History of Old Rip, the horny toad

"Old Rip, the "horny toad," put Eastland County and the county seat of the same name on the map back in 1928. Folks are still amazed and amused by the critter's tale."

"The story began in 1897, when a horned lizard, the animal's proper designation, was placed in the cornerstone of the county's third courthouse. When that edifice was demolished in February 1928 to make way for the current Art Deco model, the cornerstone was opened."

"According to published accounts, a crowd of three thousand showed up to see the opening of the old building's time capsule. Much to everyone's surprise, when the marble box was opened the interred lizard was still alive ? 31 years later."

Here's the bizzare tale that inspired one of my favorite Chuck Jones cartoons, shown below.

"The Frog was not a star when Warner Bros.' One Froggy Evening (which was written by Michael Maltese and directed by Chuck Jones) premiered on December 31, 1955. In fact, that was the point — his spectacular song and dance routines were seen by only one person."

That song has stayed in my head, resurfacing at least every couple of years since I saw that toon as a child.
Ah, I can hear it now.....
'Hello my ba-by, Hello my hon-ey, Hello my ragtime gal......'