003 Old Trapper and the Christmas Visitors

12/21/21 • 8 min

This week’s Tale of the Old Trapper is titled "Old Trapper and the Christmas Visitors" by Shawn Henninger.

About Tales of the Old Trapper:

When I was a young boy maybe 5 6 or 7 My Grandfather would sit me down and tell me Tales of The Old Trapper. The Old Trapper was a man who lived many years before my grandfather was even born. The Old Trapper lived on the Land my grandfather had owned that we called the Old Place.

But, Before it was the Old Place it was called Home by the Old Trapper. This land is where he went on many adventures. Working with the woods for all the things he needed to food, clothing and shelter. The Old Trapper was not one for lavish things as he only lived in a single room log cabin he built himself. Through his adventures he learned many values that he passed on to the community and anyone who crossed his path through his journeys.

So join me as I re-tell the Tales of the Old Trapper just as my Grandfather told them when I was just a child.

Follow The Tales of the Old Trapper on Twitter @OldTrapperPod.

Email Tales of the Old Trapper at [email protected]

This Weeks Tale:

The Old Trapper sat in front of the fireplace with a fresh cup of homemade eggnog. The cold snowy tundra outside was an afterthought as the Fire kept him warm. Hanging above the fireplace was one of The Old Trappers Socks waiting for a visitor to come down the chimney and fill it with goodies.

The Old Trapper loved this time of year and Christmas was tomorrow which was his favorite day. As a Child The Old Trapper would wake up and race to the tree his father and he had cut down hoping for presents. Now as he was older Christmas was time he typically spent by himself. Each year he had cut down a new christmas tree and decorated it with Popcorn on strings and homemade ornaments. Always placing the Star his mother made at the top. This year however The Old Trapper had a feeling he should get a bigger tree and place three presents underneath it.

Now the Old Trapper knew that it had been years since he had a visitor on Christmas Eve but he thought he should be prepared. The Fire crackled as the Old Trapper placed another log on the fire and poured himself the last of the Eggnog. The Thought popped up in the Old Trapper’s mind that maybe he should make more, but for who?

Just then a knock came on the door and startled the Old Trapper. Who on earth could be coming at this time of night? The Old Trapper walked to the Door and peaked out the window. Standing there was an older woman he had never seen before. She was bundled up and as she spoke The Old Trapper could see her breath in the air. “Please if anyone is home could I stay by the Fire for a moment? It’s rather cold out and I just need to rest and then I’ll be on my way”

The Old Trapper opened the door and welcomed the old woman into his home. He sat her by the fire and wrapped her in one of his blankets. As she sat down he could see her smile return as the Fire warmed her and her soul. The Old Trapper made more of his Famous Eggnog and brought her a fresh cup. “This is the most wonderful eggnog I’ve ever tasted. I thank you for letting me sit by your fire for a moment.” The Old Trapper looked upon the woman and she wore shoes that looked tattered but noticed she had no socks.

Old Trapper reached under the tree and pulled one of the Three presents. He gave it to the Old Woman who smiled with glee. “It’s been ages since I’ve received a present On Christmas Eve” She explained. As she opened the Present there was a new pair of wool socks the Old Trapper had swon. The Old Woman hugged the Old Trapper and put the socks on. After spending some more time with The Old Trapper the Old Woman said her goodbyes and went on her way.

The Old Trapper Looked down at the remaining presents under his tree there was once Three now only two. The Old Trapper reached into his cupboard and pulled out some fresh rolls he had baked earlier that day. The Rolls were a family recipe passed down from generations that were a special treat during this time of year. As he walked back towards the fire he heard a horse stopping just outfront of his home. The Old Trapper walked outside and noticed a Horse Man looking down at his Horses hoof.

The Old Trapper Bundled up with his warmest Deer Skin Jacket and met the man out in the Cold Winter air. The Man greeted the Old Trapper “I apologize for bothering you on this Christmas Eve, but My horse shoe fell off and she’s in need of some rest. I’m so far from town but if I could just get a place for my horse to rest I’ll be on my way as soon as I can.”

The Old Trapper led the Horse to his stable where it stood next to his Mule and Chickens that had roosted there for the evening. As the Horse Man and The Old Trapper went into the Cabin the Old Trapper offered him some of his HomeM...

This week’s Tale of the Old Trapper is titled "Old Trapper and the Christmas Visitors" by Shawn Henninger.

About Tales of the Old Trapper:

So join me as I re-tell the Tales of the Old Trapper just as my Grandfather told them when I was just a child.

Follow The Tales of the Old Trapper on Twitter @OldTrapperPod.

Email Tales of the Old Trapper at [email protected]

This Weeks Tale:

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002 Old Trapper and The Ornery Snake

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This week’s Tale of the Old Trapper is titled "Old Trapper and The Ornery Snake" by Shawn Henninger.

About Tales of the Old Trapper:

So join me as I re-tell the Tales of the Old Trapper just as my Grandfather told them when I was just a child.

Follow The Tales of the Old Trapper on Twitter @OldTrapperPod.

Email Tales of the Old Trapper at [email protected]

This Weeks Tale:

The early morning rain filled the Air with the glorious scent of spring. The Old Trapper walked out of his Cabin looking up at the rising sun ready for another day outside. The Old Trapper had a busy day in front of him as he needed to fix the small dam he made down stream, His garden needed to be tended to in preparation for the planting season, and he needed to finish picking the fresh blueberries he had found the day before.

The Old Trapper finished his breakfast which consisted of his last sip of coffee and a bite of toast. The Old Trapper put on his moccasins and headed towards the creek. The Old Trapper didn’t have a chance to look over the conditions of the Dam since winter and was not sure what all he needed to fix. The Dam was a good way to keep a nice watering hole for fishing. The Old Trapper got the idea from some Bevers that built their own dam there a few seasons ago, but they moved further downstream which is a tale for another day.

