Regionalism and Local Color The Notorious Jumping Frog ... · Regionalism and Local Color 683 The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County Short Story by Mark Twain text analysis:

Regionalism and Local Color

683

The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras CountyShort Story by Mark Twain

text analysis: tall taleThe tall tale is a distinctively American form of storytelling featuring outlandish characters and events, often with a comic effect. Based on oral tradition, the tall tale generally aims to fool or impress the listener or reader, using various devices. Look for these techniques and consider their impact:

• Hyperbole—a figure of speech exaggerating or overstating a claim or point

• Understatement—the technique of downplaying the significance of the outlandish, often to ironic or humorous effect

• Local color—writing that brings a region alive by portraying its dress, mannerisms, customs, character types, and speech

reading skill: understand dialectDialect is the distinct form of a language spoken in one geographic area or by a particular group. Writers use dialect to establish setting, provide local color, and develop characters. In this story, Twain uses a frontier dialect. Because of its unfamiliar usage, idioms, and strange spellings, dialect can be challenging to read. These strategies will help:

• Read slowly—Try reading aloud to help you recognize words you may have heard but don’t normally see in print.

• Use context clues—When Twain writes, “You’d see that frog whirling in the air like a doughnut—see him turn one summerset,” context tells you that summerset must mean the same as somersault.

As you read, jot down unfamiliar words and what you think they mean.

vocabulary in contextWhich of the following words do you know? Write definitions for the words and then check the definitions as you read.

word list

cavorting enterprising infamousconjecture garrulous tranquildilapidated indifferent

Complete the activities in your Reader/Writer Notebook.

Can you spot a tall tale?You listen to a friend recount the events of the weekend and you’re pretty sure the story is way too wild to be true. You hear a politician describe great accomplishments and you just know it’s a stretch. These situations inspire the skepticism you need to read about a frog that turns somersaults.

DISCUSS Work with a small group to play the game “Two Truths and a Lie.” Take a few minutes for each of you to come up with two truths and one lie. The statements can be about anything from personal experience to oddball facts. Take turns sharing statements. Can you guess which are the lies and which are the truths? Compare your answers and explain what made you believe or disbelieve each statement.

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Teach

Can you spot a TALL TALE? Introduce the question and explain that skepticism means “doubt” or “disbelief.” Invite students to tell about a time when they felt skeptical about a situation; then urge them to draw upon their experiences as they complete the activity.

Model the Skill: understand dialect

Tell students that dialect features slang, non-standard grammar, and unconven-tional spellings. Have students read the passage aloud and determine the meaning of these examples of dialect: young’un, kin, jist, and britches. Answers: “children’s,” “can,” “just,” “pants”

RESOURCE MANAGER—Copy Master Understand Dialect p. 59 (for student use while reading the selection)

R E A D I N G S K I L L

Model the Skill: tall taleIllustrate characteristics of tall tales by writing this passage on the board:

Sally Britches was taller than a redwood. Why, when she was born, her ma was sorter surprised-like to see that her baby gal was too big fer young’un clothes. “Oh, well,” sighed her ma. “I guess you kin jist wear yer pa’s ole britches.”

Point out that the tall-tale devices in these lines include: hyperbole: “taller than a red-wood”; understatement: “sorter surprised-like”; local color: regional speech (dialect)GUIDED PRACTICE Have students cite tall tales, such as stories about John Henry or Paul Bunyan.

T E X T A N A L Y S I S

V O C A B U L A R Y S K I L L

vocabulary in contextDIAGNOSE WORD KNOWLEDGE Have students complete Vocabulary in Context. Check their word choices with the following:cavorting (kE-vÙrPtGng) adj. prancing about in

a playful manner cavort v.conjecture (kEn-jDkPchEr) v. to guessdilapidated (dG-lBpPG-dAQtGd) adj. in a state of

disrepair; rundown dilapidate v.enterprising (DnPtEr-prFQzGng) adj.possessing

imagination and initiative

garrulous (gBrPE-lEs) adj. extremely talkative

indifferent (Gn-dGfPEr-Ent) adj. having no particular interest

infamous (GnPfE-mEs) adj. having a very bad reputation; disgraceful

tranquil (trBngPkwEl) adj. peaceful

PRETEACH VOCABULARY Use this copy mas-ter to help students predict meanings.

RESOURCE MANAGER—Copy MasterVocabulary Study p. 61

the notorious jumping frog ... 683

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684 unit 4: regionalism and naturalism

background Twain got the idea for this story during his days panning for gold in California. Local storytellers told this tale without cracking a smile, teaching Twain two important lessons about humor: one, that the manner in which a person tells a story is what makes it funny, and two, that a humorist should always pretend to be dead serious.

In compliance with the request of a friend of mine who wrote me from the East, I called on good-natured, garrulous old Simon Wheeler and inquired after my friend’s friend, Leonidas W. Smiley, as requested to do, and I hereunto append1 the result. I have a lurking suspicion that Leonidas W. Smiley is a myth, that my friend never knew such a personage, and that he only conjectured that if I asked old Wheeler about him, it would remind him of his infamous Jim Smiley and he would go to work and bore me to death with some exasperating reminiscence of him as long and as tedious as it should be useless to me. If that was the design,it succeeded.

