Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-05-31
Jim Smiley's Frog.

He cotched a frog one day and
took HIM home, and said he calcula-
ted 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
did learn him, too. He'd give him a
little punch behind, and the next min.
ute you'd see that frog whirling in
the air like doughnut-see him turn
a summerSet, and maybe a couple, if
he got good start, and come down
hat-footed and all right like a cat
He got him up so in the matter OF
catching flies, and kept him in prac
tice so constant that he'd nail a fly
every time as he could see him.
Smiley said that all the frog want.
ed was education, and he could do al
most anything, and | believe him.
Why, I've seen him set Daniel Web
ster down here on the foor--DanieI
Webster was the name Of the frog
and sing out: Files, Danl, flies,
and quicker'n you could wink he'd
spring up and shake a fly Of~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 idee he'd done any
MORN any frog might do. You nev.
er seed a frog 80 modest and strai1 ht
for ard as he was, for all he was Sc
gifted. And when it came to q square
jumping on the dead level, he could
get over more ground at one straddlC
than any animal of his breed YOU ev
er see. Jumping on a dead level was
his strong suit, you understand, and
when it came to that Smiley woulC
ante up money to him as long as he
had a red. Smiley was monstrou;
proud Of his frog, and well he nigh
be, for fellers that had travelled anc
bin everywhere all said that he laiC
over every frog that they seed.
Well, Smiley kept the beast in ;
little lattice box, and he used to fetcl
it down town sometimes, and lay fol
a bet. Once a feller-a stranger il
camp, he was-cOme across him Will
his box, and says:
"What might it be you've got il
the box ?"
And Smiley, sorter Indifferent like
at might be a parrot, or it nigh
be a canary, maybe; but it amt it
only just a frog
And the fellow took it and l0oket
at it careful, and turning it rount
this way and that, and says:
"H'm-so It's. We'll, what's b.
good for?
"Well,' Smiley says, easy and care
less, "he's good enough for one thing
| should .iudge-he can out jump an
frog in Calaveras county"
The feller took the box again an
took another long and particula
look, and gives il back to Smiley, an
says very deliberate:
well. l don't see no points abou
that frog that's any better'n any otI
er frog"
MAY be you don't" Smiley said
MAY be you understand frogs, an
may be you don't understand EN-
maybe you amt only an amateur, q
it were. Anyways, I've got my opir
ion, and I'll risk forty dollars that /
can out jump any frog in Caiayera
county"
And the felIer studied a minute {
two, and then says, kinder sad like
"Wcll, I'm only stranger here, an
| amt got no frog but if | had frc
I'd bet you
And then Smiley says: That's q
right. That's all right. If YOU
hold my box a minute, I'll 90 al
get you q frog" and so the feiIt
took the box and put up his forty dc
lars along Smiley's and sat down
wait.
So he sat there a good while, thin
ing to hisself, and TUX the frog O.
and pried open his mouth and took
teaspoon and filled him full of qua
shot-flled him pretty near up to tt
chin, and set him on the floor. Sn
ley, he went out in the swamp al
stopped around in the mud for a Ior
time, and finally he ketched a fr,
} and fetched him in, and gave him
the feller, and says:
"Now, if you are ready, set hi
alongside of Dan'I, with his forepay
just even with Dan'Ps, and I'll gi
you the word" Then he says, "ol
-two-three-jump r' and him al
the feller touched up the frogs fro
i behind and the new frog hoped
lively, but Danl gave a heave, hist
up his shoulder-so-like a FrenC
. man, but it wasn't no use; he couldl
| bulge he was planted as solid as
anvil, and he couldn't no more 81
than if he was anchored out. Smil
was good deal surprised and he W
: disguised, too, but he didn't have
: idea what the matter was, of cours
The feller took the money al
started away, and when he was goi
out of the door he sorter jerked
, thumb over his shoulder-thiS W
at Daniel, and says, again, very q
l liberate "Well, | don't see no 9th
points about that frog that's any b.
: tern any other frog"
Smiley stood scratching his he
and looking down on Danl a lo
time, and at last he says: II do VIC
der what in the nation that frog thro
ed off for; wonder if there all
something the matter with him;
, pears to look mighty baggy sou
how" and he ketched Danl by t
nape of the neck, end lifted him
and says, @Why, blame my cat if
don't weigh five pounds" and turn
him upside down and he belched 0
; a double handful of shot. and tn
he see how it was, and he was t
, maddest man! He set the frog doy
|. and took after that feller, but he ne