Emperor’s New Clothes
Adapted by the 2010-2011 Beta/Gamma Class
Characters:
Narrator
Emperor
Weaver One
Weaver Two
Minister
Emperor`s Friend
Officer of the Court
Person on the Street 1
Person on the Street 2
Little Child
Little Child’s Father
SCRIPT:
Narrator: Many years ago there lived an Emperor who cared so much for fine clothes that he spent all his money on them. He had a new coat for every hour of the day and spent his time riding through the streets so that everybody could see his beautiful clothes. One day there came to the city two rogues who set themselves up as weavers.
Weavers One: We know how to weave the most wonderful cloth in the world.
Weavers Two: The patterns and the colors are beautiful!
Narrator: But they said that the cloth could not be seen by anyone who was stupid or unfit for the emperor`s office.
Emperor: I must have some clothes made from this cloth. When I wear them, I will find out what people in my empire are not honest. Those weavers must be brought to me at once.
Narrator: So the weavers were brought to the emperor´s presence.
Weaver One: Yes, your majesty.
Weavers Two: What can we do for you?
Emperor: Here, take this money and make me some clothes out of that fine material; but you must work quickly.
Narrator: The weavers immediately put up two great looms, and pretended to be working. They called for the finest silks and the brightest gold, but these they put into their pockets. They worked steadily at the empty looms until far into the night.
Emperor: I can hear them working. I want see my wonderful clothes!
Narrator: He decided to send someone to find how the weavers were getting on. But he remembered that no one who was stupid or was unfit for his office could see the cloth. He decided to send his faithful old Minister to the weavers. For the minister was a very clever and honest man. He will tell the emperor how wonderful the clothes are. So the good old Minister went into the room where the two weavers sat working at the empty looms. He stared and stared, and opened his eyes wide.
Minister: Mercy me! I can’t see a thing.
Weavers One: Step a little nearer
Weavers Two: Is not this a beautiful pattern? And the colors – are they not wonderful?
Narrator: And they pointed to the empty looms. The poor old Minister put on his spectacles, and bent over the looms; but he could see nothing, for there was nothing to see!” However he was worried that he was not honest or clever. He could not possibly say that he cannot see the clothes.
Weavers One and Two: Well, what do you think of it?
Minister: Oh, it is beautiful. The colors are gorgeous and the pattern is very fine. I shall tell the Emperor how beautiful it is.
Weavers One and Two: We are glad you think so.
Narrator: They went on talking of the cloth. They named the colors, and described the peculiar pattern. The old Minister listened carefully, for he wished to repeat to the Emperor all that was said. Then the weavers came to ask the King for more money for more silk and more gold thread to use in their work. But everything that was given to them they put into their pockets. Not a single strand of silk was ever put on the loom. The Emperor sent another faithful friend to see the cloth and inquire how soon the clothes would be ready. But this person fared no better than the Minister. The friend stood before the empty looms, and looked and looked and looked, but saw no cloth.
Weavers One: Is not this beautiful cloth?
Weavers Two: The colors are gorgeous!
Emperor´s Friend: Dear, dear! Surely I am not stupid. It must be that I am not clever or honest. That is very strange. But I must not let it be known.
Narrator: Then he said that the design is most unusual; and the color is marvelous. Soon everyone in the city was talking about the wonderful cloth that the two weavers were making. The Emperor thought that he would like to see the beautiful cloth while it was still upon the looms. With a number of his friends he went to visit the two weavers, who were weaving rapidly day after day without any thread. Among them were the two friends who had already been there. They thought that the others would see something upon the empty looms, so they began to cry out at once.
Minister: Look, your Majesty. Do you see the beautiful design?
Emperor´s Friend: And the color – isn’t it gorgeous?
Narrator: The Emperor smiled and nodded his head, and stared at the empty looms. His friends, too, looked and looked, but saw no more than the others. Yet they all cried.
Emperor and Emperors Friends: It is wonderful.
Narrator: They asked the Emperor to wear a suit made from this cloth in a great procession that was son to take place. The Emperor gave each of the weavers a royal badge to wear, and called them the Imperial Court Weavers.
Weaver one: The day of the parade is getting near.
Weavers Two: We have to fast.
Narrator: Through the shining windows the people of the empire could see them hard at work. They took yards of nothing down from the empty looms. They made cuts in the air with big scissors. They sewed strong stitches without any thread; and at last they said.
Weavers One and Two: The clothes are ready.
Emperor: This is wonderful! Let me put on my new suit.
Narrator: The weavers lifted their arms as if holding something.
Weaver One: See! Here is the coat! Here is the cape! Here are the trousers!
Weavers Two: You may move as freely as if you had nothing on. That is the beauty of it.
Emperor’s Friends: It is marvelous.
Narrator: And yet all the time they saw nothing, for there was nothing. The Emperor took off his clothes, and the weavers pretended to put on each new garment as it was ready. They wrapped him about, they buttoned and they tied.
Emperor’s Friends: “How well his Majesty looks in his new suit!”
“What a becoming style!
What beautiful colors!”
Narrator: The Emperor turned round and round before the mirror, and looked and looked, and nodded his head
Officer of the Court: They are waiting outside with the canopy which is to be carried over your Majesty during the parade”.
Emperor: I am ready.
Narrator: The man who was to carry the train of the Emperor stooped down to the floor, as if picking up something; and then he held his hands high in the air and moved forward. He did not dare let it be known that he saw nothing. The Emperor marched along under the handsome canopy.
People in the Streets: How handsome the Emperor’s clothes are!
What a perfect fit!
What marvelous colors!
Narrator: The people in the streets would say that they could see nothing, for that would have proved that they were not clever or honest. No clothes of the Emperor had ever been so much admired.
Little Child: But he has nothing on!
Little Child´s Father: Hush! Hush! You should not say that.
Narrator: But the people began to whisper to one another what the child had said.
People in the Streets: He has nothing on!
A child says he has nothing on!
He has nothing on!
Narrator: The Emperor heard what they said, and he shivered, for he knew that their words were true. But it would never do to stop the procession; and so he held himself stiffer than ever. And behind him his officers carried the invisible train.
The End