TheNotorious

jumping frogjumping frog

of Calaveras CountyMark Twain

1. hereunto append: add to this document.

garrulous (gBrPE-lEs) adj. extremely talkative

Analyze VisualsWhat techniques in this illustration can be compared with the storytelling techniquesof a tall tale? Explain.

conjecture (kEn-jDkPchEr) v. to guess

infamous (GnPfE-mEs) adj. having a very bad reputation; disgraceful

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Practice and ApplysummaryThe narrator of this tall tale locates Simon Wheeler in a mining camp and asks if he knows Leonidas W. Smiley. Wheeler does not, but launches into a reminiscence about Jim Smiley, who would bet on anything. Wheeler tells how Smiley once engaged a stranger in a frog jumping contest. The stranger tricked Smiley by making Smiley’s frog swallow quail shot so that it was too heavy to jump. The narrator makes his escape just as Wheeler launches into another story.

read with a purposeHelp students set a purpose for reading. Tell them to note examples of the narrator exag-gerating events to make a good story.

tiered discussion promptsDirect students to lines 1–9. Use these prompts to help students understand Twain’s narrative technique:

Connect Have you ever had to listen to a long, boring story? Describe the experience. Accept all responses.Evaluate Is this introduction effective, or does the narrator undermine Wheeler’s tale by describing it as boring? Explain. Students may consider the opening effective because it makes readers realize that they can’t accept the narrator’s opinion as truth.

for english language learnersVocabulary Support Use New Word Analysis to teach these words: append (line 3), design (line 8), paragraph (line 21), initial (line 22).

BEST PRACTICES TOOLKIT—TransparencyNew Word Analysis p. E8

for struggling readersIn combination with the Audio Anthology CD, use one or more Targeted Passages (pp. 684, 688, 689, 690) to ensure that students focus on key story events and concepts. Targeted Passages are also good for English language learners.

1 Targeted Passage [Lines 1–9]This passage sets up the narrative structure of the frame story, or story within a story,

Targeted Passage1V O C A B U L A R Y

own the word• garrulous: Have students create a seman-

tic web for garrulous. Write the word in the center circle along with the definition, “extremely talkative.” Draw spider legs out from the center and have students use a thesaurus to find appropriate synonyms to complete the web. Possible answers: conversational, loquacious, gabby

• conjecture: Remind students that conjec-ture means “to guess based on incomplete information.”

• infamous: Have students list people, things, or events that have an infamous or a “very bad” reputation. Possible answer: Adolf Hitler, the Titanic, Hurricane Katrina


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Analyze Visuals

Possible answer: The illustration includes the tall tale techniques of exaggeration and under-statement. The rider’s head is exaggerated; the understatement is that the rider acts as if there is nothing unusual about riding a frog.About the Art This caricature is a copy of a portrait of Twain on his celebrated jumping frog, done by English caricaturist Frederick Waddy in 1872.

backgroundMore About Tall Tales A tall tale is a type of folk tale—a story that originally was passed down orally from generation to generation and that expresses the values and beliefs of its culture. Other types of folk tales include myths, legends, fairy tales, and fables. What distinguishes a tall tale from other types of folk tales is its use of hyperbole for comic effect. Many American tall tales are linked to the frontier. Most tall tales focus on the superhuman feats of a larger-than-life hero, such as Davy Crockett, Paul Bunyan, or John Henry. Many tall tales feature two characters: a confident braggart, like Jim Smiley, and a stranger who tricks him, like the man who wins the frog-jumping competition.

by introducing the narrator of the outer story and preparing readers to meet Simon Wheeler, the narrator of the inner story.• Why does the narrator seek out Simon

Wheeler? What is the narrator’s attitude toward this task? (lines 3–5)

• Why does Wheeler mention Jim Smiley? (lines 6–8)

• What story is the narrator preparing read-ers to read, and who will tell it? (lines 3–4)

for advanced learners/apCompare Tone Review some commonly known tall tales such as Paul Bunyan and John Henry. Have students read a few para-graphs of each and compare the tone of those tales with Twain’s “Jumping Frog.” Have students discuss how Twain’s purpose differs from that of the other tales, and how his tone helps him achieve that purpose.

the notorious jumping frog ... 685




I found Simon Wheeler dozing comfortably by the barroom stove of the dilapidated tavern in the decayed mining camp of Angel’s, and I noticed that he was fat and baldheaded and had an expression of winning gentleness and simplicity upon his tranquil countenance. He roused up and gave me good day. I told him that a friend of mine had commissioned me to make some inquiries about a cherished companion of his boyhood named Leonidas W. Smiley—Rev. Leonidas W.Smiley, a young minister of the Gospel, who he had heard was at one time a resident of Angel’s Camp. I added that if Mr. Wheeler could tell me anything about this Rev. Leonidas W. Smiley, I would feel under many obligations to him.

Simon Wheeler backed me into a corner and blockaded me there with his chair, and then sat down and reeled off the monotonous narrative which follows this paragraph. He never smiled, he never frowned, he never changed his voice from the gentle-flowing key to which he tuned his initial sentence, he never betrayed the slightest suspicion of enthusiasm, but all through the interminable narrative there ran a vein of impressive earnestness and sincerity which showed me plainly that, so far from his imagining that there was anything ridiculous or funny about his story, he regarded it as a really important matter and admired its two heroes as men of transcendent genius in finesse.2 I let him go on in his own way and never interrupted him once.

