"A much celebrated jumping frog, the lack of literature in a gold-mining town, and castaways who eat their own shoes to survive are among the stories contained in this volume. It captures the light and humorous spirit of Mark Twain's early work, inspired by his experiences in the mining districts of California and Nevada. These sketches became widely know in America, India, China and England and laid the foundation of the author's fame. "--Cover page [2].