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And a dog might tackle him, and bully-rag him, and … Andrew Jackson would never let on but what he was satisfied … till the money was all up; and then all of a sudden he would grab that other dog jest by the j'int of his hind leg and freeze on it …

This quote is part of Wheeler’s reminiscences, during the end of the exposition. The name Andrew Jackson is significant because Andrew Jackson was seen as a champion of the common man over America’s elite businessmen and politicians. The dog Andrew Jackson embodies this ideal. He is nothing special, but through tenacity and cunning he is able to best dogs of superior pedigree.

Smiley said all a frog wanted was education, and he could do most any thing and I believe him. Why, I've seen him set Dan'l Webster down here on this floor—Dan'l Webster was the name of the frog …. You never see a frog so modest and straightforward as he was, for all he was so gifted.

This quote is part of the rising action in Wheeler’s tale and introduces Smiley’s frog as Dan’l Webster. The name is significant because Daniel Webster was one of the most prominent politicians of the early 19th century and unquestionably a part of the educated elite. Dan’l Webster’s name is a tongue-in-cheek nod to the frog’s “education” and represents the most “elite” animal Jim Smiley bet on. Notably, Smiley’s gifted frog is no match in the end for the humble common man in the stranger.

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