No one dared to make the remark that they saw nothing, for whoever should do so would be at once considered stupid or unfit for his office. None of the emperor’s new clothes had ever been so successful as these.
“But the emperor has no clothes on!” said a little child at last.
“Good heavens!” exclaimed the father, “listen to the voice of that little innocent child.” And as the words were whispered from one to another, the people at once cried out.
“Well, it is true; he has no clothes on!”
And the emperor heard it, and was terribly puzzled, for it appeared to him they were right; but he said to himself, “Now that I have begun the procession, I must go on to the end.” So the pages still pretended to carry the emperor’s train, although they knew it really did not exist.
THE LAST PEARL.
We are in a rich, happy house, where the master, the servants, the friends of the family are full of joy and felicity. For on this day a son and heir has been born, and mother and child are doing well. The lamp in the bedchamber had been partly shaded, and the windows were covered with heavy curtains of some costly silken material. The carpet was thick and soft, like a covering of moss. Everything invited to slumber, everything had a charming look of repose; and so the nurse had discovered, for she slept; and well she might sleep, while everything around her told of happiness and blessing. The guardian angel of the house leaned against the head of the bed; while over the child was spread as it were, a net of shining stars, and each star was a pearl of happiness. All the good stars of life had brought their gifts to the newly-born; here sparkled health, wealth, fortune, and love; in short, there seemed to be everything for which man could wish on earth.
“Everything has been bestowed here,” said the guardian angel.
“No, not everything,” said a voice near him—the voice of the good angel of the child; “one fairy has not yet brought her gift, but she will, even if years should elapse, she will bring her gift; it is the last pearl that is wanting,”
“Wanting!” cried the guardian angel; “nothing must be wanting here: and if it is so, let us fetch it; let us seek the powerful fairy; let us go to her!”
“She will come, she will come some day unsought!”
“Her pearl must not be missing; it must be there, that the crown, when worn may be complete. Where is she to be found? where does she dwell?” Said the guardian angel. “Tell me and I will procure the pearl.”
“Will you do that?” replied the good angel of the child. “Then I will lead you to her directly, wherever she may be. She has no abiding place. She rules in the palace of the emperor, sometimes she enters the
