Puck, 1877-12-19 · page 6 of 20
Puck — December 19, 1877 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a humorous sequential narrative rather than political satire. It tells the story of Old Nicholas (appearing to be a country gentleman), who learns his clerk has been negligent with the household accounts. Nicholas pursues the clerk to a stream, intending to catch him using a plank as a bridge. The eight panels follow their escalating misadventure: Nicholas's repeated failures to cross the plank, the clerk's eventual escape, and Nicholas's final vow never to catch frogs again—a play on words suggesting the "frog-catching" scheme was as futile as actually catching frogs. This appears to be genteel Victorian humor about class conflict and physical comedy, with no apparent political message.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
PUCK, CATCHING FROGS. 1. Old Nicholas learns to his dismay that a clerk _2. Like an avenging Jibbenainosay, he starts in search 3. ¢* With this they must have crossed!” he exclaims, from the city is making love to his daughter, who has of the pair. He discovers a plank which is used to bridge Dut with this they shall never cross again!” And he neglected the milking of the cows ever since her lover’s the stream, An idea strikes him. sets to work, 4- He replaces the plank, and, full of fiendish 5. The clerk from the city sets out for his Dulcinea. 6. With cheerful thoughts, and refreshments for the thoughts, hastens away. inner man and woman, he starts across the plank. 7. And—need it be added—comes to grief, some- 8. Good morning, sir, what are you doing here?” what, «D'm catching frogs.” “Oh, you are, are you? Well, the next time you catch frogs round here, you'd better go some- where else, or you'll get bit,” comicbooks.com