English Original
Once upon a time, the Flea, the Grasshopper, and the Skipjack wanted to see which of them could jump the highest. They invited the whole world to witness the grand spectacle, and the three famous jumpers gathered in a room.
"Yes, I'll give my daughter to him who jumps highest," declared the King, "for it would be mean to let these people jump for nothing."
The Flea stepped out first. He had charming manners and bowed in all directions, for he had young ladies' blood in his veins and was accustomed to consort only with human beings—a matter of great consequence.
Then came the Grasshopper. He was certainly heavier but had a fine figure and wore the green uniform he was born with. He claimed to belong to a very old Egyptian family, highly esteemed there. He said he had just come from the field and had been placed in a three-story house made of playing cards, with doors and windows cut from the body of the Queen of Hearts.
"I sing so well," he boasted, "that sixteen native crickets, who have chirped since youth without ever owning a card house, would grow thin with envy if they heard me."
Both the Flea and the Grasshopper made sure to announce who they were and that they considered themselves worthy of marrying a Princess.
The Skipjack said nothing, but it was whispered that he thought all the more. The Yard Dog, after sniffing him, asserted that the Skipjack was of good family, formed from the breastbone of a genuine goose. An old councillor, decorated for his silence, declared the Skipjack possessed the gift of prophecy; one could tell from his bones whether the winter would be severe or mild—more than one could tell from the breastbone of the almanac writer.
"I shall say no more," said the old King. "I only observe quietly and think the best."
Now it was time to jump. The Flea sprang so high that no one could see him, so they claimed he hadn't jumped at all—a very mean assertion. The Grasshopper jumped only half as high but sprang straight into the King's face, which the King declared horribly rude. The Skipjack stood considering for a long time, until people thought he couldn't jump at all.
"I only hope he's not unwell," said the Yard Dog, sniffing him again.
"Tap!" With a little crooked jump, he sprang right 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 wit to achieve that, and the Skipjack has shown he has wit."
And so he won the Princess.
"I jumped highest, after all," said the Flea. "But it's all the same. Let her have the goose-bone with its wax and stick. I jumped the highest, but in this world, a body is required if one wishes to be seen."
The Flea then went into foreign military service, where it is said he was killed.
The Grasshopper sat in a ditch, pondering how things happen in the world. He too said, "A body is required! A body is required!" And then he sang his own melancholy song. From that song, we have gathered this story, which they say is not true, though it's in print.
中文翻译
从前，跳蚤、蚱蜢和跳鹅（注：一种丹麦旧式玩具，用鹅胸骨制成，加上木栓和线，涂上蜡油便可跳跃）想比试谁跳得最高。它们邀请了全世界的人来观看这场盛事，三位著名的跳高者齐聚一堂。
国王宣布：“是的，谁跳得最高，我就把女儿嫁给他。总不能让他们白跳一场。”
跳蚤第一个出场。它举止优雅，向四周鞠躬，因为它血管里流着年轻小姐的血液，习惯与人类为伴——这非常重要。
接着蚱蜢出场了。它确实笨重些，但体态匀称，穿着与生俱来的绿制服。它自称出身埃及古老世家，备受尊敬。它说刚从田野来，被安置在一座三层楼高的纸牌屋里——牌面朝内，门窗是从红心王后身上剪出来的。
“我唱得非常好，”它夸口道，“十六只本地蟋蟀从小唱到大，连间纸屋都没有，要是听到我的歌声，准会嫉妒得瘦成皮包骨。”
跳蚤和蚱蜢都竭力表明身份，认为自己有资格娶一位公主。
跳鹅一言不发，但据说它思虑更深。宫廷狗嗅了嗅它，断定跳鹅出身高贵，由纯种鹅的胸骨制成。一位因沉默寡言获得三枚勋章的老顾问官宣称，跳鹅有预言天赋；看它的骨头就能知道冬天是严寒还是温和——这比看历书作者的胸骨可靠多了。
“我不多说了，”老国王道，“我只静静旁观，往好处想。”
比赛开始。跳蚤跳得极高，没人看得见，于是大家说它根本没跳——这太不公道。蚱蜢跳的高度只有一半，却直蹦到国王脸上，国王说这粗鲁至极。跳鹅站着沉思良久，大家以为它根本不会跳。
“但愿它没生病，”宫廷狗说着，又嗅了嗅它。
“嗒！”它笨拙地一跳，正好跳到了坐在矮金凳上的公主膝上。
国王于是说：“跳到我的女儿身上，就是跳得最高的，因为这才是跳高的目的。但这需要头脑，跳鹅已经证明了它有头脑。”
于是跳鹅赢得了公主。
“终究是我跳得最高，”跳蚤说，“不过算了。让她拥有那带蜡和木栓的鹅骨吧。我跳得最高，但在这世上，想被人看见，得有身板才行。”
跳蚤后来去外国当了兵，据说战死了。
蚱蜢坐在沟渠里，思索世事的玄妙。它也叹道：“身板是需要的！身板是需要的！”接着唱起了自己忧伤的歌。我们从这歌声里收集了这个故事，据说并非真事，尽管已印成书。