Jim Smiley was a famous person in Calaveras county. He would try to make money on anything. If there was a dog-fight, he would try to win money on it. If there was a cat-fight, he would take the risk. If there was two birds setting on a fence, he would want you to decide which one would fly first so he could win money. And he almost always was a winner.
He caught a frog one day and said he was going to train it. After three months 'training, Smiley was very proud of his frog because it could get over more ground in one jump than any frog that you ever saw.
One day, a stranger came and said, "What might be that in the box?" Smiley said, "It's my frog, Daniel. "And the man looked at it carefully, and said, "Well, what is he good for?" Smiley said, easily and carelessly, "He can out jump any frog in Calaveras county. "The man took another long look and said, "Well, 1 don't see anything about that frog that is any better than any other frog. " Smiley said. "Maybe you understand frogs and maybe you don't. Anyway, I will risk forty dollars and bet you that he can jump farther than any frog in Calaveras County. "
The man thought a minute. "Well, I'm only a stranger here, and l do not have a frog. But if I had a frog, I would risk my money on it. "Smiley decided to get him a frog. The man sat there a long time thinking and thinking. Then he got the frog out of the box and filled its mouth full of bullets*.
Now Smiley had caught another frog and gave it to the man. ‘Now sit him next to Daniel. "Then Smiley said, "One-two-three-go!" Smiley and the other man touched the frogs.
The new frog jumped. Daniel just lifted up his body but could not move at all. Smiley was very surprised and angry. But he did not know what the problem was.
The other man took the money away. And when he was going out the door, he looked back and said" Well. I don't see anything about that frog that is any better than any other frog. "
Smiley stood looking down at Daniel a long time. He picked up Daniel and turned him upside down and out came a lot of bullets.
