The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1867-12-12
CONCERNING JIM GREELEY'S
JUMPING FROG.

and took him home, and said he calculated
to educate him. and so he never done
nothin for three months but set n hi:
back yard and learn that frog to Jump
And you bet be did learn him to lump too
He'd give him little pinch behind, and
the next minute you'd see that frog whirl-
ing in the air like doughnut-see him
turn one somerset, or may be a couple, if
he got a good start, and come down fiat
footed and all right like cat. He got
him up SO in the matter of catching flies,
and kept him in practice so constan1 that
he'd nail a fly every time rs far as he
could see him. Greeley said all a frog
wanted was education, and he could do
moot anythins-and [ believed him.
Why, | have seen him set Daniel Webster
down on this hoor-Daniel Webster was
the name of the frOg-and sing out,
"Flies, Daniel, flies" and quicker'n you
could wink, he'd spring straight NJ, and
shake fly off'n the counter there, and
drop down on the floor again as solid as a
gob of mud and fall to scratching the
siIe of his head with his hind foot, as in
differently as if he hadn't no idea he'd
done any niore'n any frog mis- ht do. You
never see a frog so modest and straight
for ard as he was, for all he was so gifted.
And when it came to fair and square
jumping on a dead level he could get
over more ground at one straddle than
any animal of his breed you ever see.
Jumping on a dead level was his strong
suit, you understood, and when it came to
that, Greeley would ante up money on
him as long as he had a red. Greeley
was monstrous proud of his frog, and we'll
he might be, for fellers that had travelled
and been everywheres, all said that he |
laid over any that ever they see.
Well, Greeley kept the beast in little
lattice box, and he used to fetch him
down to town sometimes, and lay for a
bet. One Jay q feller-a stranger in the
camp. he was--come across him with his
box, and says:
what might that be yo've get in the
box? -
and Greeley says, sOrter Indifferent
like:
at might be a parrot, or it might be
canary, may be, but it ain't-it's only just
frog
i
careful and turned it around this way
and that, and says: 'II'm so it is.
Wei, what's he good for ?"
"Well, Greeley says, easy and careless,
"he's good enough for one thing, [ should
judge-he can outjump any frog in Gala
veras county"
The feler took the box again, and took
another long particular look and gave it
back to Greeley, and says very deliberate
ly, 'Well, don't see no points about that
frog that's any better'n any other frog"
MAYBE you DON'T" Greeley says
"maybe you understand frogs, and maybe
you don't understand 'em, maybe you've
had experience, and maybe you amt only
a ameture, as it were. Anyway, I've got
my opinion, and III resk $40 that he can
ourjump any Frog in Calaveras county"
And the Teller studied a minute and
then says, kinder sad like, Well, I'm
only a stranger here, and amt got no frog
but if had a frog Id bet you"
And then Greeley says, That's all
right-that's all right-if you'll hold my
box minute. III go and get you frog"
and so the feller took up the box. and put |
his forty dollars along with Greeley's, and
set down to wait.
SO he sat there good while thinking /
and thinking to himself and then he got
the frog cut and pried his mouth open
and took teaspoon and filed him full of
quail shot, and filed him pretty near up
to his chin and set him on the floor
Greeley, he went to the swamp and Stop
ped around in the mud for a long time.
and finally he ketched frog and fetched 4
him to this Teller and says "Now, if
your ready, set him alongside of Danl.
and III give the word" Then he says
One, two, three, jump" and him and
he Teller touched up the frogs from be- Of
hind, and the new frog hoped off, but
Danl gave heave, and hysted up his
houlders, 50, like a Frenchman, but it :,
wasn't 30 use, he couldn't bulge, he was ci
planted as solid as an anvil, and he
'ouldn' no more stir than if he was anch-
'red out. Greeley was good deal sur 49,
'rlsed and he was disguised, too, but he 'A
Ildnt have no idea what the matter was
f course
The fellow took the money and started
way, and when he was going out the
oUI, ne surfer Jerked his thumb over his "
houlder-this way-at Dan'l, and says
gain, very deliberately, 'Well, | don't
ee no points about that frog that's any
etterD'r any other frog"
Greeley, he stood scratching his head fro
nd looking down at Dan'l long time, or
nd at last he says, 81 do wonder what in sci
he nation that frog throwed off for-I ou
'onder If there amt something the mat -
sr with him, he pears to look mighty =
aggy, somehow" and he ketched Dan'l
y the nap of the neck, and lifted him up !
nj says, why, blame my cats if lie
on t weigh five pounds" and turning
I'm upside down he beched out about a
ouble handful of shot And then he Ia
cen how it was, and he was the maddest o OFF,
lan-he set the frog down aud took out A
tier the Teller, but he never ketched him. i 5o