[tools] Problems using struts.MessageTool

All,

Using Velocity-Tools 2.0.

I've got a resource bundle with the following message in it:

text.patient.questionnaires.available=There {0,choice,0#are no
questionnaires|1#is one questionnaire|1<are '<b>'{0}'<b>'
questionnaires} ready to take

(That's all on one single line, in case my emailer wraps it, or maybe
yours does.)

I have a problem where the <b> HTML markup is making ChoiceFormat angry:

Caused by: java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: Choice Pattern incorrect:
0#are no questionnaires|1#is one questionnaire|1<are ''<b>''{0}''<b>''
questionnaires
        at java.text.MessageFormat.makeFormat(MessageFormat.java:1519)
        at java.text.MessageFormat.applyPattern(MessageFormat.java:479)
        at java.text.MessageFormat.<init>(MessageFormat.java:362)
        at
org.apache.struts.util.MessageResources.getMessage(MessageResources.java:305)
        at
org.apache.velocity.tools.struts.MessageTool.get(MessageTool.java:157)
        at
org.apache.velocity.tools.struts.MessageTool.get(MessageTool.java:125)
        at
org.apache.velocity.tools.struts.MessageTool.get(MessageTool.java:191)
[...]

Note that the pattern for the ChoiceFormat has been modified: there are
extra single-quote characters in the format that ChoiceFormat complains
about.

I haven't yet read through all the code, but if this jogs anyone's
memory for why something like this might happen, it would be very
helpful to me.

A couple of notes:

1. I have a custom build of Velocity-Tools, so the line numbers are not
always correct. I have confirmed that my changes do not modify the
message key's value.

2. It looks like in MessageTool.java:157, the value has the expected ...
umm  ... value. That is, it does not have doubled single quotes. So I
think this is almost certainly not Velocity Tools's fault. I may have to
give into the Struts code.

Thanks,
-chris