Thistimeshedidnottakehimtoasplendidpalace，buttoadeepcaveinarock，wheretherewerechainshangingfromthewall。Themaidennowchainedtheyoungman’shandsandfeetsothathecouldnotescape；thenshesaidinanangryvoice，’Hereyoushallremainchainedupuntilyoudie。Iwillbringyoueverydayenoughfoodtopreventyoudyingofhunger，butyouneedneverhopeforfreedomanymore。’Withthesewordsshelefthim。
TheoldKingandhisdaughterwaitedanxiouslyformanyweeksforthePrince’sreturn，butnonewsofhimarrived。TheKing’sdaughteroftendreamedthatherhusbandwasgoingthroughsomegreatsuffering:shethereforebeggedherfathertosummonalltheenchantersandmagicians，thattheymighttrytofindoutwherethePrincewasandhowhecouldbesetfree。Butthemagicians，withalltheirarts，couldfindoutnothing，exceptthathewasstilllivingandundergoinggreatsuffering；butnonecouldtellwherehewastobefound。AtlastacelebratedmagicianfromFinlandwasbroughtbeforetheKing，whohadfoundoutthattheKing’sson-in-lawwasimprisonedintheEast，notbymen，butbysomemorepowerfulbeing。TheKingnowsentmessengerstotheEasttolookforhisson-in-law，andtheybygoodluckmetwiththeoldmagicianwhohadinterpretedthesignsonKingSolomon’sring，andthuswaspossessedofmorewisdomthananyoneelseintheworld。Themagiciansoonfoundoutwhathewishedtoknow，andpointedouttheplacewherethePrincewasimprisoned，butsaid:’Heiskepttherebyenchantment，andcannotbesetfreewithoutmyhelp。Iwillthereforegowithyoumyself。’
Sotheyallsetout，guidedbybirds，andaftersomedayscametothecavewheretheunfortunatePrincehadbeenchainedupfornearlysevenyears。Herecognisedthemagicianimmediately，buttheoldmandidnotknowhim，hehadgrownsothin。However，heundidthechainsbythehelpofmagic，andtookcareofthePrinceuntilherecoveredandbecamestrongenoughtotravel。
WhenhereachedhomehefoundthattheoldKinghaddiedthatmorning，sothathewasnowraisedtothethrone。Andnowafterhislongsufferingcameprosperity，whichlastedtotheendofhislife；buthenevergotbackthemagicring，norhasiteveragainbeenseenbymortaleyes。
Now，ifYOUhadbeenthePrince，wouldyounotratherhavestayedwiththeprettywitch-maiden？
ManyyearsagotherelivedanEmperorwhowassofondofnewclothesthathespentallhismoneyontheminordertobebeautifullydressed。Hedidnotcareabouthissoldiers，hedidnotcareaboutthetheatre；heonlylikedtogooutwalkingtoshowoffhisnewclothes。Hehadacoatforeveryhouroftheday；andjustastheysayofaking，’Heisinthecouncil-chamber，’theyalwayssaidhere，’TheEmperorisinthewardrobe。’
Inthegreatcityinwhichhelivedtherewasalwayssomethinggoingon；everydaymanystrangerscamethere。Onedaytwoimpostorsarrivedwhogavethemselvesoutasweavers，andsaidthattheyknewhowtomanufacturethemostbeautifulclothimaginable。Notonlywerethetextureandpatternuncommonlybeautiful，buttheclotheswhichweremadeofthestuffpossessedthiswonderfulpropertythattheywereinvisibletoanyonewhowasnotfitforhisoffice，orwhowasunpardonablystupid。
’Thosemustindeedbesplendidclothes，’thoughttheEmperor。
’IfIhadthemonIcouldfindoutwhichmeninmykingdomareunfitfortheofficestheyhold；Icoulddistinguishthewisefromthestupid！Yes，thisclothmustbewovenformeatonce。’
Andhegaveboththeimpostorsmuchmoney，sothattheymightbegintheirwork。
Theyplacedtwoweaving-looms，andbegantodoasiftheywereworking，buttheyhadnottheleastthingonthelooms。Theyalsodemandedthefinestsilkandthebestgold，whichtheyputintheirpockets，andworkedattheemptyloomstilllateintothenight。
’Ishouldlikeverymuchtoknowhowfartheyhavegotonwiththecloth，’thoughttheEmperor。Butherememberedwhenhethoughtaboutitthatwhoeverwasstupidornotfitforhisofficewouldnotbeabletoseeit。Nowhecertainlybelievedthathehadnothingtofearforhimself，buthewantedfirsttosendsomebodyelseinordertoseehowhestoodwithregardtohisoffice。Everybodyinthewholetownknewwhatawonderfulpowertheclothhad，andtheywereallcurioustoseehowbadorhowstupidtheirneighbourwas。
’Iwillsendmyoldandhonouredministertotheweavers，’
thoughttheEmperor。’Hecanjudgebestwhattheclothislike，forhehasintellect，andnooneunderstandshisofficebetterthanhe。’
Nowthegoodoldministerwentintothehallwherethetwoimpostorssatworkingattheemptyweaving-looms。’Dearme！’
thoughttheoldminister，openinghiseyeswide，’Icanseenothing！’Buthedidnotsayso。
Boththeimpostorsbeggedhimtobesokindastostepcloser，andaskedhimifitwerenotabeautifultextureandlovelycolours。Theypointedtotheemptyloom，andthepooroldministerwentforwardrubbinghiseyes；buthecouldseenothing，fortherewasnothingthere。
’Dear，dear！’thoughthe，’canIbestupid？Ihaveneverthoughtthat，andnobodymustknowit！CanIbenotfitformyoffice？
