Dan’l Webster (Daniel) is a character from the short story The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, written by Mark Twain. The story describes Jim Smiley, a man who spends his life betting on everything he can. After failing to find success with other money making schemes he decides to train a frog to become the best jumper this side of the country has ever seen, and by golly had he done it. Smiley started challenging people on the street and in bars to find him a frog that could jump farther than his Dan’l Webster. He won money left and right, our hero frog was unbeatable. That is until someone fed him quail shot when Smiley wasn’t looking, Dan’l couldn’t even move one inch anymore. That’s okay though, you’re still the best jumper in our hearts Dan’l Webster :)
Mark Twain was apparently so appalled by a French translation of this short story that he took it upon himself to translate it back to English, word for word, maintaining the French syntax exactly. He did give it a new title though: “The Jumping Frog: in English, then in French, then Clawed Back into a Civilized Language Once More by Patient, Unremunerated Toil”.
sources: Leire Ramos Castro (above), flyer advertising Mark Twain's lecture on feb. 7 1873, artist unknown (below)

















