High John was enslaved on a plantation with a cruel owner who worked his slaves to the bone. One day, High John overheard the owner bragging about how his cotton crop would make him richer than ever. John hatched a plan to turn the tables.
He approached the owner and said, “Master, I’ve heard of a way to make the cotton grow twice as fast, but it requires a special song that only I know.”
Intrigued and greedy, the owner agreed to let John sing the song. High John began to sing a mesmerizing tune that seemed to make the cotton plants grow right before their eyes. The owner was ecstatic and promised John his freedom if he kept singing.
However, John had a trick up his sleeve. He told the other slaves to follow his lead. While he sang, they would pretend to work extra hard, but in reality, they were slacking off. The owner, too excited to notice, believed his fortune was multiplying.
As harvest time approached, the owner realized that the cotton crop was no better than usual. Furious, he confronted John, who just smiled and said, “Master, you promised me my freedom. A deal’s a deal.”
Unable to deny his promise, the owner freed John. High John used his cunning and the power of his song to not only gain his freedom but also to teach the owner a lesson in greed and overconfidence.
Chandra Martin 