STORY OF THE DAY

Mark Twain taken by A. F. Bradley in New York, 1907

Source:  steamboattimes.com

Author:  A.F. Bradley, New York

Public domain 

Via WIKIMEDIA COMMONS 

THE CELEBRATED JUMPING FROG OF CALAVERAS COUNTY — A CLASSIC TALE OF HUMOUR AND TRICKERY

Among Mark Twain’s many works, “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” remains a sparkling gem of American humour. First published in 1865, it was the story that catapulted Twain to fame and introduced readers to his unforgettable style—witty, playful, and filled with the rhythms of everyday speech. This summary captures the charm and mischief of the original tale.

A Stranger in a Mining Town

The story begins when a narrator, an educated gentleman from the East, visits a rough mining camp in Angel’s Camp, California. He is looking for information about a man named Leonidas W. Smiley, but instead he is cornered by a talkative local named Simon Wheeler. Wheeler’s friendly enthusiasm is disarming, and without warning, he launches into a long, humorous monologue—not about Leonidas Smiley, but about Jim Smiley, a notorious gambler of the camp.

From this point on, the narrator becomes a passive listener, as Wheeler’s colourful story unfolds.

Jim Smiley: A Man Who Would Bet on Anything

Jim Smiley is the heart of Simon Wheeler’s tale. Twain presents him as a man with an unshakable faith in his own luck—a person who would bet on anything that moved, crawled, or breathed. From dogfights to horse races, from the long-shot to the impossible, Smiley had a wager ready.

Twain’s humour shines in Wheeler’s descriptions: Smiley’s mare, for example, is old, asthmatic, and barely able to stand—yet she wins races simply because the other horses collapse before she does. His bulldog, Andrew Jackson, looks lazy and uninterested until the moment he latches onto his opponent’s hind leg—his unbeatable winning strategy.

This exaggerated portrait of a man addicted to gambling sets the stage for the story’s main attraction: a frog named Dan’l Webster.

Dan’l Webster: The Champion Jumper

Smiley’s greatest pride is his frog, Dan’l Webster, whom he has trained with extraordinary dedication. Smiley has spent months catching flies, feeding the frog, and teaching him to jump higher and farther than any frog in Calaveras County. Twain’s imagery is delightful—Dan’l Webster is not just a frog but a highly disciplined athlete, capable of somersaults, leaps, and astonishing feats of agility.

Smiley is so confident in Dan’l’s abilities that he bets he can out-jump any frog in the state.

The Stranger and the Trick

One day, a quiet stranger wanders into the camp. Smiley, sensing a betting opportunity, proudly shows off Dan’l Webster and claims he can beat any frog in a contest. When the stranger calmly responds that he has no frog to compete with, Smiley obligingly goes off into the marsh to find one for him. This is Smiley’s first mistake.

While Smiley is gone, the stranger secretly fills Dan’l Webster’s stomach with lead pellets. When Smiley returns with a new frog, the contest begins—but Dan’l Webster, weighed down with metal, cannot lift himself off the ground. The stranger wins the bet and strolls away with Smiley's money.

Only when the stranger is long gone does Dan’l Webster heave out the pellets with great effort, revealing the trick.

A Story Within a Story

At this point, Simon Wheeler prepares to launch into more tales about Jim Smiley’s adventures, but the weary narrator quietly escapes, realising he has been drawn into a whirlpool of endless stories.

Why the Story Endures

“The Celebrated Jumping Frog” is more than a comic anecdote—it is a masterpiece of American frontier humour. With its lively dialect, unforgettable characters, and clever twist, it captures a vanishing era of gold-rush towns and colourful storytellers. Twain’s brilliance lies in turning a simple frog-jumping contest into a timeless tale of human folly and sharp wit.

Grateful thanks to ChatGPT for beautifully summarising the story 

and steamboattimes.com, A.F. Bradley, New York and  WIKIMEDIA COMMONS for the image of Mark Twain!🙏🙏🙏

STORY OF THE DAY

The stories for Arabian Nights Entertainments were published by "Longmans,  Green, and Co., London, in 1898, by Andrew Lang(1844-1912). The Color Illustrations are by Rene Bull(1870-1946) the lager Black & white imagesare by Henry Justice Ford(1872-1941) Public domain  Via WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves – A Classic Tale of Courage and Cleverness

(Summary for Blog Use – Public Domain Story)

“Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves” is one of the most popular stories from the ancient collection of Arabian Nights (One Thousand and One Nights). It is a timeless tale that celebrates intelligence, courage, and the triumph of good over evil.

