their material had the wonderful quality of
being invisible to everybody who was either unfit for his position, or
was extraordinarily stupid.

"They must be splendid clothes," thought the Emperor; "by wearing them
I could easily discover what persons in my kingdom are unfit for their
posts. I could distinguish the wise from the stupid. I must have that
stuff woven for me at once!" So he gave the two rogues a large sum of
money, in order that they might begin their work without delay.

The rogues put up two looms, and pretended to be working, but they had
nothing at all in the frames. Again and again they demanded the finest
silks and the most magnificent gold thread, but they put it all in
their own pockets, and worked at their empty looms late into the
night.

"Now, I should like to know how far they have got on with that stuff,"
thought the Emperor; but he felt quite uncomfortable when he
remembered that those who were stupid or unfit for their positions
could not see it. He did not think for a moment that he had anything
to fear for himself; but, nevertheless, he would rather send somebody
else first to see how the stuff was getting on.

Everybody in the town knew what a remarkable quality the stuff
possessed, and each was anxious to see how bad or stupid his neighbors
were.

"I will send my honest old minister to the weavers," thought the
Emperor; "he can judge best how the stuff looks, for he is
intelligent, and no one is better fit for his office than he."

So the clever old minister went out into the hall, where the two
rogues were sitting at work at their empty looms.

"Goodness me!" he thought, and opened his eyes wide; "I cannot see
anything," but he did not say so. Both of the rogues begged him to be
so kind as to step nearer, and asked him if it was not a pretty
design, and were not the colors beautiful, and they pointed to the
empty looms.

But the poor old minister kept on opening his eyes wider and wider: he
could not see anything for there was nothing there.

"Goodness me!" he thought; "am I really stupid? I never thought so,
and nobody must know it. Am I really unfit for my office? No; I must
certainly not tell anybody that I cannot see the stuff."

"Well, what do you think of it?" asked the one who was weaving.

"Oh, it is beautiful! Most magnificent!" replied the old minister, and
looked through his spectacles. "What a pattern! and what colors! Yes,
I must tell the Emperor that I like