Tall Tale Theater
Art Child's
“  Y A R N S   O F   T H E   B I G   W O O D S  
(  H Y P E R T E X T   E D I T I O N  )
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Mug-Lump .
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THE MUG-LUMP
[ Fustiscauda borgesia (Sharpe, 2020) ]
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    Did you ever have swellings in your throat and face after being out in the woods camping or hiking?
    The old-time lumberjack says that such trouble comes from drinking water from unprotected water holes and streams that are hang-outs for the mug-lump.
    “Never heard of a mug-lump!” the old lumberjack will exclaim. “Well, that shows you’ve never been in these woods before.”
    “He’s a web-footed animal with large, dog-like head. There’s a great lump on one side of his face, and that’s how he gets his name. The worst thing about him is his tail, which is big and heavy, and all spiked like a war club. When he’s angry he fights backward, swinging that dangerous tail of his.
    “The mug-lump lives along streams and in low, marshy woodlands. There’s something poisonous about his ugly face, for wherever a mug-lump is found there you’ll find water unsafe to drink. Before taking a drink I always look around carefully for his tracks, and you’d better do the same.”
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