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物語の始まり：新しい服好きの皇帝
The Emperor's New Clothes
Many years ago, there was an emperor who was soexcessively fond of new clothes that he spent allhis money in dress.
He did not trouble himself in the least about hissoldiers, nor did he care to go either to thetheatre or the chase, except for the opportunitiesthen afforded him for displaying his new clothes.
He had a different suit for each hour of the day,and as of any other king or emperor, one isaccustomed to say, he is sitting in council, itwas always said of him, the emperor is sitting inhis wardrobe.
Time passed merrily in the large town which washis capital, strangers arrived every day at thecourt.
詐欺師の登場と皇帝の思惑
One day, two rogues, calling themselves weavers,made their appearance.
They gave out that they knew how to weave stuffsof the most beautiful colours and elaboratepatterns, the clothes manufactured from whichshould have the wonderful property of remaininginvisible to everyone who was unfit for the officehe held, or who was extraordinarily simple incharacter.
These must, indeed, be splendid clothes.
Thought the emperor.
Had I such a suit, I might at once find out whatmen in my realms are unfit for their office, andalso be able to distinguish the wise from thefoolish.
This stuff must be woven for me immediately.
And he caused large sums of money to be given toboth the weavers in order that they might begintheir work directly.
詐欺師たちの仕事ぶりと大臣の訪問
So the two pretended weavers set up two looms, andeffected to work very busily, though in realitythey did nothing at all.
They asked for the most delicate silk and thepurest gold thread, put both into their ownknapsacks, and then continued their pretended workat the empty looms until late at night.
I should like to know how the weavers are gettingon with my cloth, said the emperor to himself,after some little time had elapsed.
He was, however, rather embarrassed, when heremembered that a simpleton, or one unfit for hisoffice, would be unable to see the manufacture.
To be sure, he thought he had nothing to risk inhis own person, but yet, he would prefer sendingsomebody else, to bring him intelligence about theweavers and their work, before he troubled himselfin the affair.
All the people throughout the city had heard ofthe wonderful property the cloth was to possess,and all were anxious to learn how wise, or howignorant, their neighbors might prove to be.
I will send my faithful old minister to theweavers, said the emperor at last, after somedeliberation, he will be best able to see how thecloth looks, for he is a man of sense, and no onecan be more suitable for his office than he is.
So the faithful old minister went into the hall,where the knaves were working with all theirmight, at their empty looms.
What can be the meaning of this? thought the oldman, opening his eyes very wide.
I cannot discover the least bit of threat on thelooms.
However, he did not express his thoughts aloud.
The impostors requested him very courteously to beso good as to come nearer their looms, and thenasked him whether the design pleased him, andwhether the colors were not very beautiful, at thesame time pointing to the empty frames.
The poor old minister looked and looked, he couldnot discover anything on the looms, for a verygood 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 mustknow 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 thestuff.
Well, sir minister, said one of the knaves, stillpretending 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 theemperor without delay, how very beautiful I thinkthem.
We shall be much obliged to you, said theimpostors, and then they named the differentcolors and described the pattern of the pretendedstuff.
The old minister listened attentively to theirwords, in order that he might repeat them to theemperor,
and then the knaves asked for more silk and gold,saying that it was necessary to complete what theyhad begun.
However, they put all that was given them intotheir knapsacks,
and continued to work with as much apparentdiligence as before at their empty looms.
役人の訪問と皇帝の視察
The emperor now sent another officer of his courtto see how the men were getting on,
and to ascertain whether the cloth would soon beready.
It was just the same with this gentleman as withthe minister.
He surveyed the looms on all sides, but could seenothing at all but the empty frames.
Does not the stuff appear as beautiful to you, asit did to my lord the minister?
asked the impostors of the emperor's secondambassador, at the same time making the samegestures as before,
and talking of the design and colors which werenot there.
I certainly am not stupid! thought the messenger.
It must be, that I am not fit for my good,profitable office.
That is very odd, however, no one shall knowanything about it.
And accordingly he praised the stuff he could notsee,
and declared that he was delighted with bothcolors and patterns.
