Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-03-10
THE DESPISED TOAD.
POPULAR HATRED or THE ANIMAL IS
or GREAT ANTIQUITY.
In Legendary ns Well ~ In Supersj-
tious Lore the Uncnuth and MIS-
shapcD Creature Plays No small
PnrtZThc Belief In Toad stones.

The unfortunate toad has from time
tnjncinOrial been an object of GistsIst
and aversion. especially among the
common people. y pleasing tale runs
that a gentleman, walking along Il
country lane. came suddenly upon u
village boy belaborng the crushed
body Of "A tond with n heavy stick and
exclaiming Mt each blow, 'I'il larn q
to he a tOad" whercat the indignant
newcomer. selling the miscreant by
his collar, vigorously applied cane
to his legs. remark ing, "I'll larn you
to be boy" The popular hatred of
the toad. indeed, IL Of such antiquity
and is still so general as to seem in
eradicable. That the creature Is not
dangerously poisonous It Is hopeless
to attempt 10 convince the ordinary
rustic. Doubtless this belief has its
origin In the acrid secretion which the
toad has the power Of emitting when
disturbed or annoyed unduly and
which will cause a 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 repulsiou
with which it has always been regard
ed. squat like toad IL 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 mlsshapen figure.
The belief, not only in the existence of
toad stones" but in their efficacy as
a 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 1863 "a stone they call
borax. or stelon, which. being used as
rings, gives forewarning OF venolnH'
In the Londesborough collection Is n
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 Il
toad being somewhat similar trinkets.
one may imagine to the scarabPus
ornament of the Egyptians. Another
early writer remarks, "a toad stone
called 'crepandia,' touching any part
envenulned by the bite of rat, wasp,
spider or other venomous beast, ceases
the pain and swelling thereof" II
was believed that when brought near
to poison the stone swcated and chang
ed color. thus conveying to its wear
ers Il timely warning of danger.
II is to these peculiar amulets that
Shakespeare is supposed 70 refer in
LAS You Like It,
Sweet are the uses Of adversely.
Which. like the toad. ugly and venom GUS,
Wears yet a precious jewel in his head
Is it not probable. however. that the
poet being poet. is here abiding to
the eye Of the toad. an object, as all
who are really familiar with the APP
pearancc of this humble batrac n
will agree. than witch there are few
more beautiful ~ nature:
Perhaps the most familiar supersti-
ton in regard to ,oads = that, Still rife,
which suppoSoS them capable Of exist.
Ing for an Indefinite period in thu int
rior of rocks stones or Theoretically
sealed cNvajos Numbcrl"Ss "autheu.
Il, instrument, NJ .nis rer,orlabln no,v.
-, to,., ,.a, l,.,r,,,, fn,.y..,vd rro,o
+f,,,o =, ,ir,o Tho foli,,vi,,c n,a-n.
plo FROM an Old hooh Is typ'al I'm
,7on A., ,.oo,,. ,,,iIsor q. ,,'oe.r won't
,,it,, a. tood v.b..h bn ,,..,rt.nl,. inn
r,rrod ir =, s,onn wall ti,pt h. was
,bor ,,,ilai,, In ,bo ,rfsiIo ~ the
u-ou no ,,oda q cl,.. COLL ..f lin. and
e+n,o ;u., IL sor ,h. r,,rri,udc &c i,s
hodv ana sen,,Iuo,v so nlnstcrnd as r.
,,,,,,.o,, two adr,i..t,n of ,jr IN 1ann
st1+oo., ro.r, of+orr,ri II WIS fornI
,,,,o,,.or,. ~ oro, .or in t,i. u.,1,
,,, ,o.s.,,, 9 orr. ,,h.,, ,bo noo,
,,.o.,t,,ro y,os found olivo In i,s utronr
Mold II .o,,rod ar frst in . verv to,.
MD s,ota I'm, II coon recovered amin,
tio,, o,d o,t,vi+v and os IL soneihie ~
+,o hioe,,,,.., 81 f,o,do,, r,,do u. wa,
70 .o,lo.t;,,, ~ s,onns and dis,nncor
od Il T.. pn,,,., th,, ,o,ds CON axis,
,or q l,r., ,in,o wi,hout food and +, +.
co,o-o,,r ho,;,vad that thoy 1.-Two 70 O
t,ro,+ ,,.a and douhtIoss ,haso tro ma
a,,,i.ri.i,< horo had ,o,oh 60 a. ,.,,,
.ho s,,a-s,,ti,r in ..a,,ord 70 ,boi- sun
,,,sod nor,,.,,t for q horr,i,,s uso rh.
f,,,.cy howevar wos c,rn,otolv ox
,o.nl l, D,,u Dual. In nj entAor -,