High on a windy mountain ridge, where the clouds brush the stone, stands a remarkable tree named Old Tjikko. Tjikko is not just old—he is ancient. He has stood right there for more than nine thousand years!

Back when Tjikko was just a tiny, tiny seedling, the world was a very cold place. He poked his first brave needle out of the frozen ground, right next to a patch of melting frost.

Nine thousand years means nine thousand winters. Wind howled past him, carrying stinging snow. The other small plants bent low and often broke. "It's too cold!" they whispered.

But Tjikko was patient. He knew that after the deep winter came the warm sun. He would stretch his branches up, feeling the light soak into his needles, ready to grow a little bit more.

Over the centuries, Tjikko grew tall and strong. He met many friends who lived on the mountain, like Lykke, the speedy mountain hare, who always liked to rest safely near his solid trunk.

Sometimes, huge storms would roll in. The sky would turn deep indigo, and fierce rain would lash down. *CRACK!* went the thunder, right over Tjikko's head.

Tjikko would hold tight to the rock with his strong, hidden roots. "Let the wind blow!" he seemed to whisper. He knew that the mountain would protect him, and he would keep protecting the soil.

Year after year, the world changed all around him. Big ice melted away. New forests grew up below. Buildings appeared, then turned to dust. But Tjikko stayed.

Lykke grew old and had little baby hares of her own. She taught them, "When you feel lost or scared, look up at Old Tjikko. He is always there, and he has seen it all."

Nine thousand years of snow, wind, and time. Tjikko endured. He teaches us that even when things feel too hard or too cold, if we hold tight to our roots and keep waiting for the sun, we will never give up.