"Thesearebooks about America, its history, its geography and its heroes." "But it takes a big book like this one to tell the story of American folklore, the tall tales about men doing big things in a big country." "Men like Cap'n Stormalong," "Joe Magarac," "John Henry," "Pecos Bill and the fellow who towers above them all, Paul Bunyan." "# North America was a great big land" "# With a great big job to be done" "# Ajob that needed a great big man" "# Paul Bunyan was the one" " # Hey, Paul - # Hey, Paul" " # Paul Bunyan - # Paul Bunyan" "# He's 63 axe handles high" "# With his feet on the ground and his head in the sky" " # Hey, Paul - # Hey, Paul" " # Paul Bunyan - # Paul Bunyan" "My name is Cal McNab, lumberjack by trade." "I reckon I was the first person in our part of the country to see Paul Bunyan." "Our town was cut right out of the big timber on the coast of Maine." "I should've known something was gonna happen that night." "A sou'easter come up and the wind howled so." "I thought it was gonna blow our town right off the map." "Come daylight, I took a look to see what was left of the place." "I spotted an odd-lookin' craft on the beach." "That's where the howling was comin' from." "Hey, Ma, what in the world do you suppose that is?" "The howling' roused the whole town and everybody rushed down to investigate." "I never saw anything like it." "Looks like a big cradle." "Now, be careful, Cal." "Well, I'll be horn swallowed." "A baby!" "And it's a whopper!" "Thewholetownadoptedhim and named him Paul Bunyan." "Everybody pitched in to supply his needs." "They held sewing bees and knitting circles to make his clothes." "Feedin' him wasn't any small job, either." "I led the singin' to put him to sleep at night." "One, two..." " # Good night - # Sleep tight" " # Paul Bunyan - # Paul Bunyan" "# You're only ten axe handles high" "# But you'll get bigger by and by" " # Good night" " Shhh." " # Paul Bunyan - # Paul Bunyan #" "Itwasn'tlongbeforePaul  was big enough to go to school." "He was a bright boy and never tardy." "Good morning, Paul." "Good morning, children." "Now everyone be seated." "Will the first pupil to work the sum of five plus two rise and show the answer?" "Eeek!" "That is correct, Paul, but for heaven's sake, don't raise the roof!" "School's out." "Yeah!" "# The boys would head for the swimming hole" "# Just as soon as the studies had ceased" "Come on!" "# And though young Paul was sometimes last he surely never was least" " # Hey, Paul" " Here he comes!" "# Paul Bunyan" "# Though he loved to swim What a time he had" "# What a problem, me, oh, my" "# When his front was in the water Oh, his back was high and dry" "How about a dive, Paul?" " # Hey, Paul - # Hey, Paul" " # Paul Bunyan - # Paul Bunyan #" "Christmaswas a big event in our town." "We had our tree in the town square, on account of Paul." "I handed out the presents." "You kids ready?" "Well, here's something for Johnny." "For Susan." "And for Paul here's a gift from the whole town," "a double-bladed axe." "Paultookto cutting'timber like a duck takes to water." "Before long our sawmills had enough timber to last a lifetime." "That opened plenty of new farmland." "Our town grew so fast it got to crowding Paul." "So one morning we weren't too surprised to find a note in the square." ""And plenty of room." "Love, Paul." "P.S. I'll write soon."" "We're gonna miss that boy." "I am Chris Crosshaul, straw boss of a logging crew in the Middle West." "I will never forget the first time I saw Paul Bunyan." "I was topping trees one morning." "I looked up and there stood the biggest man I ever saw." "# With my double-blade axe and my hobnail boots" "# I go where the timber's tall" "# When there's work to be done don't mess around" "# Just sing right out for Paul" " # Hey, Paul - # I'm comin', boys" " # Paul Bunyan - # Paul Bunyan" "# He's 63 axe handles high" "# With his feet on the ground and his head in the sky" " # Hey, Paul - # Hey, Paul" " # Paul Bunyan - # Paul Bunyan" "# Well, he picked up his axe" "# And he chopped a tree clean down with his forward swing" "# Got him another when his axe swung back" "# That timber-cutting thing" "# He kept on a-choppin' the livelong day" "# And then, when it was night" "# He walked back over the stumps he'd cut and stomped them out of sight" " # Thanks, Paul - # Wasn't nothin'" " # Paul Bunyan - # Paul Bunyan #" "Well,sir, Paul cleared that country so quick farmers had their crops in the first week." "So, Paul headed west for the big woods and more room." "He hadn't gone far when he ran into the worst blizzard this country ever saw." "It was so cold even the snow was blue." "When Paul built a fire the flames froze." "While he was building a second fire to melt the first one, he heard a low moo." "He looked all around, and there, under a