Jethro was a field nigger, purchased specifically for agricultural work, and he didn't like it at all. He was basically of an indolent disposition and, though he was capable of doing it, he found the work much more arduous and strenuous than he would have liked. 

   In 1852, he was 19 years old, tall and muscular. He was far more interested in gals than in picking cotton. The competition for gals was to fierce among the field niggers. Most of the gals already had boyfriends and some of them were bigger and tougher than Jethro. He had been beaten by the overseer several times already for fighting with other slaves over the sexual favors of some young gal.

   From time to time, he would chance to be near the great manor house on Willow Hill and catch sight of the house niggers. The men were fat and sassy and the gals were mostly "high yaller" and especially attractive with up-tilted tits."Now that's the life for me, thought Jethro."

    He wondered at length how he could get out of the fields and up to the house. Certainly, even had the means been available to him, the idea of improving his mind (and his manners) to qualify himself for a better position would never have occurred to him. What did occur to him was that, if he could become unfit for field work, maybe they'd send him up to the house. Of course, the master might just sell him and that was a gamble at best

   One day, Jethro saw another slave lift a sack awkwardly and throw out his back. Screaming in pain, the man fell to the ground and couldn't get up. He was carried off the field and Jethro never saw him again. It seemed to him that a bad back would be a simple thing to feign. There would be no way for anyone to tell whether his back was really paining him or not.

   Jethro was astute enough to realize that it would be best to wait a few weeks , lest his back trouble be considered a case of "monkey see, monkey do".When he decided that he had waited long enough, Jethro picked up a heavy bale of cotton and cried out in simulated pain, "Aaoww. mah back, mah back !" He fell to his knees and then rose unsteadily to his feet remaining bent over pretending that he couldn't straighten up

   He was helped off the field to a building which was used as a makeshift infirmary and presided over by the horse doctor. There he was given white willow bark tea and hot compresses were put on the small of his back. He pretended that none of this helped him. He kept up the pretense for three days until the horse doctor decided that he must have crushed a disc in his spine and informed the overseer, Simeon Lagasse that Jethro was no longer fit for field work. "Well, I hear they're lookin' for another nigger up at the house. Fix him and send him up when he's safe."

   Though he had accomplished his purpose, there was something about that last remark that worried Jethro. Jethro had never heard that the male house niggers on this plantation were all gelded. Dr. Pferdartzt told Jethro to take off all his clothes and get up on the table and lie down. Puzzled, Jethro did as he was told. The horse doctor then called in four sturdy field niggers to hold him down. Dr. Pferdartzt was blowing up the fire in a charcoal brazier and heating what looked like a branding iron with a plain flat end. 

   "What the HELL is goin' on here ?" screamed Jethro. "Well, I can't have you thrashing around while I'm cutting your balls off." explained the horse doctor." Mah balls ?!" screamed Jethro. "Of course, all house niggers are gelded. Didn't you know ?" Jethro started struggling violently.

   With a sigh, Dr. Pferdartzt picked up a wooden mallet and hit Jethro on top of the head with it. While Jethro was stunned, the horse doctor pulled on his scrotum and sliced through it and the cords within it with a straightedge razor. Then he applied the glowing hot cautery until the bleeding stopped . With horses, he didn't usually bother cauterizing the incision, but horses can afford to lose more blood than a man.

   When Jethro regained consciousness, he realized that the deed was done and he was no longer a man. He bursted into tears. All them purty high-yaller gals up at the house, and he wouldn't be able to do nothin' to 'em. Actually, for a while after he was gelded, Jethro could still get a bone on and still spend his seed. But the stuff was getting sparser and thinner each time he spent, which was 2 or 3 times a day. Dr. Pferdartzt's young assistant pulled on Jethro's talleywhacker several times every day as long as Jethro could get anything out . By the end of the month, Jethro's member was limp and lank and rubbing it all day wouldn't make him spend. He was safe.

   The next day, Jethro was brought up to the house. He was shown to the master and his son, young master Arthur. The young master looked Jethro up and down with a salacious leer on his handsome face. "Father", he said, "I'd like this one for my manservant." "Well, he was a field nigger, you know . He doesn't know anything about that kind of work." "I can teach him whatever I need to have him know, father." replied Arthur "Oh, very well, then, he's yours."

    The young master brought Jethro up to his bedroom and, as soo  as they were inside, told him "Take off all of your clothing. Whenever you are in this room, you are to be naked. For wear outside of this room, you will be provided with livery like that worn by the other house niggers. Your principal duty will be to please me and do everything I tell you to. Now, bend over."