Time passed merrily in the large town which was his capital; strangers
arrived every day at the court. One day, two rogues, calling themselves
weavers, made their appearance. They gave out that they knew how to
weave stuffs of the most beautiful colors and elaborate patterns, the
clothes manufactured from which should have the wonderful property of
remaining invisible to everyone who was unfit for the office he held, or
who was extraordinarily simple in character.
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"These
must, indeed, be splendid clothes!" thought the Emperor. "Had I such a
suit, I might at once find out what men in my realms are unfit for their
office, and also be able to distinguish the wise from the foolish! This
stuff must be woven for me immediately." And he caused large sums of
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 affected to work very busily,
though in reality they did nothing at all. They 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 will
send my faithful old minister to the weavers," said the Emperor at last,
after 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
office 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
express his thoughts aloud.
The 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 unfit for my office? No, that must not be said either. I will
never confess that I could not see the stuff."
"Well, Sir
Minister!" said one of the knaves, still pretending to work. "You do
not say whether the stuff pleases you." "Oh, it is excellent!" replied
the old minister, looking at the loom through his spectacles. "This
pattern, and the colors, yes, I will tell the Emperor without delay, how
very beautiful I think them."
| 在
他住的那個大城市裏，生活很輕松，很愉快。每天有許多外國人到來。有一天來了兩個騙子。他們說他們是織工。他們說，他們能織出誰也想像不到的最美麗的布。
這種布的色彩和圖案不僅是非常好看，而且用它縫出來的衣服還有一種奇異的作用，那就是凡是不稱職的人或者愚蠢的人，都看不見這衣服。 「那正是我最喜歡的衣服！」皇帝心裏想。「我穿了這樣的衣服，就可以看出我的王國裏哪些人不稱職；我就可以辨別出哪些人是聰明人，哪些人是傻子。是的，我要叫他們馬上織出這樣的布來！」他付了許多現款給這兩個騙子，叫他們馬上開始工作。 他們擺出兩架織機來，裝做是在工作的樣子，可是他們的織機上什麼東西也沒有。他們接二連三地請求皇帝發一些最好的生絲和金子給他們。他們把這些東西都裝進自己的腰包，卻假裝在那兩架空空的織機上忙碌地工作，一直忙到深夜。 「我要派誠實的老部長到織工那兒去看看，」皇帝想。「只有他能看出這布料是個什麼樣子，因為他這個人很有頭腦，而且誰也不像他那樣稱職。」 因此這位善良的老部長就到那兩個騙子的工作地點去。他們正在空空的織機上忙忙碌碌地工作著。「這是怎麼一回事兒？」老部長想，把眼睛睜得有碗口那麼大。「我什麼東西也沒有看見！」但是他不敢把這句話說出來。 這位可憐的老大臣的眼睛越睜越大，可是他還是看不見什麼東西，因為的確沒有什麼東西可看。 「我的老天爺！」他想。「難道我是一個愚蠢的人嗎？我從來沒有懷疑過我自己。我絕不能讓人知道這件事。難道我不稱職嗎？——不成；我決不能讓人知道我看不見布料。」 「哎，您一點意見也沒有嗎？」一個正在織布的織工說。「啊，美極了！真是美妙極了！」老大臣說。他戴著眼鏡仔細地看。「多麼美的花紋！多麼美的色彩！是的，我將要呈報皇上說我對於這布感到非常滿意。」 |
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