The public with delight welcomed in the beginning emergence of winged «animal». All were sure that it is one of the most remarkable numbers of a street carnival. Perhaps, some inventor decided to give this day to the nation a surprise – the new aircraft like gelikopter with vertical rise and descent. For bigger effect the inventor gave to the device such terrible look. However, knew all Paris about Wagner’s experiences. But nobody assumed that the flea looks so terribly.
Soon, however, the delight of crowd was replaced by horror. A flea, having had a rest on the Triumphal arch, unexpectedly jumped off on the street in a thick of crowd and suddenly, having seized some having fun citizen with the shchupika, stuck a sharp proboscis into the left shoulder. The Parisian desperately cried. The crowd was captured by such horror that all stood several minutes as fossilized, and then took to the heels as if they were picked up by an outflow wave. The flea quietly exhausted grams seven hundred blood and, having taken out a proboscis, jumped on an arch. The Frenchman who turned pale from loss of blood and a fright fell. Fortunately, the flea did not exhaust all blood, and it in veins of the Frenchman was 5740 grams. Loss of two thousand grams would threaten with death. But the flea was satisfied with smaller. Perhaps, so it was easier for it to jump. And she preferred to suck blood less, but is more often.
In a few minutes she flew from an arch again, attacked some old woman and thrust it in a back a proboscis. Having tried old-womanish blood, the flea took out a sting and turned the look on the very young milliner. The flea became real the blood-sucker.
On the scene the group of police already hurried. But police officers did not manage to fire a volley as the flea jumped on an arch though already and not so easily as before.
Having jumped through group of police officers, the flea jumped on the Champs Elysée, flew through the Place de la Concorde and fell by a lawn in the garden Tuileries.
Professor Wagner already knew about incident. He hurried to make the order somewhat quicker to kill the second huge flea male. If and the male crashed out, then it would be bad. What if these fleas bred?.
The message about a terrible predator quickly flew about Paris. Streets as became extinct. Inhabitants barricaded windows, being afraid that the flea did not jump to them into the house, having broken glasses. The armed groups chased a flea, but she one jump disappeared from them. Airplanes could do nothing too. Not to lay down a bomb over the city!
And the flea very well felt in the city. Human blood was pleasant to it much more, than cow with which fed her in the conclusion. And it continued the raids.
Paris was frightened. The flea turned into some terrible Minotaur [80] demanding the human victims. But there was no hero of Tezey who would exempt the city from a fright. Candidates for Tezei were. But they did not manage to kill a flea.
Many began to say that Wagner is guilty of everything that, maybe, he even with malice aforethought grew up and let such flea to Paris. Here and Germans began to assume airs. This is not a simple flea…
And Wagner did not sleep – he never sleeps – and thought both halves of a brain, as if to correct the mistake. Very much everything left unpleasantly, and Voronov laughs.
The mayor of Paris summoned Wagner and speaks to him:
– Our patience was exhausted. I give you twenty four hours on an udavleniye of a flea. We already became awfully anemic from a flea.
– To press fleas – Wagner answers, is not my specialty and how to catch a flea, I can give advice. The flea will be caught only by the person who will be able to jump as a flea. I constructed such tools that the person could jump in a flea way. Let’s go to the Field of Mars, I will show you.
Went. Professor Wagner brought with himself a suitcase, and in a suitcase some springs and the red suit similar on a bug lie.
– These springs – Wagner says – it is necessary to screw on hands and legs, and a suit from rubber, pneumatic, is put on a body not to rasshibitsya if without habit you fall sideways or on a back. Who wants to try?
– I!. And I!. I!.
Wagner chose one. Put on it a rubber suit, to soles and palms attached plate thongs with big spiral springs like matratsny, put the person on all fours and inflated a red rubber cover. Directly huge bug which got drunk blood turned out.
– Jump! – Wagner speaks.
The young man raised forepaws, cavorted, overturned on a back, jumped up two times and lies on a back as the bug, waves paws.
– I cannot – says – from the earth to rise. Better from height.
Turned «bug», brought three tables, put the friend on the friend, and upward put «bug».
– Jump!
«Bug» jumped, rose up and again on a back. Time, another, the third jumped up – lies.
– Nothing, will learn – Wagner calms.
And again carried «bug» on a table. And that, «bug» got skilled at. Jumped, hit on all four pads and rose up that your flea, is higher than the house. Again hit springs against the earth and jumped up even above.
– Bravo! – shout.
And he when for the third time on the earth went down, suddenly itself shouts:
– How I will stop now? – also uprygnut.
Honestly. There is a task! He can jump, and is not able stop.
– Hold me! – shouts.
Ran behind it and where there! In three jumps all Field of Mars flew by.
– The boy was gone! Now and will jump around the globe…
However, on the happiness, it got into the river Seine. To the bottom dived, then the rubber bubble on a back took out it, and people caught.
As badly it was necessary to the daredevil, from a flea it was necessary even worse. And the young man, and behind him and other young people began to learn to jump in a flea way and reached big art soon. Even in a system could jump. Very much it was pleasant to the Minister of War.
– A new type of military forces – says – jumpers! Through entrenchments very easily can jump.
Jumpers began to hunt for a flea. Exhausted it completely. From Paris expelled. Did not allow to drink-eat, all drove. The flea in Arzhanteyle died. And twenty young people Tezeev brought a skin of «Minotaur» to Paris.
On pleasures the president awarded the order to professor Wagner of the Honourable legion.
– Only – says – depart from Paris with the first airplane!.
(The story is written down according to two persons – тг. N. A. P. and K. E. N. They told almost at the same time, interrupting and supplementing each other: from here some unevenness of style.)
* * *
Remark of professor Wagner:
«Again inventions! With me it was not. But similar I read something in some magazine several decades ago. Apparently, begin to attribute me legendary feats.
The assumption that if the flea was growth from the person, she could jump through the highest houses, is absolutely incorrect: is overlooked that the attraction of Earth increases in direct ratio to body weight or