How Bouqui Rented a Mule


-Look at my mule already look at her stomach. She can't
get straight since you two rode her at one time.,
 Malice still was planning to put more on the poor mule.
oMy wife is going with us to the market place. We'll let
her ride on the front end, and you Bouqui, you'll hold her
tail when we have to go uphill.,
 -Yes,, said Bouqui. (What about Ti-Bouqui and Bouqui-
nette, my children? We can put them on her neck over the
bananas.,
 -You can't do that to my mule, Madieu cried.
 -We rented her from you, didn't we?, asked Malice.
 -Yes, we did,, said Bouqui.
 -I'll give you your ten gourdes back, said Madieu morn-
fully.
 <Ten gourdes! exclaimed Malice. <You rented her to
 him for ten gourdes going and ten gourdes coming back,
 didn't you?
 tBut yes, Bouqui said.
 "Ten gourdes going and ten gourdes coming back makes
twenty gourdes. So you must give us twenty gourdes or
we'll take the mule along, Malice said.
 When Bouqui heard twenty gourdes, he chuckled.
 <But Bouqui only gave me ten gourdes,, Madieu
 stammered.
 The old man was in despair. He couldn't let his mule
 be abused as Malice was planning nor did he want to let
 go of the twenty gourdes, no, not even the ten. In all his
 life he never had given any money to anybody before.