“Rev. Leonidas W. H’m, Reverend Le—Well, there was a feller here once by the name of Jim Smiley, in the winter of ’49—or maybe it was the spring of ’50—I don’t recollect exactly, somehow, though what makes me think it was one or the other is because I remember the big flume3 warn’t finished when he first come to the camp; but anyway, he was the curiousest man about always betting on anything that turned up you ever see, if he could get anybody to bet on the other side, and if he couldn’t he’d change sides. Any way that suited the other man would suit him—any way just so’s he got a bet, he was satisfied. But still he was lucky, uncommon lucky; he most always come out winner. He was always ready and laying for a chance; there couldn’t be no solit’ry thing mentioned but that feller’d offer to bet on it and take ary side you please, as I was just telling you. If there was a horse race, you’d find him flush or you’d find him busted at the end of it; if there was a dogfight, he’d bet on it; if there was a cat fight, he’d bet on it; if there was a chicken fight, he’d bet on it; why, if there was two birds setting on a fence, he would bet you which one would fly first; or if there was a camp meeting, he would be there reg’lar to bet on Parson Walker, which he judged to be the best exhorter about here, and so he was too, and a good man. If he even see a straddlebug4 start to go anywheres, he would bet you how long it would take him to get to—to wherever he was going to, and if you took him up, he would foller that straddlebug to Mexico but what he would find out where he was bound for and how long he was on the road. Lots of the boys here has seen that Smiley and can tell you about him. Why, it never made no difference to him—he’d bet on

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2. men of . . . finesse: exceptionally brilliant men.

3. flume: a wooden trough built as a channel for running water—used in gold mining for separating particles of gold.

4. straddlebug: a long-legged beetle.

dilapidated (dG-lBpPG-dAQtGd) adj. in a state of disrepair; rundown dilapidate v.

tranquil (trBngPkwEl) adj. undisturbed; peaceful

Language CoachWord Definitions Monotonous (line 20) means “having little variety in tone or pitch.” Reread lines 21–23. What surrounding words and phrases hint at the meaning of monotonous?

TALL TALE In his tall tales, Twain perfected a mixture of humor and exaggeration that calls on readers to go along with wildly unbelievable events. The characteristics of the tall tale that we see in Twain’s story can also be found in comic-book superhero films. What are some examples of tall tales that you have enjoyed recently in novels, plays, or movies?

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NA_L11PE-u04s13-Frog.indd 686 11/29/10 11:43:15 AMdifferentiated instructionfor struggling readersExplore Narrators Make sure students under-stand that there are two narrators in Twain’s story. The story begins with an unnamed narra-tor who provides the context for the tall tale told by Simon Wheeler, the second narrator. Ex-plain that the first narrator is telling the outer story of a frame story, whereas Simon Wheeler is telling the inner story about Jim Smiley. Have students distinguish the narrators by recording details in this graphic organizer:

for english language learners

Language CoachWord DefinitionsAnswer: “never smiled,” “never frowned,” “never changed his voice” indicate that monotonous means “the same.” Ask students to look for clues indicating that a monotonous story may also be boring.

Narrator: formal language; irritated, skeptical, bored

Simon Wheeler: dialect; earnest, sincere, humorless, rambling, exaggerating

own the word• dilapidated: Ask students to describe

the “dilapidated tavern.” Possible an-swer: broken windows and doors; peeling paint; shabby curtains

• tranquil: Tranquil refers to being “un-disturbed or peaceful” and “free from anxiety.” Ask students to write sentences using both definitions.

T A L L T A L E

Remind students that many older tall tales are exaggerated versions of stories about real people. For example, the tales about Johnny Appleseed were based on the life of American pioneer John Chap-man. Other tales such as those about Paul Bunyan were based on mythical heroes. Ask students to discuss recent examples of tall tales they are familiar with from books, movies, plays, or television. What do their examples have in common with this tall tale by Twain?

V O C A B U L A R Y


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any thing—the dangdest feller. Parson Walker’s wife laid very sick once for a good while, and it seemed as if they warn’t going to save her; but one morning he come in and Smiley up and asked him how she was, and he said she was considerable better—thank the Lord for his inf ’nite mercy—and coming on so smart that with the blessing of Prov’dence she’d get well yet; and Smiley, before he thought, says, ‘Well, I’ll resk two-and-a-half she don’t anyway.’ b

“Thish-yer Smiley had a mare—the boys called her the fifteen-minute nag but that was only in fun, you know, because of course she was faster than that—and he used to win money on that horse, for all she was so slow and always had the asthma, or the distemper, or the consumption,5 or something of that kind. They used to give her two or three hundred yards’ start and then pass her under way, but always at the fag end6 of the race she’d get excited and desperatelike, and come cavorting and straddling up and scattering her legs around limber, sometimes in the air and sometimes out to one side among the fences, and kicking up m-o-r-e dust and raising m-o-r-e racket with her coughing and sneezing and blowing her nose—and always fetch up at the stand just about a neck ahead, as near as you could cipher it down.7

“And he had a little small bull-pup, that to look at him you’d think he warn’t worth a cent but to set around and look ornery and lay for a chance to steal something. But as soon as money was up on him he was a different dog; his underjaw’d begin to stick out like the fo’castle8 of a steamboat and his teeth would uncover and shine like the furnaces. And a dog might tackle him and bullyrag9 him, and bite him and throw him over his shoulder two or three times, and Andrew Jackson—which was the name of the pup—Andrew Jackson would never let on but what he was satisfied and hadn’t expected nothing else—and the bets being doubled and doubled on the other side all the time, till the money was all up; and then all of a sudden he would grab that other dog jest by the j’int of his hind leg and freeze to it—not chaw, you understand, but only just grip and hang on till they throwed up the sponge,10 if it was a year. Smiley always come out winner on that pup till he harnessed a dog once that didn’t have no hind legs, because they’d been sawed off in a circular saw, and when the thing had gone along far enough and the money was all up and he come to make a snatch for his pet holt,11 he see in a minute how he’d been imposed on and how the other dog had him in the door, so to speak, and he ’peared surprised, and then he looked sorter discouragedlike and didn’t try no more to win the fight, and so he got shucked out bad. He give Smiley a look, as much as to say his heart was broke, and it was his fault for putting up a dog that hadn’t no hind legs for him to take holt of, which was his main dependence in a fight, and

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5. distemper . . . consumption: Distemper is a viral disease caught by dogs and other four-legged mammals. Consumption is an old-fashioned name for tuberculosis.

