Old Rip

Old Rip isn't actually a frog at all; he's a horned toad. But it's a good story, and I have a ceramic model in my frog collection, so I thought I'd include him here. The story is that, in 1897, when the good folks of Easstland, Texas, decided to create a time capsule in the cornerstone of the new courthouse, someone dropped in a horned toad (to accompany the requisite bible and other mementos). Thirty-one years later, in 1928, they demolished the courthouse and opened the cornerstone--and the toad was still alive! His name derives, of course, from Rip Van Winkle, and Old Rip went on to earn national fame as he travelled the country. He even met Calvin Coolidge. Alas, he died of pneumonia in 1929.

But the story doesn't end there. Oh, no. Old Rip was embalmed and put on display in the courthouse lobby. In 1962, gubernatorial candidate John Conally stopped by for a photo op--and broke off Rip's leg.

And then he was kidnapped!

According to EastlandTexas.com, "the anonymous kidnapper wrote a letter claiming to have been part of the conspiracy to hoax the nation. The letter demanded his co-conspirators confess and a small ransom be paid. When neither seemed forthcoming, the velvet box containing the lizard was left at the county fairgrounds. Now there is controversy whether or not the item in the box today is really Old Rip or an imposter." Ripfest is an annual event in Eastland, and it looks like a lot of fun.

Old Rip is, of course, the model for Michigan J. Frog.