Mark Twain’s short story “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” not only began his writing career, it also inspired an annual Jumping Frog Jubilee. And believe it or not, the tradition is still carried on to this day.
This video shows some highlights from the festival, and it’s quite a sight to see how far the frogs can jump. But what’s even more entertaining is seeing how seriously this is taken, from the detailed rules of the competition to the kids and adults jumping or crawling along with their frogs.
I had to hold my breath at the part where the little boy gets frustrated because his frog won’t jump and starts jumping circles around it. It’s a miracle he doesn’t squash the poor thing.
It’s hard to believe that things like this still go on today, and in northern California no less. But it makes for some amusing video. There’s even a full-length documentary – Frogumentary, that is – available on DVD about it.
