The Fable of The Flea and the Louse

The flea and the louse held a rivalry and one day challenged each other to race carrying a load of firewood, with the prize being to feast on a great bowl of Sherpa porridge. They each packed the massive load of solid wood with a strap over their heads and began racing, the finish line at a mill near a stream far along a mountain trail. The louse was by no means a speedy creature. It had a sluggish, bulbous body, and all he could do was slowly writhe and creep along the rocky ground, lugging his heavy load along. On the other hand, the flea was spry and light on his feet. He would bound in the air, making great leaps forward, but to his frustration, every time he lept in the air his load of would scattered about in a mess. With each leap in the air he only had to stop and collect the wood in his basket. After many times of leaping and stopping the flea was exhausted and could hardly move a muscle.

By that time the louse had made the best of his slow but steady pace, and as many minutes turned to hours he was upon the finish line, completely out of sight of the flea. The louse knew of the flea's frustrations, but he gloated on his victory over his rival and gorged himself on the porridge waiting for him in the mill house. The louse ate like never before and left not the slightest slop to share with the exhausted flea following behind him. The louse soon stopped to think of the flea and knew there would be hell to pay for his rage.

The louse was scared and quickly thought of a place to slip in and hide his huge body. He saw a dark corner in the flour mill behind some wood and large stones, and he rolled himself into the solid concealment of the chamber where grain is crushed and ground into fine flour. Just then the poor flea hobbled in, ashamed of his defeat and furious at his hunger. He saw the cleaned bowl directly, which sent him into a fit of anger. With one last frenzied bound the flea dashed into the edge of the grindstone and set it into motion with a thud. He didn't realize the strength left in him, and he pushed the enough to crush and kill the louse hiding inside.