Middletown transcript., 1870-02-05
COLT and 4umor.
Jim Greeley's Junping Frog-A CaIifor-
mia Tale.

Jim Greeley ketched frog one day and
took him home, and said he calkilated to
educate him; and so he never done nothin |
for three months but set in his back yard
and learn him to jump. And you bet he
did learn him to jump too. He'd give
him a little punch behind, and the next
minute you'd see that frog whirling in the
air like q doughnut-see him turn ono sum
merset, or maybe a couple, if he got good
start, and come down fiat footed and all
right, like a 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
Greeley said all frog wanted was educa-
ton, and he could do most anything-and
1 believe him. Why, I've seen him set
Daniel Webster down on this foor--Daniel
Webster was the name of the frog-and
sing out. g Flies, Daniel, fiies!" and
quicker'n you could wink, he'd spring
straight up, and shake fly off7n the
counter there, and flop down on the floor
again as solid as 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 any more'n any frog might
do. You never see frog SO modest and
straightfor' ward as he was, for all he was so
gifted. And when it comes, to fair and
square jumping on dead level, he could
get over more ground at one straddle than
any animal of his breed you ever see
Jumping on the dead level was his strong
suit, you understand, and when it come to
that, Greeley would ante up money on him
as long as he had red. Greeley was mon
strous proud of his frog, and well he might
be, for fellers that had travelled and been
eyerywheres, all said that he laid over any
frog that ever they see.
Well, Greeley kept the beast in little
lattice box, and he used to fetch him down
town sometimes and lay for a bet One
day feller-a stranger in the camp, he
was-come across him with his box, and
says;
"What might that be you've got in the
box?"
And Greeley says, sorter Indifferent
like:
g 1t might be a parrot, or it might be
canary, may be, but it aint-its only just
frog"
And the feller took it and looked at it
careful, and turned it round this way and
that, and says, "H'm-so It's. Well,
what's he good for ?"
" Well" Greeley says easy and careless,
''he's good enough for one thing, l should
judge-he can oujump any frog in CAL
averas county"
The Teller took the box again, and took
another long, particular look, and gave it
back to Greeley, and says very deliberate,
"Well, don't see no points about that
frog that's any better any other frog"
Maybe you DON'T" Greeley says.
"Maybe you understand frogs, and MAJ ybe
you don't understand 'em; maybe you've
had experience, and maybe you amt only
ameture, as it were. Any ways, I've got
my opinion, and I'll risk $40 that he can
outjump any frog in Calaveras county,"
And the feller studied minute, and
then says, kinder sad like, "Well, Tn only
stranger here, and amt got no frog-but
if j had frog I'd bet you"
And then Greeley says, ''Thats oil right
that's all right-if you'll hold my box a
minute I'll go and get you frog and so
the feller took the box, and put up his forty
dollars along with Greeley's and set down
to wait.
So he set there good while thinking
and thinking to himself, and then he got
the frog out and pried its mouth open and
took teaspoon and filled him full of quail
shot, and filed him pretty near up to his
chin and set him on the floor. Greeley, he
went to the swamp and stopped around in
the mud for long time, and finally he
ketchcd frog and fetched him in and
give him to this feller and says:
GgNoxr L., 4 I !
Of Dan'l with his forepaws just even with
Dan'l, and I'll give the word" Then he
says, :" one, two, three, jump and then
the feler touched up the frogs from behind
and the new frog hoped off but Dan'l
give heaye, and hysted up his shoulders,
SO, like Frenchman, but it wasn'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. Greeley was
good deal surprised and he was disgusted
too, but he didn't have no idea what the
matter was, of course.
The feler took the money and started
away, and when he was going out the door
he sorter jerked his thumb over his
shoulder-this way-at Dan'l, and say,
again.. very deliberately, 4" Well, 1 dom
see no points about that frog that's any
better'n any other frog"
Greeley he stood scratching his head anc
looking down at Dan'l long time, and al
last he says, {" / do wonder what in tn,
nation that frog throw'd off for--I wonder
if there amt something the matter witt
him--he pears to look mighty baggy
somehow" and lie ketched Danl by tht
nap of the neck, and lifted him up ant
says, " Why, blame my cats if he dom
weigh five pounds" and turning him up.
side down, he belched out double hand.
full of shot. And then he sec how it was,
and be was the maddest man-he set the
frog down and took out after the fellcr, bui
be never ketched him.