Not so long ago there was an Emperor who liked new clothes so much that he spent too much of his money on clothes, so that he could always be elegantly dressed. He didn’t care much about inspecting the soldiers, nor about going to the theatre, nor about other events, unless he had something new to wear. He could change his gown ten times a day and still he would have plenty of new gowns to show off.

The emperor was excited to see the new cloth, and paid the two swindlers a large amount to set up two looms. Then the tricksters asked for the finest gold and silk thread to be delivered. The emperor ordered it in, but little did he know that the packages of these expensive materials went right into the pockets of the swindlers. They pretended to work hard at the empty looms until late at night.

The honest minister went to the weavers, who were working all day at their empty looms. He couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw the looms were empty and there was no fabric on any of them. “I can't see anything at all,” he thought to himself, but he bit his tongue, because he was afraid to admit it and be shown to be stupid.

"Oh yes, it is, of course!" The old minister was so shocked by the discovery that he was not fit to be a minister that he hurried to answer positively. "What a pattern, what colors!” The minister was looking at the empty looms. “Thank you! We work really hard to achieve such excellence,” the swindlers lied and asked for more silk and gold thread, which they would again steal. “Sure,” the minister said and left the room mumbling, “I’d better go quickly and tell the Emperor how impressed I am with it…"

The Emperor waited a couple more days, before he sent another honest man to check upon the weavers’ work. The men left and soon arrived, but the same thing happened to him that had happened to the minister. He gazed and he peered through the looms, but in vain. The looms were empty.

"I don’t think I am stupid," the man thought, "but I don’t see the clothes. That's strange. I can’t let anyone find out though." He praised the invisible fabric and stated that he was very happy with the beautiful colours and the unique pattern. To the Emperor he said, "I couldn’t believe my eyes."

He found them weaving with all their might, but without a thread in their looms.The two men who the Emperor had sent before voiced their approval at once.

The day of the procession came and the swindlers announced that they had finished and that the Emperor’s new clothes were ready! His Majesty arrived with his noblemen as soon as he heard the news. The two swindlers acted as if they were lifting clothes from the looms and presented the garments one by one. “Here are the trousers, and this is the shirt and finally - the coat! They are so light that one would think he has nothing on, but that’s why they are so exquisite.” Everyone agreed, although they couldn’t see anything, because there wasn’t anything to be seen.

When he was all dressed up, the Emperor took a last look of admiration in the mirror and certain that his new clothes looked fantastic, he started the procession. Two noblemen reached for the floor to pick up his coat as if it was really there and the procession started.

"But he isn’t wearing any clothes," a little child said."Don’t listen to him, he is a silly little boy," said the father of the child. But then another person, who heard what the child said whispered to his friend, “He has nothing on.” And then a third person repeated his words and soon the whole city was crying out “The Emperor has no clothes on!”