Reading Material For Brigada Pagbasa
Reading Material For Brigada Pagbasa
Reading Material For Brigada Pagbasa
They set up two looms and pretended to weave, though there was nothing on the looms. All the finest
silk and the purest old thread which they demanded went into their traveling bags, while they worked
the empty looms far into the night.
"I'll send my honest old minister to the weavers," the Emperor decided. "He'll be the best one to tell me
how the material looks, for he's a sensible man and no one does his duty better."
"Heaven help me," he thought as his eyes flew wide open, "I can't see anything at all". But he did not say
so.
Both the swindlers begged him to be so kind as to come near to approve the excellent pattern, the
beautiful colors. They pointed to the empty looms, and the poor old minister stared as hard as he dared.
He couldn't see anything, because there was nothing to see. "Heaven have mercy," he thought. "Can it
be that I'm a fool? I'd have never guessed it, and not a soul must know. Am I unfit to be the minister? It
would never do to let on that I can't see the cloth."
"Oh, it's beautiful -it's enchanting." The old minister peered through his spectacles. "Such a pattern,
what colors!" I'll be sure to tell the Emperor how delighted I am with it."
"We're pleased to hear that," the swindlers said. They proceeded to name all the colors and to explain
the intricate pattern. The old minister paid the closest attention, so that he could tell it all to the
Emperor. And so, he did.
The Emperor presently sent another trustworthy official to see how the work progressed and how soon
it would be ready. The same thing happened to him that had happened to the minister. He looked and
he looked, but as there was nothing to see in the looms he couldn't see anything.
"I know I'm not stupid," the man thought, "so it must be that I'm unworthy of my good office. That's
strange. I mustn't let anyone find it out, though." So he praised the material he did not see. He declared
he was delighted with the beautiful colors and the exquisite pattern. To the Emperor he said, "It held me
spellbound."
"Magnificent," said the two officials already duped. "Just look, Your Majesty, what colors! What a
design!" They pointed to the empty looms, each supposing that the others could see the stuff.
"What's this?" thought the Emperor. "I can't see anything. This is terrible!
His whole retinue stared and stared. One saw no more than another, but they all joined the Emperor in
exclaiming, "Oh! It's very pretty," and they advised him to wear clothes made of this wonderful cloth
especially for the great procession he was soon to lead. "Magnificent! Excellent! Unsurpassed!" were
bandied from mouth to mouth, and everyone did his best to seem well pleased. The Emperor gave each
of the swindlers a cross to wear in his buttonhole, and the title of "Sir Weaver."
Then the Emperor himself came with his noblest noblemen, and the swindlers each raised an arm as if
they were holding something. They said, "These are the trousers, here's the coat, and this is the
mantle," naming each garment. "All of them are as light as a spider web. One would almost think he had
nothing on, but that's what makes them so fine."
The Emperor undressed, and the swindlers pretended to put his new clothes on him, one garment after
another. They took him around the waist and seemed to be fastening something - that was his train-as
the Emperor turned round and round before the looking glass.
Then the minister of public processions announced: "Your Majesty's canopy is waiting outside."
"Well, I'm supposed to be ready," the Emperor said, and turned again for one last look in the mirror. "It
is a remarkable fit, isn't it?" He seemed to regard his costume with the greatest interest.
So off went the Emperor in procession under his splendid canopy. Everyone in the streets and the
windows said, "Oh, how fine are the Emperor's new clothes! Don't they fit him to perfection? And see
his long train!" Nobody would confess that he couldn't see anything, for that would prove him either
unfit for his position, or a fool. No costume the Emperor had worn before was ever such a complete
success.
"Did you ever hear such innocent prattle?" said its father. And one person whispered to another what
the child had said, "He hasn't anything on. A child says he hasn't anything on."
"But he hasn't got anything on!" the whole town cried out at last.
The Emperor shivered, for he suspected they were right. But he thought, "This procession has got to go
on." So, he walked more proudly than ever, as his noblemen held high the train that wasn't there at all.