How Babe Made Minnesota's 10,000 Lakes (Campfire Story)

Minnesota is famous for its lakes. It has so many that it calls itself the Land of 10,000 Lakes, and that's not even counting the little ones. But have you ever wondered where they all came from?

It happened one spring, back when Paul Bunyan was logging the north woods of Minnesota. The snow was melting, and the ground was soft and squishy, like a giant mud pie. And through that mud came BABE the Blue Ox.

CLOMP. Babe was a big ox, forty-two axe handles between the eyes, and every one of his hooves was as big as a barn. CLOMP. Every step he took sank deep into the soft ground. CLOMP. He walked to the river for a drink. CLOMP. He walked to the meadow for a snack. CLOMP. He wandered off to look at a butterfly, then came back to see what Paul was doing. CLOMP, CLOMP, CLOMP!

All spring long, Babe wandered back and forth across Minnesota, and everywhere he went, he left a deep hoofprint behind him.

Then came the RAIN. A little at first. RAIN. Then more. RAIN! It rained for forty days, and every one of Babe's hoofprints filled right up with water to the brim.

When the sun finally came out again, Paul looked across the land, and it sparkled with lakes. Big lakes, little lakes, round lakes, long lakes, lakes in every direction. Paul tried to count them. He got to ten thousand and stopped, because it was time for supper.

The fish moved in. The loons moved in. Then people moved in, and they built cabins and docks and went fishing every Saturday. And they still do.

So if you ever go canoeing on a lake in Minnesota, take a good look at the shape of it. Some folks say if you look closely enough, you can still see the outline of a giant hoof.

'BABE!'

Storyteller tips: let the CLOMPs wander, fast and slow, as Babe goes back and forth. Build the RAIN from a few fingers to the whole campfire.