{
 "id": "james-mcintyre/origin-of-the-toboggan",
 "title": "Origin of the Toboggan",
 "ordinal": null,
 "subtitle": null,
 "poet": "James McIntyre",
 "poet_slug": "james-mcintyre",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "Poems of James McIntyre",
 "book_slug": "poems-of-james-mcintyre",
 "book_kind": "volume",
 "sequence": 27,
 "container": null,
 "epigraph": null,
 "first_published": {
  "year": 1889,
  "venue": "Poems of James McIntyre (1889)",
  "note": "First located printing is this volume; an earlier periodical printing has not been established.",
  "uncertain": false,
  "sources": [
   "https://archive.org/details/cihm_11791"
  ]
 },
 "source": {
  "kind": "standard-ebooks",
  "repo": "standardebooks/james-mcintyre_poetry",
  "file": "poetry.xhtml",
  "upstream": [
   "https://archive.org/details/cihm_09542",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/36068",
   "https://archive.org/details/cihm_11791"
  ],
  "rights": "public domain (SE dedication; underlying text pre-1931)"
 },
 "verification": {
  "level": "structural-only",
  "last_checked": "2026-08-20"
 },
 "stats": {
  "n_lines": 44,
  "n_stanzas": 11,
  "n_parts": 0,
  "longest_line_chars": 41,
  "max_indent": 0
 },
 "site_ready": true,
 "parts": [],
 "stanzas": [
  [
   {
    "text": "I am a hunter by profession,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And when I make this confession,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Of what I saw with mine own eyes,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "It may cause you some surprise.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "But we at once now you do warn,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "That this is not a made up yarn,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "It happened in the interior,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Far north of Lake Superior.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "When up the hill setting my traps,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "I heard on trees peculiar raps,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "It made me then attentive hark,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And then I heard pulling off the bark.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "It was a bright and pleasant day,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The distance was three miles away,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And it caused me but slight alarm,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "When they around bark placed each arm.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "And threw the bark o’er their shoulder,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "I being a distant beholder",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Knew not what end they had in view,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But I must own my wonder grew.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "When I saw those men were warm dressed",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "With good fur robe each one was blessed,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "In single file they marched up hill",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "With strangest thoughts my mind did fill.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "When each man in his robe began",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "With tough bark to make toboggan,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And quick as lightning down they slide,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "It seemed to me a dangerous ride.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "The spot was covered o’er with hairs,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And it seem’d mixed with blood of bears,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And my two dogs Bull and Daisy,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "At sight and scent of it went crazy.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Could none of these been a true man,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Or was I gross deceived by bruin,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "It was a long and glassy slide,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Reached far up the mountain side.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "They had been first enjoying the fun",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Of sliding down on their bare skin,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Until their hide was getting worn,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And their flesh was somewhat torn.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "So Bear invented Toboggan,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Which is a blessing to young man,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And the fair maiden by his side,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "For both enjoy the pleasant ride.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ]
 ]
}