There was once a president who loved crowds more than policy. He filled his days with rallies and long speeches about himself. What he feared most was being seen as weak.
Two slick advisers came to him. They said they could make a suit so fine that only true patriots could see it. Anyone who doubted would show themselves to be un-American. This pleased the president. He thought: Now I will know who is loyal and who is not.
The advisers set up their stage. They had no cloth at all. They waved their arms and said, “Look at this fabric. It shines like gold. It is stitched with freedom itself.” The president saw nothing, but he dared not say so. He thought, If I cannot see it, others will call me a traitor.
His aides and party leaders came in. None of them could see a thing, but all cried out, “Magnificent!” They feared being cast out as weak or disloyal.
At last the day of the parade came. The president strode out, waving to the crowd in his new suit. The networks filmed him, and the commentators said how strong he looked. But the people, standing in the heat, saw only a man in his underwear.
A child, sitting on her parent’s shoulders, shouted, “He has nothing on!” The crowd fell silent. Then more voices took up the cry. Soon the square was full of laughter and anger mixed together.
The president flushed, but walked on, chin high, for he thought: If I keep marching, perhaps they will believe the lie after all.
NOT REALLY INTENDING TO CREATE A NEW TRADITION…
Last year, I produced a winter book of animal images, Sentient Souls (https://amzn.to/44aSFog) and subsequently wrote a fairy tale based on the same approach (Pilgrim’s Tale – A Christmas (and Thanksgiving) Carol – Utopia).
This year, I was inspired by the tale of the Emperor’s New Clothes by Hans Christian Andersen and thought I’d create a modern version.
