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第9章 The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County（第1页）

第9章TheNotoriousJumpingFrogofCalaverasty

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InpliaherequestofafrieemefromtheEast，IgarrulousoldSimonWheeler，aermyfriend'sfriend，LeonidasW.

Smiley，asrequestedtodo，aoappe.IhavealurkingsuspithatLeonidasW.Smileyisamyth;thatmyfriendneverkneersoheohatifIaskedoldWheelerabouthim，itwouldremindhimofhisinfamousJimSmiley，andhewouldgotoworkahwithsomeexasperatingreminisaslongandastediousasitshouldbeuselesstome.Ifthatwasthedesign，itsucceeded.

IfoundSimfortablybythebarroomstoveofthedilapidatedtaverninthedeinggel's，andIhewasfatandbald-headed，andhadanexpressionofwilenessandsimplihistranquilce.Herousedup，andgavemegoodday.ItoldhimafriendofminehadetomakesomeiacherishedpanionofhisboyhoodnamedLeonidasW.Smiley-Rev.LeonidasW.Smiley，ayouheGospel，whohehadheardwasatoimearesidentofAngel'sCamp.IaddedthatifMr.WheelercouldtellmeanythingaboutthisRev.LeonidasW.Smiley，Iwouldfeelundermanyobligationstohim.

SimonWheelerbatoadblockadedmetherewithhisdthensatdowhemonotonousnarrativewhichfolloh.Heneversmiled，heneverfrowned，henevergedhisventle-flowiowhiedhisierayedtheslightestsuspithusiasm;butallthroughtheintermiivethereranaveinofimpressiveearnessay，whieplainlythat，sofarfromhisimaginingthattherewasanythingridiculousorfunnyabouthisstardeditasareallyimportantmatter，awoheroesasmenoftrageniusihimgooninhisownway，aerrruptedhimonce.

"Rev.Leonidasos;m，RevereherewasafellerhereohenameofJimSmiley，ierof‘49-ormaybeitringof’50-Idon'trecollectexaehow，thoughwhatmakesmethinkitwasoherisbecauseIrememberthebigflumeos;tfinishedwhep;butaheanaboutalwaysbettingonanythingthatturnedupyoueversee，ifhecouldgetanybodytobetoherside;andifhep;apos;the'dgesides.Anywaythatsuitedtheothermanwouldsuithim-anywayjustso'shegotabet，hewassatisfied.Butstillhewasluoalwayseoutwinner.Hewasalwaysreadyandlayingforace;therep;apos;tbenosolit&apmehatfeller'doffertobetonit，andtakeanysideyouplease，asIwasjusttellingyou.Iftherewasahorse-rap;apos;dfindhimflushoryou'dfindhimbustedattheendofit;iftherewasadog-fight，he'dbetonit;iftherewasacat-fight，he'dbetonit;iftherewasa-fight，he'dbetonit;why，iftherewastwobirdssettingonafence，hewouldbetyouwhiewouldflyfirst;orifthere-meeting，hewouldbetherereg'lartobetonParsonWalker，whichhejudgedtobethebestexhorterabouthere，aoo，andagoodman.Ifheeveraddle-bugstarttogoanywheres，hewouldbetyouhowlongitwouldtakehimtogetto-toingto，andifyoutookhimup，hewouldfollerthatstraddle-bugtoMexicobutwhathewouldfindoutwherehewasboundforandhowloheroad.LotsoftheboysherehasseenthatSmiley，andtellyouabouthim.Why，itnevermadeohim-he'dbetonanythifeller.Parsonos;swifelaidverysice，foodwhile，anditseemedasiftheyos;tgoiheein，andSmileyupandaskedhimhowshewas，andhesaidshewassidablebetter-thanktheLordforhisinf'nitmeringonsosmartthatwiththeblessingofProv'denceshe'dgetwellyet;andSmiley，beforehethought，says，'os;llresktwo-and-a-halfshedon'tany

