Tall Tales Intro January 6, 2015

What is a tall tale? A tall tale is a story about a person who is larger than life. These stories involve a lot of exaggeration or hyperbole. This makes a tall tale very funny. When the United States was just starting out as a country, people used to tell tall tales after a hard day's work. They would tell these stories in the evening for relaxation and entertainment.

History Many settlers originally came west because someone made many optimistic claims, those which told only of the good things. They were told the climate was perfect and that there was plenty of water. They were convinced that crops would spring up overnight. It was said that the soil was so fertile that even footprints would grow! In real life, living on the plains was a lot tougher that the settlers had been told. After they found out what life on the plains was really like, they had to face many hard times. It was easier to do that if a person used humor. One farmer is reputed to have said, “It could be so hot one day that the corn popped, and so cold the next day that a bucket of water would freeze so fast that the ice would still be warm." The settlers loved to exaggerate when they told tales about the huge animals, the incredible weather extremes and the monstrous fish that got away. We can thank the pioneers for tall tales. Tall tales have been associated with America’s past.

Notable Tall Tale Characters Paul Bunyan Johnny Appleseed Pecos Bill John Henry Mose Febold Feboldson Davy Crockett Stormalong Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind

Pecos Bill Pecos Bill is a cowboy hero with superhuman abilities. He is the strongest, meanest, greatest. He is attributed with the invention of calf roping, the practice of cattle branding, and the creation of the six-shooter. He could ride any horse, but he also rode a panther and a tornado in his time.