Clemens, Samuel L.

8vo (170 x 114mm.), first edition, first issue (with perfect "i" in "this", last line of p.198 and a page of publisher's advertisements facing title), original pictorial green cloth gilt over bevelled boards, frog in variant vertical central position in gilt and blind on upper and lower covers respectively, bevelled edges, brown coated endpapers, collector's morocco-backed clamshell case, minor rubbing to cloth at spine ends, spot of board exposure to one corner only, a little light spotting to bottom edge,scattered light spots to upper cover.

BAL 3310; Johnson p.3

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The author's first book. The sketch is based upon an old folk tale that had been in print in California as early as 1853, but Clemens's version, first published under his pseudonym and under the title "Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog" in the New York Saturday Press (18 November 1865) elevated him to literary fame. The story tells of the demise of jumping frog Dan'l Webster, pet of gambling Jim Smiley, which is defeated when a stranger weighs its gullet down with quail shot.