diff --git a/pytaxonomies/api.py b/pytaxonomies/api.py
index e29cb17..011b4aa 100644
--- a/pytaxonomies/api.py
+++ b/pytaxonomies/api.py
@@ -11,8 +11,10 @@ class Entry():
 
     def __init__(self, value, expanded, description):
         self.value = value
-        self.expanded = expanded
-        self.description = description
+        self.expanded = expanded.encode('utf-8')
+        self.description = None
+        if description:
+            self.description = description.encode('utf-8')
 
     def __str__(self):
         return self.value
@@ -22,7 +24,9 @@ class Predicate(collections.Mapping):
 
     def __init__(self, predicate, description, entries):
         self.predicate = predicate
-        self.description = description
+        self.description = None
+        if description:
+            self.description = description.encode('utf-8')
         self.entries = {}
         if entries:
             self.__init_entries(entries)
diff --git a/tests/tests.py b/tests/tests.py
index 247c741..2a93860 100644
--- a/tests/tests.py
+++ b/tests/tests.py
@@ -31,6 +31,14 @@ class TestPyTaxonomies(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_local(self):
         Taxonomies(manifest_path="./misp-taxonomies/MANIFEST.json")
 
+    def test_print_classes(self):
+        tax = list(self.taxonomies.values())[0]
+        print(tax)
+        pred = list(tax.values())[0]
+        print(pred)
+        entry = list(pred.values())[0]
+        print(entry)
+
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()