Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales/The Jumpers
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THE JUMPERS.
The flea, the grasshopper, and the hupfauf,[1] on one occasion wished to prove which could jump the highest. The matter became known, and everybody was attracted to the king’s palace, where the performance was to take place. A great number were assembled in the room to see the show, and there were also other clever jumpers present besides those named.
“The jumper who springs the highest will belong to my daughter,” said the king. “A man need never be in rags if he has a profitable trade.”
The flea appeared first and saluted every one present most politely. It is true he had the blood of young ladies in his body, and dwelt and associated only with mankind, which fact was of great importance.
Then came the grasshopper: he was uncommonly heavy looking; however, he had a very erect carriage and wore a green uniform. People said he was of noble birth, and was descended from a very old family in the land of Egypt, named Locusts, and here at home he filled a very high position. He possessed a large number of fields, and a garden house of three stories high, in the shape of garden beds, with windows and doors, so that wherever you turned there appeared varied colours just like the card called the "Queen of Hearts.”
“I can sing sixteen little house songs,” said he, “ever since I was able to chirp, and I had no house belonging to me then. It was a thin, weak voice, I could hear that myself.”
Both the flea and the grasshopper made it known to every one who they were, and that they firmly believed they could, if they liked, marry the princess.
The hupfauf said nothing; it was, however, said of him that he thought the more. The dog of the palace had sniffed at him secretly, and declared that he also was descended from a good family, that of the old senator who had obtained three orders of merit. And, although he stood silent, doing nothing, the court dog believed that the hupfauf could really speak.
“People can see by looking on his back,” he said, “whether we shall have a mild or a severe winter, and no one can do that by looking at any man’s back, only from what they write in the calendar.”
“Him! I say nothing,” said the old king. “I always keep my thoughts to myself.”
And now the jumpers are going to begin. The flea jumped so high that no one could see him, and then it was said that he had not jumped at all, which was scandalous and untrue. The grasshopper only jumped half as high as the flea, but he sprung right into the king’s face, and caused him to say—
“How very disagreeable!”
The hupfauf stood a long time still as if in deep thought, and at last people began to believe that he could not jump at all.
“I hope there is nothing the matter with him,” said the court dog, as he sniffed at him again.
“Rush!” Up he sprung, a little on one side, and jumped right into the lap of the princess, as she sat on a low, gilded footstool.
“Ah,” said the king, “that is the highest jump; he could not go higher than my daughter, and that is the best of it. It was a sign of genius to have such an idea, and the hupfauf has shown us that he possesses genius, and was born with his eyes open.”
And then he belonged to the princess.
“I jumped the highest, after all,” said the flea; “however, the princess may keep the breast-bone of a goose stuck together with sticks and pitch if she likes. I still jumped the highest. People in this world often do give themselves airs to obtain notice.”
And after this the flea entered upon foreign military service, where it is said he was soon slain.
The grasshopper determined, after this defeat, always to remain out of doors; he was often in very low spirits, while he mused over what should be the most correct way to live in the world.
He had heard it said, “People must give themselves airs.” “Yes, yes, when they are in trade,” he said to himself.
And then he commenced singing one of the sorrowful songs he had made himself, and which told the whole tale; for, at one time bright and sparkling, and at others depressing, is the monotonous song of the grasshopper.
- ↑ A toy played with by Danish children. It is made from the breast-bone of a goose, and is by some wooden contrivance made to jump like a frog.