Another meaningless topic for Rodger,et al.

[Ken Q]

Earlier I mentioned, in passing, the old story of who hanged the monkey in Hartlepool.  There is also the Battle of the Frogs in Willamantic, Connecticut.  Anyone have any great stories that involve strange local episodes involving mistaken identification of animals?  Like frogs mistaken for English soldiers, or a monkey for a French spy?

 

Ken

[Rodger Pettichord]

While drunk many years ago, I mistook myself for a boxer and challenged a Golden Gloves heavyweight to step outside. Enough said. Does that count, Ken?

[Ken Q]

Hmmm, 

Rodger.  Interesting thought.  Now did you mistake yourself for the canine variety boxer, or the fellow in shorts in a roped off pen?  In any event sounds unpleasant.

 

I was thinking of the worthies of Hartlepool, who when a French ship was wrecked on the coast during the Napoleanic War mistook an escaped monkey for a French spy, and accordingly hanged  it.  When I was a college freshman the college chaplain was from Northern England.  When he heard that my grandmother was from West Hartlepool, he set me up.  "When you're home next, ask your grandmother 'Who hanged the monkey?'". I got a quick lesson on English geography. West Hartlepool is not Hartlepool, and don't you forget it!

 

The Battle of the Frogs was an incident during the  French and Indian War when one night the frogs in the local pond created so much noise that the community, thinking that the French and their Indian allies were attacking, panicked. They felt pretty silly the morning when they discovered that the cause of their panic was a whole lot of dead and dying frogs in the pond.  The incident is commemorated by four large statues of frogs on the Frog Bridge across the Willamantic River

 

I'm just wondering if there are other similar tales that anyone knows.

 

Ken

[Rodger Pettichord]

1 hour ago, Ken Q said:

Hmmm, 

Rodger.  Interesting thought.  Now did you mistake yourself for the canine variety boxer, or the fellow in shorts in a roped off pen?  In any event sounds unpleasant.

 

I was thinking of the worthies of Hartlepool, who when a French ship was wrecked on the coast during the Napoleanic War mistook an escaped monkey for a French spy, and accordingly hanged  it.  When I was a college freshman the college chaplain was from Northern England.  When he heard that my grandmother was from West Hartlepool, he set me up.  "When you're home next, ask your grandmother 'Who hanged the monkey?'". I got a quick lesson on English geography. West Hartlepool is not Hartlepool, and don't you forget it!

 

The Battle of the Frogs was an incident during the  French and Indian War when one night the frogs in the local pond created so much noise that the community, thinking that the French and their Indian allies were attacking, panicked. They felt pretty silly the morning when they discovered that the cause of their panic was a whole lot of dead and dying frogs in the pond.  The incident is commemorated by four large statues of frogs on the Frog Bridge across the Willamantic River

 

I'm just wondering if there are other similar tales that anyone knows.

 

Ken

I see why you are curious, Ken. These are fascinating footnotes to history. Hope others chime in with some more!

[Ken Q]

17 minutes ago, Rodger Pettichord said:

I see why you are curious, Ken. These are fascinating footnotes to history. Hope others chime in with some more!

Me, too, Rodger.  My familiarity with the first is obvious.  With the second, not so much.  

 

Willamantic,and neighboring Windham, is in east central Connecticut; old mill towns.  We visited a few years ago, and were puzzled by these four large frogs perched on giant thread spools.  The story is told everywhere in town.  But it is on Wikipedia, with pictures. Likewise the monkey story. I only gave a short synopsis.  Worth looking at the full stories.

 

Ken