Letters, Oct. 26, 1931

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For many months past Mike has conducted his ever growing business . . . at his new cordial shop at No. 671 Lexington Avenue. Neither the law nor depression of present business will down Mike. To go his competitors one better in the smart neighborhood of his new shop all gin has been reduced a quarter a bottle.

Upon placing an order some time ago and demanding prompt delivery service I was told that there were 36 deliveries that evening to be made before mine.

THEODORE WILLIAMS New York City

Frogs in Texas

Sirs:

I have right recently noticed where some of your subscribers had found that frogs swallow young fowls such as ducks and chickens (TIME, Aug. 31; Oct. 5). I am anxious to add to the scientific knowledge of the world and especially on frogs since they have been experimented with a great deal from the very beginning of time on to now. This causes me to encroach on your "Time" to write and tell you some experience I had with frogs when I was a boy. My father owned an immense dirt tank or pond as you call it in the North. There were frogs of many sizes in this pond and I liked to look at them. One day I began to feed a small frog and he was soon so gentle I could pat him on the back. He was not much larger than a walnut. Then I decided to get a size larger frog and after I gentled him I got a size still larger. I kept on at this until I had 20 and each accurately a size larger. The 20th frog was big as a ham.

I caught rose chafers for my pets. I would always start in by giving my little frog the first bug and then give the next size two bugs and so on up. I had these frogs trained so that when I went to the pond and rang a bell I carried in my pocket they would hop out of the water and arrange themselves according to size. The small frog would always be at the left end of the line and they would be like stair-steps with No. 20 at my right. One morning I failed to find but one rose chafer. I knew my pets would be disappointed. I rang my bell and they hopped out of the water and arranged themselves. Then I gave the little frog the only bug I had found. The next size frog waited very patiently a few minutes for his bug, then he seemed to become angered and turned and swallowed my little frog. Then the third frog became impatient and swallowed my second frog. Then the fourth frog swallowed the third frog. This kept on happening until the 19th frog had swallowed the 18th frog. When it got clown to the 20th frog he didn't even move, didn't seem to be hungry. I opened his mouth and looked down his throat: he had swallowed a wild goose.

JOE FITZGERALD Fitzgerald's Nursery Stephenville, Tex.

On Mesa Top

Sirs:

Last June Dr. Gile and I took a motor trip through the Great Southwest with Mr. & Mrs. Joseph McKibbin of St. Paul.

We went into the interior of the Indian Country and visited the little Hopi villages built on top of narrow mesas, accessible only by foot.

The villagers live in a very uncivilized way and only a few of them speak English.

So we were indeed amazed to come upon a little Indian girl reading TIME. Mr. McKibbin took my kodak and climbed a ladder to the level above us where the little girl lived, and snapped the enclosed (see cut). . . .

CHARLOTTE KISSEL GILE New York City