There was a dog that had a flea. Now, it’s not uncommon for dogs to have fleas. In fact, dogs quite often have fleas, not one flea but many fleas. This particular dog, whose name is Max had only one Flea though. Max was a friendly dog. He even liked fleas, but this flea is different and Max did not like him at all. Max was used to small flea bites, but this was a large flea, with an itch to match its size. He seemed to have teeth the size of an elephant’s tusks. He was also very energetic and active. Bite, bite, bite, itch, itch, itch, scratch, scratch, scratch. This went on and on, until Max was scratching and howling in misery and people were chasing him away because he was so noisy and disagreeable.
One day, when the flea had been particularly troublesome, Max decided he must do something to get rid of him, the flea had bitten and bitten him, hour after hour, hopping from Max’s left ear all the way down his body until the tip of his tail. Max scratched, scratched and scratched. He said to himself, “this fly must go”.
Being a sensible dog, he decided to talk to the flea. “Excuse me Mr Flea”, Max said turning his head to face the tip of his tail. Max then asked the flea, “Don’t you think it’s time to go on a holiday?” “What’s a holiday?” asked the flea. It is when you go to a different place, see different sights and meet new people,” replied Max. “Why?” asked the flea. “Because it is interesting,” answered Max. What’s interesting?” asked the flea. Max did not know what to say, but he suddenly remembered all the fleas’ bites and itches, He said, ”you can taste many different animals. Some are salty and some are sour, some are bitter and some are sweet, some are dry and some are juicy.”
“I have never heard of such a thing”, said the flea, “but it sounds tasty. Which one should I try first?” Max smiled secretly, “try the cat”, he said. The flea gathered all the strength in his powerful hind legs and with a mighty hop, the flea jumped off the dog’s tail and landed on the ground. The last Max saw of the flea was a cloud of dust disappearing in the distance.
A couple of days later Max felt a very familiar itch. The flea had returned. From the pain of his bite, it seemed that he was very cross and hungry. “That cat holiday was not good at all,” the flea complained. “I got my teeth full of fur and couldn’t even sink them in anywhere. It’s taken me ages to clean them up”, said the flea. “Oh dear, I’m very sorry” said Max. “I didn’t think the fur will be a problem. Why don’t you try the camel? He’s more hairy then furry and he’s big too. There’s plenty to eat on a camel”
“Well, I certainly need a big meal”, said the flea, and he hoped off once more. The camel was ruminating quietly, digesting his supper for the third or possibly the fourth time. They flea leaped onto his back….., and immediately fell off. A ruminating camel can be very rumbly and wobbly beast to a flea used to the stability of a rather small dog. To the flea, landing on the camel was like hitting the surface of an erupting volcano.
Feeling slightly battered, the flea hopped slowly back to Max, “The camel was even worse than the cat”, he moaned. “I didn’t get even a sniff.” Max thought for a moment, “I know,” he said, “the elephant is having a nap, He is big so there would be lots of food, He has no fur or hair, and he doesn’t have a rumbly stomach, at least,” for Max was quite an honest dog. “I am absolutely positive he doesn’t have a rumble like the camel. He won’t notice you are there either. I just can’t think of any drawbacks.” “All right,” said the flea, “but this is definitely the last time. If this holiday is as bad as the last two times, I am coming home for good,” and the flea jumped off to find the elephant……. Who was, indeed very big but did not seem to be asleep. Nevertheless, the flea decided that he would try one more time. He took a deep breath and climbed on to the Elephant’s enormous foot.
Max had no great hope that the flea would be satisfied with the Elephant, so he was not surprised to see him hopping back, the following day. “What went wrong this time?” he asked sadly resigning himself to a future of being bitten, feeling itchy and having to scratch himself almost to death. The flea hung his head and mumbled his excuses.
