Cover BUONA - Pontifical Academy of Sciences

INTRODUCTION
This tale by Carlos Chagas was sent to his family shortly after his
death in February 2000. It was written in 1984 for a young daughter of
one of his colleagues of the Brazilian Academy. The child, whose name is
Taciana, probably reminded him of his own only direct niece, Tatiana, as
he wrote in the tale. His daughter Ana Margarida Chagas Bovet translated
it into English, French and Italian for the Symposium “Challenges of
Science” held on his behalf at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences one
year after his death.
The scientists and philosophers mentioned in the tale are referred to
with fictitious names. The real names can be found in the notes.
ANA M. CHAGAS