Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-03-31
JIM ssIILEY's FROG.
rInrk Twain,s rIas.erpleee.

l mark IWain,S Masterpiece.
We make no apology for publishing for
the second or third time, '.Jim- Smiey's
Frog" 1t is production that is des-
tined to tsgo the rounds for many years,
as one Of the richest specimens of AmeFi-
can humOr: HeH
| JIM. sMILEY's FROG.
| He eotched frog one day and took
him home, and said he cal'lated to edu-
cate him; ard 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 little punch behind, and the next
| minute you'd see that frog whirling in the
air like doughnut-see him turn sum-
merset and maybe a'couple, Il he got a
good start and come down flat 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 a
| hy 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
/ floor-Dsniel Webster was the name of
the frog-and sing out: ssFIies, Dan1,
| flies, and quicker'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 scratch
ing 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
never seed frog so modest and straight
for'ard as he was, for all he was SO gifted.
And when it came to q square jumping on
adead level, he could get over more ground
at one straddle than any animal of bis
breed you ever 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 hada 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
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 his box, and says:
"What might il be you've got in the
box ~
And Smiley sorter Indifferent like:
I" 1t might be parrot or it might be
a canary, maybe; but it amt, it's only
just frog"
And the Teller took it and looked at it
careful, and turned it around this way
and that, and says:
"Hm-so lis. Well, what's he good
for?"
"Well," Smiley says, easy and care
less, she's 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 de-
liberate:
swell, l don't see no points about that
frog that's any better'c any other frog"
''Maybe you don't,n Smiley said.
''Maybe you understand frogs, and may
be you don't understand 'em; maybe you
amt only an amateur, as it were. Any
ways I've got my opinion, and I'll risk
forty dollars that he can ousjump any
frog i'm Calaveras county"
And the teller studied minute or two.
and then says kinder sad like: 'sWell,
I'm only stranger here, and l amt got
no frog, but if l had frog I'd bet you"
And then Smiley says: ''That'sall right.
That's all right If you'll hold my box
minute I'll go and get you frog" and so
the teller 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 teaspoon and
filed him full of quail shot-flled 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
long time, and finally he ketched frog
and fetched him in, and give him to the
teller, and says:
snow, if you are ready, set him along
side of Danl with his forepaws Just even
with DanTs, and I'll give you the word
Then he says, wo-three-jump!"
and him and the Teller touched up the frogs
from behind, and the new frog hoped off
lively, but Dan'l gave heave, histed up his
shoulder-so-likea Frenchman, but it
wasn't no use; he couldn't bulge; be 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 Teller took the money and started
away, and when he was going out of the
door he s)rter jerked his thumb over his
shoulder-this way-at Dan1, and says,
again, very deliberate, swell, don't see
no other points about that frog that's any
better'n any other frog"
Smiley he stood scratching his head and
looking down at Danl long time, and at
last he says: 81 do wonder what in the
nation that frog throwed off for, won
der if there amt something the matter
with him; he pears to look mighty baggy
somehow" and he ketched Dan1 by the
nape of the neck, and lifted him up and
and says, 'Why, blame my cat, if he
don't weigh five pounds" and turned him
upside down and he belched out double
handful of shot, and then he see howit
was, and he was the maddest mani He
set the frog down and took after that fel-
Ter, but he never ketched him.