“You were right, there was a lot of him, he wasn’t hairy or furry and his stomach did not rumble, but look what he has done to me!” The flea looked up at Max, revealing a toothless grin, : his skin was so tough, that he broke my teeth!”. “Well!” exclaimed Max, grinning back at the flea. The flea immediately jumped onto Max’s back, “home at last,” the flea said, sinking his gums into Max and helping himself to a square meal. Max didn’t feel a thing. This was wonderful – one huge flea that no longer had his two huge biting teeth, was the best he could hope for. “Welcome home Mr Flea”, he said, “it is good to have you
One day, when the flea had been particularly troublesome, Max decided he must do something to get rid of him, the flea had bitten and bitten him, hour after hour, hopping from Max’s left ear all the way down his body until the tip of his tail. Max scratched, scratched and scratched. He said to himself, “this fly must go”.
Being a sensible dog, he decided to talk to the flea. “Excuse me Mr Flea”, Max said turning his head to face the tip of his tail. Max then asked the flea, “Don’t you think it’s time to go on a holiday?” “What’s a holiday?” asked the flea. It is when you go to a different place, see different sights and meet new people,” replied Max. “Why?” asked the flea. “Because it is interesting,” answered Max. What’s interesting?” asked the flea. Max did not know what to say, but he suddenly remembered all the fleas’ bites and itches, He said, ”you can taste many different animals. Some are salty and some are sour, some are bitter and some are sweet, some are dry and some are juicy.”
“I have never heard of such a thing”, said the flea, “but it sounds tasty. Which one should I try first?” Max smiled secretly, “try the cat”, he said. The flea gathered all the strength in his powerful hind legs and with a mighty hop, the flea jumped off the dog’s tail and landed on the ground. The last Max saw of the flea was a cloud of dust disappearing in the distance.
A couple of days later Max felt a very familiar itch. The flea had returned. From the pain of his bite, it seemed that he was very cross and hungry. “That cat holiday was not good at all,” the flea complained. “I got my teeth full of fur and couldn’t even sink them in anywhere. It’s taken me ages to clean them up”, said the flea. “Oh dear, I’m very sorry” said Max. “I didn’t think the fur will be a problem. Why don’t you try the camel? He’s more hairy then furry and he’s big too. There’s plenty to eat on a camel”
“Well, I certainly need a big meal”, said the flea, and he hoped off once more. The camel was ruminating quietly, digesting his supper for the third or possibly the fourth time. They flea leaped onto his back….., and immediately fell off. A ruminating camel can be very rumbly and wobbly beast to a flea used to the stability of a rather small dog. To the flea, landing on the camel was like hitting the surface of an erupting volcano.
Feeling slightly battered, the flea hopped slowly back to Max, “The camel was even worse than the cat”, he moaned. “I didn’t get even a sniff.” Max thought for a moment, “I know,” he said, “the elephant is having a nap, He is big so there would be lots of food, He has no fur or hair, and he doesn’t have a rumbly stomach, at least,” for Max was quite an honest dog. “I am absolutely positive he doesn’t have a rumble like the camel. He won’t notice you are there either. I just can’t think of any drawbacks.” “All right,” said the flea, “but this is definitely the last time. If this holiday is as bad as the last two times, I am coming home for good,” and the flea jumped off to find the elephant……. Who was, indeed very big but did not seem to be asleep. Nevertheless, the flea decided that he would try one more time. He took a deep breath and climbed on to the Elephant’s enormous foot.
Max had no great hope that the flea would be satisfied with the Elephant, so he was not surprised to see him hopping back, the following day. “What went wrong this time?” he asked sadly resigning himself to a future of being bitten, feeling itchy and having to scratch himself almost to death. The flea hung his head and mumbled his excuses.
“You were right, there was a lot of him, he wasn’t hairy or furry and his stomach did not rumble, but look what he has done to me!” The flea looked up at Max, revealing a toothless grin, : his skin was so tough, that he broke my teeth!”. “Well!” exclaimed Max, grinning back at the flea. The flea immediately jumped onto Max’s back, “home at last,” the flea said, sinking his gums into Max and helping himself to a square meal. Max didn’t feel a thing. This was wonderful – one huge flea that no longer had his two huge biting teeth, was the best he could hope for. “Welcome home Mr Flea”, he said, “it is good to have you