About the The Emperor's new clothes story
Pounce into the world of “The Emperor’s new clothes”, where a foolish ruler learns the hard way that honesty is the best policy. This classic tale shows how a prideful emperor is tricked into wearing “invisible clothes,” only for a child to point out the truth everyone else is too afraid to say.
This tale isn’t just about fashion—it’s about how pride and fear of embarrassment can make people believe anything, even if it’s not true.
“The Emperor’s new clothes” was written by the famous Danish author Hans Christian Andersen in 1837. It’s a fun and funny story with a lesson about telling the truth, even when everyone else is too scared to speak up.
In this article, you’ll find two versions of the story: the original and a simplified graded reader, perfect for younger learners. Along with questions at the end to boost comprehension and vocabulary, this story teaches valuable lessons about pride and honesty.
Want to explore more timeless tales? The Studycat Learn English app offers interactive lessons and stories to keep your child engaged in learning.
Let’s leap into the emperor’s court and see how speaking the truth can save the day!
The story of “The Emperor’s new clothes”
Once upon a time, there was an emperor who was obsessed with his clothes. He didn’t care about ruling his kingdom or helping his people—he only cared about wearing the finest, most extravagant outfits. Every hour of the day, he would try on a new outfit and parade around, showing off his wardrobe to everyone.
One day, two swindlers came to the emperor’s city with a sneaky plan. They claimed they were the best tailors in the world and could make the most beautiful clothes anyone had ever seen. “But these aren’t just any clothes,” they told the emperor. “They are magical! They’re invisible to anyone who is foolish or unfit for their job.”
The emperor, eager to have the finest and most magical clothes, immediately hired the two swindlers to make him a new outfit. He gave them a large sum of money and expensive fabric to get started.
The invisible clothes
The swindlers set up their looms and pretended to work day and night, weaving cloth that didn’t exist. Of course, they weren’t making any clothes at all—they were just pretending. But no one wanted to admit they couldn’t see the fabric, because that would mean they were either foolish or unfit for their jobs.
Curious about how his new clothes were coming along, the emperor sent his most trusted minister to check on the progress. When the minister arrived, he saw nothing on the looms—but he didn’t want to admit it. “Oh, it’s stunning!” the minister lied. “Such beautiful patterns and colors!”
The swindlers smiled, knowing their trick was working. “Tell the emperor that his new clothes will be ready soon,” they said.
The same thing happened when other officials visited the swindlers. No one could see the clothes, but no one wanted to be the one to admit it. They all praised the “invisible” fabric, calling it magnificent, and hurried back to tell the emperor.
The emperor’s “new clothes”
Finally, the day came for the emperor to see his new clothes. The swindlers pretended to hold up the invisible outfit, showing off the “delicate fabric” and “beautiful design.” The emperor, of course, couldn’t see anything, but he didn’t want to admit that he might be foolish or unfit to rule.
“It’s incredible!” the emperor exclaimed, pretending to admire the invisible clothes. “These are the finest clothes I’ve ever seen!”
The swindlers helped the emperor “put on” his new clothes, acting as if they were dressing him in the invisible outfit. Then, the emperor announced that he would parade through the city to show off his new clothes to everyone.
The parade
The emperor walked through the streets, proudly strutting in his new “outfit,” which was, of course, absolutely nothing. The people of the city had heard about the magical clothes and didn’t want to seem foolish, so they all cheered and clapped, pretending to admire the emperor’s clothes.
“Magnificent!” they shouted. “Such beautiful clothes!” Even though no one could actually see anything, everyone went along with the lie.
But then, a small child in the crowd spoke up. “The emperor isn’t wearing anything at all!” the child cried out, pointing at the emperor.
The crowd fell silent. Soon, more people began whispering, “He’s right! The emperor isn’t wearing any clothes!” The truth spread through the crowd, and everyone started laughing.
The emperor, realizing that the child was right, turned bright red with embarrassment. But he was so proud and stubborn that he continued his parade, pretending as if nothing was wrong, even though everyone knew the truth.
