Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1904-03-02
THE DESPISED TOAD.
POPULAR HATRED OF ANIMAL
OF GREAT ANTIQUITY.
IN LEGENDARY AND sUPERsTITIoUs
LORE THE UHCoUTH CREATURE
PLAYS NO SMALL PART.

immemorial been an object of distrust
and aversion, especially among the
common people. A pleasing tale runs
that a gentleman, walking along a
country lane, came suddenly upon a
village boy belaboring the crushed
body of toad with heavy stick and
exclaiming at each blow, I'll larn e
to be a toadr' whereat the indignant
newcomer, Selling the miscreant by
his collar. vigorously applied cane
to his legs, remarking, III larn you
to be boyi" The popular hatred of
the toad, indeed, is of such antiquity
and is still so general as to seem in
eradicable. That the creature is not
dangerously poisonous it IL hopeless
to attempt to convince the ordinary
rustic Doubtless this belief has its
toad has the power of emitting when
disturbed or annoyed unduly and
which will cause dog that has in
cautiously picked up toad to foam
at the mouth. Again, the uncouth APP
pearance of the creature has had much
to do with the feeling of repulsion
with which it has always been regard
ed Squat like toad is the phrase
by which Milton describes the evil one
essaying to reach the ear of Eve.
Superstition, in truth, has laid firm
hold on the toad's misshapen figure.
The belief, not only in the existence of
toad stones" but in their efficacy as
sovereign remedy for certain ills,
which is still common in parts of the
country. is of very ancient date.
There is to be found in the heads of
old and great toads," says Fenton,
writing in 1860. "a stone they call
borax, or stelon, which, being used as
rings. gives forewarning of venom"
In the Londesborough collection Is
silver ring Of the fifteenth century in
which one of these toad stones is set.
They were supposed always to bear
on their surface figure resembling a
toad, being somewhat similar trinkets.
one may imagine, to the scarab9us
ornament Of the Egyptians. Another
early writer remarks. "A toad stone
called 'crepandia,' touching any part
envenomed by the bite of rat, wasp.
spider or other venomous beast, ceases
the pain and swelling thereof" 1t
was believed that when brought near
to poison the stone sweated and chang
ed color. thus conveying to its wear
ers timely warning of danger.
1t is to these peculiar amulets that
Shakespeare Is supposed to refer In
las You Like IT."
Sweet are the uses of adversely,
Which. like the toad. ugly and venomous
Wears yet precious Jewel in his head.
Is it not probable, however, that the
poet, being poet, Is here alluding to
the eye of the toad. an object, as all
who are really familiar with the APP
pesrance of this humble batrachian
will agree, than which there are few
more beautiful in nature?
Perhaps the most familiar supersti-
ton in regard to toads Is that, still rife,
which supposes them capable of exist
ing for an indefinite period in the int
rior of rocks, stones or Theoretically
sealed cavities. Numberless "authen-
tic instances of this remarkable pow
err have been brought forward from
time to time. The following exam
pie from an old book is typical: In
1893 Mr.. George Wilson, a mason. met
with a toad, which he wantonly i'm
INJURED in stone wall that he was
then building. In the middle of the
wall he made a close cell of lime and
stone, just fit for the magnitude of its
body and seemingly so plastered as 10
prevent the admission of air. In 1909
sixteen years afterward, it was found
necessary TO open a gap in this wall
for q passage of carts, when the poor
creature was found alive in its strong
hold. 1t seemed at first in a very tor
pid state, but it soon recovered ANNA
tion and activity and, as if sensible OF
the blessings of freedom, made its way
to a collection of stones and disappear
ed" 1t Is known that toads can exist
for long time without food, and it is
generally believed that they live to
great age, and doubtless these two pc
culiarlties have had much to do with
the superstition in regard to their sup
posed penchant for hermit's life. The
fallacy, however, was completely eX-
posed by Dean auckland. father OF
Frank auckland the great naturalist,
who went to the trouble of testing the
truth Of the theory by an exhaustive
series of experiments. 1t need only be
remarked that none of his victims sur
vived the incarceration.
In legendary as in superstitious lore
the toad plays no small part. 1t may
not be generally known that the tleur
de-lis of France was originally in shape
toad Thus at least runs the talr
Clovis, king OF France, bore on his ban
ner the device of three toads, or ''boteS,
as they were called in old French. Ills
baptism gave great umbrage to the Ari,
ans, who reLelled and assembled a
large host against him under King
Candat Clovis while on his way to
meet the heretics was granted a vision,
wherein he saw in the heavens his De
vice OF three toads miraculously chang