6. fag end: final part.

7. cipher (sFPfEr) it down: calculate it; figure it.

8. fo’castle (fIkPsEl): forecastle—here, the protruding front deck of a steamboat.

9. bullyrag: harass.

10. throwed up the sponge: gave up.

11. pet holt: favorite grip.

b

DIALECTParaphrase the passage written in dialect in lines 29–56. What point is Simon Wheeler making about Smiley?

cavorting (kE-vôrPtGng) adj. prancing about in a playful manner cavort v.

Language CoachRegional Dialects Reread lines 57–67, paying special attention to the dialect. As noted on page 683, Twain uses frontier dialect in this story to reflect the usage and pronunciations conventional to a certain group of people. Using the Internet or a history of the English language—a historical reference book that discusses the origins and uses of English—make a list of regional dialects in the United States.

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backgroundAndrew Jackson Smiley named his dog after Andrew Jackson (1767–1845), who served as the seventh president of the United States (1829–1837). Known as “Old Hickory,” Jackson was perceived as tough; in this story, so is his canine namesake.

for english language learners

Language CoachRegional Dialects Examples of regional dialects might include: New York, New England, Great Lakes, Penn-sylvania Dutch, Midwest, and so forth. You might want to encourage students to discuss the different regional dialects they have heard and the clues they used to identify each of them.

for advanced learners/apAnalyze Characterization Review methods of characterization:• With direct characterization, the writer tells

readers about a character.• With indirect characterization, the writer

suggests a character’s traits by showing the character’s thoughts, words, and actions, as well as the character’s effect on other characters.

Have students use a Character Traits and Textual Evidence chart to record examples of charac-terization in the story. Then discuss why the narrator includes Wheeler’s anecdotes about the parson’s wife, Andrew Jackson, and Daniel Webster. By the end of the story, elicit that these anecdotes reveal Smiley’s character—in particu-lar, his passion for betting—so that readers can better appreciate the stranger’s triumph.

BEST PRACTICES TOOLKIT—TransparencyCharacter Traits and Textual Evidence p. D6

b dialectPossible answer: Paraphrase: Why, he didn’t care—he would bet on anything—he was the most annoying fellow! Parson Walker’s wife once was quite ill for some time, and it seemed that she was going to die. Then, one morning, the parson came in, and Smiley asked how his wife was feeling; and the parson said that she was much better—thank God for His unending mercy—and that she was doing so well that with God’s help, she would recover, after all! Smiley, without thinking, said, “Well, I’ll bet two-and-a-half that she dies anyway.” Wheeler is making the point that Smiley bets without thinking, regardless of the nature of the wager, people’s feelings, or the consequences of the bet.

V O C A B U L A R Y

own the wordcavorting: Remind students that cavorting is related to the root verb cavort and refers to “prancing about in a playful manner.” Have students list things that could be seen as cavorting. Possible answers: playful chil-dren, puppies, dancers, butterflies, gazelles



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then he limped off a piece and laid down and died. It was a good pup, was that Andrew Jackson, and would have made a name for hisself if he’d lived, for the stuff was in him and he had genius—I know it, because he hadn’t no opportunities to speak of, and it don’t stand to reason that a dog could make such a fight as he could under them circumstances if he hadn’t no talent. It always makes me feel sorry when I think of that last fight of his’n and the way it turned out. c

“Well, thish-yer Smiley had rat terriers, and chicken cocks, and tomcats and all them kind of things till you couldn’t rest, and you couldn’t fetch nothing for him to bet on but he’d match you. He ketched a frog one day and took him home, and said he cal’lated12 to educate him; and so he never done nothing for three months but set in his back yard and learn that frog to jump. And you bet you he did learn him, too. He’d give him a little punch behind, and the next minute you’d see that frog whirling in the air like a doughnut—see him turn one summerset, or maybe a couple if he got a good start, and come down flatfooted and all right, like a cat. He got him up so in the matter of ketching flies, and kep’ him in practice so constant, that he’d nail a fly every time as fur as he could see him. Smiley said all a frog wanted was education and he could do ’most anything—and I believe him. Why, I’ve seen him set Dan’l Webster down here on this floor—Dan’l Webster was the name of the frog—and sing out, ‘Flies, Dan’l, flies!’ and quicker’n you could wink he’d spring straight up and snake a fly off ’n the counter there, and flop down on the floor ag’in as solid as a gob of mud, and fall to scratching the side of his head with his hind foot as indifferent as if he hadn’t no idea he’d been doin’ any more’n any frog might do. You never see a frog so modest and straight-for’ard as he was, for all he was so gifted. And when it come to fair and square jumping on a dead level, he could get over more ground at one straddle than any animal of his breed you ever see. Jumping on a dead level was his strong suit, you understand; and when it come to that, Smiley would ante up money on him as long as he had a red.13 Smiley was monstrous proud of his frog, and well he might be for fellers that had traveled and been everywheres all said he laid over any frog that ever they see. d

“Well, Smiley kep’ the beast in a little lattice box, and he used to fetch him downtown sometimes and lay for a bet. One day a feller—a stranger in the camp, he was—come acrost him with his box and says:

“‘What might it be that you’ve got in the box?’“And Smiley says, sorter indifferent-like, ‘It might be a parrot, or it might be a

canary, maybe, but it ain’t—it’s only just a frog.’“And the feller took it and looked at it careful, and turned it round this way

and that, and says, ‘H’m—so ’tis. Well, what’s he good for?’“‘Well,’ Smiley says, easy and careless, ‘he’s good enough for one thing, I should

judge—he can outjump any frog in Calaveras County.’“The feller took the box again and took another long, particular look, and give

it back to Smiley and says, very deliberate, ‘Well,’ he says, ‘I don’t see no p’ints14 about that frog that’s any better’n any other frog.’

