Melissa was a slave on a plantation. One day, her owner ordered that she be forced to sleep in the dog kennel. She protested vigorously, as did other slaves on the plantation. However, their pleas fell on deaf ears. One night, Melissa decided she had enough. She refused to enter the dog kennel and sat outside instead. The next day, her owner punished her severely for her defiance. He ordered her to be placed in stocks in the town square for all to see. As she sat in the stocks, a group of sympathetic townspeople began to gather around her. They were outraged at what they saw happening and started to speak out against it. The slave owners who had come to watch were taken aback by the reaction of the crowd. In the end, Melissa was released from the stocks without further punishment.