Takes place before JoAnne of the Year.

Mayor Toadstool was in a panic. He was rummaging through his closet, looking for something. Toadie asked, "Uh, sir? Is something wrong?"

"Something is very wrong, Toadie! Look!" The mayor held up his best suit. It had holes in it. "Moths have eaten all my clothes! And the annual Mayoral Meeting is coming up! This is the day all the mayors of Frog Valley come together to talk about our mayoral duties like how much taxes we've taken from the people, and what new unfair law we should make. And this year, my office has been chosen! But now, I'm ruined! I can't go to the meeting looking like the rest of those peasants! I'll lose my job for sure!"

Toadstool plopped down and moaned in despair. Toadie offered a suggestion, "Why don't you hire a tailor to get a new suit?"

"Do you know how much those cost?! I'd have to take half the money out of my account just to ask for a pair of pants! No, I'm gonna have to do this for free!" Then Toadstool got an idea.


Toadie put posters all over town. They read, "Wanted! A tailor for the Mayor! Reward...still working on it."

Sprig found one of the posters and brought it to his family. "Guys! Check this out!"

Anne took the poster and read it over. "A tailor? Not interested."

"Yeah, I'm not really into sewing clothes for our n'er-do-well mayor," said Hop Pop.

Polly blew a raspberry.

"But a reward," said Sprig. "This could be a cash prize! We need it to fix the roof after the...incident with the shrews."

"Those shrews wanted vengeance after Anne hit 'em with that racket," said Hop Pop, giving her the stink eye.

"I had no choice! They were eating the crops!"

"Now, now, your heart was in the right place, but you don't go spooking shrews! They're vicious! I lost my great-great-great grandpappy to one of those things!"

Sprig coughed, getting everyone's attention. "Can we refocus on what's important? We gotta start sewing and get that prize!"

"Sprig, for all we know, the prize could be another one of those ugly keychains he's been trying to get rid of," said Anne. She gestured to a keychain made in Toadstool's image. "Then again, it would be nice to have a new roof. And I do have some sewing skills. I did help Mom sew the family tapestry."

"Fine, we'll do it," said Hop Pop. "My grandma taught me how to sew and to ignore the pain every time you poked yourself with the needles. I still have the scars to prove it."

"Hooray! I'll get the scissors!"

"No! I will, Sprig! I don't want you running with them like last time!"

"Did he stab himself," asked Anne.

"He stabbed Hop Pop," whispered Polly. "It was awful, and funny."

Soon, the Plantars and Anne got to work. They took some fabric, cut shapes out of it, and began to sew. The finished product was complete. "Well, what do you think," asked Hop Pop, proud of his work.

"It's...uh...it's...uh..."

"I know, Anne, no words can describe its beauty!"

"That's not what I'm thinking," said Polly.


Soon everyone in Wartwood gathered at the Mayor's office. "Hi, Anne," said Johan.

"Hey, JoJo," said Anne. "You and the Sundews are entering the contest, too?"

"Yep, and I gotta say, it's pretty good." Johan gestured to the suit being held in Felicia's hands.

"What happened to your hands," asked Sprig.

Johan looked down at his bandaged-covered hands and said with a chuckle, "Yeah, I don't know the first thing about sewing, so I had Sylvia teach me. It didn't end well."

Soon, the Mayor arrived and said, "Alright, let's get this over with." He inspected a spider web suit made by Sadie Croaker. "Garbage." Then a suit made by Wally which was essentially a wine barrel with holes where the arms, legs, and head could stick out. "Yeah, right." Then the Sundews' suit. "Adequate. I don't want adequate! I want perfect!" Then, the Plantars' suit. "No. Just no."

"Let me at him," shouted Polly, only to be held back by Anne.

"Nothing, nothing, crap, crap, garbage," snapped Toadstool. "Can't you morons do anything right?! Can't one of you bring me the perfect suit?!"

"Ahem. Perhaps we can provide." Everyone turned and saw two peculiar-looking newts. One was blue-skinned with black hair and a matching mustache and wearing a purple shirt with a green sash, the other was yellow-skinned with blonde hair and wearing a green shirt with a red sash, and they both wore black breeches and black shoes with white spats.

"And who might you be?" asked Toadstool.

"We are weavers," said the blue newt. "We offer our talents to you for the beauty of our fabrics is beyond imagination."

"Not only are the colors extraordinary and the designs incomparable," said the yellow newt.

"The cloth possesses a mysterious quality."

"YES," the two newts said in unison.

"Uh-huh," said Toadstool, unconvinced at all. "I heard that one before."

