55. LV.
JOSH REPLIES TO ONE OF HIS CORRESPONDENTS.
“Benvolio.”—In writing for yu an analasiss ov the
frog, i must confess that i hav coppied the whole
thing, “verbatus ad liberating,” from the works ov
a selebrated French writer on natural history, ov the
16th sentry.
The frog iz, in the fust case, a tadpole, aul boddy
and tail, without cuming tew a head.
He travels in pond holes, bi the side ov the turnpike,
and iz accellerated bi the acktivity ov his tail,
which wriggles with uncommon limberness and vivacity.
Bi and bi, pretty soon, before long, in a few
daze, his tail iz no more, and legs begin to emerge
from the south end ov the animal, and from the
north end, at the same time, may be seen a disposition
tew head out.
In this cautious way the frog iz built, and then
for the fust time in his life, begins tew git his head
abuv water.
His success iz now certain, and soon, in about five
daze more, he may be seen sitting down on himself
bi the side ov the pond hole, and looking at the dinner
baskets ov the children on their way tew the
distrikt skoolhous.
Az the children cum more nearer, with a club or
chunk ov a brickbat in his hand tew swott him
with, he rares up on his behind leggs, and enters the
water, head fust, without opening the door.
Thus the frog duz bizzness for a spell ov time,
until he gits tew be 21, and then his life iz more
ramified.
Frogs hav 2 naturs, ground and water, and are az
free from sin az an oyster.
I never knu a frog tew hurt ennyboddy who paid
his honest dets and took the New York Weekly.
I don't reckoleckt now whether a frog has enny
before leggs or not, and if he don't, it ain't enny
boddy's bizzness but the frog's.
Their hind leggs are used for refreshments, but
the rest ov him won't pay for eating.
A frog iz the only person who kan live in a well,
and not get tired.
The bull-frog iz the boss ov the mud puddle, and
has a log tew sit on, over on the other side ov the puddle,
and talks tew the rest ov the frogs away down
in his throat, so that yu kan't understand more than
half what he sez; he iz generally a cross and lazy
old devil, all over warts.
This iz aul thare iz worth knowing now about the
frog, except that they ketch flize during fli time, and
winter on nothing, by freezing up solid.
P. S.—I hav endeavored tew translate mi author
cluss, but it iz tuff tew render aul his butiz intu our
tung, without bursting the sense.
