I’m Timok, and I’m a Micinik. What, you don’t know what a Micinik is? Hmm, let me tell you, then. Many years ago, we Miciniks looked like puppies. With golden and beautiful fur, our ears flapping in the wind.
Then, for no reason I know, one of my ancestors swallowed a balloon. He was not hurt, but he looked in the mirror and what did he see? He was round like the balloon. And he couldn’t walk normally, like all puppies, on all fours. Nooo. But he could hop. Hop, hop, from place to place.
All his children, and all their children, were then born that way. Round like balloons and very bouncy. Boing, boing, boing. But we did not stop inventing. No.
You see, my grandfather, the great Timocescu, discovered something interesting. As he wished, he could blow all the air out of him and could become small or thin or whatever he needed to be.
And thus, he could fit into any place, no matter how tight it was. Timocescu then became one of the most well-known Miciniks on Pluto.
Moreover, we, the Miciniks, all have a secret that no one knows. We perfectly understand the language of the little humans of Pluto, our masters. In fact, we understand the language of any creature we come into contact with. But we don’t tell them that. No.
We pretend to be funny, unknowing little creatures. That’s how we find out which humans speak nicely about us and which don’t. I think all animals in the world do this. They pretend they don’t understand much, to be sure they know when their masters treat them badly.
I’m sure all the puppies and kittens on Earth have a lot of fun watching people talk to them as if they’re a bit slow.
I am lucky. My masters are, in fact, my family, because they treat me as if I were one of their children. I couldn’t even imagine life without them and the super fun times we spend together.
I still remember the day when Color, my best friend, brought me home to the Escu family. I didn’t know then that we could be friends. So I tried to scare him.
You know, we Miciniks, can be very fierce if we want to. We growl threateningly, bristle our fur all over and look like a furball that got wet and then was dried with a hairdryer. Hmm, actually, that image might not be very threatening. But in our minds, that’s how we look.
Color found me on the street. I don’t remember how I got there, just as I don’t remember where my family was. I just remember being on the street, hopping back and forth after the little humans passing by me, trying to convince them to take me home.
Color was the only one who stopped and picked me up.
– Wow, what a beautiful golden color you have, little creature, I heard him saying.
But he took me by surprise, and I got scared. I growled and bristled my fur. And I would have done more if Color hadn’t started laughing. And he started growling at me and said, while sticking out his tongue and making a funny sound with his lips:
– I would bristle my hair too, but see, most of my strands have fallen out. So let’s say I’ve bristled my fur. I think we two are going to get along just fine.
And from that day, Color became my best friend. Well, I like the other members of the Escu family too, but I like Color the most.
He’s funny and always brings me a small, very small gift, no matter how small it is, when he comes home. Even if it’s just a piece of a fruit I like or a very small ball. Sometimes I think I don’t remember my real family because the Escu family is my real family.
What’s a Micinik, didn’t you find out?
It’s like a furry balloon
Like a puppy has eaten
A chubby little spoon
Miciniks can fit anywhere
They can be big or small
And in a few seconds
They are here or there
They are rarely fierce
It’s not their type to be
Not fierce, but at least
They are funny, that’s a guarantee!
Timok