Tall tales

While at the cabin this weekend I managed to get out onto the lake to fish for the every elusive esox lucus, otherwise known as northern pike. Not a bite, not a nibble, not a sighting of the top predator of this aquatic realm. Marcel, who lives at the lake year round, said that pike don't bite this time of year because their mouths are sore, other claim it's because they lose all their teeth.

What curious ills befall the mighty pike that soreness should overtake them and their teeth suddenly unhinge. Doubly strange since fish physiology doesn't allow for teeth to be lost and regrown on a yearly basis nor does it allow for soreness in the mouth. I think it's a tall tale, birthed by someone somewhere and alive until laid to rest on some distant day, if ever.

It reminds me of the high priest tall tale, the one where they tied a rope around the high priest's ankle before he went into the holy of holies just in case he farted or did something wrong in there and got knocked on the head by the Lord. There being no one willing to go in to rescue him the rope could then be used to drag him out. What they did with him after that the tale does not go on to tell but I suggest they would deposit him outside the camp lest he contaminate the whole works.

That would be a tough year, wouldn't it, if the high priest never made it out of the holy of holies to pronounce blessing and forgiveness upon the people. A year under unforgiveness and no blessing because Levi messed up. Gotta find somebody a little more careful next year.

Like sore mouths in pike the rope around the leg story is a tall tale with no basis in fact and not requiring anything more but to be passed on without thought. Unlike the pike theory though there is no evidence the rope tale is true. The pike tale at least has the inability to catch pike during this time of year as evidence whereas the rope tale has no evidence at all. But who cares, we all love a tall tale.

Pa