Adventures of High John the Conqueror

by Steve Sanfield

High John the Conqueror sometimes called simply High John or John was a slave trickster who always outwits Old Master. Much like Greek slave Aesop's animal characters, High John was the subject of a series of subversive narratives, whose mission was to outsmart his oppressors. Tall tales of High John's exploits flourished during slavery, but after emancipation they fell out of circulation and his antics were all but forgotten.

Genres: Folklore

113 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1989

Reviews

[K.T. Katzmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the old Confederacy, John and his Master trick each other, laugh together, and occasionally, just to remind everybody of the power dynamic, Old Master threatens to kill John by whipping all the skin off his bones.

That last part made me very happy.

I’m been diving into folklore books, and I found this one walking through the kid's section of the library. I was on a specific quest: finds things I could read to my kids when I'm older. The title caught my interest from references I've heard in old blues songs.

One look at the cover got me worried: was this another A Birthday Cake for George Washington, another happy slave book that marginalizes historical suffering?

Answer: Hell no, and it's still funny!

The stories are interspersed with one page historical background pages, quick and easy to read. Between those and the texts of the stories themselves, the reader is never allowed to forget, "Hey, this smart trickster dude? He's trying to survive in a world where he could be killed at will." Through the stories, you learn a lot about American slavery.

And you get a lot of John. I love trickster heroes, and he's right up there in the pantheon, even securing his freedom through wit and getting one up on Old Master (now "Old Boss") into Reconstruction.

I'm going to read this to my kids . . . mostly. There's one story where the preface explains the origin of the racial slur "coon” (slaves would steal crops to survive and blame it on raccoons) and the resolution absolutely hinges on that word. Not sure I could pull that off comfortably. Aside from that, it's going to be fun to read out loud.

Also, the illustrations rock. I laughed out loud just looking at this.



Seriously, High John is about to trick someone out of fried possum right there, you can be sure.

The one issue I have with the pictures? High John meets THE DEVIL, and there's no picture. Seriously?

[Sparrow .]

I found this book for free at the thrift shop in Phoenicia, New York (the hamlet where I live); it's for children, but every American should read it. I'd heard of High John the Conqueror in the Muddy Waters song, "Mannish Boy":

I think I'll go down,
To Old Kansas Stu;
I'm gonna bring back my second cousin,
High John the Conqueroo

-- but I never knew who he was. In fact, he's a folk hero, like Paul Bunyan, a proto-superhero. But High John is also a slave, in the American South. He tricks his Master (referred to as "Old Master" -- he has no other name) over and over. It's a highly satisfying plotline, reminiscent of the Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote. Here's an excerpt from the very first story, "Master's Walking Stick":

"Say Massa," said John, "that's a mighty fine looking walking stick you got there."

"Why thank you, John. I was beginning to wonder if you were going to take any notice of it."

"Oh Massa, I noticed it right off. I mean it's the only walking stick I've ever seen with three ends."

"Three ends?" asked Master. "What are you talking about, John?"

"Well, I ain't talking about anything but the three ends to that stick," John answered.

"John, are you drunk or have you gone crazy?"

"I'm not drunk and I'm not crazy, Massa, but I can see as clear as the nose on my face that your stick's got three ends."

"John, no stick's got three ends."

"Well, that one does," said John, "and I'd be willing to bet you a big, fat hen that it does."

This being the Deep South, where everyone has lots of time, the conversation goes on and on, until:

John raised the stick over his head and threw it directly into the center of the pond, where it sank without a trace.

"And that's the third end of that stick, right?" said John with a twinkle in his eye.

One of the fascinating elements of the book is the delight the Master takes in High John. He owns this person, who is smarter than himself. It reminds me a bit of Pharoah's relationship to Joseph, in Genesis.

Steve Sanfield is an "award-winning poet and professional storyteller," who sought out the tales. He wandered around the South, begging aged African-Americans to tell him about High John, but most would not. This book is a secret store of knowledge about outwitting the oppressor. Most of this wisdom involves language. When you're a slave, it turns out, the quickest route to freedom is through puns. Steve, as you see, avoids writing in dialect, except for the word "Massa." It's hard not to identify with High John The Conqueror (one of the great names in world literature).

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure what to think - written in the 1980s by a white man - back matter states the research done and the accuracy desired - addresses some of the brutality yet there's also a lightness in the relationship between High John and his master....

[Mckinley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brer Rabbit was read by all. These stories on the other hand were ones white people never were supposed to hear.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

TPL

[Richard Murray]

One of many black fables, a fun read