Leapin’ Lords

There was a young lord, rich, handsome, happy, admired, well-liked, and with a number of good friends much like himself.  Perhaps because of all these blessings, out of the lightness of his heart instead of walking in to a grand reception he leaped over the threshold.  The other young lords took it up.  It was quite the fashion of their set.

But one of the young lords grumbled to another.  “It’s an arbitrary fashion,” he said.  “We only do it because he who leapt first is the apple of every eye.  There are a thousand different ways we could express our gaiety and show we belong to our group.  We could, I don’t know, whistle after meals!  It’s all arbitrary!”

“Then whistle after meals,” said the other young lord he was talking to.  “But wouldn’t that be just as arbitrary?”

“Pfft,” said the first lord.  Then sighed.  Then laughed.  Then leaped.