A FLEA THEATRE IN PRUSSIA.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4857, 23 November 1883, Page 3

A FLEA THEATRE IN PRUSSIA.

There was a fair going on outside the gates of this most pioturesque old city (Danzig). Wondering among the booths, oar ouriosity was excited by one which bore the following inscription : — " Pariser Floh - Theater." Tempted by a man who told us the performance was " just about to begin," we accepted the tickets he almost thrust into our hands, and crossed the threshold of the tent. There was oertainly do re&Bon for delay, as we found, somewhat to our embarraismenfc, that we constituted the whole of the audience. But, as the famous flea theatre was about the size of an ordinary tambourine (whioh. iGstiument it greatly resembled), we should scarcely have had 10 good a view of the performance if the spectators had been more numerous. Taking our seats as direoted about a email round table we looked with interest at certain cardboard boxes, which, btood beside the theatre. One of these was open, and showed a number of tiny vehioles, carriages, biojcles, engines, Boman chariots, all as minute as possible. The other boxes, with lids, contained the actors themselves. The enterprising manageress, a stout lady in a cotton dressing-gown, plaoed herself opposite at the table and prefaoed the entertainment with a short but interesting address : — "The ordinary domestic flea/ sho began, "is a creature of considerable intelligence, and capable of a high degree of intellectual cultivation. We have no less than 300 in this establishment. They are not hungry," sho added hastily, in answer to some slight expression of anxiety that doubtless pourtrayed itself on our countenances. "I engage a man to oome every day and feed them. He baros his arm, the 300 are plaoed thereon and they suck until they are satisfied." Our immediate apprehensions thus allayed, the lady prooeeded to explain that the first process in the great work of taming and educating a fle&vwas to fasten an iLVJsible gold thread around its neok, by means of whioh it oould be lifted at pleasure or harnessed to any of the vehioles displayed in the box before us. A well-nurtured speoimen will often live to the age of eight years j and with evident pride she remarked. " We have several among our troupe who are already six yean old," and so saying she handed ua a powerful microsoope, and gratified us by the sight of one of these venerable fleas (magnified to the sixe of a waip), kioking and plunging violently, in no wise impeded by the weight of its golden collar. The entertainment began with a ohariot race by fleaß of various nations. The Busrian was attached to its native drosky, the Siberian to a sledge. England, France, and Germany had eaoh their representatives, the former harnessed, I thick, to a common London omnibus. Bach competitor was supposed to be able to draw a body of six times its own weight. The stage was slightly tilted, however, in order to assist the runners. I regret I am unable to give you the exact result of the race, which would doubtless be of intense interest to your sporting friends, but the start oould not altogether be considered satisfactory. The English steed went off at a steady trot, without waiting for anybody else. The German lay down to have a nap by the way, and most of the others bolted off the course. This being over, the lady reBurned her lecture. ' It is not every flea," we were informed, " that is gifted with the power of saltation. So far we had seen only, as it were, the beasts of burden—docile insects, indeed, but with no other special accomplishment. Now we were to be treated to a ballet, as danoed by some really suporior artists." Bo saying she opened one of the cardboard boxes, and extracted thenoe with a delicate pair of pinoare a dozen of danoing fleas; each elegantly attired in— or rather, I should perhaps say, covered by — a petticoat of tissue paper, red, blue, green, yellow — all the colours of the rainbow. Each dancer { was announced by same as she entered upon the soene. Meesc Elizabet, Fraiilein Anna, Mamzelle Barbe, &o. ; and eaoh and all, encouraged by the voice 9 ot their direotress, performed the most astonishing evolutions ; whirling and hopping, skipping, leaping wildly into the air in a way that was comical to behold. It was as if the minutest ef ballet- girls had been out in two at the waist, the lower half performing minus the head and shoulders, or like a Sabbatical danoe of fairy lampshades bewitched. Now and again, after some unusually prodigious leap, an artist would be upset. Then, beneath the gay, voluminous skirt, the struggling insect was for a moment visible; quickly replaced on its legs, however, by the watchful care of its mistress. Now oatne act the third, when the interest was supposed to culminate ; and with much verbal flourish of trumpets, a female rope-dancer was produced, second only in renown to the famous Blondin himself. This young lady's name was Eliza. She lived in a nest ef cotton wool, with one other com* panion, who was probably in delicate health, as she was not oalled upon to perform. Eliza not only danoed on a rope, but twice traversed an imaginary unfathomable abyss on a nearly invisible wire suspended between two pins. Finally, to conclude the exhibition, the box of cotton wool was held upside down at a distance of nearly two inches above her hoad, and at the word of command, II Jetzt, Elisa, springe!" (Now, Eliza, jump!) the intelligent insect sprang with one bound into its warm and cosy nest. Wo were oharged for this entertainment the not immoderate sum of fivepence apiece, and as we walked away, remembering the man who fed, and the lady who taught the fleas, we oould not but marvel at the variety of ways in whioh it is possible to ears one's livelihood in this our workaday world.