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ting on with my wonderful clothes," thought the emperor; "but I must send some one whom I know to be both able and faithful, or he will be unable to see any thing." So the emperor called his prime minister, and sent him to examine the marvelous cloth, and to bring him a faithful report.

Now the minister knew the peculiar property of the cloth, but readily complied with his royal master's wishes, for he felt confident of his own fitness for the high office he had held so long.

So the old minister entered the room where the two rogues sat working at the empty loom. On approaching, he opened his eyes wide, but the loom seemed to him quite empty. "Mercy on me! I can not see any thing at all!" he whispered to himself.

Both the rogues drew his attention to the beautiful fabric they had woven, and asked him if he did not admire the brilliant colors and chaste design. While speaking they seemed to be handling something in the loom, and to be pointing out its beauties; but the good minister was grieved that he could see nothing. Thinking it impolitic to let it be known that the wonderful cloth was invisible to him, he peered through his spectacles, as if he saw it, and occasionally exclaimed, "Charming!" "Delightful!"

The minister on returning spoke of its gorgeous colors and the rare beauty of its design in the same terms that he had heard from the weavers.

The emperor, wishing to put his officers to the test, sent them one after another to witness the weaving, and to bring back a report of the progress made by the weavers. All of them were re

ceived courteously by the two rogues, who expatiated to their visitors on the beauty of the material they had woven, and all of them pretended to be enchanted with what they had witnessed.

By this time all the people in the town were talking of the wonderful fabric, which was now supposed to be nearly completed. Before it was taken from the loom the emperor wished to see it himself. With a crowd of courtiers, including all the statesmen who had previously visited the loom, the monarch entered the hall, where the two cunning rogues were weaving with might and main without warp or woofN.

"What's this?" thought the emperor. “Why, I can see nothing at all! This is indeed terrible! Am I, then, unfit to be emperor?" But as the monarch thought it would be very unwise to confess his inability to see the wonderful cloth, he nodded his head in a contented way, and said aloud, It is indeed magnificent! It has our highest approval."

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The whole retinue stood round the loom with admiring looks, and re-echoed their sovereign's words. The ministers present counseled him to wear his new clothes for the first time at the great procession that was soon to take place.

"It is splendid-charming!" went from mouth to mouth. On all sides there seemed general satisfaction, and the emperor gave the rogues the title of Imperial Court Weavers on the spot.

In the presence of the court the rogues proceeded to take the cloth from the looms. They went through all the motions proper for the purpose, and begged to be left for two days to prepare

the royal clothes, after accurately measuring his majesty's person. Before the royal party withdrew, the rogues were busy making cuts in the air with great scissors, and sewing with needles without thread.

On the appointed day the Imperial Court Weavers sought the emperor's dressing-room with the wonderful clothes. The emperor entered with his chief attendants, and proceeded to put on his new robes, after removing all his upper garments. The two rogues, lifting up one arm as if they were holding something, said, "See! here is the waistcoat! here is the coat! here is the cloak!" and so on.

The two rogues then proceeded to put on the new clothes with the greatest care; the emperor, on receiving each garment, turned round and round before the mirror, and seemed to be highly pleased with the effect. All the courtiers present expressed their satisfaction, and seemed to gaze on his majesty with admiration.

The emperor, arrayed in his new robes, descended the grand staircase to mount his horse and join the procession. The two chamberlains, whose office it was to carry the train, stooped down and pretended to be holding something in the air. They did not dare let it be thought that they saw nothing to hold.

So the emperor mounted his horse, and the procession moved forward. Every eye was strained to catch a glimpse of the beautiful robes of which so much had been heard, and every one was on the tiptoe of delighted expectation. Nor did they seem disappointed, for no one wished it to be known

that he failed to see the wonderful clothes. So on the procession moved, amid the delighted applause of the crowd.

At last a little child cried out in a shrill voice, "How funny! he has nothing on but his hat, shirt, and trousers!"

That word of simple truth broke the spell, and in a moment more the emperor in his new clothes was greeted with the derisive cheers of the mob. HANS ANDERSEN.

Biography.-Hans Christian Andersen, the Danish poet and author, was born in 1805, and died in 1875.

Owing to poverty, the education of the poet was begun somewhat later in life than is usual, and he did not enter upon his academic studies until he was twenty-three years old. Before that time, however, he had given evidence of his wonderful powers in the composition of a number of poems. One of these, "The Dying Child," attracted general attention.

The greater part of Andersen's life was devoted to travel; and in this way, he became master of a great number of the legends current in different parts of Europe.

Probably there are few writers of the century, whose works will stand the test of time better than those of Andersen. His writings are in a style peculiarly pleasing to young readers. Among his works, which are generally read in this country, are "Picture Book without Pictures," "Tales from Jutland," and "Tales for Children."

Notes.-A prime minister is the chief adviser of a king or

queen.

A chamberlain is a high officer of a court.

Warp means the threads extended lengthwise in a loom. Woof means the threads which cross the warp in weaving.

Language.—Select from the lesson three simple sentences; two compound sentences.

If a sentence has either its subject or predicate modified by another sentence, used either as an adverb or adjective, it is called a complex sentence, as "The child who cried out, was honest." Here we have the sentence (clause) "who cried out" used as a modifier of child, a name-word, and hence an adjective,

Select two complex sentences from the lesson.

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Thou art no lingerer in monarch's hall:
A joy thou art and a wealth to all;

A bearer of hope unto land and sea:
Sunbeam, what gift hath the world like thee?

Thou art walking the billows, and ocean smiles; Thou hast touched with glory his thousand isles; Thou hast lit up the ships, and the feathery foam, And gladdened the sailor like words from home.

To the solemn depths of the forest shades
Thou art streaming on through their green arcades,
And the quivering leaves that have caught thy glow,
Like fireflies glance to the pools below.

I looked on the mountains: a vapor lay
Folding their heights in its dark array;
Thou breakest forth, and the mist became
A crown and a mantle of living flame.

I looked on the peasant's lowly cot:
Something of sadness had wrapped the spot;
But a gleam of thee on its casement fell,

And it laughed into beauty at that bright spell.

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