The enslaved people could've seen Uncle John as a hero because of his kind act of giving back the raccoon. He didn't have to lift up the boxes and let it go so they were very thankful. It payed off because they showed their appreciation.
Enslaved people who told this story probably saw Uncle John as a hero because he was smart and used his intelligence to get himself out of trouble. He was able to use his cleverness to gain a reputation as a prophet
