The Leaping Match — Obscure Fairy Tales

Once upon a time, there was a flea, a grasshopper and a frog who wanted to determine which of the three could jump higher. Thus, they decided to hold leaping match. The winner would get the bragging rights!

When the king heard of this competition, he was intrigued. He brought the three animals to his court and offered to up the stakes by offering his daughter’s hand in marriage to the winner of the leaping match.

Now, a crowd was forming at the entrance of the court, eager to find out which of the animals would jump higher.

The three contestants were presented so people could place bets. The flea was said to be of noble blood and was very accustomed to the society of man, thus an interesting side for boblemen and noblewomen to take.

The grasshopper, wearing the green uniform he had earned through birth, knew how to conduct himself well and charmed the most frivolous among the crowd with his story about his Ancient Egyptian heritage and his brag about his house of cards in the field.

Finally, the leapfrog kept quiet when his turn came. Whispers ran wild among the ones overlooking the presentations. Why was the frog keeping quiet? Did he have something to hide? One councillor stated the frog must be a prophet, for it was possible to tell whether the winter would be mild or severe by looking at the back of the frog.

Then, the competition started. The flea was the first one to jump. He jumped higher than ever, but since he was so small, no one could tell how high the jump had been and the flea’s jump was disqualified. The grasshopper jumped right after, jumping half as high as the flea, and landing on the king’s face. Disgusted, the ruler threw the grasshopper aside. Followed the frog’s jump. He leaped sideways onto the princess’ lap, delighting the king with his wit.

“There is nothing higher than my daughter,” said the king.

Thus, the princess’ hand was awarded to the leapfrog. Before leaving, the flea said he was disappointed in the outcome, as he knew his jump had reached higher than anyone else’s.

“But merit seldom meets reward,” added the flea.

The grasshopper also made a memorable exit, criticizing how his appearance couldn’t be discarded, even in this context.

“But a fine exterior is what people care about nowadays,” said the grasshopper.

Then, the grasshopper started singing his peculiar song, putting the whole chain of events into question.

The serie Obscure Fairy Tales encompasses an array of tales, myths and legends from around the world. To read more, visit this page dedicated to fiction writing.