A long time ago, in a small village near a forest, a giant baby was born. His name was Paul Bunyan. Paul wasn’t just big—he was HUGE! His parents had to use a covered wagon as his bed.
Paul also had a giant appetite. He ate five barrels of porridge every day and drank so much milk that his parents needed dozens of cows to keep up. But Paul’s size caused trouble for the village.
One day, Paul sneezed, and birds flew all the way across the country! When he snored, the whole village shook like an earthquake! Paul’s father decided they needed more space for Paul to grow, so the family moved to Minnesota, where there were lots of forests and room for Paul to be himself.
In Minnesota, Paul grew even bigger and stronger. He became a lumberjack, cutting down trees to help build homes, schools, and towns. Paul made a giant ax from a tree and could chop down a huge tree with one swing.
As the trees fell, Paul would yell, “Timber!” to warn the other lumberjacks. Everyone admired Paul because he was not only strong but also kind. However, Paul felt lonely. He didn’t have any friends his size—until something amazing happened!
One winter, a big snowstorm swept across the land, turning everything blue because of the freezing cold. While walking through the blue snow, Paul heard a strange sound. He followed the noise and saw two giant blue ears sticking out of a snowbank!
Paul dug through the snow and found a baby blue ox. “You poor little fellow! You must be freezing!” Paul said. He carried the ox home, wrapped him in warm blankets, and fed him. The ox felt much better and soon fell asleep in Paul’s strong arms.
When the baby ox woke up, he gave Paul a big, slobbery lick and said, “Mama!”
Paul laughed and said, “I’ll call you Babe. We’ll be best friends!”
At first, Babe was just a baby, but over time, he grew bigger and stronger, just like Paul. Soon, Babe was taller than houses! His footprints were so deep that they filled with water and became lakes.
Paul and Babe became a team. They worked together in the lumber camps—Paul chopped down trees, and Babe pulled the heavy logs to the river. They worked faster than anyone else and helped build many new towns.
One day, Paul and Babe faced a big problem. A river near the camp was full of twists and turns, and the logs kept getting stuck. Paul had an idea.
He said, “Babe, let’s pull the river straight!”
Paul stood at one end of the river, and Babe stood at the other. They both pulled with all their strength. Snap! The river straightened out like a giant rope, and the logs floated smoothly to the sawmill.
The extra water from the river filled five giant holes, which became the Great Lakes.
Later, Paul heard some men talking about how the country needed a big river from Minnesota all the way to New Orleans. Paul and Babe decided to help.
Paul hitched Babe to a giant plow, and they started digging. As they plowed, they made huge mountains on both sides. These became the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains! Finally, they reached the Gulf of Mexico, creating the Mississippi River.
Paul and Babe traveled across America, helping people everywhere. Some say they even dug the Grand Canyon as they made their way to California!
And on windy days, some say you can still smell the giant pancakes Paul and Babe used to eat, made by their cook, Sourdough Sam.
Moral: Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox teach us that teamwork and helping others can achieve amazing things. No problem is too big when we work together!
