Category: tall tale

Image Source We met Mike Fink briefly last week. He's another tall tale character, although in this case the legends are based on a real man who was born near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania around 1770 or 1780. In addition to the exaggerated and imagined feats that make up his story, it may have been woven from the stories of two or more men with the same name. Be that as it may, I read his story in American Tall Tales by Adrien Stoutenburg. The story starts with Mike Fink growing up in the woods around Pittsburgh, shooting wolves, bobcats, bugs, anything really. He was tough and bragged a lot, but always backed up his bragging with a show of his skill. He entered a shooting contest and beat out all the soldiers, hunters, Indian scouts, and boatmen, all the best shots in the country, even though he was just a child. He was too young to fight in the American Revolution, but when...

Image Source: Weingart Design I guess June's going to be Tall Tale month on Fridays. Today's character is one of my favorites, even if she's not one of the most well-known. Women back int he America's early days had it just as tough as the men. They helped build cabins and clear land. They hauled water and hunted for food. Davy Crockett done married the prettiest, the sassiest, the toughest gal in the West, don't ya know! Her name was Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind and she was all that and then some! She was tougher than a grumpy she-bear and faster than a wildcat with his tail on fire and sweeter than honey, so that even hornets would let her use their nest for a Sunday-go-to-Meeting hat. One story tells of a bet between Mike Fink and Davy Crockett. Mike Fink bets a dozen wild-cats he can scare Sally Ann half to death. Davy Crockett, knowing his wife quite well, takes Mike...

Image credit: saltycotton Tall tales are a part of American literature and history. The stories tell the bigger than life tales of men taming the early American frontier, exaggerating actual events, explaining natural phenomena. Some were based on true people like Davy Crockett and Johnny Appleseed, while others tell of folk heroes who stories were passed down through generations. Pecos Bill was not a real historical figure, nor is he truly a folk hero. His is a later tall tale that first appeared in a "saga" written by Edward O'Reilly for a 1923 Century Magazine. Nonetheless, the story has become part of America's literary landscape. The version I read was retold by Mary Pope Osborne in American Tall Tales. Pecos Bill, the story goes, was a baby in eastern Texas when his family packed up a wagon and headed west. Along the rough ride, Bill fell out and landed in the middle of the desert. Luckily, a coyote found him, took him home,...