10-12-2024 - On This Day in Insane History

On October 12th, 2024 at approximately 3:12pm Eastern Daylight Time, the small town of Bedford Falls located in central Pennsylvania experienced a most unusual event. As residents went about their afternoon routines, an odd rumbling could be heard in the distance. Old Ephraim Peabody, who could sense such things due to his native American ancestry, swore he felt the earth shaking beneath his feet.

Within minutes, the southern edge of town erupted in a shower of soil and gravel. What emerged would go down in history as one of Bedford Falls' most bizarre tales. Standing nearly 15 feet tall was an enormous rodent-like creature, covered from head to tail in course gray-brown fur. Later identified as an overgrown beaver of fantastic proportions, the monster beaver let out a roar that caused dogs to howl and babies to cry.

No one could believe their eyes as the behemoth of a beaver waddled into town, knocking over garbage cans and sending the local strays running. Farmer Bill Johnson tried shooing it off with his pitchfork, but the utensil broke against the beast's thick hide. More townspeople joined in slinging whatever they could find, using broomsticks, fruit, and handfuls of stones. Nothing worked to deter the interloper.

Just as panic started to set in, who should appear but old Ephraim riding his mule Clementine. With a calm but authority voice, he commanded the crowd to stand back while he spoke some native words to soothe the confused creature. To everyone's amazement, the giant beaver relaxed its stance. Ephraim then led the lumbering lodge-builder out of town and back to wherever it came.

And so order and normalcy returned to Bedford Falls that day. But residents would never forget their brief brush with one of nature'sonders. The mysterious event was later ruled an unusual occurrence of gigantism, and the town welcomed the story as yet another odd chapter to their rustic history books.