Indeed, please your imperial majesty, said he tohis sovereign when he returned,
the cloth which the weavers are preparing isextraordinarily magnificent.
The whole city was talking of the splendid clothwhich the emperor had ordered to be woven at hisown expense.
And now the emperor himself wished to see thecostly manufacture, while it was still in theloom.
Accompanied by a select number of officers of thecourt,
among whom were the two honest men who had alreadyadmired the cloth,
he went to the crafty impostors, who, as soon asthey were aware of the emperor's approach,
went on working more diligently than ever,although they still did not pass a single threadthrough the looms.
Is not the work absolutely magnificent? said thetwo officers of the crown, already mentioned.
If your majesty will only be pleased to look atit.
What a splendid design! what glorious colors!
And at the same time they pointed to the emptyframes,
for they imagined that everyone else could seethis exquisite piece of workmanship.
How is this? said the emperor to himself.
I can see nothing. This is indeed a terribleaffair.
Am I a simpleton, or am I unfit to be an emperor?
That would be the worst thing that could happen.
The cloth is charming, said he, aloud.
It has my complete approbation.
And he smiled most graciously, and looked closelyat the empty looms,
for on no account would he say that he could notsee what two of the officers of his court hadpraised so much.
All his retinue now strained their eyes, hoping todiscover something on the looms,
but they could see no more than the others.
行列と子供の言葉
Nevertheless, they all exclaimed, Oh, howbeautiful!
and advised his majesty to have some new clothesmade from this splendid material,
for the approaching procession.
Magnificent! charming! excellent!
resounded on all sides, and everyone wasuncommonly gay.
The emperor shared in the general satisfaction,
and presented the imposters with the ribbon of anorder of knighthood,
to be worn in their buttonholes, and the title ofgentleman weavers.
The rogues set up the whole of the night beforethe day on which the procession was to take place,
and had sixteen lights burning, so that everyonemight see how anxious they were to finish theemperor's new suit.
They pretended to roll the cloth off the looms,cut the air with their scissors,
and sewed with needles without any thread in them.
See, cried they, at last! the emperor's newclothes are ready.
And now the emperor, with all the grandees of hiscourt, came to the weavers,
and the rogues raised their arms, as if in the actof holding something up,
saying, Here are your majesty's trousers. Here isthe scarf. Here is the mantle.
The whole suit is as light as a cobweb, one mightfancy one has nothing at all on,
when dressed in it, that, however, is the greatvirtue of this delicate cloth.
Yes indeed, said all the courtiers, although notone of them could see anything of this exquisitemanufacture.
If your imperial majesty will be graciouslypleased to take off your clothes,
we will fit on the new suit, in front of thelooking-glass.
The emperor was accordingly undressed, and therogues pretended to array him in his new suit,
the emperor turning round, from side to side,before the looking-glass.
How splendid his majesty looks in his new clothes,and how well they fit, everyone cried out.
What a design! What colours! These are indeedroyal robes.
The 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 newclothes fit well? asked he,
turning himself round again before the looking-glass,
in order that he might appear to be examining hishandsome suit.
The lords of the bedchamber, who were to carry hismajesty's train felt about on the ground,
as if they were lifting up the ends of the mantle,and pretended to be carrying something,
for they would by no means betray anything likesimplicity, or unfitness for their office.
So now the emperor walked under his eye canopy inthe midst of the procession,
through the streets of his capital, and all thepeople standing by,
and those at the windows, cried out,
O! how beautiful are our emperor's new clothes!
What a magnificent train there is to the mantle,and how gracefully the scarf hangs!
In short, no one would allow that he could not seethese much-admired clothes,
because, in doing so, he would have declaredhimself either a simpleton or unfit for hisoffice.
Certainly, none of the emperor's various suits,had ever made so great an impression, as theseinvisible ones.
But the emperor has nothing at all on, said alittle child.
Listen to the voice of innocence, exclaimed hisfather,
and what the child had said was whispered from oneto another.
But he has nothing at all on. At last cried outall the people.
The emperor was vexed, for he knew that the peoplewere right,
but he thought the procession must go on now.
And the lords of the bedchamber took greater painsthan ever,
to appear holding up a train, although, inreality, there was no train to hold.