Febold Feboldson: Tall Tales from the Great PlainsPaul R. Beath "Paul Bunyan yarns have generally been conceded first place among the lies of all time, but here is Febold Feboldson, a Swede who has pushed his way out front and deserves recognition as the most accomplished, the most unqualified, the least repetitious, and--for a change--the most laughable legendary figure to steal the spotlight."--Buffalo, N.Y., Evening News. "Gorgeous reading for all who love genuine Americana."--The American Mercury. "Let us give Febold his full due as a purely regional phenomenon. As such--as an expression of the never-ending fight of Nebraskans against drought, flood, blistering heat, paralyzing cold, choking dust, and bottomless mud--he is very nearly perfect. . . . Paul Beath has done regional literature a service by collecting these richly imaginative tales."--Victor P. Hass, Chicago Sunday Tribune Magazine of Books. "Everyone who loves American folklore will welcome this book. . . . The book contains no less than fourteen tales or groups of anecdotes, all of them cheerful, sly, or hilarious."--Stanley Vestal, The Daily Oklahoman. "Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill, John Henry, and others of heroic mold may move over and listen a while. . . . Febold, the big Swede who homesteaded down on the Dismal River, his only neighbors the Dirtyleg tribe of Indians, is a folk character made almost before our eyes."--Kansas City Star. |
Contents
SWEDISH PIONEER | 1 |
THE DISMAL RIVER | 15 |
JUST WIND | 30 |
REAL AMERICAN WEATHER | 38 |
GREAT GUNS AND LITTLE FISHHOOKS | 44 |
DROUTH BUSTIN | 56 |
THE DIRTYLEG INDIANS | 66 |
SNAKES ALIVE | 75 |
THE COYOTE CURE | 82 |
THE MOST INVENTINGEST MAN | 87 |
POST HOLES | 99 |
THE WINTER OF THE PURPLE SNOW | 104 |
ROCKS OF THE OX | 110 |
Common terms and phrases
According to Bergstrom aforesaid ain't American animals Antoine Barada Arabella Babe became began Berg Bergstrom Stromberg birds Blue Ox buffalo Buffalo Bill cactus California cats caught cold corn cottonwood coyotes crop Dawson County Dirtyleg Indians Dismal River dogs Don Holmes drouth ducks Edholm Eldad Johnson's grandfather Ernest G Febold decided Febold Feboldson Febold's ranch fish folklore frog frozen Gothenburg grasshoppers great-uncle Febold ground happy auger heard Herebold hodag homestead horses huge hunting invention Karlson kite looked Louise Pound melons Moses Stocking mugwumps never night Olaf Olof Bergstrom P. R. Beath Paul Bunyan pioneer Plains post holes prairie pulled rabbits railroad rain rattle rattlers recalls redskins rifle settlers shot snake snow soon spring stopped Stromsburg Swede Swedish thing told took trees turkeys turned Union Pacific Union Pacific railroad wagon watermelon Wayne Carroll whingdings wind winter yarns