The Celebrated Frog Jumping Contest!

11/8/2017

Over the past few weeks in math we’ve been working on algebra through the lens of the frog jumping contest made famous by Mark Twain in his short story. For your blog post this week, watch the following video that uses Lego People to tell the story, then summarize what you think the story is about in the comments below. If you’d like to see the story itself in its text form, here is a link.

Jumaana

11/9/2017 02:58:22 pm

The story starts off with Mark Twain going to a bar and having his friend tell a story to him. The story is about a man named Jim Smiley who was curious about everything. He would bet on everything from horse races to which bird will move first on the fence. One day he finds a frog. He decides to train it into jumping far and high. Later a new man in town comes and asks Jim about the frog he had. Then he decides to have a frog jumping contest. But the man didn't have a frog, so Jim went and got one. When he got back, they had the contest. But the new man had cheated and fed Jim's frog a bunch of things, which made him heavy and couldn't jump. So the new man won. When Jim found out he had cheated, it was too late.

Tom

11/10/2017 07:46:26 am

It is about Mark Twain learning about 'Smiley',and his frog who he thought could jump farther than any frog.So he bet on it and some stranger cheated and ripped Smiley off!

Awex Yuan

11/10/2017 05:28:50 pm

The story is about Mark Twain learning about a person named Jim Smiley. Smiley bets on literally everything. One day he catches a frog and he wants it to be the longest frog jump. Smiley thought that all the frog needed was education so he started to educate it. After all the lessons, he brought it outside to see how far he could jump. The frog jumped super far and beat any other frog. He bet on all the jumps and got himself rich. One day a stranger comes and asks him a box that he has and he says that it's a frog that can beat any other frog in jumping distance. He has a competition with the stranger but his frog wont move so he loses. He picks up the frog and he barfs up tons of food and floods his home. He never found the stranger again.

CadenceCadenceCadence

11/11/2017 08:17:12 am

There was a man named smiley and he betted on anything so he found a frog and trained it to jump far, high and well any measurement. So one day Smiley was chill'n when a stranger came and said all race your frog but I don"t have one. Smiley got off his butt and went to get a frog, well the stranger was waiting he fed Smileys frog things that were not supposed to be fed to a frog or any living creature and pretended nothing happened so when they raced the strangers frog won and he got the money and ran away then when the frog burped of course Smiley figured out what happened and chased after the man but never found him.

DuckMaster66

11/11/2017 04:25:45 pm

This story is about a man named Smiley. Smiley was a cowboy (I think) and he would bet on ANYTHING, horses, dog fights, cat fights, chicken fights, what bird would move first, you name it. One day he found a frog, he wanted this frog to be the BEST jumper in the town. He taught him how to jump so high. Smiley was sitting alongside the road when a stranger came and asked him "whats in the box?" and Smiley said "the best jumper in the town". Smiley bet the stranger that his frog could beat the strangers frog. Though the stranger didn't have a frog, so Smiley told him to look after his frog while he got the stranger a frog. While Smiley was gone the stranger gave Smiley's frog lots of "food" so the frog was sick. When Smiley came back with a frog for the stranger they started their competition. They said GO and the stranger's frog jumped wildly while Smileys frog sat there sick. The strangers frog won and got lots of money from the bet. Smiley had found out what had happened and chased after the guy but it was no use, he was GONE! O_O

Alex T.

11/12/2017 11:58:00 am

This story is about Mark Twain listening to Simon Wheeler about a person named Jim Smiley.

The main idea of this story is DON’T BET ON EVERYTHING and don’t trust people.

The story took place in Calaveras county in the winter of 1849 or in the spring of 1850. It is about with this guy named Jim Smiley. He betted on literally everything. He betted on cat fights, dog fights, chicken fights. He betted on the priest’s wife dying of sickness. One-day Smiley caught a frog and trained it to jump very far. Sometime later he encountered a stranger. The stranger asked, “What do you have in the box of yours?” Smiley answered, “A frog.” The stranger enquired, “What’s it good for?” Smiley replied, “Jumping very far.” Then Smiley said, “I bet 40 dollars that this frog could outjump any frog in Calaveras county.” “Ok,” said the stranger, “but I have no frog.” Smiley uttered, “here, hold the box while I go get you one.” Meanwhile while Smiley was getting a frog for the stranger the stranger put some quail shot into Smiley’s frog. When Smiley came back he gave the stranger the frog that he found and said, “One, two, three, jump!” Smiley’s frog didn’t move one single bit but the stranger’s frog did. So the stranger took the money and ran away. Smiley was very confused. He took the frog by the neck and a Mount Everest of shot came out of him. Smiley ran after the stranger but never caught him.

