Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox

Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox

Paul Bunyan was a giant lumberjack. He stood sixty-three axe handles high, give or take a handle. When Paul shouted “ Timber! " and swung his axe, a hundred trees would fall. Back in Paul's day, America was growing fast, and people needed wood to build houses and towns. Farmers needed wild land cleared so they could grow crops.

Paul showed an early talent for knocking down trees. As a baby, he rolled over in his sleep one night and knocked down a mile of Maine forest. He always knew he'd be a lumberjack, and soon it was time to follow his dream. " I'm off to log the North Woods, " he told his parents. “ Good luck, son, " they said. " Watch where you step! "

Paul got a job at a logging camp. Chopping down trees was easy, but he wished he had someone to help him haul the logs to the river. Then came the Winter of the Blue Snow. Beautiful blue snow fell for days. Paul came across a snowdrift as big as a house with two hairy blue ears sticking out of it. “ Moo! " it softly bellowed. Paul lifted those ears, and out came a sickly baby ox that had been stuck in the snow. The ox was blue all over from the cold.

Paul brought the ox back to camp and cared for him all night. In the morning, the ox was feeling better, but he stayed blue. He licked Paul on the neck. Paul laughed. " I'll call you Babe, " he said. They went off to Michigan, where Paul set up his own logging camp. Babe grew like crazy and soon was so big that folks could hardly see him end to end. None of the local watering holes were big enough for Babe to drink from. Paul solved that problem by using his axe to dig the Great Lakes.

Paul's logging camp was filled with hundreds of lumberjacks. They were a hungry bunch, and their favorite food was pancakes. " More pancakes! " they'd call, but the cooks couldn't make enough. Sourdough Sam, the chief cook, feared that the men would quit if they didn't get more pancakes. “ Don't worry, Sam. I'll solve this, " Paul said. Paul sat and thought about the problem awhile. Then he and Babe disappeared.