| Read Paul's Tall Tales as retold by our online visitors!
Wild Knutson Cows
Zachary Zancofsky of MN
Babe was a good ox most of the time. But, it was a known fact
that he would get a wild blue hair hankerin' now and then to explore
a bit.
Having had his ears recently cleaned out by four of Sourdough
Sam's bacon boys who strapped mattresses to their feet instead of
bacon, and skated around for half a day inside each ear clearing
out hundreds of pounds of ox earwax, Babe could now hear conversations
hundreds of miles away just as though they were being talked out
right next to him.
So when he heard whispered bits and pieces floating through the
air about a still operating over by Hay Creek, he set about investigating.
Now Hay Creek, running into the Whitefish Chain of Lakes, was part
of Babe's old stomping grounds. He and Paul had once caught a fish
so big out of those waters that when they pulled that monster northern
out of the lake, the bobber flew off and landed smack dab in the
middle of Pequot Lakes, where it still sits today.
Yep, Babe knew the area. But, the stil... well, that was news!
And Babe's wild blue hair was a'wrangling and bouncing and generally
spinning him into a crazy mood.
So, when Babe spotted three cows he played
with them.
Back at the Logging Camp, Brimstone Bill, who had been hired to
take care of Babe, was beside himself. Where could Babe have gone?
Worrying himself into a stewing brine, he finally bit the bullet
and told Paul Bunyan himself, speculating that perhaps Babe had
wanted to play hide-and-seek.
In the meantime, Babe and the Knutson Cows ate dinner.
As he trailed behind the three swishing and chortling bovines,
Babe heard a familiar sound. No doubt about it. It was Pea Soup
Shorty, singing his rendition of 'Peas Porridge Hot' as he stirred
peas into a small pond he'd found. Babe's wild blue hair started
crinkling and swirling, and to avoid being noticed by Shorty, Babe
ran behind a tree.
Before long the Wild Knutson Cows were moving faster toward the
definite scent of bacon.
By now, Brimstone Bill and Paul had hatched a plan to find Babe.
They would trap him by putting stew in a 5,000 foot bowl!
But, around the Hay Creek still, Babe and the Wild Knutson Cows
had given new meaning to "puttin' on the feedbag". Woodland
critters were alarmed to see the giant ox.
Babe's beautiful blue color began to change a little. First it
was barely noticeable, but as he and the Wild Knutson Cows licked
up more and more of the still's contents, he got greener and greener.
In fact, so green did Babe become that off in the distance Pea Soup
Shorty mistook the huge green vision for foooooood!
About then, the Wild Knutson Cows felt the dampness of evening
approaching and began their teetering trek back home. But Babe smelled
something.
So, Brimstone Bill and Pea Soup Shorty ate while Paul
ate.
Remnants of the still at Hay Creek are there to this day, the location
of which, is known only by a few local folks. The Wild Knutson Cows
have left behind the progeny of their kind along with their story,
which is told often among friends of the Knutsons.
And, even though Babe has fuzzy green memories of his encounter
with the still at Hay Creek and the Wild Knutson Cows, he's certain
it was one of his most wonderful explorations ever. The wild blue
hairs, now back to their beautiful sky blue hue, still have that
snickering, crazy way about them... and every now and then they
can still spin Babe into a crazy mood! |
