nly exceptionally beautiful, but the clothes made of their material possessed the wonderful quality of being invisible to any man who was unfit for his office or unpardonably stupid.

“那一定是很棒的布，” 皇帝想。

“that must be wonderful cloth,” thought the emperor.

“如果我穿上用這種布做的衣服，我就能找出我的帝國裡哪些人不稱職，我就能區分聰明人和愚蠢的人。

“If I were to be dressed in a suit made of this cloth I should be able to find out which men in my empire were unfit for their places, and I could distinguish the clever from the stupid.

我必須馬上讓人給我織這種布。”

I must have this cloth woven for me without delay.”

於是他預先給了騙子一大筆錢，好讓他們立刻開始工作。

And he gave a large sum of money to the swindlers, in advance, that they should set to work without any loss of time.

他們支起了兩架織布機，假裝非常努力地工作，但在織布機上什麼也沒做。

they set up two looms, and pretended to be very hard at work, but they did nothing whatever on the looms.

他們索要最精美的絲綢和最貴重的金布；

they asked for the finest silk and the most precious gold - cloth;

他們把得到的東西都拿走了，在空織布機上一直工作到深夜。

all they got they did away with, and worked at the empty looms till late at night.

“我很想知道他們織布織得怎麼樣了，” 皇帝想。

“I should very much like to know how they are getting on with the cloth,” thought the emperor.

但當他想起不稱職的人是看不見這布的時候，他就感到相當不安。

but he felt rather uneasy when he remembered that he who was not fit for his office could not see it.

就他個人而言，他認為自己沒什麼好害怕的，但他還是覺得先派別人去看看情況比較明智。

personally, he was of opinion th