Reprint of the original, first published in 1867.

First published in 1865, “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” was Mark Twain's first real literary success and arguably launched his career as a writer. The story revolves around a tale the narrator once heard about a gambler named Jim Smiley who would bet on absolutely anything. An amusing tale of mistaken identity and a frog called Daniel Webster, “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” is a must-read that will not disappoint fans of Twain's unique work. Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835–1910), more commonly known under the pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, lecturer, publisher and entrepreneur most famous for his novels “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” (1876) and “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” (1884). Other notable works by this author include: “The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today” (1873) and “The Prince and the Pauper” (1881). Read & Co. Classics is proudly republishing this classic short story now in a new edition complete with a specially-commissioned biography of the author.

"The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" is an 1865 short story by Mark Twain. It was his first great success as a writer and brought him national attention. The story has also been published as "Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog" (its original title) and "The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County". In it, the narrator retells a story he heard from a bartender, Simon Wheeler, at the Angels Hotel in Angels Camp, California, about the gambler Jim Smiley. The narrator describes him: "If he even seen a straddle bug start to go anywheres, he would bet you how long it would take him to get to wherever he going to, and if you took him up, he would foller that straddle bug to Mexico but what he would find out where he was bound for and how long he was on the road."

James Russell Lowell had already pronounced the "Frog" story "the finest piece of humorous writing yet produced in America." We are sure he would also have bestowed this word of praise upon the remaining stories that make up this small volume, though the title sketch is definitely the redeeming feature of the collection.

"The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" is an 1865 short story by Mark Twain. It was his first great success as a writer and brought him national attention.[1] The story has also been published as "Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog" (its original title) and "The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County". In it, the narrator retells a story he heard from a bartender, Simon Wheeler, at the Angels Hotel in Angels Camp, California, about the gambler Jim Smiley. The narrator describes him: "If he even seen a straddle bug start to go anywheres, he would bet you how long it would take him to get to wherever he going to, and if you took him up, he would foller that straddle bug to Mexico but what he would find out where he was bound for and how long he was on the road."

Revenge edition. The original story, a hapless French translation, and Twain's hilarious "retranslation" from the French. 12 illustrations.

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