TIKITÍN'S EYES

María Teresa Ruiz de Catrain

Illustrations | Laura Messina Vásquez

2021 First edition: The eyes of Tikitín

© Text: María Teresa Ruiz de Catrain
© Illustrations: Laura Messina Vásquez

ISBN: 978-9945-22-153-4
Printed in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Proofing and care of the edition: Ruth Herrera

Design and layout: Yoni Cruz
Printing: Editora Búho

The total or partial reproduction of this work by any means or procedure

without the due authorization of the authors is prohibited.
.

The authors would like to thank the Farach Foundation, Veterinaria Mallén and
Mrs. Carmen Olavarrieta de Farach for their valuable contribution in making
the publication of this book possible.

Aunt Maria Teresa and I dedicate this creation, created with such love, to you,
dear granddaughter Mariana. And remember that if you take these gifts to
heart
and use them in service to others, your path will be easier, and you will find
happiness.

Abu
Once upon a time -there is always a “once upon a time”- there was a beautiful, brightly

feathered bird named Tikitín.

Tikitín lived in a special and wondrous jungle, with crystalline lakes and low hills on the

banks of a river and the sea, accompanied by Mariana, his gentle and affectionate friend.

One fine day Tikitín, who was not only beautiful but also very curious, asked himself:

“Where does happiness reside? I want to know it. I want to find it!”

So it was that one cool spring morning, when the sun was just peeping over the horizon to

bathe the jungle with light and warmth, Tikitín climbed down from the palm tree where he

slept.

He said goodbye to Mariana and left with a determined step to search for happiness, not

noticing that Mariana was very sad and silent because she had thought that Tikitín had been

happy by her side.

“Farewell, Tikitín, I'll be waiting for you here when you come back," Mariana bade him

good-bye with a sweet voice.

Tikitín followed the path along the river that leads to the sea, accompanied by the murmur

of the wind and his desire to find happiness. Soon he found himself amid a troupe of

monkeys happily swinging through the reeds and branches.

“Good morning, Tikitín, what are you doing so early on these trails?” asked the most

inquisitive of them.
“I am going in search of happiness. I want to know it. I want to find it!” Tikitín answered.

“Maybe you should stay here with us. It's still very early. Let's have breakfast and then

play!”

Tikitín, determined to find happiness, very politely declined the invitation:

“Another day, my friends, I must be off.”

“If you really must leave, we will give you a present to take with you: Freedom.”

Instantaneously, seemingly as if by magic, a marvelous and luminous eye appeared drawn

on one of Tikitín's tail feathers.

Greatly surprised, Tikitín looked in the river to see his tail's reflection

“How wonderfully it glows!” he said to himself.

Meanwhile the river, as old as the world and knowledgeable in the affairs of life, was heard

to whisper:

“Lucky you, Tikitín! Lucky you, Tikitín! Someday you will appreciate the value of Freedom!”

The peacock continued his way, swishing his tail adorned with a touch of Freedom.

The day was getting lighter, and the sun was shining brighter when the peacock stopped

before a flock of pink flamingos. The oldest one graciously greeted Tikitín with a slow voice:

“Good morning, Tikitín, what brings you to these parts?”

“I am on a quest for happiness. I want to know it. I want to find it!”

A mischievous flamingo, who this morning was more interested in leaving the jungle to fly

to north than helping the peacock, answered hastily:

“Maybe you'll find it with the fish there, at the bottom of the sea -Run, jump into the sea!”
However, the chivalrous flamingo interjected.

“While you’re trying to decide which way to go, I present you with Honesty. I am sure it can

help you on your journey.”

In a magical instant, a second eye, its gaze alight with Honesty, appeared on Tikitín's tail,

next to Freedom.

Tikitín, using the Freedom he had received, after much hesitation, dove into the depths of

the sea, ready to ask the waters and fish if they knew where he could find happiness.

However, among the seaweed and corals where fish of a thousand colors were playing,

Tikitín could not discover where happiness lived.

Tikitín was just bidding goodbye when he heard a voice, the deep voice of the sea:

“We want you to stay, but if you must leave remember that you can always return. Please

take Generosity with you on your journey.”