I liked the book because the stranger trolled Smiley and that the book offered a lesson. Betting is like gambling. You don’t know what’s going to happen next. Maybe you keep your money or you lose it. If I had a friend like Smiley I would be annoyed with him for wasting my time and risking his money.

Overall, it was a very funny story and I learned a lesson to not bet on every single thing.

DatDogoAlex.A

11/12/2017 12:13:38 pm

Once there was a man named Smiley and he was a cowboy and he would bet on anything and everything; who was going to win cat, dog and chicken fights, horse races and even if there was 2 birds on a fence he would bet which one would move first. One time he caught a frog and he wanted it to be the best frog jumper in all of Calaveras. So he trained to win many races and one time a stranger comes along by Smiley's massive house and he asks Smiley"what might it be that you got there in that box?" and Smiley says "it might be a parrot or it might be a canary, maybe, but it ain't, it's only just a frog" but he was the best jumping frog in all of the camp so of course Smiley bets the stranger $40 if he beat his frog but the stranger didn't have a frog so Smiley said he would get the stranger a frog so Smiley told the stranger to look after his precious frog. When he gets back he hands the stranger the new frog and they start the race. When they say go, Smiley's frog doesn't move! When the strangers frog crosses the finish line, the race was over and the stranger won the $40 and he ran. After the stranger already fled Smiley's frog vomit's up all kinds of stuff like hammers and shovels. Smiley tried to chase stranger but he was already gone 😮!

find my name sabimaedfgsabunerfsaninsabinaruhafseaswdddskopijecns

11/12/2017 04:53:39 pm

it is about a guy named Mark Twain, his friend tells him about this guy named smiley and smiley thinks that his frog is the best and can jump further than any frog, some stranger came by and smiley wanted to bet $ so smiley went and got the stranger a frog when the race started smileys frog could not jump so the stranger WON! he took his money and ran off. Smileys frog threw up so many things that he was back to normal, so that's why his frog could not jump.

DatTrueDogoCiaran

11/12/2017 04:56:03 pm

The story starts out with Mark Twain in what looks like a bar and having his friend tell him a story. The story was about a man named smiley (cool name, wink wink) who was very curious and bet on everything from horse races to chicken fight to what bird on the fence would move first. One day smiley was walking as usual and he saw a frog and then him being his curious self caught it!!! He taught the frog to jump higher and further than any other frog. When he was done training the frog he could jump higher and further than any other frog. That was until one day there was a new man in town. The new man didn't believe that there was anything special about the frog but the new man didn't have a frog so they couldn't have frog jumping competition. Since Smiley bet on everything, he told the new man that if he watched the frog he would go get the new man a frog and the new man said fine. Smiley took off to find a new frog but little did he know, while he was gone the new man fed Smiley lots of heavy things so that he was too heavy to jump. Smiley came back a while later and had a new frog. The competition started and Smileys frog wouldn't jump because he was too heavy. The new mans frog jumped and he said he wins. Smiley had no clue what was wrong. The new man left with the money that Smiley had bet and just then Smileys frog coughed up all the heavy things that the new man fed him and Smiley realized what happened. It was too late the new man was gone!!!!!

Mmmmmmmm MIKA!!!

11/13/2017 11:34:31 am

The story starts off about Mark Twain and he bet on lots of things and ushally won. One day he found a frog and made it the best jumping frog and tought it things to learn how to jump.One day a guy asked why he had a frog and said it was the best jumping frog he did't bilive him so he got a frog and he gave the frog randome stuff to eat and when they started jumping the frog coud't jump.

Romina

11/13/2017 04:58:40 pm

This Story starts off with Mark Twain talking about himself. He tells the story of an old man named Jim Smiley who betted on everything for example a horse race to a cat fight! One day he was walking around with his money in his pocket came across a green frog. Jim Smiley took the frog and made him his. He taught his frog about jumping and the basics of doing it. Smiley won all the frog jumping competitions and out jumped every frog he came across. One day Jim Smiley was resting with his frog in a crate and a stranger (man) came up to him and told him whats the point of having a frog. Classic Smiley started to bet, he quickly got the stranger a frog and challenged him. The stranger had given Smiley's frog a lot of heavy things to eat. When he challenged him Smiley's frog couldn't jump and barfed out all the things he ate. The man stole the money Jim betted and Smiley ran after him but never caught up.

