The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County

"The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" by Mark Twain and example of a local color frame story or story within a story. The narrator begins by reminiscing to the reader of his mission to the mining town of Angel's Camp. A friend of his from the East had written requesting him to call on a Simon Wheeler of Angel's Camp to inquire about a certain Reverend Leonidas W. Smiley. The narrator finds Mr. Wheeler in a local tavern, and no sooner does he mention the name Leonidas Smiley, than he finds himself backed into a corner. Claiming not to know of a Leonidas Smiley, Wheeler commences to monotonously and sincerely tell a fantastic tale about another character named Jim Smiley.

Without ever cracking a smile, Wheeler earnestly recounts that Jim Smiley was a gambler in Angel's Camp in '49 or '50 who would bet on anything, even if he had to change sides to get the bet. Whichever side he took, Jim Smiley usually ended up the winner. Sometimes Jim Smiley used his own animals for his bets. He would win money with a horse he called the fifteen-minute nag because she appeared to be in such poor health. After she was given a good head start in a race the other horses would easily pass her, but at the end of the race, the nag came up from behind, coughing and sneezing, and would win the race. Smiley also won bets with his dog until the scrap of a pup he used for fighting died of a broken heart. The dog, Andrew Jackson, looked worthless up until the money was doubled during the fight. The pup then went into full action, biting into the hind leg of the opponent and holding on until he won the fight. In the Andrew Jackson's last fight, Smiley put him up against a dog without any hind legs. After the money was doubled, the pup had nothing on which to grab. He gave up the fight and laid down and died. Next, Smiley trained a frog he named Dan'l Webster do somersaults, catch flies, and jump. Smiley and the abilities of his jumping frog became well known in the area. One day, a stranger came to town and allowed himself to be drawn into a frog jumping contest. While Smiley was out catching a frog for the stranger to compete with, the stranger filled Dan'l Webster up with quail shot. The stranger won the contest because Dan'l Webster was unable to jump. After the stranger left with his winnings, Smiley picked up his frog and realized that the stranger tricked him.

At this point in Simon Wheeler's story, he is called out into the yard and our narrator, recognizing his opportunity to escape death from boredom, moves away from the corner. Simon Wheeler re-enters the tavern and begins his story again, this time about Smiley and his one-eyed cow. Our narrator good naturedly cuts him off and leaves the tavern.

Mark, Twain. The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.