"Thish-yerSmileyhadamare-theboyscalledherthefifteethatwasonlyinfun，youknow，becauseofcourseshewasfasterthanthat-aowihorse，forallshewassoslowandalwayshadtheasthma，orthedistemper，ortheethingofthatkiogivehertwoorthreehundredyards'start，andthenpassherualwaysatthefagendoftheraceshe'dgetexddesperatelike，aingandstraddlingup，andsgherlegsarouimesintheair，atoohefendkigupm-o-r-edustandraisiwithhergandsneezingandblowinghernose-andalwaysfetchupatthestandjustaboutaneckahead，asnearasyoucouldcipheritdown.

"Andhehadalittlesmallbull-pup，thattolookathimyou'dthinkheos;tworthatbuttosetaroundandlookorneryandlayforacetostealsomething.Butassoonasmoneyonhimhewasadifferentdog;hisunder-jaos;dbegintostickoutlikethefo'boat，ahwouldundshihefurnadadogmighttacklehimandbully-raghim，andbitehim，andthrowhimoverhisshouldertwoorthreetimes，andAndrewJa-whichwasthehepup-AndrewJawouldwhathewassatisfied，andhadn'texpeothihebetsbeingdoubledaheothersideallthetime，tillthemoney;andthenallofasuddenhewouldgrabthatjestbythej'intofhishindlega-notchaw，youuand，butonlyjustgripandhangohrowedupthespowasayear.Smileyalwayseoutwipup，tillheharnessedadogodidn'thavenohihey'dbeensawedoffinacircularsaw，ahinghadgonealh，andthemoney，aomakeasnatchforhispetholt，heseeinaminutehoos;dsbeenimposedon，aherdoghadhiminthedoor，sotospeak，andhe'pearedsurprised，andtheerdisced-like，anddidn'ttryhefight，ashuckedoutbad.HegiveSmileyalook，asmuchastosayhisheartwasbroke，andituttingupadogthathadn'tnohindlegsforhimtotakeholtof，whichendenafight，andthenhelimpedoffapiedlaiddow，wasthatAndrewJadwouldhavemadeanameforhimselfifhe'dlived，forthestuffwasinhimandhehadgenius-Iknowit，becausehehadn'tnoopportuospeakof，anditdon'tstaadogakesuchafightashederthemcesifhehadn'talwaysmakesmefeelsorrywhenIthinkofthatlastfightofhis'ur.

"Well，thish-yerSmileyhadrat-tarriers，anddtomdallthemkindofthings，tillyoup;apos;trest，andyoup;apos;tfetgforhimtobetonbuthe'dmatchyou.Hefetchedafrogoneday，andtookhimhome，andsaidhecal'latedtoeducatehim;andsohehingforthreemonthsbutsetinhisbadlearnthatfrogtojump.Ayouhedidlearnhim，too.He'dgivehimalittlepund，aeyou'dseethatfrintheairlikeadoughurno，ormaybeacouple，ifhegotagoodstart，andedownflat-footedandallright，likeaupsoieroffetgflies，andkep‘himiant，thathe'dnailaflyeverytimeasfurashecouldseehim.Smileysaidallafrogwaion，andheostanything-andIbelievehim.os;veseeDan'lWebsterdowhisfloor-Dan'lWebsterwasthehefrog-andsingout，‘Flies，Dan'l，flies!’andquicker'nyoukhe&apstraightupandsnakeaflyoff'erthere，andflopdownonthefl'inassolidasagobofmud，andfalltthesideofhisheadwithhishindfootasiasifhehadn'tnoideahe'dbeendoin'anymore'nanyfrogmightdo.Youneverseeafrogsomodestandstraightfor'ardashewas，forallhewassogifted.Aetofairandsquarejumpingonadeadlevel，hecouldgetrouraddlethananyanimalofhisbreedyoueversee.Jumpingonadeadlevelwashisstrongsuit，youuaileymoneyonhimaslongashehadared.Smileywasmonstrousproud，abe，forfellersthathadtraveledandbeeneverywheresallsaidhelaidthatevertheysee.

