THE JUMPING FROG. 41 



Eh bien ! this Smiley nourished some terriers a rats, and some cocks of combat, 

 and some cats, and all sort of things ; and with his rage of betting one no had more 

 of repose. He trapped one day a frog and him imported with him (et I'emporta 

 chez lui) saying that he pretended to maTce his education. You me believe if you 

 will, but during three months he not has nothing done but to him apprehend to 

 jump (apprendre S, sauter) in a court retired of her mansion (de sa maison). And 

 I you respond that he have succeeded. He him gives a small blow by behind, and 

 the instant after you shall see the frog turn in the air like a grease-biscuit, make 

 one summersault, sometimes two, when she was well started, and re-fall upon his 

 feet like a cat. He him had accomplished in the art of to gobble the flies (gober 

 des mouches), and him there exercised continually — so well that a fly at the most 

 far that she appeared was a fly lost. Smiley had custom to say that all which 

 lacked to a frog it was the education, but with the education she could do nearly 

 all — and I him believe. Tenez, I him have seen pose Daniel Webster there upon 

 this plank — Daniel Webster was the name of the frog — and to hi«i sing, " Some 

 flies, Daniel, some flies ! " — in a flash of the eye Daniel had bounded and seized a 

 fly here upon the counter, then jumped anew at the earth, where he rested truly to 

 himself scratch the head with his behind-foot, as if he no had not the least idea of 

 his superiority. Never you not have seen frog as modest, as natural, sweet as she 

 was. And when he himself agitated to jump purely and simply upon plain earth, 

 she does more ground in one jump than any beast of his species than you can know. 

 To jump plain — this was his strong. When he himself agitated for that, Smiley 

 multiplied the bets upon her as long as there to him remained a red. It must to 

 know, Smiley was monstrously proud of his frog, and he of it was right, for some 

 men who were traveled, who had all seen, said that they to him would be injurious 

 to him compare to another frog. Smiley guarded Daniel in a little box latticed 

 which he carried bytimes to the village for some bet. 



One day an individual stranger at the camp him arrested with his box and him 

 said: 



''What is this that you have then shut up there within }" 



Smiley said, with an air indifferent : 



" That could be a paroquet, or a syringe (ou un serin), but this no is nothing of 

 sijch, it not is but a frog." 



