"How Nehemiah Got Free"

In slavery time, there was smart slaves and they did most what they wanted to do by usin just their wits. Hangin around the big house, they kept the slaveowners laughin. They had to “bow and scrape” some, but they often was able to draw the least hard tasks.
Nehemiah was a one who believed that if he must be a slave, he’d best be a smart one. No one who callin himself Master of Nehemiah had ever been able to make him work hard for nothing. Nehemiah would always have a funny lie to tell or he made some laughin remark whenever the so-called Master had a question or a scoldin.
Nehemiah was always bein moved from one plantation to another. For as soon as the slaveowner realized Nehemiah was outwittin him, he sold Nehemiah as quick as he could to some other slaveholder.
One day, the man known as the most cruel slaveowner in that part of the state hear about Nehemiah.
“Oh, I bet I can make that slave do what I tell him to,” the slaveowner said. And he went to Nehemiah’s owner and bargained for him.
“Nehemiah’s new owner was Mister Warton, and he told Nehemiah, “I’ve bought you. Now tomorra, you are goin to work for me over there at my plantation, and you are goin to pick four hundred pounds of cotton a day.”
“Well, Mas, suh,” Nehemiah says, “that’s all right, far as it goes. But if I make you laugh, you won’t lemme off for tomorra?”
“Well,” said Warton, who had never been known to laugh, “if you make me laugh, I won’t only let you off for tomorra, but I’ll give you your freedom right then and there!”
“Well, I declare, Mas, suh, you sure a good-lookin man,” says Nehemiah.
“I’m sorry I can’t say the same about you, Nehemiah,” answered the slaveowner.
“Oh, yes, Mas, you could,” Nehemiah said, laughin. “You could if you told as big a lie as I just did.”
Warton threw back his head and laughed. It was a long, loud bellow. He had laughed before he thought. But true is true and facts are facts. And Nehemiah got his freedom.