sold a lot of pretend magic fabric this way, and their stash of gold coins piled up.
One day, a surprise visitor arrived at the door. "Announcing - his Royal Majesty, the Emperor!" a royal servant boomed. As the servant stepped aside, none other but the Emperor strode into the shop.
One day, a surprise visitor appeared at the door.
"Your Majesty," said the first fake weaver, bowing low. "What an honor!"
"When I heard of the beautiful fabrics in your stop," said the Emperor, "I knew I had to come. The Royal Parade is soon upon us and of course I must have a marvelous new outfit. But there is absolutely nothing in my royal wardrobe to wear!"
"Your Majesty, you have come to the right place!" declared the first weaver. "Look around at this brilliant selection!"
The Emperor gasped. He thought in dismay, "I cannot see a thing!"
"We can tell by your expression that you are stunned by our fabulous selection," said the second weaver with a false smile. "Naturally, as the smartest and most clever person in the kingdom, you can see every bit of our splendid magic fabric."
The Emperor gasped. He thought in dismay, "I cannot see a thing!"
The two cunning crooks ran about the shop, pointing at empty corners and declaring with pride, “Look at this fine cloth! Surely you have never seen colors as bright as these, patterns this rich and beautiful!”
The Emperor could only nod in bewilderment, thinking, “I mustn't let on that I see nothing." Instead he said aloud, “No doubt this is the most exquisite cloth in ten kingdoms! Just direct me to the colors and patterns you recommend for the Royal Parade.”
The two fake weavers made a great show of pretending to unroll certain bolts of fabric and explaining the latest style they had in mind for the Emperor's special event.
"Very well!" said the Emperor, anxious to be done with it all. "Do as you describe, but the Parade is in one week. You must bring the royal outfit to the palace in five days for a fitting."
"Very well!' said the Emperor, anxious to be done with it all.
"Five days?" said the first weaver, quickly glancing at his accomplice. "That isn't much time..."
"We will have to work day and night to get such a complicated garment ready on time," said the second weaver. "I'm afraid it will cost a great deal more."
"Whatever it takes!" the Emperor exclaimed impatiently. "Just get it done!"
With all the gold coins shoved into their arms, the two crooks did not buy any yarn. All they bought were a few candles to burn in the windows at night so everyone would say, “Look! Those new weavers are working all night long to get the Emperor’s new clothes ready in time for the Royal Parade!”
Five days later, the two fake weavers arrived at the palace door, pretending to hold packages in their arms. A royal servant opened the door, and the fake weavers said why they were there.
The servant frowned. "You have an outfit for the Emperor? Where is it?"
Said the first weaver, "Can't you see? It's right here, in my arms."
The second weaver added quickly, "It's made of our special magic fabric. The kind that only smart and clever people can see."
Said the first weaver, "Can't you see? It's right here, in my arms."
The servant was alarmed. He had heard about this magic fabric only those who were smart and clever could see. He couldn't bear to think what it meant about him that he couldn't see it. So he stood up tall and said, "Even folded up, I can tell this is very fine work. By all means, come inside!"
The Emperor was thinking, "Oh dear! I was sure when they brought the outfit to the palace, I would be able to see it. But still I see nothing!" Proud as ever, the Emperor would not let on, and so what he said was this: "The royal outfit looks just as I hoped it would! Let's get started with the fitting."
"Your Majesty," said the second weaver. "Please know that when you put it on, your new ensemble will feel very light and airy. It may feel as if you are wearing nothing at all! That is one of the very special qualities of our fabric." And indeed, that's how it seemed to the Emperor. In fact, when he looked in the mirror he saw a reflection of himself wearing only his under-shorts.
But he couldn't let on about THAT. He assured himself that he must be wearing a very grand outfit indeed. For wasn't everyone else applauding and carrying on about how fashionable he looked in his stunning new ensemble?
On the day of the Royal Parade, the servants pretended to dress the Emperor. Everyone at court went on and on about how fabulous his Royal Highness looked in his new outfit. Each one was pretending, but as each thought the others could see the magic fabric (but not himself), each one's voice carried on more emphatically than the next.
"Just think!" said the first weaver to the Emperor. "For the rest of their lives, everyone at the Royal Parade will remember what you wore today!"
"Without a doubt," said the other weaver.
At the Royal Parade, the Emperor walked tall and proud. The attendants behind the Emperor appeared to hold up a train to the robe that wasn't there. Each villager in the crowd who saw the Emperor go by thought, “I can't believe this - the Emperor is wearing no clothes!”
At the Royal Parade, the Emperor walked tall and proud.
But each person knew that only those who were smart and excellent could see the magic outfit, so each said nothing and instead cheered, “There goes the Emperor! Doesn’t he look fine?”
All of a sudden, one little boy called out, “Look! The Emperor has no clothes!” Everyone gasped. The boy called out again: “He's wearing nothing but his undershorts - and they have big red hearts all over them!”
Someone snickered. Someone else let out a laugh. "Would you look at that?" another voice called out. "Our Emperor has no clothes!” Soon the whole crowd was roaring with laughter.
“This is terrible!” the Emperor despaired. “What I saw in my mirror was actually true! This means there never WAS a magic outfit, and those weavers were CROOKS! Now here I am, leading the entire Royal Parade in my under-shorts!"
But the Parade must go on. And the Emperor was the sort of fellow to make the best of any situation. So he held his head high for every step of the Parade. At one point he stopped, gave a little swish-swash and spun around, much to the delight of the crowd. The villagers roared with love for their Emperor, a ruler who never failed to surprise them.
One thing the fake weavers had said turned out to be true after all - everyone at the Parade remembered for the rest of their lives what the Emperor wore that day! And the two fake weavers were never seen again.
Think and Share Questions: See Other Kids Comments below!
Question 1--- Choose a character. How did that person or animal change/grow/learn by the end of the story?
Question 2--- Say what you think the story is trying to show you.
1) The king and he learned that the wore no clothes. 2). He learned that he had been fooled.
This story is more than a dumb children’s story, its a literal lesson about obsession And ego (Pride), The king?Emperor Has a unhealthy feti-, I mean addiction to Clothing and fashion, to the point where he prioritize it more than the safety of the kingdom (Or atleast how the story described it) The 2 Fake weavers Represent The physical manifestation Of Avarice, The Majority of the story (When the so called “Magical cloth”) The rest of the story represent’s a water down version to order to make it kid-friendly or to appeal to Younger audience. The Magical cloth has a description where “Only the smart and excellent could see this special cloth”, This belief represents The kings/Emperor of his Desire of fashion: Blindness . Blinded by his Pride and addiction the outcome (Like always) Is the opposite, Thus comes the existenial crisis, losing Self value thus comes the possibility of sadness, depression, and most of all suicidal, these aspect comes because of his blinded believe, since most kings/emperor Has high hopes for each delivered request to be executed properly and Perfection. Because of the fact he cant see the magical cloth, AND people are mocking him despite his high and royal position, he will begin to lose Self-value: Self-value are what person’s pride or feelings on things which they are great in, and began to lower the self esteem. And also this entire review is literally just a over-exaggeration lol.
I think this story’s so long and boring
the story is very nice, i like it!
???
Be there for the people not yourself. You derive your splendour from the splendour of your people not yourself.
To not trust crooks
Do not believe any strangers
This story is very interesting in my opinion. I don’t know much English, but I liked it a lot! Well done to the one who created it!
wow it is so funny