The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-09-08
By Mark Twain.

W cocks, and tomcats and all them kind of things till you couldn't rest, and you couldn't fetch nothing for him to bet on but he'd match you. He ketched a frog one day and took him home, and said he cal'lated to ed ucate him; and so he never done noth- ing for three months but set in his And you bet you did learn him, too. He'd give him a little punch behind, and the next minute you'd see that frog whirling in the air like a doughnut- see him turn one summerset, or may be a couple, if he got good start. and come down flat-footed and all right, like a cat He got him up so In the matter of ketching flies and kep' him in practice so constant that he'd nail a fly every time as fur as he could see him. Smiley said all frog wanted was education and he could do most anything-and I believe him.
 "Why, I've seen him set Dan'l Web Webster was the name of the frog and sing out, Flies, Dan1. flies" and quicker'n you could wink he'd spring straight up and snake a fly off'n the counter there, and flop down on the floor agin as solid as a gob of mud, and fall to scratching the side of his head with his hind foot as indifferent as ik>he hadn't no idea he'd been doin' any more'n any frog might do. You never see frog so modest and straightforward as he was, for all he was so gifted. And when 1t come to fair and square jumping on a dead level he could get over more ground at one straddle than any animal of his breed you ever see. Jumping on a dead level was his strong suit, you understand, and when 1t come to that Smiley would ante up money on him as long as he had a red. Smiley was monstrous proud of his frog, and well he might be, for fellers that had travelled and been ev- erywheres, all said he laid over any frog that ever they see.
 "Well, Smiley kept the beast in little lattice box, and he used to fetch
 
 A bet. One day a feller-a stranger in the camp, he was-come acrost him with his box, and says: What might if be that you've got in the box?
 And Smiley says, sorter indifferent like, Tt might be a parrot, or 1t might be a canary, maybe, but it ain't its only Just frog
 And the feller took 1t and looked at it careful. and turned it round this way and that, and says: 'H'm, so 'tis We'll what's he good for?"
 "'Well' Smiley says. easy and care less, he's good enough for one thing, I should judge-he can out-jump any frog in Calaveras county
 "The feller took the box agin and took another long, particular look, and
 '.e it back to Smiley, and says, very deliberate, We'll he says, I don't see no p'ints about that frog that's any better'n any other frog
 "Maybe you don't Smiley says. Maybe you understand frogs. and may be you don't understand 'em; maybe you've had experience and maybe you aint only a amateur. as it were. Any ways I've got my opinion, and I'll resk forty dollars that he can out jump any frog in Calaveras county
 And the feller studied a minute, and then says, kinder sad like, Well, I'm only a stranger here, and I ain't got no frog; but If had a frog I'd bet you
 And then Smiley says, that's all right, that's all right. if you'll hold my box minute, I'll go and get you a frog And so the feller took the box, and put his forty dollars along with Smi1ey's and set down to wait. "So he set there a good while, think ing and thinking to himself, and then he got the frog out and pried his mouth open and took a teaspoon and filled him full of quail shot-filled him pretty near up to his chin-and set him on the floor. Smiley he went 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 this feller and says:
 | Now, if your ready, set him along side of Dan'l, with si forepaws just even with Dan'ls. and I'll give the