Stories by Hans Christian Andersen, Chapter 7 The Leapfrog.
Once upon a time when the animals and people spoke to each other as equals, a flea, a grasshopper and a leapfrog wanted to see who could jump the highest.
These three famous jumpers invited the whole world to a festival in which they would compete.
Upon hearing of this festival, the king offered his daughter's hand in marriage to the winner of the competition.
"'I will marry the princess to the one who can jump the highest,' the king declared.'
Contest is only as good as its reward, and my daughter is most precious to me.
The flea stepped forward first to present himself to the king and the princess.
It is my greatest pleasure, your highnesses, to serve you in any way I can, said the flea with a noble bow of his head.
Then he turned, faced the crowd and waved to the people as if he were already part of the royal family.
Next was the grasshopper.
He wore a green uniform, which was a sign of his family's military tradition.
He too bowed low before the king and the princess.
He sang his own praises rather loudly.
I am the brightest and the most handsome of creatures, Grasshopper told them.
Both the Flea and the Grasshopper were quite sure that they were each good enough to marry a princess.
They were each quite sure that they would win.
In contrast with his bragging challengers, the Leapfrog said nothing.
But that doesn't mean nothing was said about him.
Actually, the people had a great deal to say about the leapfrog.
He is definitely from a good and noble family, said the royal dog.
I believe he may be a prophet of some sort, said the old royal counsellor.
Look at the leapfrog's back.
We can predict the coming storm.
Winter will be harsh or mild, just from its color, he added.
He has quite a royal expression, murmured someone in the crowd.
Silence, ordered the king.
Keep your thoughts to yourselves until the contest is won.
The drums rolled, the trumpets sounded, the crowd clapped and cheered.
The flea, the grasshopper, and the leapfrog all mounted the jumping platform.
First jumper, called the royal page.
The flea bowed again to the king and the crowd.
He crouched lower than low on his little flea knees.
Here I go, he called out.
Then the flea jumped high in the sky.
Where did he go?
The crowd wondered.
The flea was nowhere in sight.
Disqualified, declared the royal judge.
Since the flea cannot be seen, it is clear that he did not jump.
He is a dishonorable contestant.
Disqualified, I say, he repeated.
Second jumper, announced the royal page.
The grasshopper rubbed his legs together and chirped.
One, two.
Three, look at me.
The grasshopper jumped into the air and landed right on the king's face.
The king was so surprised he fell right off his throne.
Ill-mannered, declared the royal judge.
Then he helped the king back into his seat.
Impolite insect, the royal judge muttered to himself.
At last it was the leapfrog's turn.
The drums rolled, the trumpets sounded, the crowd clapped and cheered, but the leapfrog didn't move.
Is he ill? the royal dog asked.
Is he afraid? the crowd began to wonder.
Will he never jump? the royal judge thundered.
But then, quick as lightning, the leapfrog went He didn't jump up, he didn't jump forward.
He jumped sideways, right into the princess's lap.
The leapfrog jumped so gently and in such a gentlemanly way that the pretty princess did not budge from her golden stool.
Leapfrog is the winner, the king declared.
But I jumped much higher.
I jumped the highest, shouted the flea.
The leapfrog knows there is nothing in this world that I hold higher than my daughter.
To jump to her is to make the highest jump there is.
Leapfrog is a wise fellow.
He shall have my daughter's hand, announced the king.
She may have the old leapfrog for all I care.
In this world, the best man never receives his rightful reward, said the flea.
He then marched off to join the foreign service and was never, ever heard from again.
I will never understand this, the grasshopper said sadly.
He hopped off to a green riverbank to think about things.
Rubbing his legs together, he chirped a sorrowful song that told the story of how the leapfrog won the jumping contest.
He may still be there chirping his song.
And the leapfrog and the princess lived together with the king, happily ever after, of course.
