The legends of Paul Bunyan were some of the young republic’s most famous tall tales, or exaggerated adventure stories.
Loggers in Wisconsin first told wild stories about the biggest, bravest, smartest lumberjack and his giant friend, Babe the Blue Ox. The stories helped pass the time in logging camps. They also helped keep men’s minds off the dangers and loneliness of the lumberjack life. The stories were make-believe, but there was some truth in them. After all, loggers did have to be brave and strong.