The Sun was rising quickly and the air began to warm up as the Old Trapper made his way to the Dam. As he approached he could see his watering hole was much shallower than before. Not sure how this could be as the snow melting and rain surly would have kept the Water Hole full. When he was within throwing distance of the Dam he was able to see what had happened.

Sitting on the last piece of wood holding what was left of the dam together was a big snake all curled up resting. The Tail of the snake was sitting just in the water as the Snake slept peacefully on the log. The Old Trapper has seen some of the biggest snakes this side of the Mississippi, but none as big as this one. The Old Trapper was not even sure that a snake would be out this early in the year.

The Old Trapper needed to get the snake away from the dam so he could get to work as this was one of his main tasks for the day. Now the Old Trapper was just as close to an expert on identifying snakes as any person could be, but he always told children to never approach a snake as some can be poisonous and if bitten could cause a lot of harm. From his experience the old saying of They Are more Scared of you then you are of them was typically true. This Snake however did not want to leave it’s comfortable log.

The Old Trapper found a long stick that he would use to help pursue the Snake to move on down stream. The Old Trapper was wanting to do his best to ensure that neither he nor the snake would get hurt. Plus both could benefit from fixing the Dam. A water hole would work well for The Old Trapper and the snake. The Snake had other plans, as the Old Trapper nudged the snake it slowly opened its eyes and just stared right at The Old Trapper, flicking its tongue a few times and then going back to sleep.

The Old Trapper stepped back and was even more curious about this Snake. Never in his life has he had a snake not react when being nudged by a stick. Some snakes slither away, some get upset, but none just stay put. The Old Trapper had another idea and thought he could shake the log and try to let the snake fall in the water and swim downstream. The Old Trapper put his foot on the edge a safe distance from the snake and bounced it up and down. Each bounce the log would move higher and higher but the snake just opened its eyes and the Old Trapper swore he saw it smile.

Frustrated, the Old Trapper jumped as high as he could and landed on the log, but slipped and fell right into the creek. The Water barley came up to the Old Trappers hips, but now he was sitting in chilly creek water staring at this snake. As the two locked eyes the Old Trapper was pretty sure he heard the Snake Laughing at him, but the Snake did not move and closed its eyes.

The O...

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004 Old Trapper and The Snowy Deer Hunt

This week’s Tale of the Old Trapper is titled "Old Trapper and The Snowy Deer Hunt" by Shawn Henninger.

About Tales of the Old Trapper:

So join me as I re-tell the Tales of the Old Trapper just as my Grandfather told them when I was just a child.

Follow The Tales of the Old Trapper on Twitter @OldTrapperPod.

Email Tales of the Old Trapper at [email protected]

This Weeks Tale:

The Old Trapper Looked out his window as the moon was shining down on the fresh snow that had just finished falling from the sky. The Old Trapper was up even earlier than usual because he had an adventure planned for the morning. He was preparing for his big deer hunt. Each year around this time he would get up early, put his chili on the stove to warm up, get his warmest hunting clothes and set out for the day.

This year it was going to be an important hunt as his favorite deer skin jacket was beginning to wear thin. It had a hole under an armpit and one of his pockets was torn clean off. He also needed to get plenty of meat to get him through this year's winter. It wasn’t the coldest or snowest he had seen but still was challenging. He might even luck out and find a Racoon in one of his traps that he could make into a new hat.

The Old Trapper had been on many successful deer hunts and knew that it took finding just the right spot, being quiet, getting to your spot early, and a little bit of luck. This year he had been tracking for months in preparation and had the perfect spot picked out. He was so excited for this year’s hunt that he had trouble getting to sleep. As he would drift off he would quickly wake up fearing he’d sleep in too late.

The wind was chilly as the Old Trapper walked out of his front door and headed to his spot. The Snow was only a few inches thick and perfect to track any deer, but it also made a loud crunch crunch crunch as he made his way into the woods. The Old Trapper loved the quiet of the morning and stopped to admire all that nature had to offer.

The Old Trapper climbed over a log he had scouted out earlier and sat down with his back against it. This would be a nice spot to sit and wait for the deer to show up. The Air was blowing harder and the Old Trapper bundled up as tight as he could trying to keep warm. He could see his breath in the air and small ice cicles started showing up in his beard. This will all be worth it for my new Coat and meat for my chili.

The Old Trapper was sitting much earlier than he had anticipated as the moon was still shining. As he sat with his back against the log he moved to get more comfortable and laid his head back. His eyes began to fill heavy and he felt himself drift asleep. Just as he was drifting off he heard a big crash of branches and crunching of snow. The Old Trapper’s eyes popped open as he looked all around expecting to see the biggest deer of his life. His heart was racing and he lifted up his black powder rifle ready to take aim. But The Old Trapper did not see any deer. In fact he didn’t see anything at all. He kept looking when he heard small barks of a squirrel. Standing just to his left was a grey squirrel looking at the Old Trapper.

The Old Trapper Smiled and sat back down as the Squirrel raced around the tree and jumped back onto the branches. After watching the squirrel for a few moments it slowly disappeared deeper into the woods.

The Old Trapper leaned back against the tree and slowly drifted off once again. This time as he was just beginning to dream of his famous chili all around him snowflakes began to fall. First there were a few here and there. But after a while it began to come down quickly covering the Old Trapper. Now you may think that this would wake the Old Trapper and cause him to get cold, but the Snow actually helped to warm him up as it made a small Snow Fort around him.

Snuggled up the sun rose and started to warm the Old Trapper. This caused him to fall into an even deeper slumber. Lots of wildlife started coming out for their own early morning adventures. A Bird flew down to pick the last bit of twigs for their nest. A Rabbit hopped ov...