The Emperor's New Clothes tale is a very interesting bedtime story for kids. "The Emperor's New Clothes" is a literary folktale written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, about a vain emperor who gets exposed before his subjects. The tale has been translated into over 100 languages. "The Emperor's New Clothes" was first published with "The Little Mermaid" in Copenhagen, by C. A. Listen to the full story.