安徒生童話

The Flea， the Grasshopper， and the Skipjack once wanted to see which of them could jump highest； and they invited the whole world， and whoever else would come， to see the grand sight. And there the three famous jumpers were met together in the room。

“Yes， I’ll give my daughter to him who jumps highest，” said the King， “for it would be mean to let these people jump for nothing.”

The Flea stepped out first. He had very pretty manners， and bowed in all directions， for he had young ladies’ blood in his veins， and was accustomed to consort only with human beings； and that was of great consequence。

Then came the Grasshopper： he was certainly much heavier， but he had a good figure， and wore the green uniform that was born with him. This person， moreover， maintained that he belonged to a very old family in the land of Egypt， and that he was highly esteemed there. He had just come from the field， he said， and had been put into a card house three stories high， and all made of picture cards with the figures turned inwards. There were doors and windows in the house， cut in the body of the Queen of Hearts。

“I sing so，” he said， “that sixteen native crickets who have chirped from their youth up， and have never yet had a card house of their own， would become thinner than they are with envy if they were to hear me.”

Both of them， the Flea and the Grasshopper， took care to announce who they were， and that they considered themselves entitled to marry a Princess。

The Skipjack said nothing， but it was said of him that he thought all the more； and directly the Yard Dog had smelt at him he was ready to assert that the Skipjack was of good family， and formed from the breastbone of an undoubted goose. The old councillor， who had received three medals for holding his tongue， declared that the Skipjack 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 Skipjack 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 Skipjack 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。

有一次，跳蚤、蚱蜢和跳鵝（注：這是丹麥一種舊式的玩具，它是用一根鵝的胸骨做成的；加上一根木栓和一根線，再擦上一點蠟油，就可以使它跳躍。）想要知道它們之中誰跳得最高。它們把所有的人和任何愿意來的人都請來參觀這個偉大的場面。它們這三位著名的跳高者就在一個房間里集合起來。

“對啦，誰跳得最高，我就把我的女兒嫁給誰！”國王說，“因為，假如讓這些朋友白白地跳一陣子，那就未免太不像話了！”

跳蚤第一個出場。它的態度非常可愛：它向四周的人敬禮，因為它身體中流著年輕小姐的血液，習慣于跟人類混在一起，而這一點是非常重要的。

接著蚱蜢就出場了，它的確很粗笨，但它的身體很好看。它穿著它那套天生的綠制服。此外，它的整個外表說明它是出身于埃及的一個古老的家庭，因此它在這兒非常受到人們的尊敬。人們把它從田野里弄過來，放在一個用紙牌做的三層樓的房子里——這些紙牌有畫的一面都朝里。這房子有門也有窗，而且它們是從“美人”身中剪出來的。

“我唱得非常好，”它說，“甚至16個本地產的蟋蟀從小時候開始唱起，到現在還沒有獲得一間紙屋哩。它們聽到我的情形就嫉妒得要命，把身體弄得比以前還要瘦了。”

跳蚤和蚱蜢這兩位毫不含糊地說明了它們是怎樣的人物。它們認為它們有資格和一位公主結婚。

跳鵝一句話也不說。不過據說它自己更覺得了不起。宮里的狗兒把它嗅了一下，很有把握地說，跳鵝是來自一個上等的家庭。……