东方时讯网The Emperor's New Clothes
Once upon a time, there was an emperor who loved clothes more than anything else in the world. He spent all his money on beautiful garments and had countless suits made by the finest tailors. However, he cared so much about his appearance that he never inspected his own clothes himself; instead, he trusted others to tell him how splendid they were.
One day, two swindlers came to the city claiming they could weave the most magnificent fabric ever imagined. This fabric was said to be invisible to anyone who was either incompetent or too foolish to hold public office. The emperor, eager to have such unique clothing, hired them immediately. He gave them gold and silk without hesitation, believing it would make him stand out among other rulers.
The swindlers pretended to work hard at their looms every day but actually did nothing. They kept asking for more materials which they secretly pocketed while telling the emperor how wonderful the progress was going. When the "clothes" were supposedly finished, the emperor sent several officials to check if everything was as promised. Afraid of being thought incompetent or stupid, none dared admit they couldn't see anything. Instead, they praised the non-existent garments highly.
Finally, the emperor decided to parade through the streets wearing these imaginary clothes. As he walked proudly down the street, everyone admired him, pretending they saw something extraordinary even though there was nothing there. A child finally broke the spell by loudly saying what everyone already knew – that the emperor wasn't wearing any clothes! Laughter erupted from the crowd, yet the emperor continued marching bravely, refusing to believe what even his own eyes told him.
This story teaches us not to let pride cloud our judgment and always speak truthfully, no matter how uncomfortable it may feel.