'Now look at you'selves! Look at 'em babies! Has ya'll ever looked this beautiful? Today be the first day don't no one own ya'll. Today be the first day that don't no one own them babies. Today be the first day you ain't got cause to blame no one for what gunn happen tomorrow. Today ya'll's truly set you'selves free!'

Elijah of Buxton is an important member of his community for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that he can catch a whole load of fish without anything but a handful of stones and some stunned horse flies. The Right Reverend Deacon Doctor Zephariah W. Connerly the Third says Elijah has a gift from God because he can knock down nearly anything standing with his chunking stones. His best friend Cooter relies on Elijah to get him out of all sorts of trouble, like the time he thought their school lesson was going to be about “family breeding contests.” His ma thinks he’s “fra-gile” because things start loosenin’ up in his nose, and he starts to cry pretty easily sometimes, but she does rely on him to keep those toady-frogs away from her. But the most special thing of all about Elijah is the fact that he is the very first free born child in Buxton, Canada. He also has the distinction of having thrown up all over Mr. Frederick Douglass himself, but you’ll just have to read the book to find out about that! Most of all, though, Elijah just wants to prove himself grown. Even though his ma’ thinks of him as a “fra-gile” boy, he knows there’s something stronger deep down in him, and he knows he’s up for any challenge. When a member of his community is cheated out of the hard earned money he’s saved to free his family, Elijah gets the chance to prove to himself, and to everyone else, that he’s not a “fra-gile” boy any longer.

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