LI: to practise making inferences with a short story

You might have seen this film growing up.

1. What does this image suggest to you about the story?
2. Who do you think is the protagonist (main character)?
3. What do you think might have happened to the
protagonist?
Aim Higher: What do you think the antagonists (main
villains) might be planning?
LI: to practise making inferences with a short story

Possible answers.
1. The image might suggest that: the story is a comedy, the llama is the emperor
from the title, there was a potion involved, etc.
2. The emperor (llama) is one protagonist, another could be the man beside him.
3. The protagonist – the emperor – was put under a spell or drank a potion that
turned into a llama. He then has to reclaim his humanity through a series of
challenges.
Aim Higher: The antagonists might be planning to steal the throne from the emperor,
or they might be trying to kill him.
LI: to practise making inferences with a short story

Vanity
(noun)

Vanity refers to feeling too proud of your own

appearance, abilities, achievements, etc to the point it
affects your judgement.

As an adjective, the word is vain.

Vanity is one of the Six Deadly Sins.

Josephine was a very vain woman; she was obsessed with her appearance.
LI: to practise making inferences with a short story

THINK – PAIR – SHARE

When you ask your friends for advice, do you want to know what they really think?

Or would you rather have them say something

that will please you?
LI: to practise making inferences with a short story

1. Thinking back to the word vanity, what might the

emperor be like?
The emperor might take too much pride in
something he should not.

2. What might the emperor have to overcome to be a

better person?
The emperor might have to lose the excessive
pride he has about something.
LI: to practise making inferences with a short story

The Opening

Many years ago there lived an emperor who loved beautiful new clothes. He
spent all his money on fine clothing so he could wear a different outfit every
hour of every day. Instead of taking care of his empire, he spent all his time
either putting on new clothes or showing them off.

What is your first impression of the emperor’s suitability for his role?

Let’s read the story …

One day, two crooks came to the emperor’s city. They claimed they
could weave the finest cloth imaginable—in incredibly beautiful colours
and magnificent patterns. Even better, they explained, the cloth would
be invisible to anyone who was stupid or incompetent.
“It would be wonderful to have clothes made from that cloth,” thought
the emperor. “Then I’d know who was stupid or incapable of advising
me.” So he gave the two crooks a great deal of money and asked them
to weave him some cloth.

1. What did the crooks say the cloth would do?

2. Why did the emperor want the crooks to make him clothes?
The crooks called for the finest silk thread and the purest gold yarn. But
instead of weaving it into cloth for the emperor, they hid it away for
themselves. They pretended to work late into the night. But there was
never any fabric on their loom.
The emperor became impatient to see the cloth. But remembering that
it would be invisible to people who were stupid or unworthy of their
positions, he decided to send in his place his most trusted and sensible
adviser. Not, of course, that the emperor himself had anything to fear.
The old adviser went to observe the two crooks as they worked at their empty loom.
Opening his eyes wide, he thought, “Goodness! I can’t see a thing!” But of course, he
did not say so.
“Come, take a closer look,” the two crooks said, pointing to the empty loom. “Aren’t
the colours beautiful? Isn’t the design magnificent?”
The poor old adviser opened his eyes wider and wider. Still seeing nothing, he thought,
“Gracious! Am I stupid? Am I unworthy of my position? I never thought so before. My
goodness! No one must know that I can’t see the material.”
“What do you think?” asked one of the weavers.

1. Why did the old advisor worry that he couldn’t see the clothes?
2. Why is seeing the clothes important to him?
“Oh, it is magnificent!” said the worthy adviser, peering through his glasses. “The
colours! The pattern! I’ll report to the emperor that I am quite satisfied with the cloth.”
“That makes us very happy,” said the two weavers. The crooks then asked for even
more money and more silk thread and more gold yarn—all of which they hid away.
Late into the night, they pretended to weave away on their empty loom.
The emperor sent other officials to observe the weavers’ progress. They, too, were
surprised to see nothing, but of course they told the emperor how wonderful the cloth
looked. They even advised him to hold a great parade, so he could show off his new
clothes.
The emperor then presented each crook with a medal of honour.
Soon the entire city was praising the magnificent cloth.
The crooks stayed up all night before the great parade. Everyone saw them rush to
finish the emperor’s new clothes—cutting the air with large scissors, and sewing
without any thread. Finally the crooks announced, “Behold! The clothes are finished!”
The emperor arrived with his highest-ranking officials. The two crooks, pretending to
hold up clothing, said, “Just look at these pants! And the cloak! They are as light as
spiderwebs—so light you might think you were wearing nothing at all!”
The officials, seeing nothing, agreed.
“If it please His Grace, would His Royal Majesty kindly remove his clothes,” said the
crooks. “We’ll fit you with your new ones, right in front of this mirror, so you can see
them for yourself.”
So the emperor took off all his clothes. When the crooks had finished pretending to
dress him, the emperor turned around and looked into the mirror.
Everyone exclaimed, “Goodness, how well the new clothes suit you! What a wonderful
fit! What beautiful colours! What a magnificent pattern!”

