Celebrate Texas Independence Day on March 2

Our Sunday School verse was:  Acts 18: 9-10 9 One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. 10 For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” God was telling Paul that there were many that do not know our Savior and that he must persevere and spread the Gospel of Christ. Our world today is in much the same situation, because many still do not know about the Kingdom of God and it is our job to speak out!

I’m an old timer, but I still can bring back memories of childhood days. Often these memories pop up at the least expected times which I think can be attributed to that age old malady known as a “wanderin’ mind.” There was a time, you could find Texas horned lizards across much of the state: squat reptiles the color of rusty red and gray gravel, heads crowned with a fan of sharp little horns. Known as “horny toads,” the 5-inch lizards have been immortalized in magnets, murals, and even as TCU’s mascot. 

They were commonplace, easy to catch, and easy - in their grumpy, frowning way—to fall in love with. Subsisting largely on a diet of red harvester ants, these slow and relatively docile, horned lizards rely on camouflage to keep out of trouble, though when cornered, they can squirt blood from their eyes to startle predators.

At first glance, the Texas horned lizard looks prehistoric, ageless, and tough. But beginning in the 1950s, horned lizards vanished from much of their historical territory. 

Older Texans “likely have fond memories of abundant horned lizards that aren’t there anymore,” The lizard’s fragility has been recognized since at least 1977, when the state officially classified horny toads as threatened. Young lads, and probably a few tomboy girls caught these sociable creatures, in variable sizes and stages of maturity, to play with often turning them upside down to rub their tummies so as to put them to sleep. All the while, careful to stay out of range of the “poisonous blood they might squirt from their eyes. Note to self: Of the hundreds that I may have handled, not once did I observe that phenomena! 

My Granddad, Papa Hop, loved to tell the story of “Ol’ Rip.” As any good story teller, he did not let the truth get in the way of a good story, much to the pleasure of his audience! You see, Ol’ Rip’s notoriety was embellished through out the years.    

In 1955, the writer, Michael Maltese teamed with Chuck Jones , a known cartoonist to create “One Froggy Evening” that tells the story of a horned frog that was freed from a cornerstone and sings ragtime jazz though no one ever witnessed this singing. 

In a publication called “Wesley’s Texas Twisted” it claims that a 1962 candidate for the position of Texas Governor, John Connally, chose a photo op with Ol’ Rip. When he held this legendary reptile up by a hind leg, this appendage broke off and Ol’ Rip fell away and left the soon to be 39th Governor of Texas a bit embarrassed as he stood there with that tiny hind leg in his grasp. A moment that the press relished.

Eleven years later, Ol’ Rip was the subject of an insidious kidnapping. When there was no response to the ransom note, the velvet box containing the lizard was left at the county fairgrounds and was soon returned to his resting place.

But here is the rest of the story; The story began in 1897, when a horned lizard was placed in the cornerstone of the county’s third courthouse. When that edifice was demolished in February 1928 to be replaced with a new building, the cornerstone was opened. Much to everyone’s surprise, when the marble box was opened the interred lizard was still alive after being interred 31 years. Despite skeptics who questioned how the critter could have survived, the lizard was dubbed Old Rip (after Rip Van Winkle) and became an instant celebrity. Nearly a year later, on January 19, 1929, he died peacefully in in his red velvet home. Now, Ol’ Rip rests in peace in a glass display case at the Eastland County Courthouse.

“OL’ RIP

Where he came from, no one knows,

But this is how the story goes,

1897 was a year so non-descript,

Eastland County had a courthouse to build,

And a time capsule must be filled,

One item would soon be known as “Ol’ Rip!”

You see, that time capsule held a box,

Inside, something quite unorthodox,

This item was a Texas Horned Lizard,

Possibly added on a whim,

Put in a box padded with scrim,

Safe from heat or even a blizzard.

Why would God create the “Horny Toad,”

For kids to play with in their abode?

Or maybe to dine on the pesky red ant?

To be a staple of Texas life?

In their own way, take away strife?

Could be all of these, to you, I would grant!

As years rolled by, his’try would be made,

The court house was due an upgrade,

As curious folk will, they chose to look,

They found the horned lizard alive and well,

Rip Van Winkle as near as they could tell,

 After 31 years, Ol’ Rip is the name he took

Fondled by Governors and once kidnapped,

Then in a fancy box where he would adapt.

Oblivious to the folk that reaped the bounty,

Into hist’ry books he would surely slip,

Many stories were told about Ol’ Rip

Most famous resident of Eastland County!

©  Ol’ Jim Cathey

Tip o’ the week :The Texas horned lizard was a sign of happiness and health by the ancient ones.                   

Tell the Good Lord ‘Thank you” for our many blessings!

God Bless Texas Legends, and God Bless America!