I heard this story for the first time at a canoeing camp called Keewaydin, summer 1969. The main character was Palooski Kowalski, and he was abandoned by his parents the day he was born. He faced horrifying situations every day (but he was rough, tough and used to hardships). The story went on for three days until we heard about the "hard ships."

About five years ago, I told the story at a scout troop campout - in my version, Palooski Kowalski was one of our scouts "a few years ago." Every year since then, I've started the story and the scouts finish it, based on their "personal recollections."

"I remember Palooski - especially his missing ear. He told me that it was bitten off by a bear when we was lost in the Yukon. I asked him if it hurt, but he told me that he was rough, tough and used to hardships."

Everyone takes a turn and when he runs out of ideas, the next scout takes over. Only the new scouts don't know the story - or the punch line. And they are always the most enthusiastic tale tellers the next year.