Jumping Frog Jubilee

Mark Twain wrote The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Caleveras County in 1865. Set in Angels Camp, CA, it tells the story of a gambler, Jim Smiley, and his famous frog, Dan'l Webster. Things don't go well for Jim and Dan'l, who is fed buckshot just before the contest and is so weighed down that he can't jump. Ok, so that's not a very amusing summary. The real story is much funnier, so make sure you click on the link. The Calaveras County Fair and Jumping Frog Jubilee is still held annually.

This stamp (USSR, Scott No. 2403) is my favorite of the Twain stamps. It was issued in 1960 to mark the 125th anniversary of Twain's birth.