'Jumping Frog' Summary

The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County is a humorous short story by Mark Twain, published in 1865. It is narrated by an unnamed traveler who recounts a conversation with Simon Wheeler, a bartender at the Angels Hotel in Angels Camp, California. Wheeler shares the tale of Jim Smiley, a local gambler known for his uncanny ability to find and train animals with unusual abilities. Smiley's most famous pet is a frog named Daniel Webster, who can out-jump any other frog in the county. When a stranger arrives in town and challenges Smiley to a frog-jumping contest, Smiley is confident that Daniel Webster will win. However, the stranger has a secret weapon—a frog filled with buckshot that can jump an astonishing distance. Smiley is outraged and humiliated by his defeat. He accuses the stranger of cheating and vows to get revenge. The story ends with the narrator reflecting on the tall tales and colorful characters that populate the American frontier.