| The Emperor | |
|---|---|
 From the cover of Hans Christian Anderson (1953) a one shot originally published by Ziff-Davis | |
|
Real Name |
Unknown |
|
First Appearance |
Fairy Tales Told for Children (1837) |
|
Original Publisher |
C.A. Reitzel |
|
Created by |
Hans Christian Andersen |
Origin[]
Illustration by Vilhelm Pedersen
The emperor is from the fairy tale The Emperor's New Clothes by Hans Christian Andersen.
In the story, he has an obsession with fancy new clothes, and spends lavishly on them, at the expense of state matters. One day, two con-men visit the emperor's capital. Posing as weavers, they offer to supply him with magnificent clothes that are invisible to those who are incompetent or stupid. The gullible emperor hires them, and they set up looms and pretend to go to work. A succession of officials, starting with the emperor's wise and competent minister, and then ending with the emperor himself, visit them to check their progress. Each sees that the looms are empty but pretends otherwise to avoid being thought a fool.
Finally, the weavers report that the emperor's suit is finished. They mime dressing him and he sets off in a procession before the whole city. The townsfolk uncomfortably go along with the pretense, not wanting to appear inept or stupid, until a child blurts out that the emperor is wearing nothing at all. The people then realize that everyone has been fooled. Although startled, the emperor continues the procession, walking more proudly than ever.
Public Domain Appearances[]
All published appearances of the Emperor from before Janurary 1, 1929 are public domain in the US.
Some notable appearances are listed below:
Public Domain Literary Appearances[]
- Fairy Tales Told for Children (1837)
Public Domain Film Appearances[]
- The Emperor's New Clothes (1919)
Public Domain Comic Appearances[]
- Fairy Tale Parade #2
- Hans Christian Anderson #1
Notes[]
- Despite the phrasing of the title, the 2000 film The Emperor's New Groove by Walt Disney Animation Studios is not related to Andersen’s classic tale, although both stories involve a vain emperor being tricked.