The good old minister came to the house of the two crooks and saw them busy working on the empty loom.

"May God have mercy on me!" The old minister thought, and he opened his eyes very wide, "I don't see anything!" But he didn't dare to say it.

The two crooks begged him to come closer, and pointed to the two empty looms and asked him if the patterns were beautiful and the colors were beautiful. The poor old minister's eyes widened wider and wider, and he still could not see anything, for there was indeed nothing.

"Oh my God!" He thought. "Am I stupid? I never doubted myself. This must not be made known. Am I incompetent? Not! I must not let people know that I can't see the fabric. ”

"Hey, don't you have any opinions?" Said a crook who was weaving.

"Oops, it's beautiful! It's beautiful! The old minister said as he looked carefully through his glasses, "What a beautiful pattern! What a beautiful color! Yes, I am going to present it to the Emperor, and I am very satisfied with this cloth. ”

"Well, we're very happy to hear that." The two crooks said in unison.

So they described the colors and rare patterns, and added some nouns.

The old minister listened attentively, so that he could recite it when he returned to the emperor. In fact, he did.

The two crooks asked for more money, more raw silk and gold, saying it was for the need to weave cloth. They packed it all in their pockets.

Soon after, the emperor sent another honest official to see how the work was going.

The official's luck was no better than that of the first minister: he looked and looked, but there was nothing on the two empty looms, and he could see nothing.

"Do you think this cloth is beautiful?" Two crooks asked. They pointed, describing some beautiful patterns that didn't actually exist.

"I'm not stupid!" The official thought, "This is probably because I don't deserve the good official position I have now." It's funny, but I can't let anyone see it! ”

He complimented the cloth which he had not seen at all, and assured him that he was pleased with the beautiful colors and ingenious patterns.

"Yes, that was beautiful," he said back to the emperor.

All the people in the city were talking about this beautiful fabric.

The Emperor wanted to see it for himself. He chose a specially circled group of attachés—including the two honest ministers who had already gone to see him.

He went to the two cunning liars, who were weaving with all their spirits, but not a single shadow could be seen.