Amusing Trial in which a Yankee Lawyer Renders a Just Verdict

In this lively moral tale, a prosperous Yankee lawyer owns Cuff, an enslaved man who shares his household, food, and even some of his comforts. Though Cuff appears well treated compared with others, the story makes clear that pleasant surroundings cannot erase the chains of slavery or the longing for freedom. Told in catchy rhyming verse, the narrative balances humor with pointed observations about human dignity and injustice.

When Cuff quietly leaves one morning, the lawyer first thinks of pursuing him and reclaiming what he considers his property. As he rides after the fugitive, however, an unexpected question interrupts his anger: why should one man chase another merely because the law gives him that power? This brief, engaging work follows the lawyer’s change of heart as conscience and a sense of divine justice challenge custom, ownership, and self-interest. Its simple language and vivid scenes make it well suited to listeners interested in early American antislavery writing and moral storytelling.