fog bank he found a big ox, frozen just as blue as the snow." "Now, that ox was mighty grateful for being rescued." "They hit it right off and became real pals." "Paul named him Babe." "The two of them headed west, but the storm got worse and they got so lost." "Well, sir, they left lots of tracks behind them." "Come spring those tracks filled with water." "This area became known as the land of 10,000 lakes." "With winter over, Paul and Babe went right to work." "They logged off North and South Dakota, dug the Missouri River to float the logs to the sawmills," "and then, so they could look the country over and see what else to do, they built Pike's Peak." "Now, that was a fair day's work, even for Paul." "So, the next morning he overslept a little bit." "Babe wanted him to get up." "Hey!" "What's the idea?" "You big blue ox!" "Now, watch it, watch it." "Cut it out, Babe." "Well,onelittlecuff led to another." "Oh!" "Andthefirstthing you know, they was roughhousing all over the countryside." "Then Paul and Babe got into a big tug of war." "They piled dirt and rocks so high it formed a range of mountains." "Today, they are called the Grand Tetons." "Well, sir, all of this horseplay, I mean ox play, made Paul and Babe kind of dirty." "So Paul looked the countryside over, and got together with Babe." "Before long he had built them a shower bath." "They went off and left it running." "Today Paul's shower bath is called Yellowstone Falls." "Shot Gunderson's my name." "I'm river foreman of a timber camp near the Oregon Trail." "My outfit was mighty discouraged the day Paul Bunyan arrived." "We were getting timber in the river, but we couldn't move it to the sawmills 'cause the river was so crooked." "Paul looked the situation over careful-like, then he harnessed Babe with a yoke, hitched on a big anchor and threw it in at the head of the river." "Giddyup, Babe." "# Well, Paul and Babe They heaved and hauled" "# And the job was quickly done" "# They pulled that crooked river out" "# As straight as the barrel of a gun" " # Hey, Paul" " They're on their way!" " # Paul Bunyan - # Paul Bunyan" "# He's 63 axe handles high" "# With his feet on the ground and his head in the sky" " # Hey, Paul - # Hey, Paul" " # Paul Bunyan - # Paul Bunyan" "Nowthecountry began to prosper." "Yep." "Civilization had arrived in the great Northwest." "And with it came the prophets of progress." "Just move in a little closer, boys." "Yes, siree, right in this box is the invention that's going to revolutionize the logging business." "If you'll step over to the nearest tree, I'll demonstrate." "# With my double-blade axe And my hobnail boots" "# I go where the timber's tall..." "Thunderation!" "What's that?" "Yes sir, boys, just turn on the steam and let her go." "Hey, there." "Who are you and what the Sam Hill's that thing?" "Me?" "I'm Joe Muffaw." "And this thing is the latest model of the handy dandy steamsaw." "Now, bub, if you'll just step aside, I'd like to cut this tree down." "Hah." "Up here we cut timber with a big axe, like this one." "And we haul it with a big ox, like that one." "Bub, you gotta get with the times." "Become modern." "There's the latest invention for hauling' timber, a steam locey." "With this steamsaw and that engine" "I can cut and haul more timber than you and that blue ox ever thought of." "Hah." "Is that so?" "You, with your newfangled contraptions." "You, with your big axe and old fogey ways." "I'll show you what I can do with this axe!" " I dare you to try it." " Looks like a toy to me." "Toy, huh?" "I'll show ya." "I'll show ya." "Therewasonlyone way  to settle it." "I was appointed judge." ""This contest to last one hour."" "Then I'll measure the stacks of timber and declare the winner." "You fellas ready?" " Ready." " Ready." " # Hey, Paul - # Keep swinging, Paul" " # Paul Bunyan" " Yeah, Paul!" "# Cut that timber Show him how" "# Beat that city slicker now" " # Hey, Paul" " Get 'em, Paul!" "# Paul Bunyan #" "Theracelookeddeadeven , and when I went to measure the stacks, they looked dead even too." "Well, I shimmied up Paul's stack first." "Pulled the measuring chain taut." "For Paul, 240 feet." " Even." " Hooray for Paul!" "For Joe, 240 feet and one quarter inch." "Yippee!" "# Poor Paul" "# Poor Paul Bunyan" "Yep." "Themachine had beaten man." "But don't you folks feel sorry for Paul and Babe." "I hear they're up Alaska way, and mighty happy." "Lots of room up there, you know." "Those northern lights you see in the sky, well, that's Paul and Babe having a lot of fun, oxing around, knocking the aurora borealis out of the countryside." " # Hey, Paul - # Hey, Paul" " # Paul Bunyan - # Paul Bunyan" "# He's 63 axe handles high" "# With his feet on the ground and his head in the sky" " # Hey, Paul - # Hey, Paul" " # Paul Bunyan - # Paul Bunyan"