The Louse and the Flea
Introduction
'The Louse and the Flea' is the 30th tale in Grimm, a classic 'chain tale' (also called a 'cumulative tale,' in German Kettenmärchen). The rule of such stories is delightful: one small thing leads to the next, and each new character, on appearing, must repeat word for word everything that has happened so far and then add its own link — so the 'list' snowballs longer and longer, which is the very secret of its fun and its memorability. It belongs to the same family as 'Herr Korbes,' which we've read, and works just like the English favourite 'Chicken Little' (the chick who thinks 'the sky is falling' and spreads panic to every animal along the way). The whole joke here lies in the absurd logic of 'making a mountain out of a molehill': a louse merely burns herself, yet the news spreads like wildfire through the door, the broom, the cart, the ash-heap, the tree, and the girl, until at last it rouses the spring into a flood that drowns everything — and that ridiculous mismatch between tiny cause and colossal effect is exactly what makes it so funny. It has almost no 'moral' to teach; it is purely a language game made for reading aloud, for taking turns, and for making children laugh. As you read, let the whole family take up the chain in turn, and see who can recite that ever-growing 'list' to the very end in one breath.
Vocabulary from "The Louse and the Flea"
12 key words from this story with definitions and original context sentences for language learners.
Making beer, or making a hot drink like tea.
酿造（啤酒）；沏（茶）。
A louse and a flea kept house together and were brewing beer in an egg-shell.
一只虱子和一只跳蚤住在一起，它们正用一个蛋壳酿啤酒。
A tiny insect that lives on the bodies of people or animals.
虱子。
Then the little louse fell in and burnt herself.
小虱子不小心掉了进去，烫伤了自己。
A tiny jumping insect that feeds on blood.
跳蚤。
On this the little flea began to scream loudly.
于是，小跳蚤开始大声尖叫。
To make a long, high sound, as an old door or floor does.
嘎吱作响。
Then the little door began to creak.
于是屋门开始嘎吱作响。
A brush with a long handle, used for sweeping floors.
扫帚。
On this a little broom in the corner said: "Why art thou creaking, little door?"
角落里的一把小扫帚问道："小门，你为什么嘎吱作响？"
In a wild, hurried way, as if very anxious.
疯狂地；发狂似地。
So the little broom began to sweep frantically.
于是小扫帚开始疯狂地扫地。
A wheeled vehicle for carrying loads, often pulled or pushed.
手推车；大车。
Then a little cart passed by and said: "Why art thou sweeping, little broom?"
这时一辆小推车经过，问道："小扫帚，你为什么扫地？"
A pile of the grey powder left after burning.
灰堆。
Then said the ash-heap by which it ran: "Why art thou running so, little cart?"
它经过一堆灰土时，灰堆问道："小推车，你为什么跑得这么快？"
With great force or fierce energy.
猛烈地；狂暴地。
The ash-heap said: "Then I will burn furiously," and began to burn in clear flames.
灰堆说："那我就猛烈地燃烧吧，"于是它燃起了熊熊火焰。
A large container for holding and pouring water.
水罐；大水壶。
A girl who came up with her water-pitcher saw that, and said: "Little tree, why art thou shaking thyself?"
一个提着水罐走过来的女孩看见了，问："小树，你为什么摇晃自己？"
A place where water flows naturally out of the ground.
泉；泉水。
Then said the little spring from which ran the water: "Girl, why art thou breaking thy water-jug?"
流出水来的小泉水问："女孩，你为什么摔碎水罐？"
Died, or covered completely, under water.
淹没；溺死。
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.
最终，水淹没了一切：女孩、小树、灰堆、小推车、扫帚、屋门、跳蚤和虱子，全都被淹没了。
Reading Together & Learning More
The Moral
This isn't a story with a grand moral, but a game of pure runaway chain reaction: a louse accidentally burns herself, so the flea cries, the door creaks, the broom sweeps like mad, the cart races off, the ash-heap bursts into flame, the tree shakes, the girl smashes her jug, and the spring floods — until, at last, everyone is drowned! Its whole fun lies in that ridiculous 'making a mountain out of a molehill.' If there is any lesson tucked inside, it is this: a small feeling or a small reaction, if each one is blown up and passed along to the next, can end in enormous trouble. Have a laugh at the end — and then wonder together: when something little happens, do we sometimes overreact too?
Educational Value
This is a classic model for meeting the 'chain tale' (also called the 'cumulative tale'): each character repeats in full everything that has happened before, then adds its own link, so the sentences snowball longer and longer. This structure is a natural 'memory game' and workout for a feel for language, especially good for taking turns reading aloud as a family — see who can recite the whole long list in one breath. It can also open a chat about a curious thing: feelings and reactions are 'catching' — one person makes a fuss, the next panics too, and it grows and grows.
Tips for Parents
This one is short, rhyming, and highly repetitive, rolling smoothly off the tongue — just the kind of story best read to little ones while encouraging them to recite the growing list along with you. One thing to be ready for: the ending is quite abrupt — the spring floods, 'everyone is drowned,' and it stops dead. This is the usual close of these old 'cumulative tales' (like 'Herr Korbes,' which we've done — both build to a frenzy and then break off), not to be taken literally or dwelt upon; just read past it with a smile as an exaggerated bit of nonsense. If a little one asks 'did they really drown?', you can lightly say: 'It's just a silly made-up tale for fun, like a tall-tale contest.'
Talk About It
- The whole disaster starts with just a louse burning herself. How does something so tiny end up drowning everyone?
- Every character that appears has to recite everything that happened before, from the start. Can you recite the longest list of all, without looking at the book?
- The door, the broom, the cart, the ash-heap, the tree, the spring... each one 'overreacts' after the last. Do you think the story is praising them, or quietly poking fun at them?
- This story is a lot like 'Herr Korbes' and 'Chicken Little' — one small thing sets off a whole chain of reactions. Why do you think such 'snowballing' stories are so much fun and so easy to remember?
- If it were your turn to add a link to the story, who would you have appear next? And what exaggerated thing would they do?
