Nobody is quite sure where the term “tall tale” comes from. Some people link it to the very tall Paul Bunyan, the giant lumberjack who formed the Grand Canyon by dragging his ax. Others claim that “tall” can mean “exaggerated.” Regardless of its origin, Toastmasters clubs around the world have been perfecting the art of telling tall tales and holding friendly competitions to find the very best tall-tale tellers of the year.

A well-crafted tall tale must be a story with a beginning, a middle, and an end. It can’t be a list of points that you find in stand-up comedy. The speaker usually weaves himself or herself into the story and narrates it as a direct observer (or victim). It contains outrageous exaggeration but is told as if the speaker believes every word.

Click on the video above to hear a tall tale speech from Alan, a member of Rainbow Toastmasters. He is bored in college, so one summer he goes to an animal reservation in Bolivia to care for animals and release them back into the wild. He meets Ramón, a puma—and soon the exaggerations in his speech are falling like hailstones!

Alan rehearsed his speech at Rainbow Toastmasters and went on to win both the area and division contents. We’ll be rooting him on at the District 4 competition on May 11, 2013. Well done, Alan!