David many land

11/14/2017 03:10:05 pm

The story is about a man that loved to bet he bet on everything and he won almost all of those bets. One day he was walking around and he found a frog and named it smiley!! He started teaching this frog how to jump farther and farther. Once the frog was ready he started betting $40 on that frog and he always won. One day he was laying back with smiley right next to him and a man said hey can have that frog. No but you can bet on him and see which frog will jump farther. Ok but I do not have a frog. The man went and grabbed him a frog but in mean time the other guy was feeding the frog guns, explosives, tools ext... Than the man bet $40 and smiley could not jump so the bad guy won! Than smiley barfed all of that stuff out. THE END.

Kevin

11/14/2017 05:06:00 pm

The story is about a frog.The frog can jump really far. A man named Smiley caught the frog and taught him how to jump very far. Smiley bets a lot of money on his frog because he already knows his frog will win every jumping contest. One day a stranger comes to town and Smiley challenges him to a frog jumping contest. He gives the stranger a random frog because he already knows his jumping frog will beat the random frog. But he doesn't know that the stranger feeds the jumping frog a bunch of stuff to make him fat and slow. The random frog wins the contest and Smiley loses his money. It's not unfair for Smiley to lose because he kind of cheated by teaching his frog to jump. So when the stranger cheated by feeding the frog, Smiley got what he deserved.

The dogo of Adithi

11/14/2017 05:13:48 pm

It starts out with mark twain getting told the story of a man named smiley.smiley loves to bet on things so he finds a frog and makes it the best jumper in all of the county.He begins to bet people a lot of money that his frog was the best jumper of all the county and always won.
One day a man came up to him and asked him why he had a frog
"Welll...yall I 'm gonna tell you dat this frog makes me tons of money... he is the best jumper in all the lan"
the stranger..."Well I challenge you to a jump contest for a wage of forty-eight dollars if you can find me a frog."
So Smiley goes of to find a frog and the strager fed the frog losds of tools,weapons baciclly anything he had on hand.When smiley came back with a frog, they did a jump contest and smileys frog couldn't move. The strangers frog jumped and he ran away with 48 dollars.
While smiley was wondering why frog didn't jump his frog barfed everything out and he relized why

DON'T CHEAT KIDS!

Rumaysa

11/14/2017 06:06:28 pm

do not cheat young children

Juliet

11/15/2017 05:38:37 pm

In this story, Samuel Clemens also known as Mark Twain. He has a lot of stories, but this is a favourite. It all started in Angels California in Calivarise County, he pulled up a chair to talk about Jim Smiley. It was the winter of 1949 ( or in the Spring of 1850 ) Jim Smiley was the crazyest person you and will ever meet. Always betting on crazy things like birds and witch one moves first on the fence, like who does that? Smiley changed to catch a frog. Smiley trained the frog to get into the fine frog jumping. Smiley had said that all frogs wanted was education. Smiley saw that the frog had such a good jump, and guess what? He bet on it! He said that he would get the other person a frog. When he left to get a frog the guy had cheated and had gave the frog a whole bunch of food to slow him down. After he had got back, they made the bet and 3...2...1....GO! GO! GO! the new frog that Smiley had got for the other guy started to take little tiny jumps, but the good frog was tooooo full to even move. So the other guy won the bet of 40 dollars and went home. Smiley then started to talk to the frog and why he didn't move.......BLAH! The frog had barfed everywhere and it stank!

Thank You,
Thank You Very Much!

preston

11/16/2017 06:34:48 am

There was this guy who bed on ever thing then he found a fog he jump the bigger then one of the other fogs so he stared to bed ever one then he got so much money from the debs and the fog.

imMA LLAMA

11/16/2017 02:08:25 pm

Mr. Mark Twain has lots of stories top to bottom, he has a favourite that he would like to share with you. It all starts of in Las Angeles California, in Calivarise County, at Simons Wheelers work, and his office that he would always fall asleep in. He had a beard and shine bald head, wearing a blazer and a bow toe like everyone else. His eagerness to finish telling his story to Samuel Clemens. The story started off talking about a man named Jim Smiley, Mr.Smiley had a very good talent in betting, or maybe it just wasn't a talent maybe he was born with. He could basically bet on everything, going to cat fights, do fights, so on and so on. Jim had found a very talented frog that could jump tremondously high and far. A man one day walked up to to Jim and his frog that was in a basket. The man didn't know how talented the frog is. The man did not believe Jim, so he he got another frog. Jim lined up his frog and the random frog, and he put them to race. The other frog started jumping and Jims frog didn't bother to jump. The man left with all his proof. Jim frog started acting weird, it started throwing up!!