"Yeah, what's so special about YOUR fabrics," asked Toadie.

"The fabric we offer you're unable to see," said the blue newt.

"If you're stupid of mind and think simply," said the yellow newt.

Both newts winked at each other. This did not go unnoticed by Anne and the Plantars.

Toadstool raised an eyebrow. "So, let me get this straight. These clothes are invisible to anyone who is very stupid?"

"And unworthy of his post," said the two newts.

Toadstool grinned. "If I had those clothes, maybe I could see if the mayors in the other towns of Frog Valley are stupid! I'll take them!"

"Ah, Mr. Mayor, we haven't made them yet. These things take time, you know," said the blue newt.

"Fine, fine! Can you get it done in a week?"

"We'll try," said the yellow newt. "But it'll require a lot of money."

"Toadie," shouted Toadstool. "Get these two newts a private weaving room and everything they need to make the clothes!"

"Uh, sir, what about the contest?"

"Forget the contest! These two are my winners!" The mayor grabbed the two weavers and dragged them into City Hollow. All the people of Wartwood were stunned and disappointed.

"I knew it was too good to be true," said Hop Pop.

"Don't feel too bad, Hopediah," said Monroe. "You were never going to win anyway."

"Shut up."

"Well, I'm gonna go study," said Wally.

"You? Study," asked Anne, surprised.

"What? I want to see the magic clothes! I don't want to be stupid and not see them!"

Soon, everyone realized that if they couldn't see the clothes, they would be deemed stupid by the rest of Frog Valley. They all ran to grab as many books as they can. However, Hop Pop had a suspicious look on his face. "What's wrong, Hop Pop," asked Sprig.

"Those weavers," he replied. "There's something familiar about them."

Anne noticed something else. As she watched Johan leave with the Sundews, she saw him form a wicked smile on his face.


So, the weavers were given a large sum of money, gold, and silks. They were ordered to begin their work at once. The word quickly spread about the special quality of the fabric. Everyone was anxious to see how stupid his or her neighbor was.

In the tea shoppe, Johan saw Ivy sitting at a table with a huge stack of books. "What's all this," he asked.

"It's Mom and Grandma," said Ivy miserably. "They don't want me to be stupid, so they're making me to study so I can be smart enough to see the clothes Mayor Toadstool will wear."

"Ivy, you're one of the smartest girls I know," said Johan. "I mean, you know more than five hundred ways to sneak attack Sprig, you know how to use your Stand, Invisible Touch, to make yourself the perfect stealth assassin, and your mother has taught you those strange and unique was on how to make tea and set up the tables."

"Yeah, well, that doesn't matter to Mom and Grandma," said Ivy as she turned a page.

"In realtà, non avrà importanza in entrambi i casi," Johan said to himself.

"Uh, what was that," asked ivy.

"Oh, niente," Johan replied, a little too quickly. "I'm gonna check up on Anne and the Plantars!" Ivy frowned suspiciously at the door he exited through.


Soon, Mayor Toadstool became curious about the progress of the weavers. He wanted to check on them himself, but the thought that he might not see the clothes scared him. So, he called upon Albus Duckweed. "Uh, you wanted to me to come, sir," asked Duckweed.

"Well, I called you here because as the columnist of the newspaper, you say a lot of big words," said the mayor.

"I am very articulated, yes."

"So, you are smart enough to judge the weavers' progress of my new clothes!"

So, Duckweed went to the room where the two weavers were working at their bare loom. What is this, I can't see a single thread, Duckweed thought in shock.

"Please step nearer," said the blue newt.

"Is not the design pretty? And the colors, are they not beautiful," asked the yellow newt.

They pointed to the bare loom. The poor columnist opened his eyes still wider. Can it be that I am stupid, he thought again. No one must know it! I can't admit that I see only a bare loom!

"Will you say nothing of the work?"

"Oh, it's very pretty," said Duckweed out loud. "The design and the colors! Oh, yes! I shall tell Mayor Toadstool that it pleases me."

"We are delighted to hear it!"

Then they mentioned all the different colors and explained the unusual design. All the while, Duckweed thought as he tapped his foot, I must pay attention so I can use the same words when I return to the mayor.


And so he did. The weavers now demanded more money, more silk, and more gold to be used in their weaving. This, they put in their pockets and then danced, for not a single thread was put upon the loom. Though, they continued their pretended work. "We'll weave and deceive, nary a stitch will be seen," they sang. "For our pockets conceal what our loom should reveal!"


