The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-04-16
.yANl sMILEY's FROG.
Nfnrk TwnIn,r Mn.ternIccc.


MARK TwnIn,- Masterpiece.
He cotched frog one day and took him
home, and said he callated TO educate him;
and 30 he never done nothing for three
months bat sit in his back yard and learn the
frog how to jump. And you bet he did learn
him too. He'd give him little punch be-
hind, and the next minute you'd see that frog
whirling in the air like a doughnut-see him
turn summerset, and maybe couple, if he
got good start, and come down hat-footed
and all right like q cat He got him mp SO
in the matter of catching flies, and kept him
in practice so constant, that he'd nail n
fly every time as far as he could see him.
Smiley said that all the frog wanted was
education, and he could do almost anything,
and believe him. Why I've seen him set
Daniel Webster down here on the floor
Daniel Webster was the name of the frog
and sing out:-"Fles, Dan1, flies" and
quicker'n you could wink he'd spring mp and
shake fly oif'n the counter there and flop
down on the floor again as solid as COB of
mud, and fall to scratching the side of his
head with his hind foot as indifferent as if he
hadn't no idee he'd done any NOR n any frog
might do. You never seed frog so modest
and straightfor ard as he was, for all he was
so gifted. And when it came to square
jumping on dead level, he could get over
more ground at one straddle than any animal
dead level was his strong suit, you under
stand, and when it came to that Smiley would
ante up money to him as long as he had a
red Smiley was monstrous proud of his
frog, and well he might be, for fellers that
had travelled and bin everywhere all said
that he laid over every frog that they seed
Well, Smiley kept the beast in little lat
tice box, and he used to fetch it down town
sometimes, and lay for bet. Once feller
IN ba xua
him with bis box, and says-
''What might it be you've got in the box?"
And Smiley, sorter Indifferent like:-
''It might be parrot, or it might be a
canary, maybe; but it amt, it's only just
frog"
And the feller took it and looked at it care
full, and turned it around this way and that,
and says:-
"H'm-so It's. Well, what's he good for ?"
"WeIl," Smiley says, easy and careless,
''he's good enough for one thing, should
judge-he can outjump any frog in Calaveras
county"
The Teller took the box again and took
another long and particular look, and gives it
back to Smiley, and says very deliberate:-
''Well, / don't see no points about that frog
that's any BETTER any other frog"
Maybe you don't" Smiley said. 'Maybe
you understand frogs, and maybe you don't
understand EN-; maybe you amt only an anna
teur, as it WERE Anyways, I've got my OPT
outiump any frog in Calaveras county"
And the Teller studied a minute or two, and
then SAYS, kinder sad ike-"Well, I'm only
stranger here, and 1 amt got no frog, but
if had frog I'd bet you"
And then Smiley says:-''Thats all right.
That's all right. If you'll hold my box a
minute, I'll 60 and get you frog; and SO
the feller took the box and put up his forty
dollars along with Smiley's and sat down to
wait
So he sat there good while, thinking to
hisself, and TUX the frog out and pried open
his mouth and took a teaspoon and filled him
full of quail shot-flled him pretty near up
to the chin, and set him on the floor. Smi-
lev, he went out to the swamp and stopped
around in the mud for long time, and finally
he ketched frog and fetched him in, and
give him to the feller, and says;-
'sNow, if you are ready, set him alongside
of Danl with his forepaws just even with
Dan1's, and II give you the word" Then he
says, ''one-two-three-jum and him
and the feller touched up the frogs from be-
hind, and the new frog hoped off lively, but
Dan1 gave heave, histed up his shoulder
so-like Frenchman, but it wasn't no use;
he couldn't bulge; he was planted as solid
as an anvil, and he couldn't no more stir
than if he was anchored out. Smiley was a
good deal surprised, and he was disgusted,
too, but he didn't have no idea what the mat
ter was, of course.
The Teller took the money and started
away, and when he was going out of the door
he sorter jerked his thumb over his shoulder
this way at Daniel, and says, again, very
deliberate, ''Well, 1 don't see no other points
about that frog that's any better'n any Other
frog"
Smiley stood scratching his head and look
ing down on Dan1 long time, and at last he
says:-'I do wonder what in the nation that
frog throwed off for; wonder if there AIM
something the matter with him; he pears tc
look mighty baggy somehow" and he ketched
Dan1 by the nape of the neck, and lifted hin
up and says, "Why, blame my cat, if he don
weigh five pounds, and turned him upside
down and he belched out double handful o.
shot, and then he see how it was, and he wai
the 1naddest man! He set the frog down an(
took after that feler, but he never ketchet
him.