holding his tongue, declared that the SkipJean possessed the gift of
prophecy; one could tell by his bones whether there would be a severe
winter or a mild one; and that’s more than one can always tell from the
breastbone of the man who writes the almanac.
“I shall not say anything more,” said the old King. “I only go on quietly,
and always think the best.”
Now they were to take their jump. The Flea sprang so high that no one
could see him; and then they asserted that he had not jumped at all. That
was very mean. The Grasshopper only sprang half as high, but he sprang
straight into the King’s face, and the King declared that was horribly rude.
The SkipJean stood a long time considering; at last people thought that he
could not jump at all.
“I only hope he’s not become unwell,” said the Yard Dog, and then he
smelt at him again.
“Tap!” he sprang with a little crooked jump just into the lap of the
Princess, who sat on a low golden stool.
Then the King said, “The highest leap was taken by him who jumped up
to my daughter; for therein lies the point; but it requires head to achieve
that, and the SkipJean has shown that he has a head.”
And so he had the Princess.
“I jumped highest, after all,” said the Flea. “But it’s all the same. Let her
have the goose-bone with its lump of wax and bit of stick. I jumped to the
highest; but in this world a body is required if one wishes to be seen.”
And the Flea went into foreign military service, where it is said he was
killed.
The Grasshopper seated himself out in the ditch, and thought and
considered how things happened in the world. And he too said, “Body is
required! body is required!” And then he sang his own melancholy song,
and from that we have gathered this story, which they say is not true, though
it’s in print.
