was the richest colony in the new world. This aristocracy, however, dwindled as years went by and the slaves were finally able to exact their freedom. In the present day, lives of the Haitian peasants have become harder and harder. The political battles of the capital alone leave no respite for the poor, pitting one group against another while usurping a large percentage of the foreign aid. The number of kidnappings for ransom have continued to rise and one natural disaster after another strikes the poor land after every few years.

However, despite all the turmoil and unrest, many Haitians in the countryside are intensely spiritual, and will always put goodness above their own personal interest, as have been taught to them generation after generation. Lacking basic education, Haitians depend upon wisdom passed down from the wise elders. The stories in this book, accumulated and eye-witnessed by the author, are testament to this fact.