The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1870-04-28
JIM sa1rLEY.s rEoe.
Mark Twain's Masterpiece.

jim 6hLELEY'S FROG.
Mark Twain's Masterpiece.
We make no apology for publishing
Jim Smiley's Frog" It's q produc-
ton that is destined to ego the
rounds /" for many years, as one of
the richest specimens of American
humor:
jim sMrLEy's FROG.
He cotched a frog one day and took
him home, and said he cal1ated to ed
ucate him and so he never done any
thing for three months but sit in the
back yard and learn the 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 the air like a doughnut
-see him turn . summerset, and may
be couple, if he got q good start, and
come down fat footed and all right
like cat He got him up SO in the
matter of catching flies, and kept him
in practice SO constant, that he'd nail
q fly every time as far as he could see
him.
Smiley said that all frog wanted
was education, and he could do most
anything, and I believe him. Why
I've seen him set Daniel Webster
down here ON the foor-Daniel Web
ster was the name of the frog-and
sing out: Flies, Danl, fies," and
quicker'n you could wink he'd spring
up and snakes q fly ofFgn the counter
there and flop down on the floor agin
IS 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 idee he'd done morn any
frog might do. You never see a frog
so modest and Straightforward as he
was, for all he was gifted. And when
it come to fair and square jumping
on q dead level, he could get over
more ground at one straddle than any
animal of his breed you ever see
Jumping on dead level was his
strong point, you understand, and
when it come to that Smiley would
ante up money to him as long as he
had red. Smiley was monstrous
proud of his frog, and well he might
be, for fellers that had travelled and
been everywhere all said that he had
laid over every frog that they see.
Well, Smiley kept the beast in lit
tie lattice box, and he used to fetch it
down town sometimes and lay for a
bet. Once feller-a stranger in
camp, he Was-came across with his
box and says:
What might be it that you've got
in the box ?n
And Smiley says, sorter indifferent
like:
st might be parrot, or it might
be 8 canary, maybe; but it ain't-it's
only just frog
And the feller took it and looked at
1t careful, and turned it round this
way and that, and says:
{ %H-m-so It's. Well, what's he
good for 7o
- Well," Smiley says, easy and care
less, he's good enough for one thing,
! should judge-he can out-jump any
frog in Calaveras county.
The fellow took the box again and
took another long, particular look,
and gives it back to Smiley, and says,
very deliberately:
6 Well, / don't see no points about
that frog that's any better'n any other
frog"
9 Maybe you DON'T" Smiley said
/" Maybe you understand frogs, and
maybe you don't understand 'em :;
maybe you amt only an amateur, as it
were. Anyways I've got my opinion,
and Fllrisk forty dollars that he can
out-jump any frog in Calaveras coun-l
ty.
And the feller studied minute or
two and then says, kinder sad like:
]" Well, I'm only a-stranger here, and
! amt got NO frog; but if had a
frog, I'd bet you."
And then Smiley says, .That's all
right. That's all right. If you'll hold
my box minute I'll go and get you
frog"
And SO the fellow took the box and
put up his forty dollars along with
Smiley's, and sat down to wait.
So he sit there good while, think
ing to hisself, and then he got the frog
ont and pried open his mouth, and
took teaspoon and filed him full of
quail shot-flled him pretty near up
to his chin, and set him on to the floor.
Smiley, he went out to the swamp
and stopped around in the mud for a
long time, and finally he ketched a
frog and fetched him in and give him
to the feller, and says:
6 Now, if You are ready, set him
along side of Dan1 with his forepaws
just even with Dan1, and I'll give the
word. Then he says, Conceive
three-jumpw and him and the feller
touched up the frogs from behind, and
the new frog hoped off lively, but
DanI gave heave and histed up his
shoulder-so-like Frenchman, but
itwasn'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 good
deal surprised, and he was Disguised,
too, but he didn't have no idea what
the matter was, of course.
The feller took the money and start
ed away, and when he was going out
Of the door he sorter jerked his thumb
over his shoulder-this way-at Dan'l,
and saws aoaiY, very daIihorof fafv