12. cal’lated: calculated; intended.

13. a red: a red cent (slang for a penny).

14. p’ints: points.

indifferent (Gn-dGfPEr-Ent) adj. having no particular interest

d

DIALECTReread lines 110–111. How does the dialect in this sentence, and throughout the paragraph, help to characterize the frog?

c

TALL TALEReread lines 68–93. What device characteristic of thetall tale is on displayin this paragraph?

NA_L11PE-u04s13-Frog.indd 688 11/29/10 11:43:18 AM NA_L11PE-u04s13-Frog.indd 689 11/29/10 11:43:19 AMdifferentiated instructionfor struggling readers2 Targeted Passage [Lines 94–116]

This passage introduces the jumping frog of the story’s title.• What name did Smiley give to the frog? (lines

105–106)• What kind of education did Smiley give the

frog? (lines 97–98) • How did Smiley plan to use the frog? (line 114)

for advanced learners/apResearch and Analyze Tell students that Twain was so annoyed by the first French translation of this story that he “retranslated” it from French into English to point out its stu-pidity. He gave the tongue-in-cheek retransla-tion this subtitle: “In English, then in French, then clawed back into a civilized language once more by patient, unremunerated toil.” Ask a small group of students to read Twain’sretranslation. Have them prepare a group essay answering these questions:

• In addition to the comic plot of the story, what makes the retranslation humorous?

• What techniques does Twain use to show—directly or indirectly—that the French trans-lation was a poor one? Give some examples.

• What humorous elements in the retransla-tion are similar to humorous elements in the original?

c tall talePossible answer: The main characteristic is hyperbole: Wheeler’s assertion that Andrew Jackson wouldn’t fight back until bets were doubled (lines 74–79), that the dog died of a broken heart after losing and feeling be-trayed by Jim Smiley (lines 85–88), and that the dog was a “genius” (line 90).

d Model the Skill: dialectTo illustrate Twain’s characterization of the frog, read aloud lines 104–111, beginning with, “Why, I’ve seen him . . .” and ending with, “. . . he was so gifted.” Discuss how phrases such as “. . . he’d been doin’ any more’n any frog might do” add drama to the activities of an ordinary frog.Possible answer: The use of dialect in the characterization adds to the humor and makes the frog seem like the kind of colorful character that belongs in the frontier set-ting of the story. The frog is characterized as “modest,” “straight-for’ard,” and “gifted,” human character traits that usually are not attributed to an animal.

own the wordindifferent: Ask students to describe how they might act if they were acting indiffer-ently in class. Possible answer: not paying attention; making little or no effort

Targeted Passage2



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“‘Maybe you don’t,’ Smiley says. ‘Maybe you understand frogs and maybe you don’t understand ’em; maybe you’ve had experience and maybe you ain’t only a amature, as it were. Anyways, I’ve got my opinion, and I’ll resk forty dollars that he can outjump any frog in Calaveras County.’

“And the feller studied a minute and then says, kinder sad-like, ‘Well, I’m only a stranger here and I ain’t got no frog; but if I had a frog, I’d bet you.’

“And then Smiley says, ‘That’s all right—that’s all right—if you’ll hold my box a minute, I’ll go and get you a frog.’ And so the feller took the box and put up his forty dollars along with Smiley’s, and set down to wait. e

“So he set there a good while thinking and thinking to himself, and then he got the frog out and prized his mouth open and took a teaspoon and filled him full of quail shot15—filled him pretty near up to his chin—and set him on the floor. Smiley he went to the swamp and slopped around in the mud for a long time, and finally he ketched a frog and fetched him in and give him to this feller, and says:

“‘Now, if you’re ready, set him alongside of Dan’l, with his forepaws just even with Dan’l’s, and I’ll give the word.’ Then he says, ‘One—two—three—git! ’ and him and the feller touched up the frogs from behind, and the new frog hopped off

15. quail shot: small lead pellets for firing from a shotgun.

e

TALL TALEReread the dialoguein lines 120–138. What does the straightfaced understatement reveal about the two characters?

Frog of Calaveras County. The Granger Collection, New York.


revisit the big question

Can you spot a TALL TALE?Discuss In lines 134–135, explain whether Smiley should feel more skepticism when the stranger makes this statement. Possible answer: Smiley should recognize that the stranger is pretending to be more innocent or gullible than he actually is. Smiley already has wondered if the stranger has experience with frogs (lines 130–132); but now he should be more skeptical, for the stranger’s sadness about not having a frog seems too strong an emotion for the situation.

for struggling readers3 Targeted Passage [Lines 130–141]

This passage shows how the stranger plans to beat Smiley at his own game.• What does Smiley think of the stranger?

(lines 130–132)• How does the stranger get time alone with

Smiley’s frog? (lines 136–137)• What does the stranger do to the frog?

How might he win the contest? (lines 140–141)

for struggling readersDevelop Reading Fluency Use the conversa-tion between Smiley and the stranger to have students practice reading dialogue. Have stu-dents work in pairs, with one student reading the quoted lines for each character. Point out to students that the material not stated directly by the two characters provides clues about expression. Have students practice reading aloud the dialogue, then encourage them to share their thoughts on how expres-sion adds to the humor of this tall tale.

e Model the Skill: tall taleRead aloud lines 130–133. Point out that the challenge to “outjump any frog in Cala-veras County” sets up the kind of competi-tion that frequently is found in a tall tale.Possible answer: The understatement reveals that both characters are good at gambling. Neither Smiley nor the stranger seems to reveal everything that he knows about the situation.

