Some tales told in folklore accounts about the man known as Johnny Appleseed:
— Wore his cooking pot as a hat to save having to carry it while traveling.
— Extinguished a fire he had built when he realized mosquitoes drawn to the flames were dying. He didn't want to kill living creatures.
— Went barefoot year-round, even in ice and snow, and entertained children by pressing hot coals or needles into the leathery soles of his feet.
— Found a bear and its cub inside a hollow log where he had planned to sleep and decided to let them have it.
— Ran barefoot about 30 miles from Mansfield to Mount Vernon to warn of impending Indian massacres in the War of 1812.
— Wore a coffee sack with holes for his arms and legs.