Thanks to Gamay for its humorous illustrations without which this work would lose all its seal.

Preface to the Foreword and Introduction.

For you English people, to explain something it takes three words, but four for the French. Does it mean English-speaking people are 25% more efficient, or does it mean that the French are 33% more talkative?

I don't know… All I know is that I might be obliged to come up with an answer, seeing some of you are already raising your eyebrows.

Please bear with my long, complex explanations (made in France) describing SEL in detail. My sentence structure did not always suit the English, making it difficult for the translators. If one had allowed Shakespeare to tell you what I had to tell you, you might conclude that 1+1 equals 3!

So, please bear with my "Franglais" and make you smile, even laugh at this French LETS story. That's indeed the only aim of this book: to make you laugh without making you feel bored with 25 or 33%.

I started translating by myself thinking my school-English would be sufficient. I had to realize very quickly that I needed help. Considering the topic being LETS I asked the international LETS community and was awarded with much interest, for which I am very grateful.

Although some initially were very enthusiastic, they retreated later when they saw how complex the task would be. In all, there were about 15 translators. I thank them with all my heart, and to appear forever in the records of LETS History I herewith list them in order of stage(s) translated:

Jeanne RIVARD (U.S.A.) - RoseBleue@comcast.net

Florence, Calgary Dollars (Canada) - info@calgarydollars.ca

Shivaw (Canada) - shivaw@xlpub.com

Nathalie BUGEAUD (Australie) - planetary@free.fr

Colin C Williams (Great Britain) - ccw3@leicester.ac.uk

Pascale, HOurBank (Great Britain) - HOurBank@btconnect.com

Susan MEEK (Scotland)

Gay MacBeth (U.K.) - nigelmacbeth@lineone.net

John TURMEL (Canada) - TURMEL@freenet.carleton.ca

Anton PINSCHOF, (Upper Cornwall, Brittany) - contact via author

Agnès REMOND (France)

...and other anonymous helpers who wanted to remain anonymous.

A particular thanks to Mrs. Mireille (France), a French professor. She corrected a maximum of mistakes with a lot of patience. She was often specifying to me that it remains many of them but never mind! I know she often wanted to pull my ears but I’m not young enough to go back to school.

Oh… last, not least, before I forget… I want to thank Catherine, my wife, who had to miss out on vacations this summer 2002. She was always there to assist, and I need to excuse myself for being impatient with her when I hurried her to work faster. So, thank you my wife!