Short Story Review: The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County
What does he do after this happens?
He looks at Smiley as if he betrayed him and then falls over dead.
Who is the author of "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County"?
Mark Twain
Why does the narrator listen to Simon Wheeler's long story?
Simon has backed the narrator into a corner and won't let him escape
Jim Smiley's horse wins races by
barreling past the other horse, after having a head start
The purpose of this story is to
entertain readers with humor.
The narrator calls on Simon Wheeler to
find out about a friend's childhood friend, Rev. Leonidas W. Smiley
What amazing things can Smiley's frog do? What personality traits does Wheeler attribute to the frog?
flips, somersaults, jump higher than any other frog; modest, straightforward
For what reason does Wheeler call Smiley "the curiousest man"? What evidence does Wheeler use to support his statement?
he will bet on anything and on any side; he bets on whether the parson's wife will live or die
Andrew Jackson, the bull pup, wins fights by
holding his opponent's hind leg until the other dog collapses
The bull pup finally loses a fight when he
is pitted against a dog that doesn't have hind legs
Is the stranger as innocent as he appears?
no, because he tricks Smiley
How does the frog lose the race?
the stranger fills him with lead pellets, so the frog is too heavy to hop
What wager does Smiley make for contest with stranger on jumping frogs?
$40
How long did Jim Smiley "educate" his frog in order to make him a championship jumper?
3 months
Summarize what happens after Smiley meets the stranger.
They decide to have a competition for frog that could jump better. He leaves Daniel Webster with stranger to get him a frog. When gone, stranger fills Daniel Webster with quail shot. When Smiley comes back, they compete and Daniel Webster doesn't move. Smiley lost.
The story ends as
Wheeler starts telling another story, and the narrator leaves