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1、ATallTale:JohnHenryByGeorgeGrow ANNOUNCER:TodaywetellatraditionalAmericanstorycalleda"talltale."Atalltaleisastoryaboutapersonwhoislargerthanlife.Thedescriptionsinthestoryareexaggerated–muchgreaterthaninreallife.Longago,thepeoplewhosettledinundevelopedare
2、asofAmericafirsttoldtalltales.Afterahardday'swork,peoplegatheredtotelleachotherstories. Eachgroupofworkershaditsowntalltalehero.AnAfricanAmericanmannamedJohnHenrywastheheroofformerslavesandthepeoplewhobuilttherailroads.Hewasknownforhisstrength. Railroadsb
3、egantolinktheUnitedStatestogetherinthenineteenthcentury.Therailroadsmadeitpossibletotravelfromonesideofthecountrytotheotherinlessthanaweek.Beforethen,thesametripmighthavetakenuptosixmonths. Railroadcompaniesemployedthousandsofworkerstocreatethesmooth,flat
4、pathwaysrequiredbytrains.JohnHenrywasperhapsthemostfamousworker.HewasbornaslaveinthesouthernUnitedStates.HebecameafreemanasaresultofAmerica'sCivilWar.Then,heworkedfortherailroads. ConfirmingdetailsofJohnHenry'slifeisnotpossible.Thatisbecausenooneknowsorsu
5、reifhereallylived.Thisisoneofthethingsthatmakeshisstoryinteresting.However,JohnHenryisbased,inpart,onrealevents.ManypeoplesayherepresentsthespiritofgrowthinAmericaduringthisperiod. Now,hereisShepO'Nealwithourstory. STORYTELLER:Peoplestilltalkaboutthenight
6、JohnHenrywasborn.Itwasdarkandcloudy.Then,lighteninglitupthenightsky.JohnHenry'sbirthwasabigevent.Hisparentsshowedhimtoeveryonetheymet.JohnHenrywasthemostpowerfullookingbabypeoplehadeverseen.Hehadthickarms,wideshouldersandstrongmuscles.JohnHenrystartedgrow
7、ingwhenhewasonedayold.Hecontinuedgrowinguntilhewasthestrongestmanwhoeverlived. JohnHenrygrewupinaworldthatdidnotletchildrenstaychildrenforlong.Oneday,hewassittingonhisfather'sknee.Theboypickedupasmallpieceofsteelandaworkman'stool,ahammer.Helookedatthetwoo
8、bjects,thensaid,"Ahammerwillbethedeathofme." BeforeJohnHenrywassixyearsold,hewascarryingstonesforworkersbuildinganearbyrailroad.Bytheageoften,heworkedfromearlyinthemorninguntilnight.Often,hewouldstopandlistentotheso
