Project Gutenberg's Andersen's Fairy Tales, by Hans Christian Andersen

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Title: Andersen's Fairy Tales

Author: Hans Christian Andersen

Posting Date: October 10, 2008 [EBook #1597]
Release Date: January, 1999

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES ***

Produced by Dianne Bean

ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES

By Hans Christian Andersen

CONTENTS

The Emperor's New Clothes
The Swineherd
The Real Princess
The Shoes of Fortune
The Fir Tree
The Snow Queen
The Leap-Frog
The Elderbush
The Bell
The Old House
The Happy Family
The Story of a Mother
The False Collar
The Shadow
The Little Match Girl
The Dream of Little Tuk
The Naughty Boy
The Red Shoes

THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES

Many years ago, there was an Emperor, who was so excessively fond of
new clothes, that he spent all his money in dress. He did not trouble
himself in the least about his soldiers; nor did he care to go either to
the theatre or the chase, except for the opportunities then 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 is accustomed to say,
"he is sitting in council," it was always said of him, "The Emperor is
sitting in his wardrobe."

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.

"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