Targeted Passage3


the notorious jumping frog . . . 689

RL 3 L 5a



lively, but Dan’l give a heave and hysted up his shoulders—so—like a Frenchman, but it warn’t no use—he couldn’t budge; he was planted as solid as a church, and he couldn’t no more stir than if he was anchored out. Smiley was a good deal surprised, and he was disgusted too, but he didn’t have no idea what the matter was, of course. f

“The feller took the money and started away, and when he was going out at the door, he sorter jerked his thumb over his shoulder—so—at Dan’l and says again, very deliberate, ‘Well,’ he says, ‘I don’t see no p’ints about that frog that’s any better’n any other frog.’

“Smiley he stood scratching his head and looking down at Dan’l a long time, and at last he says, ‘I do wonder what in the nation that frog throw’d off for—I wonder if there ain’t something the matter with him—he ’pears to look mighty baggy, somehow.’ And he ketched Dan’l by the nap of the neck and hefted him, and says, ‘Why, blame my cats if he don’t weigh five pound!’ and turned him upside down and he belched out a double handful of shot. And then he see howit was, and he was the maddest man—he set the frog down and took out after that feller, but he never ketched him. And—”

[Here Simon Wheeler heard his name called from the front yard and got up to see what was wanted.] And turning to me as he moved away, he said: “Just set where you are, stranger, and rest easy—I ain’t going to be gone a second.”

But, by your leave, I did not think that a continuation of the history of the enterprising vagabond Jim Smiley would be likely to afford me much information concerning the Rev. Leonidas W. Smiley and so I started away.

At the door I met the sociable Wheeler returning, and he buttonholed me and recommenced:16

“Well, thish-yer Smiley had a yaller one-eyed cow that didn’t have no tail, only just a short stump like a bannanner, and—”

However, lacking both time and inclination, I did not wait to hear about the afflicted cow but took my leave. �

150

160

170

16. buttonholed . . . recommenced: detained me for conversation and began talking again.

f

GRAMMAR AND STYLE Reread lines 144–151. Notice how Twain uses coordinating conjunctions and dashes to convey Simon’s breathless retellingof the story.

enterprising(DnPtEr-prFQzGng) adj. possessing imagination and initiative

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V O C A B U L A R Y

selection wrap–upREAD WITH A PURPOSE Ask students to con-sider how the narrator’s exaggeration created a good story. Possible answer: Exaggerating the “education” of a frog and the tricks played during the jumping contest enhances the hu-mor of the story.

INDEPENDENT READINGStudents may also enjoy Tall Tale America: A

Legendary History of our Humourous Heroes by Walter Blair.

for advanced learners/apAnalyze Archetypal Characters Point out that the humorous characters in this story repre-sent universal types: the outsider, the dead-pan storyteller, the trickster, and the stranger (who may be a trickster, too). Have students identify these archetypal characters in the story and then brainstorm other examples of these character types from folk tales, fiction, movies, television, or cartoons.

for struggling readers4 Targeted Passage [Lines 149–163]

In this passage, Smiley solves the mystery of his loss, and Wheeler’s tale ends.• How does the stranger react to winning the

contest? How does Smiley react to losing? (lines 149–155)

• How does Smiley react after he realizes that he has been tricked? (lines 162–163)

for advanced learners/apAnalyze Style Twain uses dialect and idioms, humorous subject matter, irony, offbeat similes and metaphors, rambling, and indirect narrative. Have students use an Analysis Frame: Author’s Craft to identify and analyze these elements in Twain’s writing.

BEST PRACTICES TOOLKIT—TransparencyAnalysis Frame: Author’s Craft pp. D21, D24

f grammar and style

Analyze Dialogue Grammar and word choice are tools that authors use to convey how dialogue should be read. Remind stu-dents that coordinating conjunctions such as and, but, or, nor, for, and yet are used to join clauses that hold equal importance. Dashes are used to show sudden breaks or changes in speech. As Wheeler reaches the end of his tale, the coordinating con-junctions and dashes show that he is so excited that he cannot pause for breath and that he is hardly able to include all the details. Have students find other places in the story where Twain uses coordinating conjunctions or dashes in dialogue.

own the wordenterprising: Ask students to give ex-amples of times when they may have been enterprising.

Targeted Passage4


L 4

L 2



After Reading

Comprehension 1. Recall How does the narrator hear the story of the jumping frog?

2. Recall What is Smiley always willing to do?

3. Summarize What happens to Smiley’s frog?

Text Analysis 4. Make Inferences About Characters What can you infer about Jim Smiley

based on each of the following examples?

• Smiley betting on the health of the parson’s wife• Smiley spending three months teaching a frog to jump• Smiley studying why the frog couldn’t jump

5. Understand Dialect Review the dialect and translations you recorded as you read. In general, what does the use of dialect contribute to characterization and setting in this story? Cite specific examples.

6. Analyze Overstatement Simon Wheeler makes liberal use of overstatement, or hyperbole, in describing Jim Smiley; some of what he says is totally improbable, and some is simply a bit of a stretch. List several examples of overstatement and rate each on a scale of one to five, with five being the most outrageous. At any point, did your doubts prevent you from enjoying the story? Explain.

7. Make Judgments About the Tall Tale Twain sets this story in a frame—a story within a story—in which the first-person narrator asks about a man named Leonidas Smiley but gets a story about Jim Smiley instead. In the end, the narrator makes a show of going away disappointed. How does this device contribute to the impact of the tall tale? Explain how the story would have been different if the original first-person narrator had simply told the story in his own voice, or if Wheeler himself had been the first-person narrator. Do you think this frame is an effective technique? Why or why not?

