第九课-The-celebrated-Jumping-Frog-of-Calaveras-Count

ThecelebratedJumpingFrogofCalaverasCountyBackground“TheCelebratedJumpingFrogofCalaverasCounty”wasfirstpublishedin1865,whenMarkTwainwaslivingintheAmericanSouthwest,whichwasstillintheprocessofbeingsettled.TheIndustrialRevolutionhadbroughtmachineryandfactoriestotheeasternUnitedStates,butmostofthecountry,particularlyareaswestoftheMississippiRiver,stillreliedonthelandforeconomicdevelopment.MuchofthelandintheWestwasdevotedtocattle,andtheU.S.governmentwasinvolvedinbattlesandembroilmentswithvariousNativeAmericantribesinordertoobtainmoreland.TheWest’sgrowingpopulationwasinfluencedbyboththeHomesteadActof1862,whichpromisedfreefarmstofamilies,andbythediscoveryofgoldinCaliforniain1848.Asaresultofthisdiscovery,miningtownsandcamps,suchasAngel’sCampwhereTwainsets“TheCelebratedJumpingFrogofCalaverasCounty,”wereestablishedthroughoutCaliforniaandthewesternUnitedStates.CharactersAndrewJackson:JimSmiley’sbull-pup,AndrewJackson,wasusedbyJiminvariousbets.TheFifteen-MinuteNag:TheFifteen-MinuteNagisthenamegiventoJimSmiley’shorse.Anoldandrathersicklyanimal,TheFifteen-MinuteNagwasusedbyJiminmanyofhisbets.JimSmiley:JimSmileyisthefocusofSimonWheeler’stale.AresidentofCalaverasCounty’sAngel’sCampineither1849or1850,Jimisprimarilyknownforhisloveforbettingandwillbetonalmostanything—nomatterhowridiculous.TheStranger:aconartist.CharactersSimonWheeler:anelderlyresidentoftheWesternminingoperationknownasAngel’sCamp.Afat,baldingmanwhomTwainfindsinabar,Simonisdescribedcondescendinglyaspossessing“anexpressionofwinninggentlenessandsimplicity.”Dan’lWebster:the“notoriousjumpingfrogofCalaverasCounty.”HeiscaughtbyJimSmileyandtrainedtojumphigh,far,andoncommand.MarkTwain:theauthorandnarratorofthestory,aswellasoneofitscharacters.Heisportrayedasthebuttofajoke,thejokebeinghaventolistentothefantastictalesofagarrulousoldmannamedSimonWheeler.PlotSummary“TheCelebratedJumpingFrogofCalaverasCounty”hasan“as-told-to”framework.AtalkativemannamedSimonWheelerrelatestoMarkTwain(thenarrator)thestoryofagamblernamedJimSmileyandtheamazinganimalsSmileyusedinhisschemes.TwainhasgonetoseeWheelerattheurgingofafriendbackEastwhoisinsearchofinformationaboutaboyhoodcompanionnamedLeonidasW.Smiley.LeonidasW.SmileyhadsupposedlybecomeaministerandgonetoawesternminingsettlementcalledAngel’sCamp.ThenarratornoteshehascometobelievethereisnosuchpersonasLeonidasW.Smiley,andthattheinquirywasdesignedtoprovideWheelerwithanexcusetotalkaboutJimSmiley.ThenarratorfindsWheelerinarun-downtaverninAngel’sCampandpolitelyasksaboutLeonidasW.Smiley.ThenamemeansnothingtoWheeler,buthethinksalmostimmediatelyofJimSmileyandbeginsfillinghisvisitorwithtalesofthisbizarrecharacter.PlotSummaryJimSmiley,accordingtoWheeler,wasamanwhowouldbetonanything.“Why,iftherewastwobirdssettingonafence,hewouldbetyouwhichonewouldflyfirst,”Wheelersays.WheelerrecallsthatSmileyhadaslow,sicklyhorsethatwouldsurpriseeveryonebywinningraces,andSmileyfrequentlywonmoneywiththathorse.Smiley’sbulldogpup,namedAndrewJacksonafterthestrong-willedU.S.president,alsohadanamazingtalent.AndrewJacksonthedogwasnotveryimpressiveinappearance,butremarkablytenaciouswhentherewasabetridingonhim.Hewouldletanotherdogbeathimsavagelyuntilthelargestandfinalbetofthefightwason,thentakeoneofhisopponent’shindlegsinhismouthandholdonuntiltheotherdogsimplygaveup.Hecontinuedwinninginthismanneruntilhewentupagainstadogwithnohindlegs.Unabletousehisfavoritetactic,AndrewJacksonbecamesodisheartenedthathejustslunkoffanddied,WheelertellsTwain.PlotSummaryWheelercontinueswithastoryabouthowSmileyoncecaughtafrogandtrainedittojump.Thefrog,namedafterfamednineteenth-centuryAmericanpoliticianDanielWebster,developedincrediblejumpingability.SmileywonmanybetswithDan’lWebsterandtookgreatprideinhim,Wheelersays.OnedaySmileyboastedtoastrangerinthecampthatDan’lWebstercouldoutjumpanyfroginCalaverasCounty,andheofferedtobetfortydollarstoproveit.ThestrangerhadnofrogtopitagainstSmiley’s,soSmileyleftDan’lWebsterwithhimandwenttofindanotherfroginanearbyswamp.WhileSmileywasgone,thestrangerspoonedbuckshotintoDan’lWebster’smouthuntilthefrogwasweighteddown.Smileyreturnedwiththesecondfrogandthejumpingcontestbegan,butDan’lWebstercouldnotmove.PlotSummaryAfterthestrangertookhismoneyandhisleave,SmileynoticedthatsomethingappearedtobewrongwithDan’l.Heliftedthefrog,realizedhowheavyitwas,andturneditupsidedownuntilitbelchedouttheshot.Hethenchasedafterthevisitor,butnevercaughthim,Wheelerrelates.Atthispointinthetale,someoneoutsidethetaverncallsWheeler’sname,andWheelerstepsoutafterurgingthenarratortowaitforhimtoreturn.Bythistime,however,thenarratorbelieveshewillobtainnousefulinformationfromWheeler,andhegetsuptoleave.Ashereachesthedoor,WheelercomesbackandstartstotellhimaboutJimSmiley’sone-eyed,no-tailedcow.“Lackingbothtimeandinclination”tohearthisstory,thenarratormakeshisescape.