THOUGHTS ON
Stories are often reflective of the character and spirit of the people from which they originate. Whereas some cultural themes may overlap with another, there are always those intrinsic elements, wholly unique to a certain region, to be found. In North America, the tall tale holds a special place. For the tall tale is as synonymous with its folklore as the saga is to the Nordic regions or the old English ballad is to the British Isles. Yet, unlike its popular perception in modern culture, the tall tale was never intended to be an unbelievable tale, rather an unbelievable tale made to be believed.
Humor is an element which is often characteristic of democratic societies. Accordingly, the idea of persuading an unsuspecting listener into believing that the inconceivable is conceivable has always been a specialty in North America, where free societies have generally flourished. Tall tales came about principally to test the credulity of those unfamiliar with a particular trade or way of life. Lumberjacks would send novice recruits on hunts for the elusive snipe, the kindly Idaho farmer would report to city-slickers of outrageous proportions a potato can grow, and the cowboy would discuss impossible tales of survival in the face of a tornadoes and the unforgiving elements.
Many times, such efforts proved successful, and many a good laugh was had at the expense of the naive. However, if a story was too absurd to prove convincing, it did not matter. The storyteller would continue to exaggerate until he was booed or jeered away. No matter how doubtful the audience may grow, the storyteller never admitted to any fabrication of events even at the slightest. If “believers” could not be made out of the audience, the storyteller would nonetheless demonstrate his or her unwavering commitment to the craft.
Decades later, authors would invent their own characters and tall tales. Some creators would even change old stories (such as expanding Paul Bunyan’s height from nine feet to fifty!) These new folkheroes were nothing of the sort. Being solely literary inventions, these books were largely written for young audiences and would chronicle feats of strength and skill that not even the most gullible of novices would believe. Admittedly, there are tales, of the folkloric sort, that would appear to be beyond the boundaries of belief. Yet, tales of this type were those what exemplified the storyteller’s dedication to the joke. Even if caught in an outrageous lie, the storyteller would still convey events with the same sincerity and conviction as always.
Tall Tales are unique as they do not rely on a suspension of disbelief as in most forms of storytelling. Rather, it is up to the storyteller to convince the listeners into believing the tale to be true rather than rely on the audience accepting the story as a story. Literary tall tales do not make such an attempt at convincing the reader but follow the format of any fantasy work. Consequently, it is these later stories that form the popular view of tall tales today as impossible stories to entertain children.
It is on the original tall tales that the stories in this collection are drawn. Tales of this sort are of two types either they might be believed, or they exemplify the commitment of the storyteller.