Paul Bunyan – United States (Original Version)

In the vast, untamed wilderness of North America, where towering pines stretched as far as the eye could see, there emerged a legend of a giant lumberjack named Paul Bunyan. It is said that Paul was so large that when he was born, it took five storks to deliver him to his parents.

From a young age, it was clear that Paul was no ordinary child. As a baby, his cradle was a lumber wagon pulled by a team of horses, and his hearty laughter could shake the rafters of his family’s log cabin. As he grew, so did his appetite, and it wasn’t long before he was eating more pancakes in a single sitting than a hundred men could manage.

Paul’s incredible size and strength made him a natural lumberjack. He cleared vast forests with a single swing of his massive axe, carving out paths and creating landscapes that were said to have shaped the very geography of the land. His presence in the logging camps was a boon, as he could fell entire groves in the time it took others to chop down a single tree.

One winter, after a particularly heavy snowfall, Paul discovered a peculiar sight: a gigantic blue ox frozen solid in a snowdrift. Paul took pity on the creature, thawed him out by a roaring fire, and named him Babe. From that day forward, Babe the Blue Ox became Paul’s loyal companion and friend.

Together, Paul and Babe roamed the continent, their adventures becoming the stuff of legend. It is said that they created the Great Lakes to provide water for Babe to drink and that their footprints formed the 10,000 lakes of Minnesota. They even carved out the Grand Canyon by dragging Paul’s massive axe behind them as they walked.

Paul’s feats were not limited to logging. He was known for his clever problem-solving and quick wit. When a massive logjam threatened to halt the lumber trade, Paul simply rolled up his sleeves and untangled the logs with ease. When mosquitoes the size of eagles plagued his camp, Paul lured them away with a mixture of sugar and vinegar and then trapped them in a giant jar.

The stories of Paul Bunyan spread far and wide, capturing the imagination of people across the nation. Though the tales grew taller with each telling, they reflected the spirit of adventure and the boundless possibilities of the American frontier.

To this day, the legend of Paul Bunyan endures, a symbol of strength, ingenuity, and the pioneering spirit. Statues of Paul and Babe can be found in towns across the United States, standing as a testament to the enduring power of folklore and the larger-than-life characters who populate our cultural heritage.

The End.