Andersens-Fairy-Tales.pdf

Andersen’s Fairy Tales

By Hans Christian Andersen

THE EMPEROR’S

NEW CLOTHES

money to be given to both the weavers in order that they

might begin their work directly.

So the two pretended weavers set up two looms, and

afected to work very busily, though in reality they did

nothing at all. hey asked for the most delicate silk and the

purest gold thread; put both into their own knapsacks; and

then continued their pretended work at the empty looms

until late at night.

‘I should like to know how the weavers are getting on

with my cloth,’ said the Emperor to himself, ater some lit-

tle time had elapsed; he was, however, rather embarrassed,

when he remembered that a simpleton, or one unit for his

oice, would be unable to see the manufacture. To be sure,

he thought he had nothing to risk in his own person; but

yet, he would prefer sending somebody else, to bring him

intelligence about the weavers, and their work, before he

troubled himself in the afair. All the people throughout the

city had heard of the wonderful property the cloth was to

possess; and all were anxious to learn how wise, or how ig-

norant, their neighbors might prove to be.

‘I will send my faithful old minister to the weavers,’ said

the Emperor at last, ater some deliberation, ‘he will be best

able to see how the cloth looks; for he is a man of sense, and

no one can be more suitable for his oice than be is.’

So the faithful old minister went into the hall, where the

knaves were working with all their might, at their empty

looms. ‘What can be the meaning of this?’ thought the old

man, opening his eyes very wide. ‘I cannot discover the

least bit of thread on the looms.’ However, he did not ex-

cessively fond of new clothes, that he spent all his

money in dress. He did not trouble himself in the least about

his soldiers; nor did he care to go either to the theatre or the

chase, except for the opportunities then aforded him for

displaying his new clothes. He had a diferent suit for each

hour of the day; and as of any other king or emperor, one

is accustomed to say, ‘he is sitting in council,’ it was always

said of him, ‘he Emperor is sitting in his wardrobe.’

Time passed merrily in the large town which was his cap-

ital; strangers arrived every day at the court. One day, two

rogues, calling themselves weavers, made their appearance.

hey gave out that they knew how to weave stufs of the most

beautiful colors and elaborate patterns, the clothes manu-

factured from which should have the wonderful property of

remaining invisible to everyone who was unit for the oice

he held, or who was extraordinarily simple in character.

‘hese must, indeed, be splendid clothes!’ thought the

Emperor. ‘Had I such a suit, I might at once ind out what

men in my realms are unit for their oice, and also be able

to distinguish the wise from the foolish! his stuf must be

woven for me immediately.’ And he caused large sums of

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M any years ago, there was an Emperor, who was so ex-

press his thoughts aloud.

he impostors requested him very courteously to be so

good as to come nearer their looms; and then asked him

whether the design pleased him, and whether the colors

were not very beautiful; at the same time pointing to the

empty frames. he poor old minister looked and looked,

he could not discover anything on the looms, for a very

good reason, viz: there was nothing there. ‘What!’ thought

he again. ‘Is it possible that I am a simpleton? I have never

thought so myself; and no one must know it now if I am so.

Can it be, that I am unit for my oice? No, that must not

be said either. I will never confess that I could not see the

stuf.’

‘Well, Sir Minister!’ said one of the knaves, still pretend-

ing to work. ‘You do not say whether the stuf pleases you.’

‘Oh, it is excellent!’ replied the old minister, looking at

the loom through his spectacles. ‘his pattern, and the col-

ors, yes, I will tell the Emperor without delay, how very

beautiful I think them.’

‘We shall be much obliged to you,’ said the impostors,

and then they named the diferent colors and described the

pattern of the pretended stuf. he old minister listened at-

tentively to their words, in order that he might repeat them

to the Emperor; and then the knaves asked for more silk

and gold, saying that it was necessary to complete what they

had begun. However, they put all that was given them into

their knapsacks; and continued to work with as much ap-

parent diligence as before at their empty looms.

he Emperor now sent another oicer of his court to see

how the men were getting on, and to ascertain whether the

cloth would soon be ready. It was just the same with this

gentleman as with the minister; he surveyed the looms on

all sides, but could see nothing at all but the empty frames.

‘Does not the stuf appear as beautiful to you, as it did to

my lord the minister?’ asked the impostors of the Emperor’s

second ambassador; at the same time making the same ges-

tures as before, and talking of the design and colors which

were not there.

‘I certainly am not stupid!’ thought the messenger. ‘It

must be, that I am not it for my good, proitable oice! hat

is very odd; however, no one shall know anything about it.’

And accordingly he praised the stuf he could not see, and

declared that he was delighted with both colors and pat-

terns. ‘Indeed, please your Imperial Majesty,’ said he to his

sovereign when he returned, ‘the cloth which the weavers

are preparing is extraordinarily magniicent.’

he 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 in the loom. Accompanied

by a select number of oicers of the court, among whom

were the two honest men who had already admired the

cloth, he went to the craty impostors, who, as soon as they

were aware of the Emperor’s approach, went on working

more diligently than ever; although they still did not pass a

single thread through the looms.

