Once upon a time, there was an old emperor who lived in a big city. He especially liked to wear new clothes and spent almost all his money on them. He didn’t care much about affairs of state and didn’t enjoy going to the theater or taking walks. The only time he would go out was to show everyone how good his new clothes looked.
Every day, the emperor changed his clothes several times, changing his outfit every hour. When people talked about him, instead of saying he was in a meeting, they said, “He’s gone to change his clothes again.” Over time, everyone got used to saying this.
Life in the city was easy, and many foreign tourists came every day to play. One day, two smart-looking men arrived, claiming to be master weavers who could weave the most beautiful cloth in the world. This cloth was not only beautiful in color and pattern, but it also had a magical feature: only smart and competent people could see it. If someone couldn’t see the cloth, it meant that they were either not smart or not fit for their job.
When the emperor heard this, he was immediately fascinated. He said, “This is exactly the kind of dress I want! By wearing it, I will be able to tell who around me is smart or stupid and who is worthy of their position.”
The emperor paid the two men a lot of money and told them to start weaving quickly. The two men pretended to be very serious, setting up their looms. In reality, however, they had nothing on their machines, not even a thread.
Every day, they asked the emperor for the finest silk and gold thread, claiming they would use it for weaving. What actually happened? They secretly hid all these valuable items and continued pretending to work on the empty looms until late at night.
The emperor felt uneasy and thought, “Shouldn’t I send someone to see how they’re doing?” But then he thought that if he couldn’t see the fabric, it would mean that he was neither smart nor a qualified emperor. So, he decided to send one of his most honest and capable ministers to check first.
When the minister arrived at the weaving room, he saw two “weavers” working on an empty loom. He opened his eyes wide and looked, but he couldn’t see anything. He was shocked but did not dare say anything. He thought, “Am I not smart enough? It can’t be! I can’t let others know that I can’t see.”
So, he pretended to be serious and said, “Wow, it’s so beautiful! The pattern is pretty, and the colors are especially bright!” He looked at it carefully through his glasses, as if he were studying the cloth. The two crooks were delighted to hear this and explained some colors and patterns that didn’t even exist to him.
The minister took note of this and reported back to the emperor exactly what he had heard. The emperor was very satisfied with what he heard.
Some time later, the emperor sent another minister to see if the cloth had been woven. The result was the same; this minister saw nothing, either. However, he didn’t dare tell the truth for fear that others would think him incompetent. Like the first minister, he boasted about the nonexistent fabric and said, “It’s beautiful!”
Word spread, and the whole city heard about it. Everyone knew it was magical and that not being able to see it meant you were incompetent. Everyone wanted to know if their neighbors or friends could see it. They all wanted to test them.
Finally, the emperor decided to see for himself. He took a group of his most trusted officials with him. The two con men were still pretending to work at the empty loom. One by one, the officials exclaimed, “Look, Your Majesty! How beautiful the cloth is!” They hadn’t actually seen anything; they just didn’t want to appear unable to do it.
The emperor went over to take a look, but he saw nothing. He panicked, thinking, “Am I not smart enough? Am I not worthy of being emperor?” But he forced himself to stay calm and said with a smile, “This cloth is wonderful! I’m going to use it to make a new dress for the parade!”
To show his satisfaction, the emperor gave the two crooks high honors, naming them “Royal Weavers” and giving them medals.
The emperor planned to wear these “new clothes” the next day during the parade. The first night, the two liars pretended to work all night. They held scissors in the air as if cutting cloth and held a needle as if sewing. Finally, they announced, “The clothes are done!”
The emperor arrived with a group of nobles. The two con artists raised their hands as if holding the clothes and said, “Here are the pants. Here is the coat. Here is the cloak…”
The emperor stripped naked, and the con artists pretended to put pieces of “clothing” on him. In fact, they didn’t touch anything; they only gestured in the air. They said, “This set of clothes is as light as a spider’s web, so it’s like wearing nothing.”
The nobles next to them nodded and praised, “Yes, the clothes really fit!” They could not see anything, but no one dared to tell the truth.
Finally, the emperor appeared in front of the mirror in his “new clothes” and twisted and turned to look at himself. Everyone exclaimed, “It’s beautiful!” “The pattern is so beautiful!” “The colors are so classy!”
The ceremony officer said, “The waffle covers are ready outside. When you’re ready, Your Majesty, you can leave.”
The emperor replied, “I’m already dressed.” Then, he looked in the mirror again and pretended to admire his new clothes. A few of his ministers pretended to help him adjust the tails on the back of his clothes, but they were actually holding air.
The emperor walked out of the palace in his “new clothes” and started the procession. The streets were crowded with onlookers who all said, “Wow, the emperor’s new clothes are really nice!” Everyone exclaimed, “The back of his clothes is so beautiful!” “The clothes are perfect!”
Everyone knew they couldn’t see the clothes, but no one dared to say so. If anyone told the truth, others would think they were fools or incompetent.
Suddenly, a child in the crowd said loudly, “But he’s not wearing anything!”
The child’s father hurriedly covered his mouth and whispered, “Don’t talk nonsense!”
But the words had already spread through the crowd. Someone said, “What that kid said is true. The emperor really isn’t wearing anything!” More and more people began to whisper.
Finally, they couldn’t help but shout, “Yes, the emperor isn’t wearing any clothes!” “We’ve all been tricked!”
The emperor heard these words and was shaken to his core. He thought the people might be right, but he continued on with a stiff upper lip. He thought, “I must finish this parade.” He put on an even prouder face and continued on his way, while the chamberlains still pretended to prop up his nonexistent coat tails.
What does this story tell us?
Although it sounds funny, it tells a profound truth: people sometimes lie or deceive themselves for fear of being laughed at or considered unintelligent or incompetent.
The emperor and the ministers obviously couldn’t see the clothes, but they didn’t dare admit it. The common people didn’t dare tell the truth at first, but then a little child spoke up, and everyone realized they had been lied to.
This story reminds us:
Don’t be afraid to tell the truth just because you’re afraid of being laughed at.
Authority doesn’t mean it’s always right. Sometimes the most powerful people make mistakes.
Children can often see the truth that adults can’t see because they haven’t learned to lie yet.
The herd mentality in society sometimes causes us to lose our judgment, and what everyone says is good is not always really good.
Therefore, we must learn to think independently, face reality, and have the courage to tell the truth, even if no one else is willing to.
Conclusion:
“The Emperor’s New Clothes” is an old fairy tale, but it’s still relevant. It uses humor to reveal weaknesses in human nature, such as vanity, blind obedience, fear, and lies. I hope everyone who reads this story is inspired to become brave, honest, and an independent thinker.
After all, real wisdom is not pretending to see, but daring to speak about what is unseen.
