Paul Bunyan was a hero in American folk tales. He was a lumberjack, livingin lumber camps ofthe American Northwest. He became famous for his greatstrength and great skill in cuttingtrees. According to legend, Paul Bunyan was agiant. He was so big that a small step he tookwas about three city blocks. Hecreated much of America. He dug Puget Sound in Washingtonto float huge logs tothe mill. He cleared trees from North and South Dakota and made the landin thosestates suitable for farming. He dragged his huge ax in the field of Colorado,and thuscreated the Grand Canyon. He also scooped out the Great Lakes to providedrinking water forhis giant blue ox, Babe. Babe weighed fifteen tons beforebreakfast and stood sixty feet tall.From the tip of one horn to the tip of theother, it measured 42 ax handles and a plug ofchewing tobacco. The ox atetremendous amounts of hay and potato peels and could haul awhole forest of logs.When Babe needed new shoes, the blacksmith had to open a new ironmine inMinnesota. The shoes were so heavy that the blacksmith sank knee-deep into solidrockwhile carrying them. Babe hadn’t always been blue. But nobody knew for surehow it had cometo be that colour. Some said it had turned blue from playingoutdoors too long during theWinter of the Blue Snow.
保罗·班扬是美国传说中的英雄。他是个伐木工，住在美国西北的伐木营地里。他由于力大无穷，伐木快如割草而威震四方。保罗是个巨人，他只须迈一小步就能跨过三条街。美国的大部分山山水水据说都是他创造的。他掘出了华盛顿州的皮尤吉特湾，好把木材从水路运到锯木场。他伐光了南北达科他所有的树木，将林地改做农田。他在科罗拉多的田野里拖了一下他的巨斧，结果划出了大峡谷。他的蓝牛贝贝口渴时，他就从五大湖里舀出水来给他喝。蓝牛贝贝高六十英尺，早饭前重十五吨。两角之间的长度为四十二斧柄外加一块嚼烟。贝贝饭量极大，须为他准备大量干草和土豆皮。但它的力气也极大，一次就能拉走一座森林的木材。贝贝需要钉掌时，铁匠就得在明尼苏达新开一座铁矿。那副牛蹄铁重得吓人，铁匠搬它们时，两腿陷在坚硬的岩石里，深达膝盖。蓝牛并非生下来就是蓝色的。它究竟是怎么变蓝的，谁也说不清。有人说这是因为下蓝雪那年冬天，贝贝贪玩儿，在外头待得太久了。