The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-11-04
The Tale OF tho Frogs.

The boys up in lc lake country Iowa,
are remarkably agile and most thoroughly
versed in the art OF catching anything that
walks, crawls, hoW Or swims. About two
weeks ago there WIRE, among other tourists
on Harvoys Lake two gentlemen, one
from the TwcntictB and the other from the
Sixteenth Wards of Chicago. Ono day
they wanted some, frogs for bnit. They
found some boys.
Bring u.s." said the tourists, ,"somc
frogs. Bring th4n to us this evening
fresh and alive, fol we would fish on the
morrow"
And the boys spike unto them, "lIow
many frogs would they want2"
And they said, Go to; bring us as
many rs you can d,tch"
For they wist fot that the boys were
lightning on frogs.
And the boys were astonishcd, and
marvclcd within themselves, and said,
$50 many2"
And the tourists were wroth and cntreat-
ell the lads roughly, and said, L" Yea, 50
many. Up; get thee away, for the day
waneth." And slraightway the lads got
up and got.
And it was 50 fliat the two fishermen
sought yet other boys, and spoke unto them
in like manner rs they had said unto the
first, for they fed red there would be no
bait for the morrow's sport.
Now, the fishermen desired that they
might have twenty-five frogs and no more,
but they withheld this matter back from
the lads, and said unto them: "Bring
unto us all the frogs you can catch. See,
is not here silver dnd ncklcs2 z"
Now, when eve was come the lads
returned, and they brought with them frogs
In oyster cans, in fruit cans, sardinc boxes,
old bottles, in earhen vessels and Tin buc-
kcts, in baskets and in gunny Sacks in
their hats and III their pockets, yea, in
everything wherein a frog might be con-
tanned, brought they frogs; big frogs, little
frogs, fat frogs, lean frogs, old frogs,
young frogs, male and female brought they
them.
And the fishermen were amazed, and one
said, "Lo, what have VIC hero 2"
And the lads spakc unto them, saying,
"Frogs."
And the head fishermen cntrcatcd them,
saying, "Lo, here arc far more frogs than
we want, but We will take them. We will
lump the lot at a hundred. Here is silver;
let that suffice thee"
But the lads said, "Nay, we will count
them"
And they Tailed the tale of frogs and
the number thereof was two hundred and
thrcc-scorc and nine. And the people
laughed and clappcd their hands and made
merry.
But the fishermen were wroth without
cause.
And it was so that yet other lads camo
in by ones and twos and threes. And they
brought with them each lad his full tale of
frogs, 90 that the like of it had never been
known bcforci no, not on all Harvcy's
Lake. "a
And they counted each boy his frogs
and he said: "Pay mo what thou owest
Lo, is not there the frogs tho 1 hast COM
manded2"
And they paid them, and entrcatcd them
that they would cast the frog into the
lake.
But the lads said: "Not SO. The frors
arc thine do with them as thou mayest
please"
And all the country round about the
lake was filled with frogs, for 1t was 80
that they escaped from the carthen vessels
and the fruit cans and sardine boxes and
baskets and the empty beer bottles and the
gunny bags, and spread themselves abroad
over the land. And they lifted up their
voices and made great lamcntation so that
no man slept that night
And the people sat at the windows and
at the gates and said with loud voice,
Blasthc," whicl, by Interpretation is
"frogs"
And when the morrow was come, tho
fishers went forth to fish, and they took
with them, as was their need, twenty five
frogs. And they used four of them.
But they had paid for three hundred and
eighty seven.