"Well，Smileykep'thebeastiidheusedtofetchhimdown-towimesandlayforabet.Onedayafeller-astrahecamp，hewas-withhisbox，andsays:

"Whatmightitbethatyou'vegotinthebox?"

"AndSmileysays，sorteri-like，‘Itmightbeaparrhtbeaary，maybe，butitain't-it'sonlyjustafrog.’"

"Aookit，adturroundthiswayandthat，andsays，‘H'm-so'tis.os;shegoodfor?’"

"‘Well，’Smileysays，easyandcareless，‘he'sgoodenoughforohing，Ishouldjudge-hepanyfrogiy.’"

"Thefellertooktheboxagain，andto，particularlook，abailey，andsays，verydeliberate，'os;hesays，‘Idon'tseenop'intsaboutthatfrogthat'saer'nany.’"

"‘Maybeyoudon't，’Smileysays.‘Maybeyouuandfrogsandmaybeyoudon'tuand'em;maybeyou'vehadexperiendmaybeyouain'tonlyaamature，asit;apos;vegotmyopinion，andI'llreskfortydollarsthathepanyfrogiy.’

"Audiedamihensays，kindersadlike，‘os;merhere，andIain'tg;butifIhadafrog，I'dbetyou.’

"Andthehat&apht-that&apht-ifyou'llholdmyboxaminute，I'llgoay.’Aookthebox，andputuphisfortydwithSmiley's，ao>

"Sohesetthereagoodwhilethinkingandthinkingtohimself，ahefrogoutandprizedhismouthopenandtookateaspoonandfilledhimfullofquail-shot-filledhimprettyohisdsethimonthefloor.Smileyhewenttothesedaroundinthemudftime，andfichedafrog，achedhimihisfeller，andsays:

"‘Noos;reready，sethimalongsideofDan'l，withhisforepawsjustevenos;l's，andI'llgivetheword.’Thenhesays，'Ohree-git!andhimaouchedupthefrogsfrombehind，andthenewfroghoppedofflively，butDan'lgiveaheave，andhysteduphisshoulders-so-likeaFren，butitos;tnouse-hep;apos;tbudge;helantedassolidasadhep;apos;thanifhewasa.Smileywasagooddealsurprised，andhewasdisgustedtoo，buthedidn'thavehematterwas，ofcourse.

"Thefellertookthemoartedaasgoingoutatthedoor，hesorterjerkedhisthumboverhisshoulder-so-atDan'l，andsaysagaie，‘Well，’hesays，‘Idon'tseenop'intsaboutthatfrogthat'saer'nany.’

"Smileyhesthisheadandlookingdoos;lalolasthesays，'Idowoihatfrogthroos;dofffor-Iwohereain'tsomethierwithhim-he'spearstolookmightybaggy，somehoos;A'lbythenapofthenedheftedhim，andsays，'Whyblamemycatsifhedon'tweighfivepound!'andturnedhimupsidedownaadoublehandfulofshot.Andthewas，ahemaddestmahefrogdownandtookoutafterthatfeller，buthechedhim.And-"

[HereSimonWheelerheardhishefrotuptoseeaurningtomeashemovedaway，hesaid:"Justsetwhereyer，aeasy-Iain'tgoingtobegoneased."

But，byyourleave，IdidnotthinkthatauatiooryoftheenterprisingvagabondJimSmileywouldbelikelytoaffordmemuatitheRev.LeonidasW.Smiley，andsoIstarteda>

AtthedoorImetthesociableWheelerreturnionholedmeandreenced:

"Well，thish-yerSmileyhadayallerohatdidn'thavenotail，onlyjustashortstumplikeabannanner，and-"

Hbothtimeandin，Ididnotwaittohearabouttheafflictedyleave.