see the cloth. Of
course he had no fears for himself; but still he thought he would send
some one else first, just to see how matters stood.

"I will send my faithful old Minister to the weavers," thought the
Emperor. "He can see how the stuff looks, for he is a clever man, and no
one is so careful in fulfilling duties as he is!"

So the good old Minister went into the room where the two rogues sat
working at the empty looms.

"Mercy on us!" thought the old Minister, opening his eyes wide, "I can't
see a thing!" But he didn't care to say so.

Both the rascals begged him to be good enough to step a little nearer.
They pointed to the empty looms and asked him if he did not think the
pattern and the coloring wonderful. The poor old Minister stared and
stared as hard as he could, but he could not see anything, for, of
course, there was nothing to see!

"Mercy!" he said to himself. "Is it possible that I am a dunce? I never
thought so! Certainly no one must know it. Am I unfit for office? It
will never do to say that I cannot see the stuff!"

"Well, sir, why do you say nothing of it?" asked the rogue who was
pretending to weave.

"Oh, it is beautiful--charming!" said the old Minister, peering through
his spectacles. "What a fine pattern, and what wonderful colors! I shall
tell the Emperor that I am very much pleased with it."

"Well, we are glad to hear you say so," answered the two swindlers.

Then they named all the colors of the invisible cloth upon the looms,
and described the peculiar pattern. The old Minister listened intently,
so that he could repeat all that was said of it to the Emperor.

The rogues now began to demand more money, more silk, and more gold
thread in order to proceed with the weaving. All of this, of course,
went into their pockets. Not a single strand was ever put on the empty
looms at which they went on working.

The Emperor soon sent another faithful friend to see how soon the new
clothes would be ready. But he fared no better than the Minister. He
looked and looked and looked, but still saw nothing but the empty looms.

"Isn't that a pretty piece of stuff?" asked both rogues, showing and
explaining the handsome pattern which was not there at all.

"I am not stupid!" thought the man. "It must be that I am not worthy of
my good position. That is, indeed, strange. But I must not let it be
known!"

So he praised the cloth he did not see, and expressed his approval of
the color and the