And then a third, noble eye appeared to Tikitín as he emerged from the sea. The waves

admiringly showed the peacock how brightly his tail feathers glowed with Generosity,

Honesty, and, of course, Freedom.

At that moment, seeing how his tail had grown and how beautiful it had become, feeling

homesick Tikitín said in a low voice:

“How happy I would be if Mariana were by my side! “

Tikitín spent some time in a deep and silent reverie until he finally he decided to continue

his journey. He hadn’t gone very far, when he heard a greeting from the sky from a very
wise, and very tall giraffe. She was so tall in fact that she seemed to own the entire horizon

and perhaps she even owned the truth.

“Hello Tikitín, you are far from home. Tell me, where are you going?”

“I'm searching for happiness! I want to know it. I want to find it!”

“Tikitín, my friend, your determination is great and admirable. I'm sorry I can't help you, but

I can give you some advice: be prudent and learn to take care of yourself. Stay away from

the paths of wild beasts and always avoid the dangers that lurk. So, to help you on your

journey, I give you Prudence!”

Like a bolt from the blue, a fourth eye appeared to Tikitín: Prudence, which, together with

Liberty, Generosity and Honesty, took its place on his tail.

Despite the giraffe's advice to always act with prudence, Tikitín, anxious to find happiness,

strayed from the main path and suddenly encountered a panther, who was lying in wait to

pounce on him.

Tikitín, surprised and frightened, had no time to catch his breath and escape. He was

paralyzed with fear.

A messenger bird (?? Homing pigeon?) flying overhead saw the danger Tikitín was in and, beating

its wings as fast as it could, flew off to get help.

Suddenly, as quick as lightning, a brave zebra appeared and, taking the advantage of

surprise, barred the panther's way, driving away the angry beast, and stopped it from

hurting Tikitín.
Recovered from the danger and the fright, the peacock thanked the zebra and the bird for

arriving just in time.

The zebra, a little worried, asked him:

“Why are you so far from home?”

Tikitin, ashamed for not having obeyed Prudence, replied:

“I am looking for happiness. I want to know it. I want to find it! That's why I went off the

road.”

“Listen, Tikitín," said the zebra, "We would like to give you a gift. Continue your path with

Courage, perhaps one day you will succeed.”

At that moment, a fifth eye, Courage, sprouted on Tikitin's tail next to Honesty, Generosity,

Prudence, and Freedom. Again, the wandering peacock found himself yearning for

Mariana's company.

Almost to the edge of the jungle he came across a humble donkey who approached Tikitín

to greet him:

“How are you, friend? Where are you going?”

And Tikitín, a little tired of searching and not finding anything, answered:

“I think I am looking for something very elusive, perhaps impossible to find. I went out this

morning in search of happiness and it's about to get dark and I still haven't found it.”

Then the donkey, serene and thoughtful, answered the peacock:

“Ay, my friend Tikitín, I am going to tell a story. A long time ago I was very sad because I

thought that nobody loved me and therefore, I would never know happiness...”

He paused and after a few seconds looking into the distance he continued his story:

“Until one grand day, the grandest day in heaven, nature and humanity, this donkey, who

was sad and tired, was entrusted to carry happiness itself on his back.”

“Since then," continued the donkey, "all over the earth, when they celebrate that great day,

the day of love and truth, and remember my triumphal entry, this simple donkey adorns the

portal.”

Tikitín, moved, was speechless. The donkey encouraged him:

“Now, my friend, I give you my most precious possession: Humility. Go on your way and you

will see that if you live with humility, you will be able to achieve whatever you set your mind

to.”

Like a shower of stars illuminating everything, the most precious and resplendent of eyes,

Humility, was born to Tikitín, transforming him into a magnificent peacock.

Thrilled and immeasurably grateful, Tikitín treasured Humility.

He said goodbye to the donkey and decided to return home. He bore among his feathers an

extraordinary fan of eyes: one was Freedom, another Honesty, a third Generosity and,

more still, Prudence and Courage, and finally, the most valuable of them all, Humility.

Back home, reunited with Mariana's tenderness and warmth, Tikitín unfurled his radiant tail

of eyes and gifts, and danced a nuptial dance for while his friend laughed.

What immense joy!

Tikitín, the peacock, curious and persevering, had finally discovered that having friends and

knowing how to share is true happiness.

