Ballico Speech Night for 4th-5th Grade - December 6th
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What is a Tall Tale?A tall tale is a story with unbelievable elements, related as if it were true and factual. Some stories such as these are exaggerations of actual events, for example fish stories ("the fish that got away") such as, "That fish was so big, why I tell ya', it nearly sank the boat when I pulled it in!"
The History of Tall TalesStories that were told to depict the wild adventures of exaggerated folk heroes. The tall tale is an oral form of entertainment; the audience appreciates the imaginative invention rather than the literal meaning of the tales. Associated with the stories of the American frontier, tall tales often explain the origins of lakes, mountains, and canyons; they are spun around such legendary heroes as Paul Bunyan, the giant lumberjack of the Pacific Northwest; Mike Fink, the rowdy Mississippi River keelboatman; and Davy Crockett, the backwoods Tennessee marksman. Other tall tales recount the superhuman exploits of western cowboy heroes such as William F. Cody and Annie Oakley.
Popular Examples of Tall Tales |