Soon after, a special guest had come to inspect the weaving, having heard the story through the grapevine. He was a teacher from Newopia University, and claimed to be the brightest, so he was certain he would see the clothes himself. He too looked and looked, but could see nothing but a bare loom. I am not stupid, he thought. I must let it be thought that I am!

So he returned to Mayor Toadstool and praised the fabric...which he had not seen. "It is magnificent!"


Now everyone in Frog Valley spoke of the remarkable fabric. It even reached the ear of the mayors of the other three towns of the valley: Lily Paddington, Bog Bottom, and Swamp Shiro.

"Have you heard how Toadstool's new clothes are coming along?"

"The delivery lad says everyone in Wartwood talks about nothing else!"

"Mother says I can come watch when he exits City Hollow."


"So this is where you guys have been," said Johan. He was surprised to find the Plantars and Anne not in the farmhouse and after doing some tracking, he found them in the town's archives. As for how they got in, well, to make sure something like what Sprig did to the door did not repeat again, they used the hole in the ceiling and a rope ladder.

"Yep, all the books needed to make us smart enough to see the clothes," said Hop Pop.

"I'm getting extra studying," said Sprig. "Let's face it, I'm not exactly the smartest frog in the family."

"I don't need it," said Polly. "I'm plenty smart."

"And I desperately need it," said Anne. "My grades at school prove that."

Johan facepalmed and said, "Anne, you're plenty smart. You knew what chemicals were needed to blow up that cannibal inn, for God's sake! You're not stupid, just lazy! And honestly, I can't believe you're falling for this! Haven't you read The Emperor's New Clothes?"

"Pfft! Yeah! When I was three."

"What's The Emperor's New Clothes?" asked Sprig.

"It's a fairy tale about two imposters pretending to be weavers who trick an emperor into thinking they have clothes that are invisible to anyone who is stupid and..." Anne paused, then slapped herself in the head. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Would somebody please tell me what's going on," asked Hop Pop.


Toadstool was surprised to learn the mayors of Bog Bottom and Lily Paddington had arrived at his office. "Y-You're here early," he said.

"We heard about your fantastic weavers' fabric and we've come to see it for themselves," said the mayor of Bog Bottom, a fat gray toad wearing a gray suit.

"But only when the Mayor of Swamp Shiro arrives," said the mayor of Lily Paddington, a red female toad wearing a blue suit.

A taxi bug pulled up and a female green newt wearing a blue suit stepped out. "The mayor of Swamp Shiro couldn't make it, so he sent me instead."

"Hmph, typical Valentine," said the mayor of Lily Paddington. "Always sending his secretaries to these annual meetings. The only time we see him in person is when the meetings take place at Swamp Shiro."

"Enough gab," said the mayor of Bog Bottom. "Show us these clothes!"

"Uh, sure, right this way," said Toadstool. He led them to the room where the two weavers were working. They were most anxious to show them their beautiful fabric.

"Is it not magnificent," asked the blue newt.

"Will you not look more closely," asked the yellow newt. "Just examine the design and colors!"

Toadstool stared at the bare loom, dumbfounded. How is this? Why, I see nothing at all! Can it be that I am stupid? Oh, that would be most dreadful. "Uh, yes! It is very beautiful! It has my highest approval! Toadie, what do you think?" Toadie stared, then with a nervous smile, he gave a thumbs up.

Toadstool would not admit he saw nothing. Nor would his fellow mayors. For they looked and looked and saw nothing.

"Oh, Toadstool, these must be the most beautiful garments in the world!"

"Yes, yes, delightful!"

"Charming!"

"Excellent!"

"In fact," said the mayor of Bog Bottom. "I would like a set of clothes just like them!"

"So would I," said the mayor of Lily Paddington.

The two weavers looked at each other, then nodded. "We can do it," they said. "We have enough fabric for everyone. But it will cost you."

The two mayors placed huge bags of money, silk, and gold in front of them. "Take it, take it all! Just make us those clothes!"


"So, let me get this straight," said Sprig. "This was all a prank orchestrated by you?"

"Yep," said Johan.

"And there are no magic invisible clothes?"

"Nope."

"And those two newts aren't weavers," asked Anne.

"Nope, they're just actors from Hop Pop's old theater class."

"I knew it," Hop Pop exclaimed. "I knew those two looked familiar!"

"So, why are you going through this," asked Anne.

"To exact a little revenge on Toadstool for cheating in a card game we had the other night," said Johan.

"Seems a bit extreme, don't you think," asked Hop Pop.

"I like to take things extreme. And Polly has one last roll to play."

"I do," asked the little pollywog.