The gifts given to Tikitín

Freedom

When children, and adults too, can decide what to do without harming others.

Honesty

When children, as well as grown-ups, always tell the truth and act with sincerity.

Generosity

When children, as well as adults, share what they have without expecting anything in

return.

Prudence

When children, and grownups, act with the intention of not hurting or harming themselves

or others.

Courage

When children, as well as adults, despite their fear, face a difficult situation.

Humility
When children, and grownups too, know their strengths and weaknesses and do not make

others feel bad.

Values specific to our characters

Determination

When children, as well as adults, decide to pursue an objective until it is achieved.

Gratitude

When children, and even grown-ups, feel a sense of appreciation when receiving a favor, a

gift, or an expression of affection.

Friendship

When a relationship based on affection, trust, respect, and sincerity is born between

children, and between grown-ups.

Curiosity

When children, and adults too, feel the desire to know, observe, learn, learn, know, and

explore.

María Teresa Ruiz de Catrain

Born in Santo Domingo. In this city, Spain and China, she has published works in various
genres: Letters to my son, 1996; My Heart's Dream, 2001; Charles I and V, 2007; Biblical

Plants of Hispaniola, 2008; From Ozama to Yangtze, 2017 and, for children and youngsters,

Boabdil, the Nobility of a Sultan, 2004; The Most Beautiful Land Eyes Have Ever Seen, 2009,

translated into Braille; A Song to the Nativity, 2015; To My Son Diego, 2016, On the Life of

Christopher Columbus, A Day in the Mine, 2019, and Why Are We Stardust? in 2021.

She is co-author of the book The Origins of Human Rights, 2011; of the documentary Five

Centuries of Advent, About the Montesinos Sermon, awarded as Best Documentary in the

2011 Cassandra Awards,

and the work Sacred Spaces, Banreservas Collection, 2016.

In addition to writing, she is dedicated to cultural management and the study of history, a

subject she is passionate about. She lives close to good causes and the unwavering defense

of justice.

She loves the Colonial City, where was the director of the Quinta Dominica cultural house,

developing historical, cultural, and educational programs always for the benefit of society.

Any day you can find her with open arms; above all, she tries to be happy.

Laura Messina Vásquez

He was born in Santo Domingo and from an early age left the country with her family

when her father became a diplomat in several European countries. At age 15, she returned

to the Dominican Republic.

From her maternal grandmother Genoveva Gautier de Vásquez and her aunt Eugenia

Vásquez, a portrait painter based in the United States, she inherited her inclination for the

arts.
 From 2004 to 2016, as a married woman, she lived in New York, where she experienced

the art world through the great museums and intense cultural life that characterizes this

great city. She studied mosaics (tesserae) for three years with the renowned teacher Wendy

Adquins, producing several works that she exhibited in small galleries.

During the months of the covid-19 pandemic, between 2019 and 2020, she dedicated

together with her sister Claudia to create several works in her painting workshop, choosing

the themes and colors with four hands.

Inspired by the birth of her first granddaughter Mariana and the collage-paintings of

Patricia Reid, she began to use this technique involving the combination of scissors, paper,

fabric, paint, and drawings.

That is how the idea of creating illustrations with the purpose of one day illustrating a

children's story arose. She conceived the idea of a peacock as the main character feeling

that this would lend sympathy and hilarity to the story that would be written someday...

and the day came sooner than she had imagined.

Tikitín's Eyes

Tikitín is a curious and handsome peacock who leaves his home and his best friend behind

to go in search of happiness. because... he wants to know it, he wants to find it!

On his way through the jungle Tikitín will experience the most amazing adventure as he

meets monkeys, flamingos, fish, and many others, as well as a dangerous beast. And each of

them will give him an amazing gift.

But none of them knows where happiness is, so the peacock continues his way... until he

finds it where he least expects it.

And this is what happens when you open the cover of this book and join Tikitín on his

journey through the jungle in a tender, joyful and vibrant story in which Abu Laura and Aunt

Maria Teresa merge their imagination, their love for children and tales of courage.

This first edition of one thousand (1000) copies of

Tikitín's Eyes, by María Teresa Ruiz de Catrain

and illustrated by Laura Messina Vásquez,

was completed at Editora Búho in September 2021.

in September 2021.