Students from several countries participated in an activity called "What are the trees talking about?". They wrote short stories from the perspective of trees. The stories covered topics like: - An old olive tree in Greece telling the story of how olive trees helped Athens gain wealth and prosperity. - A pine tree in Thessaloniki, Greece witnessing the city's history over many years, including its liberation from the Turks. - The oldest known chestnut tree in the world, called the "Hundred Horse Chestnut" located near Mount Etna in Sicily, telling the legend of how it sheltered a queen and 100 knights during a storm. - The oldest poplar tree near a river in

1. What are the trees
talking about?

2. Hungarian Team

3. What are trees talking about? activity was divided into two parts.
First students wrote short stories in English, some of them
rewrote well-known stories.
Several classes took part in the activity. Even lower primary
students joined the activity. They also decorated their stories.
Teachers chosen one story and the schools' drama group perfomed
it at József Attila Theatre. Students rehearsed for months with
the help of György Dorka. The performance was at the theater
and it was a great success.

10. The Bremen Town Musicians
An old donkey, who is getting too weak to perform his duties, decides
to go to Bremen to become a town musician there. On his way, he sees
an old hound, a cat and a rooster, who were in the same situation and
he invites them to play in his orchestra. In the evening, they reach a
forest and find a house with three robbersand plan to chase them
away. The donkey stands on his hind legs and places his forefeet on the
window ledge. The dog jumps up on his back, the cat gets on the top of
the dog, and the rooster perches on the cats head. Then they all make
loud music togehter and crash through the window. The robbers flee in
terror into the woods. The four animals have and enjoy a big meal.
Afterwards, they put out the light and the donkey goes out to sleep.
One of the robbers goes into the dark house and mistaking the ca’s
glowing eyes for live coals, hold up match to them. The cat jumps on
his face, spitting and scratching. As theman runs to the back door, the
dog bites him in the leg. Out in the yard, the donkey gives him a good
kick. The rooster awakenedby the commotion crows „cock-a-doodle-
doo”! The robber runs back to his captian and reports what happened.
He says he washissed at and scratched by a witch with long claws,
stabbed in the leg with a knife by an old man behind the door, and
beaten by a huge monster with a big club as a judge shouted „Bring
me that scoundre!” The robbers do not dare return to the house and
the Bremen town musicians live there happily ever after.

11. Greek Team

12. «The olive tree
around the Mediterranean Sea»
Greek Team

13. The old olive tree tells its story to the kids
who play hide and seek round its trunk.
A number of young friends who live in
the city meet at their parents’ village
every summer. They enjoy gathering
under the olive tree in the middle of the
village square and play hide and seek
round its trunk. When the game begins
their voices and laughter can be heard in
the whole village.

14. The olive tree loves the children
but it sometimes gets annoyed by
such a fuss. But it does not
complain, because it once offered
its trunk to them with love and
happiness.
-Olive tree, can we play hide and
seek here? they asked.
-Of course kids, with pleasure!

15. It’s been such a long time since then.
The tree grew older but the kids still
play there every summer.
One day, tired and sweaty as they
were, they sat under its shadow to rest.
-Dear children, would you like to hear
my ancient story?
-Of course, we do!
-Great! said the olive tree.

16. -You know, thousands of years ago,
an ancestor of mine was the first
olive tree planted on Acropolis by
Athena, the ancient Greek goddess.
They say I was given to Athenians as
a gift when Athena quarreled with
Poseidon about whose name was to
be given to the new city.

17. -In order to persuade the city people
to choose them, each offered a gift.
Poseidon offered a strong war horse
and Athena a young olive tree.
At first, people looked at the weak
olive tree with disappointment,
because they didn’t really know
what it was useful for.
So, Athena tried to explain…

18. -Athena was really smart, wasn’t she ?
said a boy.
-Of course! After all, she was the
goddess of wisdom! the olive tree added.
Now, would you like me to go on?
-Yes, Yes!
- Athena promised that her gift would
feed, nourish, heal and finally lead the
city people to prosperity, wealth, power
and everlasting glory.

