A silent win

Folktales are a storytelling tradition that have been handed down from generation to generation and are not necessarily true.

A Flea, a Grasshopper and a Toy Goose decided that they would compete against each other to find out who could jump the highest. They invited everyone in their town to watch. On hearing this, the king said, “I will give my daughter to the one who jumps the highest. It is not fair to let them jump for nothing.”

The three of them then introduced themselves to the audience. The first was the Flea. He had perfect manners because he associated only with humans and that made a difference in his behaviour. He stepped up and bowed to everyone. The audience cheered.

Then came the Grasshopper. He was much bigger than the Flea. He carried himself well, and his green uniform was grand. He said he belonged to an old family in the land of Egypt. The audience was impressed.

The Toy Goose, however, remained quiet. The people thought he was wise and that was why he did not talk. The curiosity of the house dog got the better of him and he sniffed at the Toy Goose. He gave the verdict that the Toy Goose was of a good family. The old councillor observed that the Toy Goose was actually a prophet.

Let’s jump

The contest was set to begin. The Flea was the first to go. He jumped so high that nobody could see where he went. So, the audience said he had not jumped at all. “Shame! Shame!” they cried.

The next to jump was the Grasshopper. He jumped straight into the king’s face. The king said, “This is highly unpleasant. Take him away.”

Finally, it was the turn of the Toy Goose. He came forward and seemed to be in deep thought. He took so long to jump that the audience thought he did not know how to jump.

“I hope he is not ill,” said the house dog.

Just then, they heard a sound: POP! It was the Toy Goose. He had chosen to do a side jump and landed straight on the lap of the princess who was seated on a golden stool.

The king said, “There is nothing above my daughter. So, he has made the highest jump. The Toy Goose has shown he is wise and also has a mind of his own. I will give my daughter to him.”

The Flea said, “I don’t care. Let her have the Toy Goose. I know I jumped the highest. In today’s world a fine appearance is what is needed.” He went away to a foreign land and enlisted in the army. Later, it was heard that he died.

The Grasshopper said, “Yes, a fine appearance is everything. That’s what people care about.” Then he sang a melancholic song.

The Toy Goose lived happily ever after.