Hans Christian Andersen: The Emperor's New Clothes

It’s well known that you can’t succeed in learning any language without reading. But to induce children to reading the teachers have to arouse their interest. Fairy-tales, even those familiar from the early childhood, are always popular among young readers.

The exercises you will find below help students to cope with language difficulties and understand the text easily. Most part of the exercises are designed with the aim to enrich the vocabulary.

Acting out dialogues provokes students to reveal their acting skills.

Biography

Hans Christian Andersen was born in Denmark, April 2,1805. His name “Hans Christian” is a traditional Danish name.

When he was a child, he made himself a small toy-theatre and sat at home making clothes for his puppets, and reading all the plays that he could lay his hands upon; among them were those of Ludwig Holberg and William Shakespeare. Throughout his childhood, he had a passionate love for literature. He was known to memorize entire plays by Shakespeare and to recite them using his wooden dolls as actors.

In 1816, his father died and, in order to support himself, Andersen worked as an apprentice for both a weaver and a tailor. He later worked at a cigarette factory. At the age of fourteen, Andersen moved to Copenhagen seeking employment as an actor in the theatre. He had a pleasant soprano voice and succeeded in being admitted to the Danish Royal Theatre. This career stopped short when his voice broke. A colleague at the theatre had referred to him as a poet, and Andersen took this very seriously and began to focus on writing. Following an accidental meeting, Jonas Collin started taking an interest in the odd boy and sent Andersen to the grammar school in Slagelse, paying all his expenses. Before even being admitted to grammar-school, Andersen had already succeeded in publishing his first story, The Ghost at Palnatoke’s Grave in 1822. In 1829, Andersen enjoyed a considerable success with a short story entitled A Journey on Foot from Holmen’s Canal to the East Point of Amager. During the same season, he published both a farce and a collection of poems. He had little further progress, however, until 1833 when he received a small traveling grant from the King, making the first of his long European journeys. Andersen’s first novel, The Improvisatore was published in the beginning of 1835, and became an instant success. It was during 1835 that Andersen published the first installment of his immortal Fairy Tales. More stories, completing the first volume, were published in 1836 and 1837. The quality of these stories was not immediately recognised, and they sold poorly. At the same time, Andersen enjoyed more success with two novels: O.T. (1836) and Only a fiddler. His Specialty book that is still known today was The Ugly Duckling (1837).

After a visit to Sweden in 1837, Andersen became inspired by Scandinavism. In 1851, he published to wide acclaim In Sweden, a volume of travel sketches. In the 1840s Andersen’s attention returned to the stage, however with no great success at all. His true genius was however proved in the Picture-Book without Pictures (1840). The fame of his Fairy Tales had grown steadily; a second series began in 1838 and a third in 1845.

In the spring of 1872, Andersen fell out of bed and was severely hurt. He never quite recovered, but he lived until August 4, 1875, dying painfully in a house called Rolighed (literally: calmness), near Copenhagen. At the time of his death, he was an internationally renowned and treasured artist. He received a stipend from the Danish Government as a “national treasure”. Before his death, steps were already underway to erect the large statue in his honour, which was completed and is prominently placed at the town hall square in Copenhagen. In the Copenhagen harbor there is a statue of The Little Mermaid, placed in honor of Hans Christian Andersen. 2 April, Andersen’s birthday, is celebrated as International Children’s Book Day.

From www.wikipedia.com

The Emperor’s new clothes

There once lived an Emperor who was very fond of new clothes. Other kings liked to parade their soldiers or spend an evening at the theatre.

But there was nothing this Emperor loved more than trying on new clothes – which his servants would bring him in great stacks, morning, noon and night.

Other servants toiled endlessly to keep the Emperor’s vast wardrobe clean and pressed. The kingdom’s most learned scholars were kept constantly on hand to advise him on his choice of clothing. Any outfit the Emperor might desire must be ready for him at a moment’s notice.

The Emperor had a different outfit for every hour of the day, and clothes for each day of the week.

