The Selected Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen: "The Emperor's New Suit" by Hans Christian Andersen

An emperor who only cares about showing off how well he is dressed gets tricked into buying something embarrassing. Read the full text here in the 1872 translation by H.P. Paull.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. ambition
    a cherished desire
    Many, many years ago lived an emperor, who thought so much of new clothes that he spent all his money in order to obtain them; his only ambition was to be always well dressed.
  2. manufacture
    put together out of artificial or natural components
    One day two swindlers came to this city; they made people believe that they were weavers, and declared they could manufacture the finest cloth to be imagined.
  3. unfit
    below the required standards for a purpose
    Their colours and patterns, they said, were not only 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.
  4. distinguish
    mark as different
    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.
  5. swindler
    a person who steals by means of deception or fraud
    And he gave a large sum of money to the swindlers, in advance, that they should set to work without any loss of time.
  6. loom
    a textile machine for weaving yarn into a textile
    They set up two looms, and pretended to be very hard at work, but they did nothing whatever on the looms. They asked for the finest silk and the most precious gold-cloth; all they got they did away with, and worked at the empty looms till late at night.
  7. advisable
    worthy of being recommended or suggested; prudent or wise
    Personally, he was of opinion that he had nothing to fear, yet he thought it advisable to send somebody else first to see how matters stood.
  8. remarkable
    unusual or striking
    Everybody in the town knew what a remarkable quality the stuff possessed, and all were anxious to see how bad or stupid their neighbours were.
  9. exquisite
    of extreme beauty
    Both swindlers requested him to come near, and asked him if he did not admire the exquisite pattern and the beautiful colours, pointing to the empty looms.
  10. exceedingly
    to a very great or unusually large degree
    "Oh, it is very pretty, exceedingly beautiful," replied the old minister looking through his glasses.
  11. hitherto
    up to this point; until the present time
    They kept everything for themselves, and not a thread came near the loom, but they continued, as hitherto, to work at the empty looms.
  12. courtier
    an attendant for a monarch
    Soon afterwards the emperor sent another honest courtier to the weavers to see how they were getting on, and if the cloth was nearly finished.
  13. procession
    the action of a group moving ahead in regular formation
    And all advised him to wear the new magnificent clothes at a great procession which was soon to take place.
  14. imperial
    befitting or belonging to an emperor or empress
    "It is magnificent, beautiful, excellent," one heard them say; everybody seemed to be delighted, and the emperor appointed the two swindlers "Imperial Court weavers."
  15. baron
    a nobleman (in various countries) of varying rank
    The emperor and all his barons then came to the hall; the swindlers held their arms up as if they held something in their hands and said: "These are the trousers!"
  16. canopy
    a covering (usually of cloth) that shelters an area
    The master of the ceremonies announced that the bearers of the canopy, which was to be carried in the procession, were ready.
  17. incomparable
    such that comparison is impossible
    The emperor marched in the procession under the beautiful canopy, and all who saw him in the street and out of the windows exclaimed: "Indeed, the emperor's new suit is incomparable! What a long train he has! How well it fits him!"
  18. innocent
    lacking in sophistication or worldliness
    "Good heavens! listen to the voice of an innocent child," said the father, and one whispered to the other what the child had said.
  19. impression
    a vague idea in which some confidence is placed
    "But he has nothing on at all," cried at last the whole people. That made a deep impression upon the emperor, for it seemed to him that they were right; but he thought to himself, "Now I must bear up to the end."
  20. dignity
    formality in bearing and appearance
    And the chamberlains walked with still greater dignity, as if they carried the train which did not exist.
Created on Fri Feb 16 10:39:27 EST 2024 (updated Sat Feb 17 17:31:02 EST 2024)

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