The Emperor's New Clothes: A Forgotten and Much Needed Lesson

Children's tales are much more than just stories for children.

🏷️ Categories: Learning, Life lessons

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“Fools dwelling in ignorance, yet imagining themselves wise and learned, go round and round in crooked ways, like the blind led by the blind.”
Swami Paramananda, Upanishads

Children's tales not only entertain the little ones, but they are also powerful educational tools that transmit values, moral teachings and stimulate the imagination. The story I share today gives a lesson in humility — very necessary nowadays —, it seems that more than one person did not read the story as a child or has forgotten it.

Once upon a time, there was a kingdom where fashion was the emperor's obsession. He was a monarch with refined tastes that demanded the most exquisite quality for his attire. One day, two tailors arrived at the court claiming to be extraordinary, capable of crafting a suit that only the most intelligent could see. This exclusive suit
— meant only for the most intelligent — caught the monarch's attention. Enchanted by the idea of owning such an exclusive garment, the emperor commissioned it from these tailors in exchange for a generous sum.

The "tailors”, who were nothing but swindlers, didn't weave a single stitch. Instead, they pretended to work in thin air, while the emperor's servants, fearful of appearing ignorant, praised the beauty of the invisible fabric...

— [Swindler] I see you're doubtful. Are you not seeing how beautiful the fabric is?

— [Servant] Of course, I see it. It's an exceptional outfit; the emperor should display it to everyone so they can admire his magnificent work.

The emperor was eager to debut his suit, especially upon learning that a parade had been arranged through the streets of his domain for him to showcase it.

Finally, the day of the grand procession arrived, and the emperor, naked under his imaginary suit, paraded through the streets, while the crowd, afraid of being labeled ignorant, praised the supposed garment. The entire crowd praised it, except for one child. Only one child, innocent and sincere, broke the atmosphere by exclaiming the truth:

— [Child] But the emperor is naked, he's not wearing anything!

His bravery inspired the others to acknowledge the reality and stop pretending before the monarch.

It was then that the emperor realized they were right; he had no clothes. But instead of admitting his mistake, he thought, "If I admit my mistake, I'll look ignorant, so I'd better keep pretending."

Moral: Don't fear appearing ignorant; true ignorance lies in denying reality out of fear of what others might think of you. Honesty is one of the noblest and rarest virtues.

📚 References

Andersen, H. (1837). The Emperor's New Clothes. Fairy Tales and Other Traditional Stories (Lit2Go Edition). Retrieved May 06, 2024, from https://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/68/fairy-tales-and-other-traditional-stories/5637/the-emperors-new-clothes/