No，ImustcertainlynotsaythatIcannotseethecloth！’
’Haveyounothingtosayaboutit？’askedoneofthemenwhowasweaving。
’Oh，itislovely，mostlovely！’answeredtheoldminister，lookingthroughhisspectacles。’Whatatexture！Whatcolours！
Yes，IwilltelltheEmperorthatitpleasesmeverymuch。’
’Nowwearedelightedatthat，’saidboththeweavers，andthereupontheynamedthecoloursandexplainedthemakeofthetexture。
Theoldministerpaidgreatattention，sothathecouldtellthesametotheEmperorwhenhecamebacktohim，whichhedid。
Theimpostorsnowwantedmoremoney，moresilk，andmoregoldtouseintheirweaving。Theyputitallintheirownpockets，andtherecamenothreadsontheloom，buttheywentonastheyhaddonebefore，workingattheemptyloom。TheEmperorsoonsentanotherworthystatesmantoseehowtheweavingwasgettingon，andwhethertheclothwouldsoonbefinished。Itwasthesamewithhimasthefirstone；helookedandlooked，butbecausetherewasnothingontheemptyloomhecouldseenothing。
’Isitnotabeautifulpieceofcloth？’askedthetwoimpostors，andtheypointedtoanddescribedthesplendidmaterialwhichwasnotthere。
’StupidIamnot！’thoughttheman，’soitmustbemygoodofficeforwhichIamnotfitted。Itisstrange，certainly，butnoonemustbeallowedtonoticeit。’Andsohepraisedtheclothwhichhedidnotsee，andexpressedtothemhisdelightatthebeautifulcoloursandthesplendidtexture。’Yes，itisquitebeautiful，’hesaidtotheEmperor。
Everybodyinthetownwastalkingofthemagnificentcloth。
NowtheEmperorwantedtoseeithimselfwhileitwasstillontheloom。Withagreatcrowdofselectfollowers，amongstwhomwereboththeworthystatesmenwhohadalreadybeentherebefore，hewenttothecunningimpostors，whowerenowweavingwithalltheirmight，butwithoutfibreorthread。
’Isitnotsplendid！’saidboththeoldstatesmenwhohadalreadybeenthere。’See，yourMajesty，whatatexture！Whatcolours！’
Andthentheypointedtotheemptyloom，fortheybelievedthattheotherscouldseetheclothquitewell。
’What！’thoughttheEmperor，’Icanseenothing！Thisisindeedhorrible！AmIstupid？AmInotfittobeEmperor？Thatwerethemostdreadfulthingthatcouldhappentome。Oh，itisverybeautiful，’hesaid。’Ithasmygraciousapproval。’Andthenhenoddedpleasantly，andexaminedtheemptyloom，forhewouldnotsaythathecouldseenothing。
HiswholeCourtroundhimlookedandlooked，andsawnomorethantheothers；buttheysaidliketheEmperor，’Oh！itisbeautiful！’Andtheyadvisedhimtowearthesenewandmagnificentclothesforthefirsttimeatthegreatprocessionwhichwassoontotakeplace。’Splendid！Lovely！Mostbeautiful！’wentfrommouthtomouth；everyoneseemeddelightedoverthem，andtheEmperorgavetotheimpostorsthetitleofCourtweaverstotheEmperor。
Throughoutthewholeofthenightbeforethemorningonwhichtheprocessionwastotakeplace，theimpostorswereupandwereworkingbythelightofoversixteencandles。ThepeoplecouldseethattheywereverybusymakingtheEmperor’snewclothesready。Theypretendedtheyweretakingtheclothfromtheloom，cutwithhugescissorsintheair，sewedwithneedleswithoutthread，andthensaidatlast，’Nowtheclothesarefinished！’
TheEmperorcamehimselfwithhismostdistinguishedknights，andeachimpostorhelduphisarmjustasifhewereholdingsomething，andsaid，’See！herearethebreeches！Hereisthecoat！Herethecloak！’andsoon。
’Spunclothesaresocomfortablethatonewouldimagineonehadnothingonatall；butthatisthebeautyofit！’
’Yes，’saidalltheknights，buttheycouldseenothing，fortherewasnothingthere。
’WillitpleaseyourMajestygraciouslytotakeoffyourclothes，’saidtheimpostors，’thenwewillputonthenewclothes，herebeforethemirror。’
TheEmperortookoffallhisclothes，andtheimpostorsplacedthemselvesbeforehimasiftheywereputtingoneachpartofhisnewclotheswhichwasready，andtheEmperorturnedandbenthimselfinfrontofthemirror。
’Howbeautifullytheyfit！Howwelltheysit！’saideverybody。
’Whatmaterial！Whatcolours！Itisagorgeoussuit！’
’TheyarewaitingoutsidewiththecanopywhichyourMajestyiswonttohaveborneoveryouintheprocession，’announcedtheMasteroftheCeremonies。
’Look，Iamready，’saidtheEmperor。’Doesn’titsitwell！’Andheturnedhimselfagaintothemirrortoseeifhisfinerywasonallright。
Thechamberlainswhowereusedtocarrythetrainputtheirhandsnearthefloorasiftheywereliftingupthetrain；thentheydidasiftheywereholdingsomethingintheair。Theywouldnothaveitnoticedthattheycouldseenothing。
SotheEmperorwentalongintheprocessionunderthesplendidcanopy，andallthepeopleinthestreetsandatthewindowssaid，’HowmatchlessaretheEmperor’snewclothes！Thattrainfastenedtohisdress，howbeautifullyithangs！’
Noonewishedittobenoticedthathecouldseenothing，forthenhewouldhavebeenunfitforhisoffice，orelseverystupid。NoneoftheEmperor’sclotheshadmetwithsuchapprovalasthesehad。