19. -The people trusted her and decided to
name their city after the goddess:
Athena in Greek, Athens in English.
And they were right to choose her!
-But how ? How could a tree do so many
things ?
-Simple! People not only feed on olives ,
but they use olive oil in medicine and
cosmetics.

20. -And how did they gain wealth and glory
by an olive tree ?
- The Athenians adored the tree and
grew lots of olive groves, producing tons
of olive oil. They then started selling it
first to other cities and later to other
countries. They even built ships to sail
across the Mediterranean Sea, getting to
know new places and gaining knowledge
from other civilizations.

21. -They carried their precious load in elegant pottery
decorated with scenes of Greek mythology, city
celebrations, battles and everyday life, which soon
became famous.
-They used their wealth to built temples
and marble statues people still admire.

22. When they cut coins they decorated one
side with Athena with an olive leaf
wreath on her helmet and the other side
with an amphora full of olive oil to show
their gratitude.
Even winners of the Olympics were given
an olive wreath for a prize. That’s how
great olive trees were considered!
Everybody honored them!

23. Written by:
Maria Lydia - Christiana
Thanos –Theodor
-Soon, in many other places around the
Mediterranean people started growing olive
trees, too. That’s why you can find plenty like
me in Italy, Spain, Cyprus, Israel and many
more…
- Wow! What an interesting story!
-Well, that was my story! I hope you liked it !
-Oh yes! said Jim. Will you tell us more stories?
-Some other time, kids. I’m too old and I easily
get tired. Now go and play! I’ll take a nap…

24. Students of the 4th grade chose the
olive tree to tell 5 different stories
connected to myths and the history of
our country and put them in a booklet.
During their art classes they painted
a big olive tree…

25. They then cut “windows” on the
olive tree to put in pictures
matching their stories and hung it to
the wall.
This way the old tree will be able to
tell her stories also to younger
pupils that cannot yet read.

26. Once Upon a time in Thessaloniki
a story told by an old pine tree
Greek Team

27. I am a small pine tree by the beach next to the White Tower. Back then the White Tower used to be a
prison. Every night I can hear the prisoners crying and this makes me feel very sad. But in the morning
everything changes. People pass by going to work or selling their products. Fishermen sell fresh fishes…
In my city there are people of several nationalities. Greek, Jews, Turks, French, Armenian… I can hear them
speaking their mother tongues. I can also hear the Imam praying in the mosque. In the evenings kids wearing
shorts gather around me and play. Others throw pebbles in the sea. At night I can smell and breathe the sea
breeze! The city is sleeping… Everything is so calm and quiet!....

30. I see the fortress wall being torn down around me. What is to become of me? I’m worried that people might
cut me down. Everyone around me is so agitated. This upsets me even more. A boy is sitting in my shadow
selling newspapers and shouting:
-Breaking news!..Thessaloniki finally freed from the Turks! The treaty was signed last night. The city now
belongs to Greece!
After a while, King George and his son Constantine arrive on horseback. They are happy, leading the Greek
army passing in front of me. Everyone is watching, deeply moved and happy, others are looking on with
astonishment.
- Hurray for the liberation!.. people are shouting.
I am happy too, because I am here sharing these moments!

32. As I grow older and bigger, things change. Luckily, the wall was torn down and I
have a better view of the sea now. There is also a cable car! I can hear it moving along the seafront! There
are more and more people. Houses change, they become more beautiful, two-storey buildings. But what is this
I see? A huge fire in the distance! And an explosion! I’m getting worried. What is happening? There are people
running up and down, shouting, trying to put out the fire. What a chaos!
The smoke is blurring the houses. People are carrying water in buckets, on horse carriages, any way they
can. I can’t take this anymore! I’m so scared!
I’m worried about the other trees around me, too. If the fire gets any closer… I’m so worried about what is
going to happen next!

34. I ‘m too old now and the city has changed a lot. The harbor is full of ships and the beach front now has a
big road full of cars . The new city is full of malls, parks and tall buildings. Many tourists from all over
Europe are strolling across the beach or riding bikes, looking at the statues .The White Tower is now a
museum. I can hear the boats whistle, trying to attract tourists.
Parents have a walk with their kids. A photographer is capturing these moments. The sunset softly lights up the
beach and colors the buildings.
The city is about to dance to the rhythm of the night.

