Belinda Gallagher - The Emperors New Clothes: And Other Stories

First published in 2011 by Miles Kelly Publishing Ltd

Hardings Barn, Bardfield End Green, Thaxted, Essex, CM6 3PX, UK

Copyright Miles Kelly Publishing Ltd 2011

Publishing Director Belinda Gallagher

Creative Director Jo Cowan

Editor Amanda Askew

Senior Designer Joe Jones

Production Manager Elizabeth Collins

Reprographics Anthony Cambray, Stephan Davis, Lorraine King, Jennifer Hunt

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Artworks are from the Miles Kelly Artwork Bank

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The Emperors New Clothes

Retold from the original tale by Hans Christian Andersen

T HERE WAS ONCE an emperor who loved new clothes above everything else. Designers, tailors, clothmakers, dyers, and specialists in all sorts of needlework travelled to his city from all over the world. Anyone who could suggest flashy, fancy new outfits for the emperor was always very welcome at the palace.

One day, it was the turn of two weavers to be quickly ushered into the emperors dressing room. The emperor, his butler and all his Officers of the Royal Wardrobe, gasped with amazement as they listened to them describe their work.

We have created a special fabric that is so light and airy the wearer cannot feel it, the first weaver announced.

Our samples are top secret, which is why we have not been able to bring any to show you, the second weaver explained.

However we can assure you that not only are our designs and patterns exquisitely beautiful, said the first weaver, but the fabric has the unique advantage that it is completely invisible to anyone not worthy of his job.

Or who is just plain stupid! laughed the second weaver, and the emperor and all his courtiers gasped and chuckled along.

We would be honoured if you would like to order the first suit made out of this extraordinary fabric, your majesty, said the first weaver, bowing low.

The emperor clapped his hands with delight.

Id like to place an order right away! he commanded, and he gave the two weavers a large sum of money so that they could buy the rare, expensive materials they needed and begin their work without delay.

The weavers set up their looms in the palace studio and got going right away. News of the strange cloth spread round the city like wildfire and soon everyone was talking about it. But the weavers worked behind closed doors and no one got even a glimpse of what they were doing. Still, day and night everyone heard the looms clicking and the shuttles flying, and work on the magical cloth seemed to be progressing well.

As the days went on, the emperor began to feel rather uneasy about seeing the cloth for the first time. Imagine if I cant see the fabric myself! he thought to himself. How dreadfully embarrassing that would be! The worried emperor decided to send his trusted old butler to see how the weavers were getting on. He was sure that his butler was both fit for his job and very wise, and would be sure to see the wonderful material.

The weavers bowed low and ushered the butler into the studio. But the butler couldnt see anything at all. Heavens above! the butler thought to himself. Those looms look totally bare to me! I must either be a bad butler, or else Im an idiot. No one must find out

So he praised the material that he could not see, told the king that the weavers work was indeed magnificent, and everyone in the city heard that the cloth was truly unbelievable!

Soon afterwards, the weavers sent word to the emperor that they needed more money to buy essential items for the work. The emperor had been so delighted with the butlers report that he sent them twice as much money as before. The emperor was more excited than ever. Im going to have the most amazing suit of clothes in the world! he giggled to himself.

Eventually, just as the impatient emperor thought he was going to explode with waiting, the weavers announced their work was finished. They went to the dressing room to present the material to the emperor amid fanfares of trumpets. Is the cloth not beautiful beyond all imagining? the weavers sighed.

The emperor smiled a wide smile, trying to hide his horror. All that the weavers appeared to be holding up before him was thin air. The emperors worst fear had come true to him the cloth was invisible! I cannot be thought to be a fool or not worthy to be ruler, the despairing emperor thought. So he beamed and leant forwards and inspected the air. Wonderful! Splendid! Magnificent! he cried, and his butler and all the Officers of the Royal Wardrobe nodded and cried out compliments. None of them could see anything either, but they werent about to risk losing their jobs by admitting it.

So the weavers got out their tape measures and their scissors and they set about cutting the thin air (or so it seemed) into a pattern. All night long they sewed with needles that appeared to have no thread, and in the morning they announced that the emperors new clothes were ready. If your majesty would care to disrobe, we will dress you in the amazing garments.

The emperor swallowed hard and took off all his clothes. The weavers helped him on with the underpants and trousers and shirt and jacket that he couldnt see. Arent they lighter than cobwebs? they sighed. The emperor spluttered his agreement. He couldnt feel that he had any clothes on at all.

The emperor stood back and looked at himself in the mirror. According to what he saw, he didnt have a stitch on! But he turned this way and that, pretending to admire himself. And the butler and all the Officers of the Royal Wardrobe cried out, How wonderfully the new clothes fit you, sire! and We have never seen the like of the amazing colours! and The design is a work of genius! even though it looked to them as if the emperor was as naked as the day he was born.

Everyone else can see my new suit except me, the emperor thought to himself glumly. And he walked out of the palace to parade before the people in his marvellous new clothes.

The streets were lined with hundreds of people who ooohed! and aaaahed! over the emperors invisible new clothes for none of them wanted to admit that they couldnt see them.