Text Criticism 8. Critical Interpretations According to one critic, Twain’s organization of this

tale “seems wholly directionless,” yet “actually it is carefully molded for climax.” Do you agree? Look back at the story and explain how the elaborate setup affects the impact of the story’s punchline. Use examples from the story to support your ideas.

Can you spot a tall tale?A tall tale, like this one by Twain, usually makes people laugh because they know it’s not true. What stories and ideas in real life cause people to be skeptical? Do you think any of those stories have a basis in fact? Why or why not?


RL 3 Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story.RL 4 Analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.RL 5 Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact. L 1a Apply the understanding that usage is a matter of convention. L 5a Interpret figures of speech in context and analyze their role in the text.

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Practice and ApplyFor preliminary support of post-reading questions, use these copy masters:

RESOURCE MANAGER—Copy MastersReading Check p. 64Tall Tale p. 57Question Support p. 65Additional selection questions are provided for teachers on page 51.

answers 1. The narrator visits Simon Wheeler to ask

about a man named Leonidas W. Smiley. Wheeler’s response is to tell the narrator stories about Jim Smiley instead.

2. Smiley is always willing to place a bet. 3. The frog wins many bets for Smiley but

loses when a crafty stranger weighs the frog down with quail shot.

4. Possible answers: The parson’s wife: Smiley values gambling over sensitivity or kindness. Teaching the frog: Smiley is determined and patient. Studying the frog: Smiley is intelligent, thorough, and good at solving problems.

5. common core focus Understand Dialect The dialect contributes to charac-terization by capturing Wheeler’s talkative, colorful, folksy, and naïve personality and Smiley’s shrewd frontier attitude. The dialect helps depict the setting by conveying the lan-guage spoken in the California mining camp, showing who is part of that community and who is an outsider. Examples of character-revealing dialect include the beginning of Simon Wheeler’s story and the dialogue that he quotes between Smiley and the stranger.

6. common core focus Analyze Overstatement Examples of overstatement include “If he even see a straddlebug . . .” (lines 45–49); “But as soon as money was up on him he was a different dog” (line 70); “He gave Smiley . . . laid down and died” (lines 85–88); “he never done . . . jump” (lines 97–98); and “And when . . . you ever see” (lines 111–113). Most students will feel that their skepticism added to their enjoyment of the story.

7. common core focus Tall Tale The frame story structure allows readers to understand the techniques of the tall tale. Wheeler’s tale would not be as outrageous if it were not set in contrast to the narra-tor’s dry voice and bored response. If the

narrator had told the story himself, the tale would lack overstatement, dialect, and local color. If Wheeler had narrated the story alone, readers would not under-stand the condescending perspective of the narrator.

8. Despite the appearance of Wheeler’s wan-dering narrative, every detail in the tale demonstrates both the character of Jim Smiley and his community. Wheeler ap-pears to ramble, so readers may be lulled

into distraction, allowing the story’s twist to come as a surprise.

Can you spot a TALL TALE? Students might say that people are skeptical when stories sound too good. They might say that the story appears to be an elaboration on a real-life storyteller.


RL 3, RL 4, RL 5, L 1a, L 5a


Vocabulary in Context vocabulary practice

Choose the word that is not related in meaning to the other words.

1. (a) dilapidated, (b) decaying, (c) neglected, (d) lonesome 2. (a) chatty, (b) argumentative, (c) garrulous, (d) verbose 3. (a) serene, (b) tranquil, (c) unhappy, (d) placid 4. (a) unusual, (b) infamous, (c) disreputable, (d) notorious 5. (a) comfort, (b) condolence, (c) consolation, (d) conjecture 6. (a) imaginative, (b) expensive, (c) enterprising, (d) resourceful 7. (a) unconcerned, (b) detached, (c) indifferent, (d) unnoticeable 8. (a) cavorting, (b) trembling, (c) shaking, (d) jarring

academic vocabulary in writing

Tall tales often focus on larger-than-life heroes and amazing exploits. In a short paragraph, discuss some modern-day people and events that could be made into tall tales. Be sure to include why you think the people and events are worthy of a tall tale. Use at least one Academic Vocabulary word in your paragraph.

vocabulary strategy: thesauri and word knowledgeA thesaurus is a reference book that helps you find specific, or precise, words for more general terms. In a thesaurus, words are arranged by their meanings and by their parts of speech rather than by alphabetical order, as in a dictionary. You can use a thesaurus to choose a specific word to show a subtle difference in meaning or to avoid monotony in your writing. For example, to replace the vocabulary word infamous, you could find wrong, disreputable, and dishonorable.

PRACTICE Use a thesaurus to identify the following words.

1. Three nouns you might use when talking about “wealth” 2. Two or three verbs related to the noun “flattery” 3. Words that could replace “middle” in referring to distance or space 4. Three adjectives to describe the feeling of being “cold” 5. Words to suggest what you might do rather than “advise”

• apparent • confine • expose • focus • perceive

word listcavorting conjecture dilapidated enterprising garrulous indifferent infamous tranquil

Go to thinkcentral.com.KEYWORD: HML11-692

InteractiveVocabulary


L 4c Consult general and specialized reference materials to determine or clarify a word’s precise meaning.L 5b Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations. L 6 Acquire and use accurately general academic words and phrases.

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answersVocabulary in Context

vocabulary practice 1. (d) lonesome 5. (d) conjecture 2. (b) argumentative 6. (b) expensive 3. (c) unhappy 7. (d) unnoticeable 4. (a) unusual 8. (a) cavorting

RESOURCE MANAGER—Copy MasterVocabulary Practice p. 62

academic vocabulary in writingPossible answer: A tall tale could focus on a famous basketball player by exaggerating his or her apparent qualities and talents. For example, a player could be perceived as twenty feet tall who could sink a basket from a mile away.

vocabulary strategy: thesauri and word knowledge• Encourage students to see the differences

between words with similar meanings. For example, the word rich has different associa-tions than wealthy.

