Page 101 - New Grammar with a Smile 3

5 The Emperor’s

New Clothes

Read about a foolish emperor.

Many years ago, there lived an emperor who loved new clothes. He spent all his money
on new clothes.

One day, two thieves came to the city. They said that they were weavers. They said that

they knew how to make the finest of clothes. This cloth was not only beautiful, but it
could also not be seen by people who were foolish!

‘It would be wonderful to have clothes made from that cloth,’ thought the emperor.
‘Then I would know which are the clever people and which are the foolish ones in my
kingdom.’ The emperor gave money and golden thread to the thieves to weave this
wonderful cloth.

They set up their looms and pretended to go to work, although there was nothing at all

on the looms.

A few days later, the emperor sent his prime minister to find out how much work was
still left. The prime minister could see nothing on the loom, but he praised the cloth he
could not see because he was afraid he would be called foolish.

The thieves now asked for more money, more silk and more gold, all of which they put

into their big bags. Then they continued to weave away on the empty looms.

One day, the thieves said that they had stitched the clothes for the emperor with the new
cloth. The emperor decided to hold a procession wearing these clothes. He wanted all the
people of the kingdom to see his splendid clothes.

The day arrived. The emperor took off all his clothes, and the thieves pretended to dress
him, piece by piece, with the new ones.

The emperor could see no clothes, but he was scared to say that for fear that others
might call him foolish.

The emperor walked in front of the procession and all the people in the street and at
their windows stared at him.

‘But he doesn’t have anything on!’ said a small child.

Finally, everyone was saying, ‘He doesn’t have anything on!’

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