PAUL BUNYAN, the opera focuses on a group of lumberjacks living near Bemidji in America about 100 years ago. The lumberjacks were brought in from Sweden because they were tough, if nothing else. They cut, sawed, and hauled lumber with their work horses from the lumberjack camp of Paul Bunyan to the local railroad spurs. Later the logs were floated downstream to America’s growing cities. Paul Bunyan, along with Babe the Blue Ox, was the strongest, the toughest, and hardest working of them all.

But Paul, always being a restless sort, left the camp one day to look at other lands for farming! While he was gone the other lumberjacks grumbled about the prospect that Paul might make them farmers so they rebelled and made Hel Helson their boss to replace Paul.  To make matters worse, like most lumberjack camps, there were the usual problems. Food was a steady and constant complaint. Breakfast, mid-morning soup, lunch, afternoon soup, and dinner always seemed to have one common staple – BEANS and more beans! The lumberjacks tired of the endless servings of beans and more beans, especially since the camp quarters were so small and cramped and there were no fiddlers or women nearby except in Bemidji. Until Paul’s daughter, Tiny came to camp. Not only was Tiny a woman, but even more importantly she was a great cook and played fiddle.

Well, Tiny fell in love with Hot Biscuit Slim, a cook of sorts, and according to Johnny Inkslinger, a newspaper reporter, the couple married, Hel Helson and Paul Bunyan made-up and the lumberjacks thrived on good food and the building of America continued.

Today, the life and times of Paul Bunyan is looked upon as a story of early pioneers and the cultural problems that occur in the first stage of every civilization – one of colonization and conquest of nature. Paul Bunyan provides us with unique insights as we forward as stewards of the land. Perhaps Paul will make us all taller one day?