Page:The fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen (c1899).djvu/65

 whatever upon the looms. They next asked for the finest silk that could be had, and the most splendid gold thread; all of which they put into their pockets, and continued working at the empty looms till late at night.

“I should like to know how they are getting on with the stuff,” thought the emperor. Yet he felt some misgivings when he recollected that stupid persons, or such as were unfit for their office, could not see the material; and though he trusted that he had nothing to fear personally, still he preferred sending some one else to see how the matter stood. All the inhabitants of the town had heard of the singular properties of the stuff, and everybody was curious to see how unfit or how stupid his neighbour might be.

“I will send my worthy old minister to the weavers,” thought the emperor; “he is best capable of judging of this stuff, for he has a great deal of good sense, and nobody is more fit for his office than he.”

The good old minister accordingly went into the room where the two impostors sat working at the empty looms. “Mercy on us!” thought the old minister, staring with all his might; “I can see nothing at all.” But he took care not to say so.

The two impostors requested him to step nearer, and asked if he did not think the pattern very pretty and the colours extremely beautiful. They then pointed to the empty loom, while the poor old minister kept staring as hard as he could, but without being able to see what in fact, was not there to be seen. “Have mercy on us!” thought he; “can I be so stupid, after all? I never thought myself so, and I must not let any one know it. Can I be unfit for my office? No! it will never do for me to own that I could not see the stuff.”

“You have not told us what you think of our stuff,” said one of the weavers.

“Oh! it is most elegant—most lovely!” answered the minister, looking through his spectacles; “both the pattern and the colours. I shall be sure to tell the emperor how pleased I am with the stuff.”

“We are delighted to hear you say so,” observed the weavers; and hereupon they mentioned the names of the colours, and explained the peculiarities of the pattern. The old minister listened very attentively, in order to be able to repeat what they said to the emperor, which he accordingly did.

The two impostors now asked for more money, more silk, and more gold, to go on with their work. They put it all into their pockets, as before, and not a thread was fastened to either shuttle, though they continued pretending to work at the empty looms.

The emperor soon sent another honourable statesman to see how the