Bouki's Honey

<DIV class=MsoNormal style=MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt><P class=MsoNormal style=MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt><B><SPAN lang=EN style=FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN></SPAN></B> </P><P class=MsoNormal style=MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt><B><SPAN lang=EN style=FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN>Come share in the rich Creole Culture of <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags /><st1:State w:st=on><st1:place w:st=on>Louisiana</st1:place></st1:State> cher!</SPAN></B><SPAN lang=EN style=FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN> <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office /></SPAN></P><P class=MsoNormal style=MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt><SPAN lang=EN style=FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN>Learn (French Creole) and laugh -- with the humorous Creole characters Bouki and Lapin </SPAN></P><P class=MsoNormal style=MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt><SPAN lang=EN style=FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN></SPAN><SPAN lang=EN style=FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN> </SPAN></P><P class=MsoNormal style=MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt><B><SPAN lang=EN style=FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN>The Creole Folktales of Compaire Bouki and Compaire Lapin</SPAN></B><SPAN lang=EN style=FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN> have a rich and fascinating history hundreds of years old. The tales originated from <st1:country-region w:st=on>Senegal</st1:country-region> Africa and according to the historical Louisiana Creole Plantation <I>'Laura'</I> they were first recorded in the <st1:country-region w:st=on><st1:place w:st=on>United States</st1:place></st1:country-region> - in Laura Plantation's 150-year-old cabins. </SPAN></P><P class=MsoNormal style=MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt><SPAN lang=EN style=FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN> </SPAN></P><P class=MsoNormal style=MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt><SPAN lang=EN style=FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN>Lapin's adventures ('Lapin' means <STRONG><I><SPAN style=FONT-FAMILY: Arial>rabbit</SPAN></I></STRONG> in French) soon went on to become the popular American Tales known as '<I>Br'er (Brother) Rabbit'<SPAN style=mso-spacerun: yes> </SPAN></I>- only <I>'Compaire Bouki and Compaire Lapin' </I>retain the original unique French Creole 'flavor'. (In French folklore 'compaire/compair' means brother.)</SPAN></P><P class=MsoNormal style=MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt><SPAN lang=EN style=FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN> </SPAN></P><P class=MsoNormal style=MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt><SPAN lang=EN style=FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN><SPAN lang=EN style=FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN>In various <st1:State w:st=on><st1:place w:st=on>Louisiana</st1:place></st1:State> stories Bouki is pictured as a donkey raccoon or wolf. You'll get to meet 'Bouki the donkey' in <B style=mso-bidi-font-weight: normal>Bouki's Honey</B>. </SPAN>Bouki was a 'hyena' in the original African folktales. The name 'Bouki' is a 'wolof ' word - 'wolof ' being both the language and the people of <st1:country-region w:st=on>Senegal</st1:country-region> <st1:place w:st=on>Africa</st1:place> - and is said to mean <STRONG><I><SPAN style=FONT-FAMILY: Arial>stupid hyena</SPAN></I></STRONG>. Some even say 'Bouki' is a play on words meaning <I>bookish</I> (something the character never is). It is believed that the Senegal<SPAN style=mso-spacerun: yes> </SPAN>slaves brought to Louisiana actually told the African-based stories of 'Bouki and Lapin' as code to illustrate victory over the conditions of slavery - with Lapin humorously outwitting plantation owner 'Bouki'. </SPAN></P><P class=MsoNormal style=MARGIN: 0in 0i