he thought, and openedhis eyes wide, "I cannot see anything at all," but he did not sayso. Both swindlers requested him to come near, and asked him if he didnot admire the exquisite pattern and the beautiful colours, pointingto the empty looms. The poor old minister tried his very best, buthe could see nothing, for there was nothing to be seen. "Oh dear,"he thought, "can I be so stupid? I should never have thought so, andnobody must know it! Is it possible that I am not fit for my office?No, no, I cannot say that I was unable to see the cloth."
  "Now, have you got nothing to say?" said one of the swindlers,while he pretended to be busily weaving.
  "Oh, it is very pretty, exceedingly beautiful," replied the oldminister looking through his glasses. "What a beautiful pattern,what brilliant colours! I shall tell the emperor that I like the clothvery much."
  "We are pleased to hear that," said the two weavers, and describedto him the colours and explained the curious pattern. The old ministerlistened attentively, that he might relate to the emperor what theysaid; and so he did.
  Now the swindlers asked for more money, silk and gold-cloth, whichthey required for weaving. They kept everything for themselves, andnot a thread came near the loom, but they continued, as hitherto, towork at the empty looms.
  Soon afterwards the emperor sent another honest courtier to theweavers to see how they were getting on, and if the cloth was nearlyfinished. Like the old minister, he looked and looked but could seenothing, as there was nothing to be seen.
  "Is it not a beautiful piece of cloth?" asked the two swindlers,showing and explaining the magnificent pattern, which, however, didnot exist.
  "I am not stupid," said the man. "It is therefore my goodappointment for which I am not fit. It is very strange, but I must notlet any one know it;" and he praised the cloth, which he did notsee, and expressed his joy at the beautiful colours and the finepattern. "It is very excellent," he said to the emperor.
  Everybody in the whole town talked about the precious cloth. Atlast the emperor wished to see it himself, while it was still on theloom. With a number of courtiers, including the two who had alreadybeen there, he went to the two clever swindlers, who now worked ashard as they could, but without using any thread.
  "Is it not magnificent?" said the two old statesmen who had beenthere before. "Your Majesty must admire the colours and thepattern." And then they pointed to the empty looms, for theyimagined the others could see the cloth.
  "What is this?" thought the emperor, "I do not see anything atall. That is terrible! Am I stupid? Am I unfit to be emperor? Thatwould indeed be the most dreadful thing that could happen to me."
  "Really," he said, turning to the weavers, "your cloth has ourmost gracious approval;" and nodding contentedly he looked at theempty loom, for he did not like to say that he saw nothing. All hisattendants, who were with him, looked and looked, and although theycould not see anything more than the others, they said, like theemperor, "It is very beautiful." And all advised him to wear the newmagnificent clothes at a great procession which was soon to takeplace. "It is magnificent, beautiful, excellent," one heard themsay; everybody seemed to be delighted, and the emperor appointed thetwo swindlers "Imperial Court weavers."
  The whole night previous to the day on which the procession was totake place, the swindlers pretended to work, and burned more thansixteen candles. People should see that they were busy to finish theemperor's new suit. They pretended to take the cloth from the loom,and worked about in the air with big scissors, and sewed withneedles without thread, and said at last: "The emperor's new suit isready now."
  The emperor and all his barons then came to the hall; theswindlers held their arms up as if they held something in theirhands and said: "These are the trousers!"