A Flea， a Grasshopper， and a Leap-frog oncewanted to see which could jump highest; and theyinvited the whole world， and everybody else besideswho chose to come to see the festival. Three famousjumpers were they， as everyone would say， whenthey all met together in the room.
“I will give my daughter to him who jumpshighest，” exclaimed the King; “for it is not soamusing where there is no prize to jump for.”
the Flea was the first to step forward. He had exquisite manners， and bowed to thecompany on all sides; for he had noble blood， and was， moreover，accustomed to thesociety of man alone; and that makes a GREat difference.
then came the Grasshopper. He was considerably heavier， but he was well-mannered， andwore a GREen uniform， which he had by right of birth; he said， moreover， that hebelonged to a very ancient Egyptian family， and that in the house where he then was， he wasthought much of. The fact was， he had been just brought out of the fields， and put in apasteboard house， three stories high， all made of court-cards， with the colored sideinwards; and doors and windows cut out of the body of the Queen of Hearts. “I sing so well，”said he， “that sixteen native grasshoppers who have chirped from infancy， and yet got nohouse built of cards to live in， grew thinner than they were before for sheer vexation whenthey heard me.”
It was thus that the Flea and the Grasshopper gave an account of themselves，andthought they were quite good enough to marry a Princess.
the Leap-frog said nothing; but people gave it as their opinion， that he therefore thoughtthe more; and when the housedog snuffed at him with his nose， he confessed the Leap-frogwas of good family. The old councillor， who had had three orders given him to make him holdhis tongue， asserted that the Leap-frog was a prophet; for that one could see on his back，if there would be a severe or mild winter， and that was what one could not see even on theback of the man who writes the almanac.
“I say nothing， it is true，” exclaimed the King; “but I have my ownopinion，notwithstanding.”
Now the trial was to take place. The Flea jumped so high that nobody could see where hewent to; so they all asserted he had not jumped at all; and that was dishonorable.
the Grasshopper jumped only half as high; but he leaped into the King's face，who saidthat was ill-mannered.
the Leap-frog stood still for a long time lost in thought; it was believed at last he wouldnot jump at all.
“I only hope he is not unwell，” said the house-dog; when， pop! he made a jump all onone side into the lap of the Princess， who was sitting on a little golden stool close by.
Hereupon the King said， “There is nothing above my daughter; therefore to bound up toher is the highest jump that can be made; but for this， one must possess understanding，and the Leap-frog has shown that he has understanding. He is brave and intellectual.”
And so he won the Princess.
“It's all the same to me，” said the Flea. “She may have the old Leap-frog， for all I care. Ijumped the highest; but in this world merit seldom meets its reward. A fine exterior is whatpeople look at now-a-days.”
the Flea then went into foreign service， where， it is said， he was killed.
the Grasshopper sat without on a GREen bank， and reflected on worldly things;and hesaid too， “Yes， a fine exterior is everything——a fine exterior is what people care about.” Andthen he began chirping his peculiar melancholy song，from which we have taken this history;and which may， very possibly， be all untrue， although it does stand here printed in black andwhite.