The great swindle that is Grace

To sexagenarians upward, the tale of the emperor’s new clothes by Hans Christian Andersen – titled just that, “The Emperor’s New Clothes” – had been part of their early schooling. To latter generation, however, classic literature in many cases must step aside to give way to the advent of modern themes. Particularly among the current youth, it’s doubtful if 2 or perhaps even 1 of 10 is familiar with the fascinating Andersen story.

It tells of an emperor whose vanity with clothes made two smooth operators think of a swindle. They make it known to the emperor that they are capable of weaving a cloth so fine it makes you feel you are wearing nothing. One truly wondrous quality of the textile is that it is capable of being invisible to one who is either stupid or unfit for his office – or both for that matter.