Plot in The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County

Plot Examples in The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County:

The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County

"He ketched a frog one day, and took him home, and said he cal'klated to edercate him; and so he never done nothing for three months but set in his back yard and learn that frog to jump. And you bet you he 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 maybe a couple, if he got a good start, and come down flat-footed and all right, like a cat..." See in text (The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County)

Smiley's frog, Dan'l Webster, is not just a good jumper. Smiley spends three months teaching a frog to jump. His obvious intention is to be the owner of a trained, professional jumper so that he can make money betting on it. He would have to "lay for" a newcomer because everyone who knew Smiley knew he had "educated" Dan'l Webster. The humor in the story is based largely on the fact that the "stranger" seems to be an excellent victim but it turns out that he is not as naive as Smiley takes him to be.

William Delaney

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