Great American Legends 4 Monsters and Cryptids 6 The Jersey Devil 8 American Ghost Legends 10 Blackbeard’s Ghost 12 The Legend of Sleepy Hollow 14 Wild Wisconsin 16 A Man Larger Than Life 18 Pecos Bill and Slue-Foot Sue 20 Legends on the Rails 22 Creepy Creature Legends 24 Keeping Legends Alive 28 Glossary 30 For More Information 31 Index 32 Words in the glossary appear in bold type the first time they are used in the text CONTENTS
America is a land of many stories Some are legends which are stories passed down through time that can’t be proven true Settlers from other parts of the world brought legends and traditions from their home countries Still other legends grew from events that took place in America from settling the western frontier to the rise of railroads Some legends are based around a central character a hero Some are tall tales or unbelievable stories filled with cryptids and monsters Some are scary while others are funny And some are just plain odd Living Heritage Some odd legends and traditions made it to America when settlers arrived They told legends to keep their heritage alive For example Germans who moved to Pennsylvania brought the legend of Belsnickel one of St Nicholas’s or Santa Claus’s friends The strange dirt-covered man roamed the countryside dressed all in furs and could tell if children had been good or bad that year 4 Great american LeGends
Legends connect us to history and give Americans a common story They add to American culture And some are just fun to tell 5
