A king had a grand and luxurious palace, full of all the comforts he wanted. His bedroom was really the most comfortable place in the royal house. It was also beautifully decorated with silk curtains and bedsheets, and soft pillows and cushions.
Among the folds of the bedsheets lived a white flea. She waited till the king fell asleep every day and then she drank his blood, filling herself quietly. Then, during the day she slept off happily. No one knew she lived there, so she was never disturbed.
But one day, a bug came into the room stealthily, and climbed up into the bed. The flea saw him and in a worried way asked him what he was doing there. She tried to persuade him to go away. But the bug was a sly fellow and very pompous.
“What? Is this how you welcome a guest into your home? You should be looking after me in a proper way, you silly flea!” retorted the bug.
“But this is the king’s bedroom. If you are caught, it will be awful,” said the frightened flea.
“Hey! I just realised that I have tasted all kinds of blood. But I have never tasted the blood of a king. I am sure it must be delicious. After all, he has the best of foods, so it will be very sweet. What do you say, flea?” asked the bug. “Well, it is sweet. But I take very little, whereas you have no control over your appetite! Besides, I only suck his blood when he is fast asleep, so he does not notice it at all. Your bite is very sharp and it hurts badly. He hardly feels my bite.”
“My dear, if you permit, I shall do just what you tell me and then you will have no reason to complain. I promise you. Is that okay with you?” asked the bug, suddenly acting in a very polite way.
Night fell. All the lamps in the palace were lit up. Finally, the king came into his room to rest. His attendants helped him to remove the jewels and change his robes. Then he lay down to rest. The flea waited patiently as usual for the king to fall asleep.
The bug also was waiting, but not patiently. He sniffed the air and could smell the feast that he was looking forward to. His mouth began to water! He also waited for the king to fall asleep, but he became impatient.
He had bitten the king before he fell asleep. His sting was sharp as a needle. The king leapt out of bed and ordered his attendants to search his bed. The bug hid himself, but they found the unfortunate flea and killed it!
