The Freedom Riddle

Medearis, A. (1995). The freedom riddle. United States: Lodestar Books. 15 pp.

     The story is based on a story called "A Riddle for Freedom" by Marie Faulkner. Marie Faulkner was the daughter of William J. Faulkner, a man who heard the story above from a hired man named Simon Brown. Brown stated that the story of Jim using his brian to get his freedom was completely true. The story is longer for a picture book, but the pictures are enjoyable and relate to the story. The story is witty and fast-paced. Jim, the slave tells his owner that he gets to gain his freedom if he cannot answer a riddle. It takes Jim a year until he comes up with a riddle that the master cannot guess. The master cannot answer the riddle, so Jim gains his freedom and rides away on his horse. The story would be great for a lesson on US slave history. The story is different from most stories about slaves gaining their freedom. It might interest students about how slaves escaped from their masters, and this story could be read at the beginning of that lesson.