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Once upon a time there was a sad, sad tree that had got tired of being rooted in the same place for decades, got sick of being in the same spot on and on for so many years, and wished it could walk, go to far away places, travel to different settings and enjoy different landscapes. It had heard people talking about the northern lights and how magnificent they were. It would be wonderful if it could see them one day!

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The fairy of the wood was broken hearted to see the tree so sad, miserable and withering so she decided to grant its wish and free its roots from the harsh ground. This way the tree could walk and move. The tree was so happy, it could not wait to set off for its journey.

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The moment the tree was ready to leave the forest, it felt someone moving on its branches... It was its friend, the cat. They had spent hours and hours together, watching the sun rising or setting everyday for hundreds of days... Would the cat like to follow the tree on its new journey?

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Fortunately, the cat was as adventurous as the tree and did not hesitate to say 'yes' when the tree suggested that they should leave on the journey together. So, they started walking until they reached a lake. It was already dusk and they decided to rest and spend the night there.

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It was early in the morning when they both smelt something strange in the air. They opened their eyes and could not believe what they saw in front of them! The forest was on fire! Red flames had covered the sky and animals were running to be saved. The cat jumped on the tree and they crossed the bridge to escape the fire.

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The tree started running in panic with the cat clinging from the branches meowing for help!! When they saw that they were safe, far away from the fire, they rested for a while on a hill. The tree was so exhausted from running that it fell asleep. A strange feeling woke it up....It felt two people sitting under it, leaning their backs against its trunk. The tree listened to their conversation to find out who these people were. It turned out that they were a couple who had started a journey around the world and they were resting under the tree, discussing their next destination which was the Northern Lights!!. The tree listened carefully. As soon as the couple left, eager to continue their journey, the tree and the cat started following them discretely, continuing their own adventure as well.

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Venturing out into the unknown, the tree and its friend went on walking. They lost the couple, as they took a train to continue their journey. The two friends walked miles and miles of land, crossed rivers and valleys, went up and down mountains, till they felt lost and frustrated. Where could the Northern Lights be? Which direction should they follow? They stopped and stared at the sky where the sun was getting ready to set, when they heard the sound of a little girl crying near them. They couldn't understand why the girl was so sad and the tree felt sorry for her. It extended one of its branches and tied a swing around it so that the little girl could play on the swing and feel better.

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The little girl stayed there swinging under the tree for hours. It was as if time had stopped. Both the cat and the tree felt so proud that they had made the young girl feel calm and happy again. Up in the sky clouds started to gather and the first snowflakes started to fall. The girl whispered: "My wish came true! This is the swing I had longed for. I am so happy!!"

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All of a sudden, out of nowhere the fairy appeared and gently touched the tree's branches. The tree felt the soft touch but was not startled at all. It had felt the same feeling at the beginning of the journey and knew that something wonderful was about to happen. It was a strange feeling for the cat but seeing the tree so excited helped the little animal relax and enjoy the view...

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Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairies (by Tchaikovsky)

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Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairies (by Tchaikovsky)

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There, in front of them, the beautiful lights lit up in the sky. It was a spectacular display of bright dancing lights in blue and green colours, the likes of which the tree had never seen before. Its dream came true! The tree had finally reached the northern lights, the Aurora Borealis. The quest came to its end, the dream came true.

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Pictures: Domna Moschoglou
Music: YouTube Audio Library
Story writing: Class Γ΄ 2

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You've probably heard about the northern lights. You may have even been lucky enough to see them. But you probably don't know what causes them. The northern lights - also called aurora borealis (say "ah-ROAR-ah bore-ee-AH-lis") - are coloured lights that appear in the northern sky. Kind of like nature's fireworks.

So...what causes them?

The northern lights are caused by electrons being blown out by the solar wind. Sounds technical, right? Think of it this way: it's like the sun burping out these really small particles (the electrons) into the air. These tiny electrons mix with gases in the Earth's atmosphere, which makes them glow.

When can I see them?

The best time to see the northern lights is when the skies are clearest. Winter and spring - or between December and April - are the best times to see them. You'll have to stay up late, though. You can see the lights best between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. (way past your bedtime!). And you should dress warm - the best place to see the northern lights in Canada is way up north in the Yukon Territories, so you're going to get chilly!

Aurora borealis or northern lights?

The auroral borealis in Estonia. (Wikimedia/Kristian Pikner/CC BY-SA 4.0)

They're both right! The name "aurora borealis" comes from the French astronomer and scientist Pierre Gassendi. He called it aurora for the Roman goddess of the dawn, and boreas, which is the Greek word for the north wind.

Northern lights mythology

A painting by Peter Nicolai Arbo of a Valkyrie - a female Viking warrior, 1869, National Gallery of Norway. (Wikimedia/public domain)

There are many different folktales about the northern lights. The Vikings believed that the lights were the reflection of the shields and armour of the female warriors - also known as the Valkyrie - who were immortal, or that it was the Bifröst Bridge that led those who fell in battle to their final resting place in Valhalla.

It would have been rare to see the northern lights in China, but early Chinese legends about the northern lights have to do with dragons! The lights were believed to be a celestial battle between good and evil dragons who breathed fire across the sky.

There are many Indigenous legends about the northern lights all across North America. Some spoke of them as torches of giants in the sky or the souls of animals they hunted like deer, whales or salmon. Other legends spoke of the lights as a powerful spirit who assisted shamans; a torch-lit path to help souls along their journey; or the light from the fire built by the creator.

In Finland, where the northern lights are very bright, their myth involves a sly little arctic fox. It ran so quickly across the snow that its tail made sparks fly into the night sky, creating the northern lights. Which makes sense, since the Finnish word for northern lights is revontulet - which literally means " fox fire"!

Did you know?

You can see the northern lights from space. (Photo via Visual Hunt)

The northern lights appear 200 to 300 kilometers above the earth and are bright enough to be seen from space.

The most common colours of the northern lights are green, pink, purple, red, yellow and blue.

You can also see southern lights - or aurora australis (say "ah-ROAR-ah os-traw-lis") - if you're close to the southern pole.

Earth isn't the only planet to have auroras - scientists have found them on Neptune, Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus.

No two northern lights will ever look the same - you will always see different patterns and colours in the lights.

The northern lights don't just produce beautiful colours, they also make sounds like claps, crackles and static. But these are hard to hear with all the other noise around us.

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What are the northern lights? | CBC Kids

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You've probably heard about the northern lights. You may have even been lucky enough to see them. But you probably don't know what causes them. The northern lights - also called aurora borealis (say "ah-ROAR-ah bore-ee-AH-lis") - are coloured lights that appear in the northern sky. Kind of like nature's fireworks.