Ali Baba was a poor but honest woodcutter who lived in a small village with his wife. His brother, Cassim, on the other hand, was a rich merchant who looked down upon Ali Baba because of his poverty. One day, while cutting wood in the forest, Ali Baba noticed a group of forty fierce-looking men approaching on horses. Frightened, he quickly climbed a tree and hid among its branches.

From his hiding place, Ali Baba watched in amazement as the men stopped near a large rock. Their leader shouted the magical words, “Open, Sesame!” To Ali Baba’s astonishment, the rock opened like a door, revealing a huge cave filled with gold coins, precious jewels, and rich silks. After storing their stolen treasure inside, the thieves closed the cave by saying, “Close, Sesame!” and rode away.

When everything became quiet, Ali Baba climbed down from the tree and tried the magic words himself. The rock opened, and he cautiously entered the cave. He took only a few bags of gold coins — just enough to live a comfortable life — and returned home quietly without telling anyone.

However, Ali Baba’s brother, Cassim, soon discovered the source of Ali Baba’s new wealth. Greedy and ambitious, Cassim went to the cave alone. Inside, he became so excited by the treasure that he forgot the magic words needed to open the cave again. The thieves returned and found him inside. They killed him and left him there as a warning to others.

Ali Baba, worried about his brother, went searching and found Cassim’s body. With the help of a clever and brave servant girl named Morgiana, he secretly brought the body back and gave Cassim a proper burial without letting anyone suspect the truth.

The forty thieves, realizing that someone else knew their secret, plotted to kill Ali Baba. They tried various tricks — hiding inside oil jars and disguising themselves — but each time, Morgiana outsmarted them with her presence of mind and courage. Finally, she discovered their leader and killed him, putting an end to the danger.

Grateful for her bravery and loyalty, Ali Baba rewarded Morgiana by setting her free and giving her a place of honor in his family.

From that day on, Ali Baba lived peacefully and used his wealth wisely. He shared his good fortune with kindness and never allowed greed to rule his heart.

Moral of the Story:

Greed leads to ruin, but intelligence, courage, and gratitude bring lasting happiness.

Grateful thanks to ChatGPT for its great help and support in creating this blogpost!🙏

GREETINGS!

STORY OF THE DAY

STORY OF THE DAY: KAFKAESQUE ENCOUNTER WITH BUREAUCRACY

Source

Franz Kafka: Pictures of a Life by Klaus Wagenbach (1984), p. 209; sourced to Klaus Wagenbach Archiv, Berlin

https://kafkamuseum.cz/en/photogallery/

AuthorUnknown author

This work is in the public domain 

Via WIKIMEDIA COMMONS 

KAFKAESQUE ENCOUNTER WITH BUREAUCRACY 

I recently had the privilege of being dragged through the grand labyrinth of bureaucracy — a majestic structure where reason takes a holiday, logic goes into exile, and ordinary mortals like you and me are reduced to supplicants before clerks armed with rubber stamps.

For thirty days, I was tossed about like a file without a cover, waiting for some “competent authority” to decide whether I had the right to exist. The questions were profound, almost philosophical. For instance:

Does an eight-legged spider really have eight legs? Or should this be certified by an officer in triplicate?

Can you prove that you are yourself? Not just with an ID card, but with two witnesses, a sworn affidavit, and possibly your great-grandmother’s horoscope?

Is today really today, or must you obtain a letter to confirm it from yesterday?

Each time I thought the ordeal had ended, a new requirement emerged like a hydra’s head. A missing comma here, a wrong-colored ink there, a form submitted in blue when it should have been black. One clerk even whispered to me confidentially: “It’s not the documents that matter, sir, it’s the documents about the documents.”

At last, by divine intervention (and perhaps because the spider grew tired of having its legs counted), the file was released from its dusty purgatory. I emerged blinking into the sunlight, like a prisoner set free — not sure whether to laugh, cry, or request a fresh certificate confirming my release.

Bureaucracy is truly democratic: it makes everyone feel equally small, equally helpless, equally absurd. As Kafka might have said, “It’s not about solving your problem; it’s about proving endlessly that you have one.”

Grateful thanks to ChatGPT for its kind help and support in creating this blogpost.

STORY OF THE DAY

Premchand – Hindi author from India (1880–1936)

AuthorAnkur8563

licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license

Via WIKIMEDIA COMMONS 

MOSQUE (IDGAH)

SHORT STORY BY MUNSHI PREMCHAND 

Summary

The story is set on the day of Eid, a festival of joy and celebration for Muslims. The central character is a little boy named Hamid, only four or five years old, who lives with his grandmother, Amina. His parents have passed away, and his grandmother is raising him in poverty. Despite their difficult circumstances, she tries to keep Hamid cheerful, telling him his father has gone to earn money and his mother has gone to Allah to bring gifts.