SHELBY LOVER

11/16/2017 02:45:21 pm

This story is about a man who loved to bet on every thing he could on a sunny day the man found a frog and he trained to be the best frog. he named the frog smiley. The guy trained everyday to make the frog the best. One day he was sitting at on the road then a stranger came by the stranger was interested in the guys frog so then the guy said "want to bet me to see whos frog is best" The stranger said he would if he had a frog. So the guy said ''I will go get you one'' So the guy did but when the guy was getting the stranger a frog the stranger feed the guys frog so that when they do the bet the guys frog won't be able to jump because the frog will be to full

Luna/O-Bot/BADOODLEBAPBAP/lolololololololololololololollololololol/yo

11/16/2017 03:00:17 pm

Its about Mark Twain telling a story about a man (Smiley) who had a frog that could jump higher than any other frog in the world.
Then a man came to talk and while they were talking Smiley said I would bet someone 48 dollars if another frog out jumped his.
Then another frog did out jump his and he ran away with the money
then the frog barfed out a garage worth of stuff and he realized he'd been scammed and he ran after the stranger.

DON'T SCAM PEOPLE

jack

11/16/2017 04:02:14 pm

It all started with Smiley betting on stuff like, horse races, animal fights and what bird would move first. Then he caught a frog and he read a book about jumping and taught his frog lessons on how to jump. He was training his frog to be the best jumper in Calaveras. So one day a stranger walked up to him and said "What might it be there that you got in that box?" And he said "It is a parrot or a canary but it ain't, it's only just a frog." Then Smiley said "Want to bet $40 for what frog crosses the finish line first." And he said "I don't have a frog." If you take care of my precious frog here I will go and get you a frog. The stranger asked the frog if he was hungry. So the stranger fed him shovels and hammers and other things that were not edible. So when Smiley got back they started on the starting line and when they said go Smiley's frog didn't move. The other frog crossed the finish line first. The stranger got the $40 and just ran away. Next thing you know the frog starts vomiting and Smiley realized he's been tricked. He tried to run after the stranger but he was long gone.

claire no its not me

11/16/2017 04:03:47 pm

-JUMPING FROG-
This is a lego bud (bob) that love to bet on everything like poker games and FROG JUMPING.
BONG BONG BONG. a new buddy came in town and told him that wasn’t very good at jumping frogs because he was new.so bob said i bet you my frog is faster.no way let’s have a jumping contest said the new guy.and the new guy cheeted and fed everything he saw to bobs frog and bobs frog wouldn’t jump and the new guy won by cheeting.

Jacob

11/16/2017 05:47:15 pm

This story is about a man named Jim Smiley who loved to gamble on anything. Then one day he found a frog and trained it to out jump any frog so he could always win money betting on his frog. One day a stranger comes and asks him whats the big deal about his frog. Jim Smiley said "My frog can jump higher than any frog in the county and if the stranger had a frog he would bet him money the stranger said he didn't have a frog so there was no point. So then Jim Smiley said "I will go get you a frog because he knew he would win. So when Jim Smiley was gone getting a frog the stranger fed his frog very heavy stuff. When Jim Smiley got back they had the race but Jim Smiley lost the bet because he was over confident in his frog and underestimated the stranger. He never imagined that the stranger could be fooling him. This story taught a good lesson for hockey. I will never underestimate my opponent, no matter how bad they are.

LILAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

11/16/2017 06:49:22 pm

One day Smiley found a frog and taught it all these things; like how to jump high and far and other things. He practically became rich because he had the highest and strongest jumping frog in the country! One day a man walked up to Smiley and said "what's in the bucket?" "A frog" replied Smiley "Oh whats it for"? "Well it's the best frog in the country" replied Smiley. "Oh really?" said the man. After that nonsense, Smiley decided to go and get the man a frog to compete against his frog. He put his frog in the man's hands to look over but while Smiley was gone, the man feed the frog all sorts of things like an screw and a hammer and even a shovel. Smiley got back and gave the man his frog. He said "put forty $ in this bucket to compete"! So the man did and they both put there frogs beside each others. The man's frog went and 1, 2, 3, 4 jumps or steps (which ever) ahead of Smileys frog. And now it was Smileys turn Smiley tried and tried to make his frog jump but the frog wouldn't budge. But it was too late because the man ran away with the money ARRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAARR BURP BURP AHH then Smiley realized that the man feed his awesomely awesome frog bad stuff like hammers or screws and shovels.

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