ABSTRACT
According to this story, many years ago an Emperor lived who loved clothes above all else. Two swindlers learned about the Emperor and hatched a scheme to capitalize on his obsession. One day they arrived at court claiming that they could weave the loveliest of fabrics and could make from this material the most beautiful robes the kingdom had ever seen. To make the bait irresistible-and to secure their swindle-they added that the cloth would have a special quality which the Emperor would find veiy useful. Those people who were unfit for their situation or who were intolerably stupid would not be able to see the cloth. The Emperor was overjoyed at the prospect of not only gaining exquisite, new robes but also discovering the hidden incompetents in his realm. So he hired the two swindlers and kept them supplied with all of the gold and silk thread which they requested as they wove his extraordinary, new garments.
