Freewater

Ferdinand recalls his life years ago, when he was enslaved and digging ditches in the swamp. He was part of a chain gang and almost always chained to three other boys while working, sleeping, eating, and walking. One day, a snake bit one of the boys, and the “gang leader” undid the chains, asking Ferdinand to tend to the bite. Instead, Ferdinand took the gang leader’s knife and ran. To him, the knife symbolizes his freedom and new identity, so without it, he feels lost. This is why he plans to find a new knife.

Ferdinand runs into the other children, and Sanzi says she’ll get him a new knife from Southerland. He says he’ll join and get his own knife.

The children decide on a warning sound to signal trouble.