The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1866-01-27
JIM SMILY AND HIS JUMPING
FROG. .-l NV
BY MARK TWAIN.
. ICONCLUnED.l

.... ,lCONCLUnED.l ... ..' ."| .l.H
Well, this-yer Smiley had rat-terriers and
chicken-cocks, and tom-cats, and all them
kind of things, till you couldn't rest, and
couldn't fetch nothing for h i'm TO bet on but
he'd match you, lie ketched frog one
day and took him home and said he callated
10 educate him; and so he never done moth
ing for three months but set In his back
yard and learn that frog to jump. And
you bet he did learn him, too. He'd give
him q little bunch behind. and the next
momcift you'd see that frog whirling in the
air like ia dougiinut---see him turn one
sommerset, or maybe u couple, If he got Il
good start, and come down fat-footed and
all right, like n cat. He got him up so III
Nthe matter'o Of ketching files, and Kept him
practice so OVeOhstant, that he'd nail n, fly
every time as far Us he could see him.
Smiley said all Il frog wanted was educa-
tion, and he could do most anythings--and
III believe him why'd have seen him set
iDanl Webster down here on this floor
Danl Webster was the name of the frog
and sing out, "Flies Dan'l, ilics Y aud
quicker'n you could wink, he'd spring
straight mp and snake Il ny 6ff'G the
counter there, and flop down on the floor
again as solid iSs . gob OF mud, and fall to
scratching thc'sidc of his head with his
hind foot iIs indifferent as If he hadn't no
idea he had done any lnore'n any frog might
do. YoH never see II frog so modest and
straightforward aS he was, for all he was so
gifted And when It comes to fnir-and-
square jumping OH afleadl level, he could
get over more ground ut one straddlc than
any animal of his breed you ever see.
jumping on Il deaIl level was his strong
suit you uuderstaHd and wien ID come ia
! that, Smiley would ante up money on him
! as long rs he had red. Smiley was mon
strous proud of his frog, and well he might
! - c,tI Int 10
everywhercs all said be laid over any frog
! that ever Hev see, ...... ......... ...I
/ VOL, Smiley kept tile beast in littl,
lattice box, and he used to fetch him dowf
town sometimes and lay for bet. On,
day fcller-a stranger In the camp, In
was-e0me n,ross him with a box, ant
:, sayS;s co. sect sf % '-f O.. f~r = '
what might that be that you've got II
tths box y -,rf-ttr'
Aud Smily Slya sorter indifferent like
at might be Il parrot or IL might be u ca
nary, maybe but it din't--its only just {
! frog" a.-. t'.rs...f ..,,-ts
Anl the fellow took il, and looked ut 1
careful, and turned il round this way ant
that, and ,Sq&s, ''ltul-vso It's, .Wellrwhati
7 7WelL" says sipiley. easy and careless
she's good for one thing, ! should Judge
he can outimnp any rog in Calavcrl
e
The fcller took the box again, and tool
anotler long. particular look, and give /
back to Smiley aud says, very deliberate
'AytaI-a-l Aoht s6e mo- points about tina
frog that's anyibcttsr'n any other frog.r
"Maybe you DON'T Smiley says. "Mayb
you understand frogs, and maybe youdon'
understand EN-; maybe, you've had eNper
{ ience, aud maybe you amt only aamatnro
I as u were, Anyways, I've got p'y opinion
do th.f
, Jump any frog in CalaVcras county"
The feller studied . minute, and then say
, kinder sad like, "Well-rm only a strange
here and | ain't got no frog-but II | had
frog I'd bet YOU" 'fNf
Then Smiley says ''rhat's all right,
that's all right--if yon'll hold my box
minute I'll 20 and get you frog;" and s
the 'feller took the box and, aud put up hi
forty dollars along with Smilcy's. and re
down to wait. '''
. So he set there n good while, thinkin,
/. and thinking TO hisSelf, aud then he got th
! frog oltJmd prled His mouth open an,
took a teaspoon apd fiued lim fun quail
{, lshoty-lillcd him pretty near up to his chil
. land set him on the floor. Smiley he wen
, ont To the swamp aud Stopped around Il
L the mud for long time, and finally 10
ketched frog and fetched him In and Civ
him to this fcller and says: -.
"Now, II you're lready, set him alongsid
, of Dan'l, with his fore-paws just even witt
y Damn's, and I'll give The word.N Then h
. saws, One--twO--three-jmm and hin
: and the feller touched up the frogs frou
, behind, and the new frog hopped on lively
but DanI give hcave. and hysted up hi
shoulders--sO-llke a Frenchman, but
wasn't no use--he couldn't bndgei he wa
:. planted as solid as an anvil, and he copldln'
no more stir than II he was anchored oul
Smiley was good deal surprised, and h
=, wis disglistsd, too, hut he didn't have n
- iilea what the matter was, of COURSE.