The Festive Morning

On Eid morning, the entire village is filled with excitement. Children put on new clothes, count their pocket money, and look forward to the fair after prayers at the mosque (Idgah). Hamid, however, has only three paisa (a tiny sum), given by his grandmother. He has no new clothes or shoes, yet his spirit is full of faith and cheer. He believes that Allah will provide.

At the Eidgah

Hamid walks with other children to the mosque. The sight of so many people, the festive atmosphere, and the collective prayers fill him with joy. After prayers, the children rush to the fair to buy toys, sweets, and enjoy rides.

The Children’s Purchases

The wealthier children buy clay toys — soldiers, milkmaids, and animals. Others indulge in sweets like jalebi, candy, and sherbet. Hamid watches with wide eyes but keeps his three paisa safe in his pocket, thoughtful and silent.

Hamid’s Unique Choice

As he walks around the fair, Hamid notices a stall selling iron tongs (chimta) used for handling hot chapatis. Suddenly he remembers how his grandmother burns her fingers every day making rotis because she has no tongs.

Instead of toys or sweets like the other children, Hamid decides to buy the iron tongs for three paisa.

Children’s Mockery

When the other children see Hamid with a rough, heavy pair of tongs instead of sweets or toys, they laugh at him. They tease him, saying his tongs are useless for play. But Hamid defends himself cleverly, saying:

His tongs can defeat all their toys in battle — they won’t break like clay toys.

They are stronger than swords or guns.

Most importantly, they will save his grandmother’s fingers from burns.

Gradually, the other children feel ashamed and even begin to admire Hamid’s thoughtfulness.

The Ending

When Hamid returns home and gives the tongs to his grandmother, she is overwhelmed. She had expected him to come crying for sweets or toys, but instead he brought her something useful. Tears roll down her cheeks, but they are tears of love and pride. She hugs Hamid tightly, realizing how wise and selfless her little grandson is.

Themes & Significance

1. Childhood Innocence & Maturity – Hamid shows how even a small child can think beyond momentary pleasures for the sake of loved ones.

2. Poverty & Resilience – The story contrasts the poor and the rich, showing how deprivation can cultivate deeper sensitivity.

3. Selfless Love – Hamid’s sacrifice reflects the purity of love, where he puts his grandmother’s comfort above his own desires.

4. Simple Realism – Premchand’s hallmark is evident: he portrays ordinary people, simple lives, and deep truths with tenderness.

👉 “Idgah” remains one of Premchand’s most beloved short stories — a timeless tale of love, sacrifice, and values shining through poverty.

Grateful thanks to ChatGPT for summarising this beautiful story of Premchand 

STORY OF THE DAY

THE NECKLACE: GUY DE MAUPASSANT 

 Detailed Summary

Mathilde Loisel, a young woman of modest means, is dissatisfied with her simple life. Though married to a kind, hardworking clerk in the Ministry of Education, she dreams of luxury, wealth, and social prestige.

One day, her husband secures an invitation to a grand ball hosted by the Ministry. Mathilde is upset—she has no elegant dress or jewels to wear. Her husband sacrifices his savings, set aside for a hunting gun, so she can buy a beautiful gown. Yet, Mathilde still feels incomplete without jewelry. To solve this, she borrows a dazzling diamond necklace from her wealthy friend, Madame Forestier.

At the ball, Mathilde is the center of attention. She is admired for her beauty, grace, and elegance—living, for one night, the life of her dreams. But when she returns home, her joy shatters—the necklace is missing.

She and her husband search frantically but cannot find it. Too ashamed to admit the loss, Mathilde decides to replace it. They borrow huge sums of money, fall into crushing debt, and buy an identical necklace.

For the next ten years, the Loisels live in grinding poverty. Mathilde, once graceful and delicate, becomes hardened and aged by endless toil and sacrifice.

One day, after repaying all their debts, Mathilde encounters Madame Forestier and decides to confess. With a bitter smile, she tells her friend how she had lost the necklace and suffered ten years of misery to replace it.

Stunned, Madame Forestier reveals the shocking truth:

“Oh, my poor Mathilde! The necklace was fake. It was worth at most five hundred francs.”

Arising this story.

The story ends on this cruel irony, highlighting the futility of vanity, pride, and the harsh twists of fate.

Grateful thanks to ChatGPT for its kind help in summarising this beautiful story.