Once upon a time

There was a king, who ruled a small and unknown but beautiful kingdom. The kingdom knew four seasons as we know them today: spring, summer, autumn and winter. In each of these seasons, the kingdom looked and felt different.

In the spring, flowers would bloom, trees would get leaves and the warm sun would brighten up the entire kingdom.

During the warm summer, traders would come and visit the kingdom. People would come and go, and everything would feel like it was alive.

Then autumn came. All of the forests surrounding the kingdom would look brown, during the beautiful orange sunsets.

However, then it would get cold and winter would come. Everyone stayed inside and the streets of the kingdom would be empty. No more would the chatter of traders and visitors echo in the entrance of the king's castle.

But one evening long ago, one boy opened his door and walked to the big tree that stood on the square right in the center of the kingdom. He lit a candle and attached it in the tree. Another villager that came outside that evening asked what he was doing. The boy said that every time someone would look outside at the tree, would see the light of his candle, and would feel the warmth of the flame. 

The villager stood there and looked at the candle, happily flickering in the big tree. The boy then walked back to his home. A few hours later, that boy had to go to sleep. He walked up the stairs into his bedroom and looked out of the window. He couldn't believe what he saw.

He saw his candle down there in the big tree. But it wasn't alone anymore. There were ten, no, at least fifty other flames now happily wagging on the rhythm of the wind right there in that tree. The light of the candles lit the entire square, and a lot of villagers were looking through their windows, some of them even stepped outside and started talking with others. They were smiling and looked so happy!

Soon people started decorating the tree even more, with bells, with garlands. Just a few hours ago, this was just a boring old tree, but now, the lights reflected in the boy's eyes as he looked at it, still surprised. He sat there at his window for at least another 10 minutes before he fell asleep.

The next morning, he woke up and remembered the tree from last night. He told his parents and opened his door, running towards the tree. Under the tree, where once were crates and hay, now laid presents, for the entire kingdom! For many years to come, this miracle went on, and brought much light in the cold winters.

Ever since that night, every season brought light, happiness and warmth to the kingdom and they lived happily ever after.

Merry Christmas.