Once upon a time, there was a king who owned a cow, which he had marked with the word “Belizè.” One day, the cow mysteriously disappeared. The entire village searched high and low but couldn’t find it. Eventually, it was discovered that Malis, a trickster, had stolen the cow. After eating all the meat, Malis decided to turn the cow’s hide into a fine coat. Wanting to catch the thief, the king declared that he would host a grand feast.
Malis, being the thief who was invited to the feast, found himself in a dilemma. He didn’t want to wear the coat, fearing that the king would recognize it. So, he went to Bouki and said, “The king is holding a magnificent celebration. There will be beautiful women, delicious food—it’s an event you don’t want to miss! If you want to enjoy it, I’ll lend you my coat, and you, in return, can lend me yours.” Bouki, eager to attend and always looking for an easy way to benefit, quickly agreed to the arrangement.
On the day of the feast, Bouki proudly wore his new coat. Malis instructed him, “When you enter, be sure to sing this song: ‘King, king, king, I heard you gathered people to know them, to know them. The Belizè pants are on me, the Belizè coat is on me. If you think I’m lying, just take a look.’”
Eager to impress, Bouki followed Malis’s instructions. As soon as he reached the gate, he began singing. The king, hearing Bouki’s song, was intrigued and said, “I’d love to hear that song again.” He had Bouki brought before him and asked him to sing it once more. Bouki obliged: “King, king, king, I heard you gathered people to know them, to know them. The Belizè pants are on me, the Belizè coat is on me. If you think I’m lying, just take a look.”
When the king saw the mark “Belizè” on the back of the coat, he immediately realized that it had been made from the stolen cow’s hide. Furious, the king ordered a large fire to be set, placed a large plate on it, and sentenced Bouki to be cooked.
As the story goes, while I was passing by, they gave me a little nudge that sent me right here to share this tale with you.
Context and Lesson:
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This is a traditional Haitian folk tale that features Bouki and Malis, two common trickster figures in Haitian folklore. Bouki is often portrayed as naive and easily tricked, while Malis is clever and manipulative. The story is full of humor and social commentary, with a clear moral about the consequences of greed and deceit. Bouki’s desire to attend the feast and show off led him to ignore the danger of wearing the coat, which ultimately led to his downfall.
The lesson here is about the perils of pride and the consequences of trying to impress others through deceit or dishonesty. Bouki’s greed blinded him to the risks, and in the end, it led to his punishment. This story emphasizes the importance of being honest, aware of one’s actions, and not allowing selfish desires to cloud judgment.
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One comment
Love your insight on this story.