For no matter how great or small the occasion, he wanted to wear just the right clothes to make his subjects see him as a wise and able ruler.

But his outfits never seemed quite right.

And his clothes were apt to turn up in the most inconvenient places.

Not even his wife or his most trusted ministers could persuade him that he need not worry so much about his royal attire.

One day, two swindlers travelled to the castle, pretending to be weavers.

“We can weave the most beautiful cloth imaginable!” the first told the Emperor. ”And what is more, the clothes from our fabrics are invisible to anyone who is either foolish or unfit for his office.”

“Not everyone, of course, is able to wear such finery,” added the second. “But they are obviously the perfect clothes for a wise ruler like yourself.”

The Emperor thought of how wisely he could rule his people if only he had such an outfit. “Why, not only would I look good but, with those clothes on, I could find out which of my ministers is unfit for his post; I could tell the wise from the foolish. This cloth must be woven for me at once.”

The “weavers” set up their looms and worked late into the night.

No one was allowed to see their work until the Emperor sent his wisest and most trusted minister to see what had been made.

The weavers begged the minister to step closer. They named all the colours, and described the pattern in great detail. The minister paid close attention to all they said, for, unable to believe his own eyes, he wanted to be able to repeat it exactly to the Emperor.

The minister hurried back and described the new clothes to the Emperor exactly as they had been described to him.

“Why, you must wear them tomorrow in the royal procession!” the Emperor’s wife cried. “It is the perfect chance to show all your subjects what a wise and magnificent ruler you are.”

The next morning the weavers at last announced that the clothes were finished. They brought in the royal robes and dressed the Emperor in them, taking great care to see that there were no loose threads and that the royal garments hung just right. The Emperor could scarcely believe his eyes, but he kept quiet as a mouse, lest his subjects should think him a fool.

People had come from every corner of the kingdom to see the magnificent new clothes.

As the Emperor set forth in the royal procession, the crowd grew silent. “My new clothes must be so stunning that no one can find the right words to praise them!” thought the Emperor. He lifted his head and marched on proudly until a small child’s voice could be heard clearly to say: “But he has no clothes on!”

“He has no clothes on!” the people echoed, each feeling secretly foolish not to have spoken up earlier.

What could the Emperor possibly do now?

Without any of his royal outfits to help him look intelligent or brave, the Emperor realized it was more important than ever to act like a king.

He lifted his head even higher, and stood even taller, and continued the procession. Never had he felt so foolish… but never had he acted so wisely.

Seeing their ruler’s extraordinary courage, the crowd began to cheer, more loudly than the Emperor had ever heard them.

“Long live the Emperor!”

Useful Vocabulary

stack	груда, куча
to toil	усердно трудиться
to advise	давать совет
outfit	одежда, наряд
to desire	желать, стремиться
wise	мудрый
able	могущественный
apt	годный, подходящий, соответствующий
to trust	доверять
an attire	пышное облачение, одеяние, наряд, платье; убор, украшение
a swindler	жулик, мошенник, плут
to pretend	притворяться
a weaver	ткач; ткачиха
invisible	невидимый
finery	пышный наряд, украшение, убранство
a loom	ткацкий станок
to describe	описывать
magnificent	великолепный
to praise	хвалить
to announce	объявить
garment	одеяние, облачение, покров
scarcely	едва ли, вряд ли, с трудом
to stun	оглушать, ошеломлять
to lift	поднять
proudly	гордо
extraordinary courage	необычайная смелость
to cheer	подбадривать, приветствовать

Comprehension Сheck

1. Say who:

1. was very fond of new clothes.

2. like to parade their soldiers or spend an evening at the theatre.

3. toiled endlessly to keep the Emperor’s vast wardrobe clean and pressed.

4. were kept constantly on hand to advise him on his choice of clothing.

5. had clothes for each day of the week.

6. traveled to the castle, pretending to be weavers.

7. set up their looms and worked late into the night.

8. named all the colours, and described the pattern in great details.

9. paid close attention to all swindlers said.

10. could scarcely believe his eyes.

