Page:Hans Andersen's fairy tales (Robinson).djvu/310

 THE LEAPING MATCH

HE flea, the grasshopper, and the frog once wanted to try which of them could jump highest; so they invited the whole world, and anybody else who liked, to come and see the grand sight. Three famous jumpers were they, as. was seen by every one when they met together in the room.

'I will give my daughter to him who shall jump highest,' said the King; 'it would be too bad for you to have the trouble of jumping, and for us to offer you no prize.'

The flea was the first to introduce himself; he had such polite manners, and bowed to the company on every side, for he was of noble blood; besides, he was accustomed to the society of man, which had been a great advantage to him.

Next came the grasshopper; he was not quite so slightly and elegantly formed as the flea; however, he knew perfectly well how to conduct himself, and wore a green uniform, which belonged to him by right of birth. Moreover, he declared himself to have sprung from a very ancient and honourable Egyptian family, and that in his present home he was very highly esteemed, so much so, indeed, that he had been taken out of the field and put into a card-house three stories high, built on purpose for him, and all of court-cards, the coloured sides being turned inwards: as for the doors and windows in his house, they were cut out of the body of the Queen of Hearts. 'And I can sing so well,' added he, 'that sixteen parlour-bred crickets, who have chirped and chirped ever since they were 258