The moral of “The Emperor’s new clothes”
Don’t let pride or fear stop you from telling the truth.
The emperor and his officials were so worried about appearing foolish that they went along with an obvious lie. This story teaches us that it’s important to be honest, even if it means standing out or being different from everyone else. Sometimes, the bravest thing you can do is speak the truth, like the little child in the story.
Questions about “The Emperor’s new clothes”
- What did the two swindlers claim was special about the clothes they made?
- Why did no one want to admit they couldn’t see the clothes?
- Who finally spoke up and told the truth about the emperor’s clothes?
- How did the emperor react when he realized the truth?
- What lesson does this story teach us?
Answers
- The swindlers claimed that the clothes were magical and could only be seen by those who were smart or fit for their jobs.
- No one wanted to admit they couldn’t see the clothes because they didn’t want to seem foolish or unfit for their jobs.
- A small child in the crowd spoke up and said the emperor wasn’t wearing any clothes.
- The emperor was embarrassed, but he continued his parade, pretending that nothing was wrong.
- The story teaches us the importance of honesty and not letting pride stop us from telling the truth.
Words to learn
- Emperor: A ruler of an empire. In this story, the emperor cared more about his clothes than ruling his kingdom.
- Swindlers: People who trick others, usually to steal money. The swindlers in this story pretended to make magical clothes to steal the emperor’s money.
- Magical: Something that has special, supernatural powers. The swindlers said the clothes were magical, but it was all a lie.
- Invisible: Something that can’t be seen. The clothes were invisible because they didn’t actually exist!
- Parade: A public celebration where people march or walk through the streets. The emperor had a parade to show off his “new clothes.”
What type of story is “The Emperor’s new clothes”?
The Emperor’s New Clothes is a fairy tale and a satire. It’s a story that uses humor and exaggeration to point out human flaws, like pride and fear of telling the truth.
Who wrote “The Emperor’s new clothes”?
The Emperor’s New Clothes was written by Hans Christian Andersen, a famous Danish author. Learn more about him here.
When was “The Emperor’s new clothes” written?
The Emperor’s New Clothes was first published in 1837 by Hans Christian Andersen.
Who are the main characters in “The Emperor’s new clothes”?
The main characters are the emperor, the two swindlers, the officials in the emperor’s court, the villagers, and the child who tells the truth.
What lesson can we learn from “The Emperor’s new clothes”?
We learn that honesty is important, and that pride can sometimes make people blind to the truth. It’s better to speak up and be truthful than to go along with a lie out of fear of being judged.
Here’s a simplified, graded reader version of The Emperor’s New Clothes for young learners:
“The Emperor’s new clothes” story for young English learners (ages 2-5, Pre-A1 graded reader)
Once upon a time, there was an emperor who loved clothes. He always wanted to wear the finest clothes in the land.
One day, two men came to the emperor.
They said, “We can make the most beautiful clothes in the world, but only smart people can see them. Stupid people cannot see them at all.”
The emperor was excited.
“Make me these clothes!” he said.
The two men were not real tailors. They were tricksters. They only pretended to make the clothes. They worked at empty looms, pretending to sew cloth that wasn’t there.
When the emperor went to see his new clothes, he couldn’t see anything.
But he didn’t want to look stupid, so he said, “Wow! These clothes are beautiful!”
Everyone in the palace did the same. No one wanted to look stupid, so they all pretended to see the clothes.
The emperor decided to wear his new clothes in a parade.
He walked through the streets, and all the people cheered.
They had heard about the special clothes, so they pretended to see them too.
But then, a little child shouted, “The emperor is not wearing any clothes!”
Everyone stopped. They looked at the emperor.
The child was right—the emperor had no clothes on at all!
The emperor felt very silly, but it was too late.
He kept walking, pretending he was still wearing his “new clothes.”
Fun fact!
Did you know? The phrase “The emperor has no clothes” has become a common way to describe a situation where people pretend to believe something that isn’t true—just like the emperor’s subjects who pretended to see his invisible clothes!