11. had come from every corner of the kingdom to see the magnificent new clothes.

12. grew silent.

13. never had felt so foolish.

14. began to cheer more loudly.

2. Who said this?

1. ‘We can weave the most beautiful cloth imaginable!’

2. ‘This cloth must be woven for me at once’

3. ‘Why, you must wear them tomorrow in the royal procession?’

4. ‘My new clothes must be so stunning that no one can find the right words to praise them!’

5. ‘But he has no clothes on!’

6. ‘Long live the Emperor!’

3. Match two parts of the sentence:

1. There once lived

2. The Emperor

3. Other kings

4. The kingdom’s most learned scholars

5. The weavers

а) liked to parade their soldiers or spend an evening at the theatre.

b) begged the minister to step closer.

c) thought of how wisely he could rule his people if only he had such an outfit.

d) an Emperor who was very fond of new clothes.

e) were kept constantly on hand to advise him on his choice of clothing.

4. Answer the questions:

1. What was an Emperor fond of?

2. Where did other kings like to spend their evenings?

3. Was there anything the Emperor loved more than trying on new clothes?

4. What was wrong about the Emperor’s outfits every time?

5. Could anyone persuade him that he needn’t worry so much about his royal attire?

6. Who pretended to be weavers?

7. What did they tell the Emperor?

8. What kind were the fabrics?

9. Who was the first to see the new clothes?

10. What did the minister see?

11. How did the Emperor feel when he saw his new clothes?

12. Whose voice could be heard clearly?

13. What did the voice say?

14. What did the Emperor do then?

15. How did the crowd cheer their Emperor?

Grammar and Vocabulary

5. Complete the sentences:

mouse	fond of	keep	on hand	possibly
set up	outfit	swindlers	occasion	attention
weavers	corner	courage	cheer	magnificent

1. There once lived an Emperor who was very _____ new clothes.

2. Other servants toiled endlessly to ____ the Emperor’s vast wardrobe clean and pressed.

3. The kingdom’s most learned scholars were kept constantly ____ to advise him on his choice of clothing.

4. Any ____ the Emperor might desire must be ready for him at a moment’s notice.

5. For no matter how great or small the ____, he wanted to wear just the right clothes to make his subjects see him as a wise and able ruler.

6. One day, two ____ travelled to the castle, pretending to be ____.

7. The “weavers” _____ their looms and worked late into the night.

8. The minister paid close ____ to all they said.

9. The Emperor could scarcely believe his eyes, but he kept quiet as a ____, lest his subjects should think him a fool.

10. People had come from every ____ of the kingdom to see the ____ new clothes.

11. What could the Emperor ___ do now?

12. Seeing their ruler’s extraordinary ___ , the crowd began to ___, more loudly than the Emperor had ever heard them.

6. Fill in missing prepositions:

1. to be fond ___ new clothes

2. to spend an evening ___ the theatre

3. to try ___ new clothes

4. to keep ___ hand

5. to travel ___ the castle

6. to tell ___ the Emperor

7. to think ___ how wisely he could rule

8. ___ once

9. to describe ___ detail

Acting

7. Imagine you are…:

– the Emperor (you see the new clothes, what would you say?)

– the swindler (you have to persuade everyone that clothes are magnificent, describe them)

– the minister (you see the new clothes and describe them to the Emperor)

Answers:

1. an Emperor; other kings; servants; the kingdom’s most learned scholars; the Emperor; swindlers; swindlers; swindlers; The minister; the Emperor; people; the crowd; the Emperor; the crowd

2. swindlers; Emperor; Emperor’s wife; Emperor; a child’s voice; the crowd

3. 1. d; 2. c; 3. a; 4. e; 5. b

5. 1. fond of; 2. keep; 3. on hand; 4. outfit; 5. occasion; 6. swindlers, weavers; 7. set up; 8. attention; 9. mouse; 10. corner, magnificent; 11. possibly; 12. courage, cheer

6. 1. of; 2. at; 3. on; 4. on; 5. to; 6. __; 7. of; 8. at; 9. in