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A long, long time ago, before America had cities or highways or even cars, a husband and wife in Maine were waiting for the stork to come deliver their baby. When the happy day came, five storks arrived on Mr. and Mrs. Bunyan's doorstep! Five giant storks carrying a huge parcel that was almost too heavy for their beaks!
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Mr. and Mrs. Bunyan named their giant baby "Paul". Paul grew larger and larger every day, and his parents began to worry. When Paul got hungry, his stomach rumbled so loudly that it knocked the roof right off the Bunyans' house. When Paul got thirsty, he needed two dozen cows to make the milk for his bottle. When Paul slept, he rolled around so much that he knocked down five square miles of forest.
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When Paul turned ten years old (and was now ten times the height of his father), his parents decided they should move west, where there was more space. They packed up their things and climbed on Paul's back. Paul took several steps, and before they knew it, they were in Minnesota!
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Paul loved his new home, even though it got very cold in the winter. One day, during a December that was so chilly that the snow turned blue, Paul was outside building a snowman. To his surprise, he discovered a blue baby ox that was completely frozen. He quickly carried it home to warm him by the campfire. "I'll call you 'Babe'", he told the little ox, petting him gently.
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Babe and Paul became the best of friends, and Babe even accompanied Paul when he left home to become a real lumberjack. "Goodbye!" waved Paul's mother and father. "Be careful! And take good care of one another!"
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Soon enough, Paul Bunyan had his own logging camp, and hired seven axemen who were all named Elmer. That way, whenever he called out for Elmer, they all came running to help.
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Paul, Babe, and the Elmers all worked together to chop down trees so that they could make room for cities, farms, and people. They traveled around the western part of the United States helping people in need.
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One day, when Babe had been a bad ox, Paul tied him up. Babe broke free when Paul wasn't looking, and Paul chased Babe all over Minnesota. They left huge footprints everywhere, and when the rains came in the spring, the footprints filled up with water and became the 10,000 lakes, including: Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario.
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Paul Bunyan was also so big that he could make mountains. Once, he dragged his axe behind him for 300 miles and created the Grand Canyon. Another time, he piled rocks on top of his campfire to put it out, and created Mount Hood.
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All the hard work Paul and his friends did made them extra hungry. Their favorite food was pancakes. "Let's have a feast!" cried Paul Bunyan. Paul whipped up ten tons of pancake batter, and the Elmers greased the griddle by skating across it with slabs of bacon on their feet. Babe brought the butter and the maple syrup, and all together they had the best breakfast ever!
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Paul Bunyan raised his glass of milk to make a toast. "To the three things I love the most," he smiled, "a hard day's work, a full stomach, and good friends!" They all laughed and cheered, and lived happily ever after.
