NATIONAL FROG JUMPING DAY: LET’S JUMP LIKE ONE!
Written By: KEERTHANA CHORATH RAVIKUMAR
Edited By: NIKITHA R
Once upon a time, a famous author decided to write a story about a compulsive better named Jim Smiley. Mr. Smiley trains his pet frog named Dan’l Webster to jump high. He goes on to announce a bet in the Calaveras County. He proclaims that no other frog can surpass his pet frog in jumping high. But alas! One cunning man tricks smiley and wins the bet. The short story is none other than “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” written by Mark Twain.
This story published in 1865, inspired the real Calaveras County situated in Northern California to host a Calaveras County Fair and Jumping frog Jubilee. This tradition was started back in 1893 and continues to this day during the third week of May.
The fair is a grandiose occasion of four days. Tempting smells of hot dogs, churros, and all your classic carnival food competes with award winning wines, rides, and rodeos. But the real sight to behold is the frog jumping competition. Rosie the Ribeter, a frog occupying the hall of fame in Calaveras County set the record for jumping an astonishing 21 feet, 5 inches back in 1986 which has not been broken to this date.
This day is not just the celebration of a short story. It is a day to celebrate a wonderful creature that shares the planet with us. A symbol of agility and unpredictability. Frogs have roamed the earth as long as the dinosaurs have. A healthy frog population indicates a healthy ecosystem since they consume a vast majority of the invertebrates which keeps pest invasion at bay. This also makes them a valuable addition to agricultural practices. Tadpoles also play a role in maintaining a healthy population of algae in stagnant water. Hence, this day is not just reminiscing an old story but an acknowledgement of these wonderful little amphibians.
Frogs have a unique pelvis which makes them great at high jump. As they thrust forward, the animals tiny powerful legs align with their short torso similar to a flying arrow. There are many frog jumping competitions held throughout North America. But Calaveras still holds the importance because of it’s relation to the story. A simple short story now occupies a place on our calendars every year. Hmm… Quite an interesting sentence, one could say.
Bonus fact! Frogs are the first animals to have developed vocal cords. Ribit! Ribit!
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