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Ririro · Fairy Tales

The louse and the flea

fairy-tales--the-louse-and-the-flea

Source URL https://ririro.com/fairy-tales/the-louse-and-the-flea/
Review Status Pending
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Original

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A louse and a flea kept house together and were brewing beer in an egg-shell. Then the little louse fell in and burnt herself. On this the little flea began to scream loudly. Then said the little room-door, “Little flea, why are you screaming?” “Because the louse has burnt herself.”

Then the little door began to creak. On this a little broom in the corner said, “Why are you creaking, little door?” “Have I not reason to creak?”

“The little louse has burnt herself, The little flea is weeping.”

So the little broom began to sweep frantically. Then a little cart passed by and said, “Why are you sweeping, little broom?” “Have I not reason to sweep?”

“The little louse has burnt herself, The little flea is weeping, The little door is creaking.”

So the little cart said, “Then I will run,” and began to run wildly. Then said the ash-heap by which it ran, “Why are you running so, little cart?” “Have I not reason to run?”

“The little louse has burnt herself, The little flea is weeping, The little door is creaking, The little broom is sweeping.”

The ash-heap said, “Then I will burn furiously,” and began to burn in clear flames. A little tree stood near the ash-heap and said, “Ash-heap, why are you burning?” “Have I not reason to burn?”

“The little louse has burnt herself, The little flea is weeping, The little door is creaking, The little broom is sweeping, The little cart is running.”

The little tree said, “Then I will shake myself,” and began to shake herself so that all her leaves fell off; a girl who came up with her water-pitcher saw that, and said, “Little tree, why are you shaking?” “Have I not reason to shake myself?”

“The little louse has burnt herself, The little flea is weeping, The little door is creaking, The little broom is sweeping, The little cart is running, The little ash-heap is burning.”

On this the girl said, “Then I will break my little water-pitcher,” and she broke her little water-pitcher. Then said the little spring from which ran the water, “Girl, why are you breaking your water-jug?” “Have I not reason to break my water-jug?”

“The little louse has burnt herself, The little flea is weeping, The little door is creaking, The little broom is sweeping, The little cart is running, The little ash-heap is burning, The little tree is shaking itself.”

“Oh, ho!” said the spring, “then I will begin to flow,” and began to flow violently. And in the water everything was drowned, the girl, the little tree, the little ash-heap, the little cart, the broom, the little door, the little flea, the little louse, all together.

Brothers Grimm — Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm — were 19th-century German academics who collected and published some of the world's most enduring folk and fairy tales. "The Louse and the Flea" showcases their lesser-known comic side, preserving the absurdist, cumulative storytelling style rooted in German oral tradition.

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  "summary": "\"The Louse and the Flea\" is a short fable by Brothers Grimm where a tiny accident — a louse burning herself while brewing beer in an eggshell — sets off an unstoppable chain of reactions. The grieving flea's cries send a door creaking, a broom sweeping, a cart running, an ash-heap blazing, a tree shaking, and a girl smashing her water-pitcher, until finally a spring bursts its banks and swallows everything whole. The story builds with rhythmic, cumulative verses that grow funnier and more chaotic with each new link in the chain.",
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    "A louse and a flea kept house together and were brewing beer in an egg-shell. Then the little louse fell in and burnt herself. On this the little flea began to scream loudly. Then said the little room-door, “Little flea, why are you screaming?” “Because the louse has burnt herself.”",
    "Then the little door began to creak. On this a little broom in the corner said, “Why are you creaking, little door?” “Have I not reason to creak?”",
    "“The little louse has burnt herself, The little flea is weeping.”",
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    "“The little louse has burnt herself, The little flea is weeping, The little door is creaking.”",
    "So the little cart said, “Then I will run,” and began to run wildly. Then said the ash-heap by which it ran, “Why are you running so, little cart?” “Have I not reason to run?”",
    "“The little louse has burnt herself, The little flea is weeping, The little door is creaking, The little broom is sweeping.”",
    "The ash-heap said, “Then I will burn furiously,” and began to burn in clear flames. A little tree stood near the ash-heap and said, “Ash-heap, why are you burning?” “Have I not reason to burn?”",
    "“The little louse has burnt herself, The little flea is weeping, The little door is creaking, The little broom is sweeping, The little cart is running.”",
    "The little tree said, “Then I will shake myself,” and began to shake herself so that all her leaves fell off; a girl who came up with her water-pitcher saw that, and said, “Little tree, why are you shaking?” “Have I not reason to shake myself?”",
    "“The little louse has burnt herself, The little flea is weeping, The little door is creaking, The little broom is sweeping, The little cart is running, The little ash-heap is burning.”",
    "On this the girl said, “Then I will break my little water-pitcher,” and she broke her little water-pitcher. Then said the little spring from which ran the water, “Girl, why are you breaking your water-jug?” “Have I not reason to break my water-jug?”",
    "“The little louse has burnt herself, The little flea is weeping, The little door is creaking, The little broom is sweeping, The little cart is running, The little ash-heap is burning, The little tree is shaking itself.”",
    "“Oh, ho!” said the spring, “then I will begin to flow,” and began to flow violently. And in the water everything was drowned, the girl, the little tree, the little ash-heap, the little cart, the broom, the little door, the little flea, the little louse, all together.",
    "Brothers Grimm — Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm — were 19th-century German academics who collected and published some of the world's most enduring folk and fairy tales. \"The Louse and the Flea\" showcases their lesser-known comic side, preserving the absurdist, cumulative storytelling style rooted in German oral tradition."
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