This blog is based on a short tale known in the US as ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes‘. There are many versions of this tale but according to Wikipedia (1), the oldest version appeared in the Līlāvatīsāra by Jinaratna (1283), a summary of a now-lost anthology of fables, the Nirvāṇalīlāvatī by Jineśvara (1052). The Indian version tells the story of the dishonest merchant Dhana from Hastināpura who swindles the King of Śrāvastī by offering to weave a supernatural garment that cannot be seen or touched by any person of illegitimate birth. When the king is supposedly wearing the garment, his whole court pretends to admire it. The king is then paraded about his city to show off the garment; when the common folk ask him if he has become a naked ascetic, he realizes the deception, but the swindler has already fled. (2)
‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’ is the version written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen and published in 1837. Andersen’s manuscript was at the printer’s when he was suddenly inspired to change the original climax of the tale from the emperor’s subjects admiring his invisible clothes to that of the child’s cry “But he isn’t wearing anything at all!”. (3)
During my research about this tale and its history, I also found an article written by Bedabrata Pain about the poet Nirendranath Chakraborty who is the author of the poem ‘The King is Naked (Ulongo Raja)’. (4) Hopefully, the poem will give you an insight on the spirit of the blog:
Everybody
can see that the king is naked
but everybody keeps clapping away.
Everybody shouts: bravo, bravo.
some are trapped in misbeliefs, some in fear
yet others have mortgaged their brains
some are parasites, some deceitful
yet others are hoping to benefit from nepotism
some even think that the regal gown is so ethereal
that it escapes our eyes,
but it’s there alright
why, that’s certainly possible, isn’t it?
The story is quite familiar
but that story didn’t only feature
sycophants and bootlickers
ignoramus and cowards
swindlers and con-men
there was a child there too
yes a child – authentic, honest and daring.
The king is out on the streets
again
and people burst into applause
lackeys and toadies flock around him.
But in this crowd of grovellers
the child is nowhere to be found.
Where is the child?
Is he being held hostage
in a secret mountain cave?
Or is it that while playing with
soil and grass and stones
he has fallen asleep
at a river-bank – distant and silent
or perhaps under the shadow of a tree?
Go find him
any which way you can!
Let him confront the king
let him stand fearlessly in front of him
let his voice drown the din of the crowd
and ring out
Hey king, Where are Your Clothes?
(Copyright: Ananda
Publishers, Kolkata, 1971)
English translation by Bedabrata Pain
The tale, the poem and the article solidified my intention to create this blog. My posts will not be as beautiful or as creative as any of them but it will be my way to be the child who tells everyone that the king “is not wearing anything at all”. I know this blog will reach very few people but it will be open for contributions, it will be a venue for those willing to confront the king, to participate in the conversation, to keep us alert and informed.
The posts will not be about a specific subject such as politics, technology or photography. The posts will be about issues I believe are relevant enough to bring to light, to start a discussion, to gather more information and write about. I rather not be like the men the king sent to check on his clothes and who did not have the courage to tell the king the truth: there were no clothes. I believe fools are not those who can’t see but those who do not want to see.
Are we wise or fools?
Selene Paschoal
References:
1 – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Emperor%27s_New_Clothes (January 3rd, 2019)
2 – Anthony Kennedy Warder (1992). Indian Kāvya Literature: The art of storytelling, Volume 6. pp. 261–262, 268–270.
3 – Wullschlager 2000, p. 177
4 – The King is Naked: Nirendranath Chakraborty’s Poetry is More Relevant Than Ever – https://thewire.in/the-arts/this-world-could-do-with-more-poets-like-nirendranath-chakraborty (January 3rd, 2019)
If you want to read the whole tales, click on the link below
http://andersen.sdu.dk/vaerk/hersholt/TheEmperorsNewClothes_e.html
The King is Naked 