The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1870-04-19
Jim Smiley's Frog.

yard and learn that frog to jump. And
you bet he did learn him too. He'd give
him little punch behind and the next
minute you'd see that frog whirling in
the air like doughnut-see him turn
a summerset, and maybe couple, if he
got good start, and come down fat
footed and all right like cat. He got
HIM so up in the matter of catching flies
and kept him i'll practice so constant, that
he'd nail fly every time as far as he
could see him.
Smiley said that all frog wanted was
education, aud he could do most any
thing, and believe him. Why, l have
seen him set Daniel Webster down here
on the hoor-Daniel Webster was the
name of the frog-and sing out: : Flies,
Dan'l, fiies," and quicker'n you could
wink he'd spring straight up, and shake
a fly off n the counter there, and flop
down on the floor again as solid as a COB
of mud, and fall to scratching the side of
his head with his hind foot as Indifferent
as if he hadn't no idea he d done more'n
any frog might do. You never see frog
so modest and straight for'ard as he was,
for all he was so gifted And when it
come 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 seen. Jumping on a
dead level was his strong suit, you un-
derstand, and when it come to that Smi-
ley would ante up money to him as long
as he had a red. Smiley was monstrous
proud of his frog, and we'll he might be,
for fellers that had travelled and been ev-
erywhere, all said he laid over every frog
that they see.
Well, Smiley kept the beast in little
lattice box, and he used to fetch it down
town sometimes and lay for bet. Once
feller-a stranger in camp, he was
came across him with box and says:
What might it be that you've got in
the box 2"
And Smiley says, sorter Indifferent
like:
1t might be parrot or it might be a
canary, maybe; but it amt, it's only a
frog"
And the Teller took it and looked at it
careful and turned it around this way and
that and says
" Hem-so It's. Well, what's he good
forY
WE'LL" Smiley says, easy and careless,
"he's good enough for one thing, Tshould
judge-he can out jump any frog in Cal
averas County"
The fellow took the box again, and
took another long, 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'n any
other frog"
=" Maybe you don't" Smiley said,-
Maybe you understand frogs, and may
be you don't understand 'em; maybe you
aiu't only an amateur, as it were. Any
ways I've got my opinion, and I'll risk
forty dollars that he can out-jump any
frog in Calaveras County"
The fellow studied minute, and saws.
kinder sad like, Well, Pm only stran-
ger here, and | amt got no frog; but if
[ had frog I'd bet you"
And then Smiley says, "That's all
right! that's all right! If you'll hold
my box a minute I'll go and get you a
frog and so the fellow took the box and
put his forty dollars along with Smiley's,
and sat down to wait.
So he sot there good while, thinking
to himself, and then he got the frog out
and pried his mouth open, and took tea
spoon and filled him with quail shot
filled him pretty near up to his chin, and
set him on the floor. Smiley went out to
the swamp and stopped around in the
mud for long time, and finally he ketch-
ed frog and fetched him in and gave
him to the feller, and says:
Now, if you are ready, set him along
side of Dan'l, with his forepaws Just even
with Dan'ps, and I'll give the word.-
Then he says, "One a. two-three-
jump p and him and the feller touched
mp the frogs from behind, and the new
frog hoped off lively, but DanI gave a
heaTe and histcd up his shoulder, like a
Frenchman but it was no use; he couldn't
bulge; he was planted as solid as an an
vii, and he couldn't no more stir than if