37. The White Tower today

38. Old pictures of Thessaloniki

39. Italian Team

40. Il Castagno dei cento cavalli
The hundred horse Chestnut

41. The Hundred-Horse is the largest and oldest known chestnut tree in the world. Located on
Linguaglossa road in Sant'Alfio, on the eastern slope of Mount Etna in Sicily— only 8 km
(5.0 mi) from the volcano's crater — it is generally believed to be 2,000 to 4,000 years old. It
is a Sweet Chestnut (Castanea sativa, family Fagaceae).

42. Guinness World Records has
listed it for the record of "Greatest
Tree Girth Ever", noting that it had
a circumference of 57.9 m (190 ft)
when it was measured in 1780.
Above-ground the tree has since
split into multiple large trunks, but
below-ground these trunks still
share the same roots.
The hundred horse Chestnut

43. The tree's name originated from
a legend in which a queen of
Aragon and her company of one hundred knights,
during a trip to Mount Etna, were caught in a severe
thunderstorm. The entire company is said to have
taken shelter
under the tree!

44. The tree and its legend have become the subject of various songs and poems, including
the following Sicilian-language description by the Catanese poet Giuseppe Borrello
(1820–1894):
Sicilian English
Un pedi di castagna A chestnut tree
tantu grossu was so large
ca ccu li rami so' forma un paracqua
that its branches formed an
umbrella
sutta di cui si riparò di l'acqua,
under which refuge was sought
from the rain
di fùrmini, e saitti
from thunder bolts and flashes
of lightning
la riggina Giuvanna by Queen Giuvanna
ccu centu cavaleri, with a hundred knights,
quannu ppi visitari Mungibeddu when on her way to Mt Etna
vinni surprisa di lu timpurali.
was taken by surprise by a fierce
storm.
D'allura si chiamò From then on so was it named
st'àrvulu situatu 'ntra 'na valli
this tree nestled in a valley and
its courses
lu gran castagnu d'i centu cavalli.
the great chestnut tree of one
hundred horses.

45. Magic
Legend
Nature

46. Romanian Team

47. The oldest poplar
near the BIG SOMES river

48. Story of the tree
•The students took
interview to local
people to find more
about this old tree.

49. Story of the tree
The Nasaud poplar, aged 600-700 years old, sprouted again
this spring, a proof that he found the perfect recipe to
overcome his time. The tree is impressive by the stem
thickness with a circumference of over 10 meters and a
height of 6.20 meters. In spite of the vicissitudes of the
six-seven centuries since it towered its branches to heaven,
the tree managed to withstand the time, but especially the
aggression on the part of the people.

50. Interwiewing our grandparents
About the Nasaud poplar we talked to several locals. "I have known this tree for
many years. It was a great scent in it and they made the gypsies burning in it. So
some of it was overturned. In the old days, Somes was full of poplars. They were
very beautiful, but it was the most beautiful one. It's a monument of nature. I
think he resisted because he is near Somes and takes his sap from the river.
People in the village do not really care. I think the town hall should have done
something. It was crawling at Nasaud, and I seem to remember that something
was being done on poplar. But neither the feast nor the poplar is anymore. There
was a lot of politics in this too. "

51. Polish Team

60. Latvian Team

61. The broken oak tree
I live in Dundagas district in Latvia. Right next to there is a house, it is named after me “Ozoli”
in Latvian or oak tree in English. I have survived to lightning strikes. After the first one my
bark only cracked a little, but after the second one a part of me split off.
Children and their parents used to hang swings in my branches, but now nobody needs me.
Everybody says I am a dangerous tree.
Everyday I stand and dream about a day when the children will come back, hang their
swings in my branches again and will tell story to each other so I can listen to them too. And
in return I will rock them in their swings as much and high as they please.
But right now, I am a lonely tree on the side of the road. Sometimes some of the people
that live near come and look at me. They come and see how I used to be, when I was young
and beautiful. I like that. Sometimes even children come. They sit on my broken tree stump
and tell stories. I get so happy when birds come and sit on my branches and sing their songs
to me. This makes me happy. This shows me that I am still needed and cared for.

62. Thank you for your
attention!