Paul Bunyan

A Giant Lumberjack

            Did you ever hear a story that you had a hard time believing? Tales of humans that are bigger than life and have super strength are called tall tales. An example of such a person is Paul Bunyan. When I was a young girl, I loved to read the tall tales of Paul Bunyan.

            Here’s some things about Paul Bunyan that you will find hard to imagine:

• When Paul Bunyan was born in Maine, he was so big it took 5 storks to deliver him to his parents.

• As you can imagine, a baby that big was constantly hungry. His parents had to milk 12 cows, gather 50 eggs and peel and cook 10 bags of potatoes EVERY DAY to feed their hungry baby boy.

• In a few weeks, Paul had grown so much that he weighed almost 100 pounds.

• Paul’s cradle was a wagon. His father had to drive it back and forth across Maine to put Paul to sleep.

• If Paul got restless and rolled over, he caused an earthquake.

• Paul’s parents took the cradle and put it in the ocean so the water could rock him to sleep. But Paul woke up and rolled over, sending gigantic waves crashing onto the entire coast of Maine and making people very unhappy. From then on, Paul and his family lived in the woods.

• Paul became a lumberjack like his father but he was much stronger and faster. He could cut down an entire forest with one swing of his giant axe. He was so speedy he could turn off the light in his room and be in bed before the room got dark.

• Paul was a giant man. Some say he was 18 feet tall and his feet were 3 feet long!

These are just a few of the funny and unimaginable things about Paul Bunyan. Read some of the tall tales about him. There are many books and websites about tall tales and Paul Bunyan.

Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox: The Great Pancake Adventure, by Matt Luckhurst

Paul Bunyan and Other Tall Tales, by Jane B. Mason

Tall: Great American Folktales, by Martin Powell, Sean Tulien, and Stephanie Peters

What do you find interesting about Paul Bunyan?

Make up a tall tale of your own.  Where does your tall tale take place? What is the larger than life person in your tall tale like?

Have a great day!

Peace,

Nature Mamaw