PAUL BUNYAN
AND THE WHISTLING RIVER
THE LONGEST LIST OF THE LONGEST STUFF AT THE LONGEST DOMAIN NAME AT LONG LAST

Paul Bunyan and the Whistling River – American Folktale

The Whistling River has a legend all of its own as being the most ornery river in the US, it would raise up two hundred feet in the air twice per day and let out a whistle that could be heard over six hundred miles, it would tie loggers logs into knots, throw men into the water and then throw them back on the shore, and even break rafts of logs as soon as they were built.

Paul Bunyan was not too worried about the antics of the river and let it do its mischievous acts to the loggers. However, one day the Whistling River went a bit too far with Paul. Paul was sitting on a hill combing his beard with a pine tree when all of a sudden the river reared up and spit four hundred and nineteen gallons of muddy water into Paul’s beard. He was at first a bit startled, but thought if he just ignored the river it would go away. However, the river was not quite done pestering Paul, it reared up again, and this time spit 5,019 gallons of muddy water into beard along with mud turtles, many large fish, and a muskrat. Paul was so angry that he yelled so loudly that it caused a huge landslide that was felt all the way to Pike’s Peak.

"By jingo, I am gonna tame that river or bust a gut trying!" he cried.

Paul thought for four days before coming up with way to tame this mischievous river. He decided he would hitch the river to Babe the Blue Ox and yank out the kinks, however, he knew that an ordinary log chain and skid hook could not work with water. Paul took Babe to the North Pole and there made a box trap baited with icicles that he set close to a blizzard trail. Paul began throwing icebergs out into the ocean so Babe could would play fetch. However, he had to stop playing the game since Baby started a tidal wave that almost swamped the coast of Florida. He checked his trap after lunch and found that he had in deed, trapped just what he needed. He kept two young blizzards and let all the rest go.

Paul asked Ole, the Big Swede to build him the largest log chain ever and Paul then staked the blizzards one on each side of the river. The Whistling River began to freeze. By morning, the river had frozen over seventeen miles and Paul waited until after he ate breakfast and then harnessed Babe and wrapped the chain around the foot of the frozen river 72 times.

Paul and Babe the Blue Ox yanked and yanked on the frozen Whistling River until finally, it was straight and all the kinks were gone.

 

Page Sponsored By: Gaming Directory