1. Do you think everyone could see the clothes? Explain your answer.
I believe everyone could/could not see the emperor’s clothes because …
Then the master of ceremonies announced, “The royal procession awaits outside.”
“I am ready!” said the emperor. He turned once again toward the mirror. He knew he
had to look as if he were admiring himself in all his glory.
The royal officers pretended to hold up the hem of the cloak. No one suspected that the
officers saw nothing.
As the emperor proceeded down the street, everyone exclaimed, “Goodness, the
emperor’s new clothes are incredibly beautiful! The finest he’s ever worn! What a
perfect fit!” No one wanted to admit that the emperor was naked, for that would make
the person seem stupid or unfit for his or her job.
At last a small child said, “But he doesn’t have anything on!”
“Goodness!” said the child’s father. Then he turned to his neighbour. “Just listen to
what this innocent child said,” he whispered, repeating the child’s comment.
One person whispered to another, and then another and another. Soon everyone was
shouting, “But he doesn’t have anything on!”
The emperor shuddered. He knew they were right, but he could never admit it.
So the emperor kept marching along, acting prouder than ever. And the high-ranking
officials followed him, carrying the hem of the cloak that wasn’t there.
LI: to practise making inferences with a short story

True or False:

1. The emperor was a ruler who prioritised the people over himself.
2. The crooks asked to make magical clothes for the emperor.
3. The advisors had opportunity to tell the emperor about the trick the crooks were
playing on him.
4. The emperor believed that the crooks were lying to him.
5. The emperor and his advisors were superstitious.
6. Only a child could see the magical clothes the emperor wore.
7. The emperor walked through the city dressed in fine clothes.
LI: to practise making inferences with a short story

True or False – Answers:

1. False – he focused on his vanity more than his people.

2. True
3. True
4. False – the emperor believed them were being honest.
5. True
6. False – a child pointed out he was naked.
7. False – he walked through the city without any clothes.
LI: to practise making inferences with a short story

The Emperor’s New Clothes summary

In this story, the emperor doesn’t care about anything except his own pride. He insists
that people regard him as smart and worthy of being emperor.

By refusing to admit he is wrong, he ends up looking stupid and incompetent, the

very thing he was trying to avoid. The emperor’s advisers, unwilling to risk appearing
foolish or unworthy of their jobs, let their leader make a fool of himself.

Only a child refuses to play this game and eventually leads the people to speak out
against their ruler.
LI: to practise making inferences with a short story

1. Is the emperor the only vain character in this story?

2. What caused the emperor and his advisors to be tricked by the crooks? Explain
your answer carefully.

3. The crooks were awarded a medal for making ‘magical clothes’ for the emperor.
Do you think they deserve to keep this medal? Explain your answer with
references to the story.
LI: to practise making inferences with a short story

Match up the sentence fragments:

A. … make the reader question why

1. The writer highlights the
people remain silent when they
emperor’s vanity to … know something is wrong.

B. … make the reader realise the

2. The writer uses the child as a importance of questioning
mouthpiece to ... something strange and being
honest.

C. …make the reader

3. The writer uses the old criticise his selfishness and his
advisors to draw attention to … inability to focus on what is truly
important.
LI: …
Now write out the correct answers in full sentences:

…make the reader criticise his selfishness and

The writer highlights the his inability to focus on what is truly
emperor’s vanity to … important.

… make the reader question why people

The writer uses the child as a remain silent when they know something is
mouthpiece to ... wrong.

The writer uses the old

… make the reader realise the importance of
advisors to draw attention to
questioning something strange and being honest.
…
LI: to practise making inferences with a short story

Consider the answer to this question:

What is the author’s message in ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’?

The author wanted to warn the reader about the

importance of ………………………… When the Success Criteria:
emperor …….., the writer deliberately brings the - Use the keywords vanity
reader’s attention to his vanity because or vain
- Comment on why the
…………… It is only when a child in the crowd
reader would think this
…… that people begin to say - Refer to parts of the story
………………………… At this point, the author’s as evidence
message is clear:
……………………………………………………