‘Is not the work absolutely magniicent?’ said the two of-

icers of the crown, already mentioned. ‘If your Majesty will

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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 everyone else could

see this exquisite piece of workmanship.

‘How is this?’ said the Emperor to himself. ‘I can see

nothing! his is indeed a terrible afair! Am I a simpleton,

or am I unit to be an Emperor? hat would be the worst

thing that could happen—Oh! the cloth is charming,’ said

he, aloud. ‘It has my complete 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 oicers of his court had praised so much. All his reti-

nue 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.

‘Magniicent! Charming! Excellent!’ resounded on all sides;

and everyone was uncommonly gay. he Emperor shared in

the general satisfaction; and presented the impostors with

the riband of an order of knighthood, to be worn in their

button-holes, and the title of ‘Gentlemen Weavers.’

he rogues sat up the whole of the night before the day

on which the procession was to take place, and had sixteen

lights burning, so that everyone might see how anxious

they were to inish the Emperor’s new suit. hey pretended

to roll the cloth of the looms; cut the air with their scissors;

and sewed with needles without any thread in them. ‘See!’

cried they, at last. ‘he Emperor’s new clothes are ready!’

And now the Emperor, with all the grandees of his court,

came to the weavers; and the rogues raised their arms, as if

in the act of holding something up, saying, ‘Here are your

Majesty’s trousers! Here is the scarf! Here is the mantle! he

whole suit is as light as a cobweb; one might fancy one has

nothing at all on, when dressed in it; that, however, is the

great virtue of this delicate cloth.’

‘Yes indeed!’ said all the courtiers, although not one of

them could see anything of this exquisite manufacture.

‘If your Imperial Majesty will be graciously pleased to

take of your clothes, we will it on the new suit, in front of

the looking glass.’

he Emperor was accordingly undressed, and the rogues

pretended to array him in his new suit; the Emperor turn-

ing round, from side to side, before the looking glass.

‘How splendid his Majesty looks in his new clothes, and

how well they it!’ everyone cried out. ‘What a design! What

colors! hese are indeed royal robes!’

‘he canopy which is to be borne over your Majesty, in

the procession, is waiting,’ announced the chief master of

the ceremonies.

‘I am quite ready,’ answered the Emperor. ‘Do my new

clothes it well?’ asked he, turning himself round again be-

fore the looking glass, in order that he might appear to be

examining his handsome suit.

he lords of the bedchamber, who were to carry his Maj-

esty’s train felt about on the ground, as if they were liting

up the ends of the mantle; and pretended to be carrying

something; for they would by no means betray anything

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like simplicity, or unitness for their oice.

So now the Emperor walked under his high canopy

in the midst of the procession, through the streets of his

capital; and all the people standing by, and those at the win-

dows, cried out, ‘Oh! How beautiful are our Emperor’s new

clothes! What a magniicent train there is to the mantle;

and how gracefully the scarf hangs!’ in short, no one would

allow that he could not see these much-admired clothes; be-

cause, in doing so, he would have declared himself either a

simpleton or unit for his oice. Certainly, none of the Em-

peror’s various suits, had ever made so great an impression,

as these invisible ones.

‘But the Emperor has nothing at all on!’ said a little

child.

‘Listen to the voice of innocence!’ exclaimed his father;

and what the child had said was whispered from one to an-

other.

‘But he has nothing at all on!’ at last cried out all the peo-

ple. he Emperor was vexed, for he knew that the people

were right; but he thought the procession must go on now!

And the lords of the bedchamber took greater pains than

ever, to appear holding up a train, although, in reality, there

was no train to hold.

THE SWINEHERD

kingdom was very small, but still quite large enough to

marry upon; and he wished to marry.

It was certainly rather cool of him to say to the Emperor’s

daughter, ‘Will you have me?’ But so he did; for his name

was renowned far and wide; and there were a hundred prin-

cesses who would have answered, ‘Yes!’ and ‘hank you

kindly.’ We shall see what this princess said.

Listen!

It happened that where the Prince’s father lay buried,

there grew a rose tree—a most beautiful rose tree, which

blossomed only once in every ive years, and even then bore

only one lower, but that was a rose! It smelt so sweet that

all cares and sorrows were forgotten by him who inhaled

its fragrance.

And furthermore, the Prince had a nightingale, who

could sing in such a manner that it seemed as though all

sweet melodies dwelt in her little throat. So the Princess

was to have the rose, and the nightingale; and they were ac-

cordingly put into large silver caskets, and sent to her.

he Emperor had them brought into a large hall, where

the Princess was playing at ‘Visiting,’ with the ladies of the

court; and when she saw the caskets with the presents, she

clapped her hands for joy.

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T here was once a poor Prince, who had a kingdom. His

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