Nikola Tesla: The Master of Electricity
Young Nikola Tesla is afraid of thunderstorms until his mother shows him the beauty and power of lightning
Eases fear of storms, with wonder
5 min read · 4-6
Listen to this storyThe story
In his cozy home, young Nikola stroked his cat, Macak. Tiny, magical sparks crackled softly under his fingers.
Nikola giggled as the glowing sparks danced across Macak's soft black fur, lighting up the dimming room.
Outside, the dusk sky began to dim, but the hearth fire kept the room feeling safe and warm.
Suddenly, a loud boom of thunder shook the house. Nikola gasped in fear, pulling his knees close to his chest.
Macak scrambled under a heavy wooden chair, his green eyes wide with fright as shadows stretched across the floor.
His mother knelt beside him, wrapping her warm arms around him to gently chase the scary shadows away.
Mother pointed toward the rain-streaked window. "Do not fear the sky, Nikola," she said softly.
She explained that the lightning was like a giant paintbrush, coloring the dark clouds with bright, beautiful strokes.
Nikola stepped to the window. A brilliant, golden-violet flash lit up the hills, and he stared in absolute wonder.
Hearing the soft rumble of thunder, Macak crept out of hiding, purring calmly in the warm room.
His mother smiled proudly, happy to see her son's fear melt away into a deep, quiet wonder.
Nikola smiled, petting Macak as the storm glowed. He was no longer afraid, eager to learn all the beautiful secrets of the light.
More Like This
Marie Curie: The Scientist Who Discovered Radium
Marie Curie as a little girl in Poland notices that certain rocks glow in the dark and begins her lifelong quest to understand nature's secrets
Albert Einstein: The Physicist Who Rode a Beam of Light
Young Albert Einstein daydreams about riding a beam of light, and his teacher helps him see that imagination is the start of discovery
George Washington Carver: The Scientist Who Loved Plants
Young George Washington Carver is too sick to work in the fields, so he tends the garden and discovers a world of wonders in tiny seeds
Fire
Learning to make fire changed everything about how people lived.
Fireflies: Nature's Light Show
Magical insects that glow in the summer night
Leonardo da Vinci: The Inventor Who Dreamed of Flying
Little Leonardo da Vinci fills his notebooks with drawings of birds, dreaming that one day people might fly too
People Who Changed The WorldMore from this show
Jane Goodall: The Friend of the Chimpanzees
She sat still in a forest until the chimpanzees stopped hiding, and rewrote what we knew about tools.
Marie Curie: The Scientist Who Discovered Radium
Marie Curie as a little girl in Poland notices that certain rocks glow in the dark and begins her lifelong quest to understand nature's secrets
Albert Einstein: The Physicist Who Rode a Beam of Light
Young Albert Einstein daydreams about riding a beam of light, and his teacher helps him see that imagination is the start of discovery
Meeting Taylor Swift
A young girl meets her hero Taylor Swift backstage and learns that kindness matters more than fame
Stephen Hawking: The Man Who Explained the Universe
Young Stephen Hawking looks up at the stars and asks his father why the universe exists, beginning his quest to understand everything
Frida Kahlo: The Painter of Her Own Life
Young Frida Kahlo is stuck in bed after an accident but discovers that painting lets her travel anywhere in her imagination
Leonardo da Vinci: The Inventor Who Dreamed of Flying
Little Leonardo da Vinci fills his notebooks with drawings of birds, dreaming that one day people might fly too
Rosa Parks: The Mother of Civil Rights
Rosa Parks as a child stands up for a friend being treated unfairly, learning early that quiet courage changes the world