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The story of John Henry is usually told through a folk song called a ballad. The ballad describes a contest between John Henry, a strong African American man who works on the railroad, and a new machine. The machine is supposed to do the same job as the railroad workers but better and faster.
John Henry grew up in a world that did not let children stay children for long. One day, he was sitting on his father’s knee. The boy picked up a small piece of steel and a workman’s tool, a ...
Retold by S.E. Schlosser. A West Virginia Legend. Now John Henry was a mighty man, yes sir. He was born a slave in the 1840’s but was freed after the war. He went to work as a steel-driver for the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad, don’t ya know. And John Henry was the strongest, the most powerful man working the rails.
The story of John Henry is told in a classic blues folk song about his duel against a drilling machine, which exists in many versions, and has been the subject of numerous stories, plays, books, and novels.
The Legend of John Henry. Tall Tale (fiction), 712 words, Level M (Grade 2), Lexile 550L. John Henry is one of the most famous American tall tales. Readers will be introduced to John Henry, who grew up enslaved and went on to be known as the fastest and strongest steel driver on the railroad.
