The Louse and the Flea is a short, unusual fairy tale collected by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. It begins with two tiny creatures brewing beer in an eggshell, but an accident quickly turns their quiet household into a scene of growing chaos. As one character after another reacts to the news, a simple mishap becomes a disaster that nobody seems able to stop.
An Accident in the Eggshell
A louse and a flea lived together in a little house. One day, they decided to brew beer in an eggshell.
While they were brewing, the little louse fell into the beer and scalded herself.
The little flea was so distressed that she began to scream loudly.
A small door to the room heard the noise and asked, “Little flea, why are you screaming?”
“Because the louse has scalded herself,” replied the flea.
The News Spreads
When the little door heard what had happened, it began to creak.
A little broom standing in the corner heard the door and asked, “Why are you creaking, little door?”
“Have I not reason to creak?” answered the door.
“The little louse has scalded herself, and the little flea is weeping.”
On hearing this, the little broom began sweeping frantically.
A little cart passed by and noticed the broom sweeping so wildly.
“Why are you sweeping, little broom?” asked the cart.
“Have I not reason to sweep?” replied the broom.
“The little louse has scalded herself, the little flea is weeping, and the little door is creaking.”
“Then I will run!” declared the little cart.
It began to run wildly along the path.
The Chaos Grows
As the cart raced past an ash heap, the ash heap called out, “Why are you running, little cart?”
“Have I not reason to run?” replied the cart.
“The little louse has scalded herself, the little flea is weeping, the little door is creaking, and the little broom is sweeping.”
“Then I will burn furiously!” cried the ash heap.
It burst into bright flames.
Nearby stood a little tree. Seeing the ash heap burning, the tree asked, “Ash heap, why are you burning?”
“Have I not reason to burn?” answered the ash heap.
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“The little louse has scalded herself, the little flea is weeping, the little door is creaking, the little broom is sweeping, and the little cart is running.”
The little tree began to shake so violently that all its leaves fell off.
The Broken Water Jug
A girl came along carrying a water jug. When she saw the little tree shaking, she stopped and asked, “Little tree, why are you shaking yourself?”
“Have I not reason to shake myself?” replied the tree.
“The little louse has scalded herself, the little flea is weeping, the little door is creaking, the little broom is sweeping, the little cart is running, and the ash heap is burning.”
The girl was so overwhelmed by the strange chain of events that she declared, “Then I will break my water jug!”
She threw it down and broke it.
Nearby, a little spring heard the crash and asked, “Girl, why are you breaking your water jug?”
“Have I not reason to break it?” replied the girl.
She repeated the whole story, explaining how the louse had scalded herself and how every creature and object had reacted to the news.
The Flood
When the little spring heard the account, it declared, “Then I will begin to flow!”
The spring began to pour out water with tremendous force.
The water spread rapidly, flooding everything around it. The girl, the little tree, the burning ash heap, the little cart, the broom, the door, the flea and the louse were all drowned together.
And so, what began as a small accident while brewing beer in an eggshell ended in the destruction of the entire little household and everything caught up in the chain of events.
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Moral Lesson
Small events can have unexpected consequences, and reacting without thought can allow a problem to grow beyond control.
Knowledge Check
1. Which two creatures lived together at the beginning of the story?
A louse and a flea lived together in a little house.
2. What were the louse and the flea doing when the accident happened?
They were brewing beer in an eggshell.
3. Why did the flea begin to scream?
The louse fell into the beer and scalded herself.
4. What happened after the flea began to weep?
The door creaked, the broom swept frantically, the cart ran wildly, the ash heap burned, and the tree shook until its leaves fell off.
5. Why did the girl break her water jug?
After hearing about the chain of events, she reacted by declaring that she would break her jug too.
6. How did the story end?
The spring began to flow violently, and the resulting flood drowned the girl, tree, ash heap, cart, broom, door, flea and louse.
Source
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Household Tales, translated by Margaret Raine Hunt, 1884, Tale 30, “The Louse and the Flea” (German: “Läuschen und Flöhchen”).