"You're to play the role of the child who shouts, 'But he has nothing on!' That will result in everyone realizing it's true and laugh at him."

"How does that work," asked Sprig.

"Because how can an innocent child be considered stupid and unfit to hold their post?"

"He does have a point," said Polly.

"La mia unica speranza è che non ci sarà alcuna rappresaglia," Johan said.

"I don't know what you said," said Anne. "And besides, I'm not looking forward to seeing Toadstool naked."

"I don't know what you're complaining about. In case you haven't noticed, amphibians don't have nipples and their sex organs are hidden under folds of skin, just like Earth's amphibians. You can't see them. I mean, look at Polly! She wears nothing but a bow on her head!"

"First of all, Polly's more like a ball than anything. And second, well, it's just a principle."

"Hmph, humans and their wimpy form of modesty," said Hop Pop, shaking his head. Then he giggled with glee. "But it's still gonna be funny to see Mayor Toadstool walk out in the buff, so, I'm having mixed feelings here."


The whole night before the annual mayoral meeting was to take place, the imposters were awake. They burned candles so that everyone could see that they were hard at work, sewing the mayors' new clothes. They pretended to take the fabric off the loom. They cut patterns in the air with large shears. They stitched busily with needles, but no thread.

"Our task is done, complete, fine," they sang. "The garment's set for all to see!"


The next morning before dawn, Toadstool and the mayors of Bog Bottom and Lily Paddington arrived in their dressing gowns. The imposters proudly held up their arms as if to show them their new clothes.

"These are the trousers, and this is the coat, and here is the cloak," the blue newt said.

"And all so light, that one might think one had nothing on," said the yellow newt.

"But that is the beauty of the cloth. If you would kindly please take off your clothes."

Toadstool made an indignant look.

"Oh, we will help you put the new ones on. Here, before the mirror."

"Ah."

Toadstool undressed. The imposters pretended to help him don one article after another. "Well, what do you think," he asked his fellow mayors.

"It is a...magnificent...outfit?" the mayor of Lily Paddington said, blushing.

"Oh, Mr. Mayor, each garment fits beautifully," said the blue newt. "The patterns are perfect!"

"It IS a magnificent outfit," said the mayor of Bog Bottom proudly, yet his face was blushing as well.

"And most revealing of your truest character, Mr. Mayor."

"Us next," said the other two mayors. "Us next!"


Soon, Mayor Toadstool and the mayors of Lily Paddington and Bog Bottom stepped out of City Hollow, wearing nothing but their shoes. "Ta-da!" exclaimed Toadstool. "Behold, our new clothes!" Only the mayor of Swamp Shiro's secretary refused to wear the clothes, saying she couldn't afford them. At first, all the people of Wartwood were filled with admiration. For fear of being thought stupid, no one would admit that they did not see anything.

"The clothes are beautiful!"

"I've never seen anything like them!"

"Nor have I! An amazing display to be sure!"

"They do the mayors justice!"

"Quite so!"

Then, one little pollywog spoke up. "But they have nothing on!"

"Polly, shut up!"

"But...they have nothing on, Hop Pop!"

And just as Johan planned, the people heard her.

"Did you hear the tadpole?"

"She says the mayors have nothing on!"

"Oh, frog!"

"Did you hear that?"

"They ain't got nothin' on!"

"Look! It's true!"

"They have nothing on!"

"It's really true! We're not stupid! They're naked!"

"Look, you can see it for yourself!"

"The mayors are naked!"

"Toadie," said Toadstool in a hushed voice as the people began laughing. Despite his smile, his brow was sweating and his cheeks were turning red. "They're right, aren't they?"

"Yep," said Toadie.

The mayors of Bog Bottom and Lily Paddington let out a scream and tried to cover themselves as a photographer, armed with a camera and flash powder, snapped a picture of them as they fled. Johan laughed louder than everyone else and shouted, "I grifted ya!"

"What are you talking about?" Toadstool asked, confused.

"I paid off the weavers! I put the moths in your closet!"

"WHAT?!"

"I grifted your ass good, because you cheated in that card game we had the night before!"

"You made me and the other mayors walk out naked because I beat you in a card game?!"

"Punto a favore per Passione! Ha, ha!"

"Sir, would you like me to enact revenge," Toadie asked.

"Nah, let them have this victory," said Toadstool. "We'll get them next time. Just smile and wave, Toadie. Smile and wave." So the mayor continued to pretend to wear the clothes that did not exist. As he continued to smile and wave grandly to the laughing citizens, the foolish mayor believed that he had to pretend he had been right all along, for vanity makes fools of everyone.