Tonight, for our 888th episode, we’ll read the 1865 Mark Twain short story “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County”. It was Twain’s first great success as a writer and brought him national attention. We first aired this story back in the year 2020.

In the following tale, the narrator retells a story he heard from a bartender, Simon Wheeler in California, about the gambler named Jim Smiley.

Jim Smiley is described as betting on just about anything, for example, on the travels of a “straddle bug”. If you’re wondering what a straddle bug is, just picture a large, commonplace beetle.

The story is set against the backdrop of the California Gold Rush, a period of American history marked by fervent optimism and the pursuit of fortune. Twain's depiction of this time captures the essence of a society where people from all walks of life mingled and gambled on everything imaginable. The quirky characters and their antics provide a humorous lens through which readers can view the era’s adventurous spirit and sometimes absurd undertakings.

Twain’s writing style in this story is notable for its use of vernacular speech and regional dialects. This stylistic choice adds authenticity to the characters and their environment, bringing the story to life with vivid, colloquial language. Twain's ability to capture the unique voices of his characters helped establish his reputation as a master storyteller and chronicler of American life.

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