13 The Emperor's New Clothes

There was once an emperor who thought only about clothes. Other emperors thought about building castles and larger kingdoms, but this emperor thought only about clothes.

One day, two swindlers came to the emperor and said,“We have made a special cloth for you. It is special because only intelligent people can see it.”

“I must have a suit made from this special cloth, ” said the emperor. “Then I will be able to tell who is intelligent and who is not! Please make it for me at once!”

When the emperor went to see the new suit, he saw nothing at all!“Oh,no! ”he thought.“I am stupid! ”The emperor was scared and he pretended to see the clothes.

The swindlers pretended to put the suit on him, and the emperor walked through the town. Everyone saw only underwear, and they thought, “I am stupid!” But everyone pretended and shouted, “What beautiful clothes! What style! What colors!”

Finally, a young boy said, “He isn't wearing anything at all!” And the emperor and all the people realized who was stupid. They all were.