• Point out that some synonyms may have positive and negative connotations. For example, a person might want to be called casual, but would not want to be called lazy.

Possible answers: 1. money, possessions, riches 2. praise, please 3. center, central, amidst 4. chilly, icy, frigid 5. assist, suggest

RESOURCE MANAGER—Copy MasterVocabulary Strategy p. 63

for english language learnersTask Support: Vocabulary Practice Point out that the Spanish cognate tranquilo and the French cognate tranquille are similar to the English word tranquil. Encourage students who speak Latin-based languages to find home-language cognates for at least two other vocabulary words.

for advanced learners/apAcademic Vocabulary in Writing Challenge students to use as many vocabulary words as they can to write two paragraphs—one from the point of view of a casual onlooker (who may find the contest foolish) and one from the point of view of someone who knows about Smiley’s love of wagering (and who may find the contest humorous). Invite students to compare their responses in small groups to see how they used the words and to discuss how the narrator’s attitude determines word choice.

Keywords direct students to a WordSharp tutorial on thinkcentral.com or to other types of vocabulary practice and review.

Interactive Vocabulary


L 4c, L 5b, L 6



Language grammar and style: Create Realistic CharactersReview the Grammar and Style note on page 690. Mark Twain creates convincing dialogue to help establish the character of Simon Wheeler. Look at this example from the story:

And a dog might tackle him and bullyrag him, and bite him and throw him over his shoulder two or three times, and Andrew Jackson—which was the name of the pup—Andrew Jackson would never let on but what he was satisfi ed and hadn’t expected nothing else. . . . (lines 72–75)

Notice how Twain uses the highlighted coordinating conjunctions to reflect Simon’s long, rambling sentences. He also uses dashes to show how Simon interrupts himself. Finally, the underlined word is dialect, showing that Simon is rooted in his local culture.

PRACTICE After you respond to the prompt below, rewrite the conversation in dialect. You may use either the same Western dialect that Twain uses or a dialect from a different place and time that is familiar to you. Make use of coordinating conjunctions, dashes, and regional vocabulary, as well as any special spellings or contractions that will help your reader “hear” the dialect as it would be spoken.

example

“My goodness! If I had known you felt that way about it, I never would have said anything in the first place.” “Well, shut my mouth! If I ’da known you felt that way ’bout it, I never woulda said nothin’ in th’ first place.”

reading-writing connectionExpand your understanding of Twain’s writing by responding to this prompt. Then use the revising tips to improve your dialogue.

YOUR

TURN

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InteractiveRevision


• Start a new paragraph to indicate a change in speakers and to reflect the pacing of the conversation.

• Be sure to set punctuation, such as commas and periods, inside closing quotation marks.

• Use exaggeration and irony to make your experiences humorous.

WRITE A DIALOGUE A conversation can reveal a great deal about its participants. Characters’ words and gestures as well as the pace and flow of their speech all make a story’s characters believable. Write a one-page conversation between two real people or fictional characters. Like Twain, have them share amazing—and possibly exaggerated—experiences.

writing prompt revising tips

L 1a Apply the understanding that usage is a matter of convention and can change over time. L 2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English punctuation and spelling when writing. W 3b Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue and pacing, to develop characters.


for struggling writersWriting Support As students review the draft of their dialogues, help them focus on the effectiveness of each comment in the conversation.• Explain that dialogue serves two functions:

characterization and plot advancement.• Using their draft or a copy of it (on which

students might reduce the text to provide a wide margin), have students highlight each line of dialogue with a colored marker, us-ing a different color for each character.

• Provide these notations: 1. Shows character trait: ; 2. Reveals attitude: ; 3. Reveals background information: .

• In the margins, have students write the correct notation for each line of dialogue by filling in the trait, attitude, or background information that they intend to convey.

• Then have students share their annotated dialogues with a partner. Ask partners to comment on whether each line conveys the writer’s intent. If not, have partners offer specific suggestions for revising the dialogue.

Language grammar and style

Encourage students to use the grammar and usage aspects of the dialect that they choose rather than simply producing random phonetic misspellings. Caution students against using dialect to ridicule particular social or ethnic groups.

RESOURCE MANAGER—Copy MasterCreate Realistic Characters p. 66

reading-writing connection• Remind students that dialect can be used to

reveal a number of things about a character, including their location, their education, and their age. Point out that the dialect they choose will reveal the personality and back-ground of their character.

As part of the prewriting process, encourage students to watch a conversation on a televi-sion program that they enjoy. Suggest that students use an Observation Chart to record key points in the conversation as well as the characters’ facial expressions, gestures, and body language. Students can use these notes as a starting point for their dialogues.

BEST PRACTICES TOOLKIT—TransparencyObservation Chart p. C7

Assess and ReteachAssessDIAGNOSTIC AND SELECTION TESTS

Selection Test A pp. 185–186Selection Test B/C pp. 187–188

Interactive Selection Test on thinkcentral.com

ReteachLevel Up Online Tutorials on thinkcentral.comReteaching Worksheets on thinkcentral.com

Literature Lesson 41: Dialogue and DialectLiterature Lesson 44: Style and SyntaxWriting Lesson 32: Writing DialogueVocabulary Lesson 1: Base Words,

Suffixes, and RootsVocabulary Lesson 2: PrefixesVocabulary Lesson 3: Prefixes with

Multiple Meanings

the notorious jumping frog . . . 693

L 1a, L 2, W 3b


Documents

Regionalism and Local Color The Notorious Jumping Frog ... · Regionalism and Local Color 683 The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County Short Story by Mark Twain text analysis: