The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1870-07-15

JIM SMILEY'S FROG.
MARK TWAIN's Masterpiece.

He catched frog one day and took him
home and said he cal'lated to educate him
and so he never done nothing for three
months but sit in his back yard and learn
the frog how to jump. And you bet he
punch behind and the next minute you'd
see that frog whirling in the air like a
doughnut see him turn summerset, and
maybe a couple, if he got good start, and
come down llat-footed and all right, like
cat. He got him up 50 in the matter OF
catching flies, and kept him in practice so
constant, that he'd nail fly every time
as far as he could see him.
Smiley said that all the frog wanted was
education, and he could do almost any
thing, and | believe him. Why, I've seen
him set Daniel Webster down here on the
foor-Daniel w ebster was the name of the
frog-and sing out: "Flies, Danl, flies, y
and quickcr'n you could wink he'd spring
up and shake fly off'n the counter there
and flop down on the floor again as solid
as COB of mud, and fall to scratc hing the
side of his head with his hind foot as in
different AS if he hadn't no idee he'd done
any morn any frog might do. You never
seed frog 50 modest and straight for'ard
as he was, for all he was gifted And
when it came to the square jumping on a
dead level, he could get over more ground
at one straddle than any animal ofhis breed
you see. Jumping On dead level was his
strong suit, you understand, and when it
[ came 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 felers that have travelled
and bin everywhere all said that he laid
over every frog they seed.
Well, Smiley kept the beast in little
lattice box, and he used to fetch it down
town sometimes, and lay for bet Once
a feller-a stranger in camp he was-came
across him with his box and says:
"What might it be you've got in the
box 2"
And Smiley, sorter Indifferent like
at might be II parrot, or it might be a
canary, maybe; but it amt, its only just a
frog"
And the Teller took it and looked at it
careful, and turned it around this way and
that, and says:
"H'm-so It's. Well, what's he good for r.
"Well, Smiley says easy and careless, hes
good enough for one thing, should judge
he can out jump 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'n any other frog"
MAYBE you don't" Smiley said
Maybe you don't understand 'em; maybe
you aint only an amateur, as it were.
Anyways, I've got my opinion, and I'll risk
forty dollars that he can outjump any frog
in Calaveras county"
And the teller studied a minute or two
and then says kinder sad like-"Well I'm
only stranger 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 a frog; and 50 the
Teller took the box and put up his forty
dollars along with Smiley's and sat down
to wait.
So he sat there a good while, thinking
to himself, and TUX the frog out and pried
open his mouth and took "a teaspoon and fill
ed him full Of quail shot titled him pretty
near up to the chin, and set him on the
floor. Smiley he went out to the swamp
and stopped around in the mud for u long
time, and finally he ketched a frog and
fetched him in, and give him to the
Teller, and says: -