AFC 1933/001     WRITINGS -- "PRAY, BUT DON'T TRUST TOO MUCH"     376

PRAY, BUT DON'T TRUST TOO MUCH 

Uncle Bob Jordan was the out-prayingest Christian on the Green 
plantation. He had long been known  for his prayers, but now he was 
praying more than he had ever prayed. He was seventy-two years old
and, as he could no longer work much, his master had promised 
him his freedom for twenty dollars. So Uncle Bob would go down into 
the woods near the big house every night about seven o'clock and get 
down on his knees and pray, asking God to please send him twenty dollars 
for his freedom.    

He had been praying for about a month, when the master passed 
near the tree where Uncle Bob was praying one night and overheard 
the prayer. The master decided that the next night he would have 
some fun out of Uncle Bob. So just before dark he went down to the 
prayer tree and climbed up in it. 

At dark Uncle Bob came under the three, got down on his knees, 
and started praying as usual, "Oh, Lawd, sen' me twenty dollahs 
to buy my freedom. Oh, Lawd, sen' me twenty dollahs to buy my freedom." 

"All right, Uncle Bob," cam the master's voice from overheard, "look 
down at the foot of the three and you will find a ten-dollar bill." 

"Sure enough, Uncle Bob looked and found a ten-dollar bill. 

"Come back tomorrow night," said the voice, "and you will find 
a five-dollar bill." 

"Sho, sho', Lawd, said Uncle Bob, taking the ten-dollar bill 
and sticking it into his pocket. "Thank yuh, thank yuh." 

The next night the master beat Uncle Bob to the tree again and 
hid in the branches. At dark Uncle Bib came and prayed his accustomed 
prayer, Oh, Lawd, please sen' me ten mo' dollahs to buy my 
freedom." 

"Uncle Bob, responded the voice from overhead, "look at the foot 
of the three and you will find another five-dollar bill. Take the 
ten-dollar bill I gave you last night, and the five-dollar bill I 
gave you tonight, and bring them back tomorrow night. Put them underneath 
this tree so that I can get them, and the next night I will bring 
you a twenty-dollar bill." 

"No, sah, no sah, dat's aw right, Law," answered Uncle Bob. "Ah 
sho' thanks Yuh fuh de fifteen, but Ah'll git de udder five some place 
else." 

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Transcribed and reviewed by contributors participating in the By The People project at crowd.loc.gov.