Follow the Drinking Gourd (2 page)

Taking their little son Isaiah,

old Hattie, and her grandson George,

Molly and James set out for freedom

that very night,

following the stars of the drinking gourd.

They ran all night through the fields,

till they crossed the stream to the woods.

When daylight came, they hid in the trees,

watching,

listening

for the master’s hounds

set loose to find them.

But the dogs lost the runaways’ scent

at the stream,

and Molly and James and Isaiah,

old Hattie and young George,

were not found.

They hid all day in the woods.

At night they walked again,

singing Joe’s song

and looking for the signs

that marked the trail.

  
The riverbank makes a very good road,

  
The dead trees will show you the way.

  
Left foot, peg foot, traveling on,

  
Follow the drinking gourd.

Walking by night, sleeping by day,

for weeks they traveled on.

Sometimes berries to pick

and corn to snatch,

sometimes fish to catch,

sometimes empty bellies to sleep on.

Sometimes no stars to guide the way.

They never knew what lay ahead.

There was danger from men

who would send them back,

and danger from hungry beasts.

But sometimes a kind deed was done.

One day as they hid in a thicket

a boy from a farm found them.

In a bag of feed for the hogs in the wood

he brought bacon and corn bread to share.

Singing low, they traveled on.

  
The river ends between two hills,

  
Follow the drinking gourd.

  
There’s another river on the other side,

  
Follow the drinking gourd.

On and on they followed the trail

to the river’s end.

From the top of the hill they saw the new path,

another river beneath the stars

to lead them to freedom land.

The drinking gourd led them on.

The song was almost done.

  
When the great big river meets the little river,

  
Follow the drinking gourd.

  
For the old man is a-waiting for to carry you to freedom

  
If you follow the drinking gourd.