Whenever Cousin Longlegs—a big, green locust—is around, Eddie is always in a bad mood. Every year when he comes to stay, the big show-off gives Eddie a demonstration of his latest long-distance flights—and this time, in one single leap, he made it all the way to the old apple tree in the middle of the field. Eddie is thoroughly disheartened. Even if he gathered all of his strength and courage, his leaps are not even a tenth of what Cousin Longlegs can do. And he has such a conceited laugh! “Aaarrgh! I can’t stand it any more,” Eddie says angrily, and hides away underneath a large poppy so that nobody can see him or tease him. The wasp, who is never normally interested in the goings-on around him, has seen everything, and flies down to Eddie’s hiding place. “Hey kid, don’t feel blue,” she whispers to Eddie. From underneath his poppy, he makes a face like three days of wet weather. “I can turn you into a master of flight. It couldn’t be easier,” the wasp says reassuringly. Now Eddie pricks up his ears! “How?” he asks. The wasp takes Eddie to her wasp nest and tells him that, just as she built her own home, she can easily make a big, feather-light plane for him. “It’s not difficult: just strap yourself underneath, run as fast as you can to pick up momentum, and the wind will take you wherever it blows.” 

Eddie likes the plan, and he and the wasp get straight to work on their plane. In no time at all, they have built a little flying machine that is so light that it rises from the ground with every puff of wind. And now it’s time to take flight: Eddie holds onto a stick underneath his plane, climbs up onto a particularly tall blade of grass, and waits for the wind to send him a gust. He doesn’t have to wait long before he takes off, and flies up and over the apple tree. He can see the whole of the meadow from this height! Cousin Longlegs, who is out stretching his long legs in the meadow, cannot help but be impressed. What’s this then? An animal that can jump and float better than him? “No, no, no…it’s just not possible!” he says in disbelief. When Eddie calls down to him from high up in the sky and tells him how wonderful it is to be able to fly so high, the big green locust falls very silent. One thing’s for sure—he’ll certainly never tease Eddie again!