TRUST YOUR EYES
THE EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES
Hans Christian Andersen
Word Meaning
2. Merrily
– happily
3. Delicate
– refined, precious
4. Purchases
– buying
5. Delighted
– happy, pleased
6. Weave
– tailoring
7. Pretended
– false acting
8. Behold
– look
9. Sewed
– stitched
10. Anxiety
– worry
11. Splendid
– shining
12. Procession
– march
13. Mantle
– cloth
14. Various
– many
15. Innocence
- pure
A.3 Discuss in
pair
a. The
emperor was fond of clothes and used to spend all his money on it. Do you think
this is a good characteristic of a ruler? Was it wise of him to spend all his
money on clothes? Give reasons for your answer.
No, I do not think it is a good characteristic of a
ruler. As a ruler he ought to take care of his duty towards his subject. That
is his priority.
Even it is not wise to spend
all money on his clothes. He must save them in order to secure his kingdom from
various uncertain possibilities and welfare of his subjects.
b. The
two weavers proposed to present the Emperor a suit with a mind. Is it
possible for such a suit to exist in reality? How will the weavers manage to
present such a suit to the Emperor?
As far I understand, it is
not possible for such a suit to exist in reality. Perhaps a suit with AI
features would be some possibilities in near future. Hence until now we cannot
imagine how such dress would be presented to the Emperor.
A.4 Read the
story
a. How would
you feel if you lived in a country where the king spent all his money on
clothes? Would you expect the king to look after his people?
I would feel insecured and
regret to live in a country where the king spent all his money on clothes. I
know such king pays no attention towards the concern and security of his own
kingdom. A king is expected to look after his people and make his kingdom
prosper in all the way.
b. Why did
the Emperor give pearls to the weavers?
The Emperor gave pearls to the weavers because they
promised to weave a suit with gold thread and in most fashionable of styles.
That suit would also have a mind.
c. Who are
the associates of the Emperor?
The ministers and everyone in his office are his
associates.
d. Do you
think the weavers were really able to weave a suit with the property of
remaining invisible to everyone who is unfit for the office they hold, or who
is extraordinarily foolish?
No, I do not think the weavers were really able to
weave a suit with the property of remaining invisible to everyone who is unfit
for the office they hold or who is extraordinarily foolish. They were fooling
the Emperor who believed them.
e. Why were
the lights burning?
The lights were burning so that everyone might see
how anxious they were to finish Emperor’s new suit.
f. What kind
of lights were these?
I hope they were torch lights burnt using fires in
the ancient time.
g. Can you
give another word for looking glass?
Another word for looking glass is mirror.
A.8 Answer the
following questions.
a. To
address a king or a queen, often phrases like Sire and Your Highness are
used. Make a list of the phrases that have used in the story to address or
refer to the Emperor.
King
Your Highness
Sire
Gracious Sire
Monarch
Your Majesty
Your Imperial Majesty
b. I
am to have a suit, a suit with a mind! Why does the Emperor use the words a
suit with a mind to describe the dress? Do you think the Emperor had
changed his opinion of the dress by the end of the play? Why/Why not?
The Emperor used the words, a
suit with a mind to describe the dress because the new weavers in the town
had proposed the idea of weaving such a suit for the Emperor, which had the
property of remaining invisible to anyone unfit for the office they manage and
hold or who is foolish. The proposal impressed the Emperor to be able to
identify the unfit ones in the court. He did not realise the weavers had fooled
him until an innocent child cried out. In the end, the Emperor changed his
opinion of the dress and resolved to right his wrongs.
c. Listen
to the voice of innocence! Why did the people refer to the child as the
voice of innocence?
The kid saw the reality
without any fear of king and his words in the story made people realise that entire
build up was a lie and the king actually wore nothing. People referred to the
child as the voice of innocence because he spoke the truth which everybody was
afraid to speak. The child was not embarrassed or scared to tell the truth.
d. Why
was the child the only person who told the Emperor that he had not clothes on?
The kid saw the reality
without any fear of king and his words in the story made people realise that
entire build up was a lie and the king actually wore nothing. He was not aware
of the reason why others kept quiet, and he was innocent and spoke honestly.
A.9 Answer in
detail
a. He turned back, and with his nobility following him, returned to his place, resolved to right his wrongs. Do you think the child, when he pointed out that the Emperor was not wearing any clothes, brought about a change in the Emperor’s outlook? Think of five words you would use to describe the Emperor as he was before this event, and five words to describe the Emperor after the event. Complete the graphic organisers given.
The child was innocent and the
truth spoken by him played a vital role in changing the Emperor’s outlook
towards his kingdom and the decisions he had made earlier. The king never
realised on his own that he was being fooled by the weavers, while the
courtiers, ministers and the people of the country also made him believe the
suit was present there, in reality, to save themselves from embarrassment and
being called ‘a fool’.
b. Now
use the words you have written in the previous exercise to write a paragraph
about how the interaction with the child changed the Emperor.
DO
BY SELF
c. Do you
think how the Emperor ruled the land and his subjects changed after he was
called out by the child for not wearing any clothes? If yes, do you think it
was for the better? Give reasons for your answer.
Yes, I think the Emperor changed after he was called out by the child for not wearing any clothes. From the child he learnt that he had been the greatest fool of all. He turned back and returned to his palace, resolved to right his wrongs. He learnt even though he wore nothing, no one in his kingdom would dare to say this truth to him. Hence, he needs to be changed.
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