Otto's Tales: Harriet & the North Star | PragerU Kids

hey parents before we start this episode remember that your family can enjoy hundreds of fun and educational free videos like this one for kids of all ages be sure to subscribe to get all the new shows and updates at prageru kids.com [Music] welcome to Otto's Tales story time brought to you by prageru kids I'm Jill and today I'm reading a story about a brave American woman who was a hero hey Otto can you guess who the hero is that I am reading about today Betsy Ross nope Abigail Adams Dolly Madison nope good guesses but you'll never guess this one he'll be back let's read Harriet and the North Star Once Upon a Time almost 200 years ago in the state of Maryland there was a little girl named Harriet whose life was not easy Harriet was born a slave when people in the South were allowed to own other people and make them work very hard without pay it was a difficult and terrible time for many in America While most girls her age would play outside Harriet was forced to work in the fields most of the time she wasn't treated very nicely and many times she was punished unfairly but at night before she went to sleep young Harriet would say her prayers look at the sky and gaze at the gleaming North Star one day she would say I'm going to escape from here one day I will go north and be free because in the north people were not allowed to own other people year after year Harriet's dream of being free grew stronger and stronger and by the time she was a young lady Harriet had an idea run away with me to the North she pleaded to her family one evening in the north we can live freely how God intended Harriet's family shook their heads no escaping was dangerous for slaves for if they were caught they would be punished and possibly killed disappointed Harriet made a choice well I'm going anyways she turned her face upwards toward the North Star may your light be my guide with a single step and then another Harriet began a most treacherous and lonely Journey Into The Dark Night hours passed days passed what felt like weeks passed Harriet's steadily trudged North most of her traveling happened at Night by the Light of the North Star she had no food no water no other clothes to wear but she did have the help of a few kind people along the way some gave her food some gave her safety and she kept moving to not get caught through unknown regions and unexpected weather Harriet kept forging North her feet ached her body ached By the Light of the North Star I will make it she declared and she did after many long and weary days of travel Harriet passed the Mason-Dixon line which separated the southern slave states from the northern free states she had arrived in Pennsylvania Liberty she exclaimed and thanked God for protecting her through a most dangerous Trek Harriet was finally free in the north Harriet began to work hard and save money but night after night she couldn't stop thinking about how many others back home were still not free she looked up at her North Star and had another idea into the night she ventured again this time heading south back through the Dreadful places that she already escaped I will help as many of my people as I can so they can be free too the North Star seem to guard her from above as if to encourage her to be brave the route was just as risky as before but now as a free woman of the north Harriet had new friends who organized plans that helped her cleverly conceal her dangerous missions back and forth fourth and back south to North and North to South she scaled mountains forded rivers and sang special songs to Signal safety she even hid her followers in swaps from pursuers who wanted them captured and punished when the journey felt hopeless she prayed By the Light of the North Star I will not fail and she didn't in just a few years Harriet became a hero for her people and traveled 13 times over the Mason-Dixon line to secretly guide 70 runaway slaves North to Freedom many of them her family all under the light of that bright North Star the end wow did you recognize this Hero's story it's Harriet Tubman a woman who was born a slave escaped to freedom and then rescued more people from slavery this is a true story you know many people now call Harriet Tubman the Moses of her time because like Moses in the Bible she freed her people Otto that was a good one right you know you heard me say it was true it is a true story Harriet Tubman was part of what was called the Underground Railroad which really wasn't a railroad at all but rather a group of people who knew that slavery was wrong and helped people escape it that's right thank you for watching Otto's Tales check out some of our other stories too keep reading keep watching and never forget the courage and Faith of American heroes like Harriet Tubman bye thank you for watching you know we've got more episodes right watch the whole series on our website and parents you can subscribe at prageru kids.com