♪ Molly of Denali ♪
Let's go!
♪ She's Molly of Denali ♪
(laughing): Whoo!
♪ By plane or sled or snowshoe ♪
♪ She is ready to explore ♪
♪ From Kaktovik down to Juneau ♪
♪ Always wanting to learn more ♪
Yeah!
♪ Together with her best friend Tooey ♪
♪ Always by her side ♪ And Trini!
♪ Discovering the outdoors ♪
♪ On adventures day and night ♪
♪ Come along with Molly ♪
♪ Molly ♪
♪ Through fields of fireweed ♪
♪ Come along with Molly ♪
♪ Molly ♪
♪ From tundra to the sea ♪
Mahsi'choo-- let's go!
♪ Molly of Denali ♪ Yeah!
♪ She's Molly of Denali ♪
♪ Come on ♪ ♪ Let's go! ♪
♪ Molly of Denali ♪
♪ She's Molly of Denali ♪
MOLLY: "Turn on the Northern Lights."
Ha!
(grunts)
(gasps)
(grunts)
(grunts)
(kids cheer)
(whistle blows)
(laughing): Whew, great sh*t, Trini!
Nice job today, kids.
See you at our next practice.
The Qyah Northern Lights
are going to have their best season ever!
(echoing): Ever, ever, ever.
(laughs)
Speaking of Northern Lights,
did you see them last night?
Uh-huh.
The yo yekkoyh were incredible.
(sighing): The Northern Lights were out
and I missed them again?
Don't worry, they'll be out
plenty of times this winter.
I've lived here three whole months
and still haven't seen them.
(sighing): Do they really look like that?
Even better!
They're like huge dancing neon lights in the sky.
Ugh! I have to see them.
(gasping): I'll ask my dad if we can
have a sleepover at my house.
Awesome.
I'll make hot chocolate.
I got marshmallows.
Uh, sounds like you need some help for this.
BOTH (hesitantly): Uh-huh...
Okay, I love hot chocolate.
(laughing)
♪ ♪
Wait.
Was that something?
That's a cloud.
Oh.
(gasps): What about that?
MOLLY: Another cloud.
Ah.
What about that?
MOLLY: That's the same cloud, Trini.
Right.
(yawns)
It's really late, guys.
How about we try again tomorrow night?
(sadly): I guess.
Maybe we just need to go somewhere else to see them?
Let's try the Trading Post.
And, uh...
(laughs)
I know, I know.
I'll be sure there's hot chocolate tomorrow night.
Yes!
♪ ♪
(bell rings)
(slurps)
(slurps)
(gasping)
(groaning)
♪ ♪
(yawning): It's been hours.
But no Northern Lights.
(drips)
Let's call it a night.
And I'm not just saying that
because we're out of hot chocolate.
(laughing)
COACH: Let's see a great practice.
(whistle blows)
Uh, Tooey? Look alive!
(blows whistle)
(yelps)
(gasps)
(ball bouncing)
(wearily): Oh, I got it.
He dribbles!
He sh**t.
He scores!
COACH: Uh, Tooey?
Our basket is on the other end of the court.
Oops.
You three need some sleep.
You're all off your game.
That's enough for today.
(sighs)
Coach is right.
We can't keep staying up late every night.
But I have to see the Northern Lights.
Sorry, Trini, we tried.
There's no way to tell when they'll be out.
You'd have to be a magician, or a genius, or...
(gasping): A scientist!
Like your grandpa?
Yeah! He knows everything.
You think he knows a way to tell when they'll be out?
Let's go ask.
GRANDPA NAT: Oh, no problem, Cliff.
I'll be out there in two shakes of a moose's tail.
(chuckles)
(hangs up phone)
(gasping): What's that?
Grandpa's phone?
That's a phone?
Uh-huh.
It's this really ancient technology from the olden days.
But how do you text?
You can't.
This was made before there were cellphones.
Whoa.
I was just heading out the door, kids.
My buddy Cliff's car isn't starting,
so I need to give him a hand.
What's up?
Grandpa Nat, you're a scientist.
Can you tell us when the Northern Lights
are going to be out?
Ah.
Yo yekkoyh, Northern Lights, are hard to predict.
I'm sure you'll see them soon enough.
(sighs)
We've been looking every night.
Well, Trini, many of our people
say Northern Lights are our ancestors
dancing across the sky.
What's an ancestor?
MOLLY: Ancestors are people in your family
who lived long, long before we were born.
And when you're waiting for older people like that,
sometimes you have to wait a long time.
I'll try.
But isn't there anything we can do
to find out when they'll be out?
There are ways to predict that.
Hmm.
I have to get going, but...
Here's a solar system book.
Look in the chapter about the sun.
There's a big hint about the Northern Lights.
What does the sun have to do with the Northern Lights?
You're about to find out.
So cool!
This book explains how the Northern Lights happen.
So, what does it have to do with the sun?
Look!
"The sun has big explosions all the time,
"like a huge volcano erupting.
"These are solar flares.
"When a solar flare happens,
"little bits of the sun race through space
"at a million miles an hour.
That's the solar wind."
So cool.
"The little bits don't hurt us
"because the Earth is protected by our atmosphere.
"But here in Alaska, where the atmosphere is thinnest,
some of the little bits of sun get in."
Then when the little bits hit the atmosphere,
they get the particles all excited.
And that's what makes the bright lights.
Little particles in the atmosphere
get excited and make lights?
Uh-huh, and dance!
TRINI: "The Northern Lights are
also called the Aurora Borealis."
TOOEY: So, when a big solar flare
happens on the sun,
the solar wind will create Northern Lights?
That's what the book says.
So how can we find out when solar flares happen?
Hmm.
"When will solar flares happen?"
(clicks mouse)
Aha! This site says, "Because of recent solar flares,
"the next three nights could be good
to see the Northern Lights."
Ha! We figured it out.
Ask your dad if you can stay over again.
Okay.
Gonna see some lights tonight!
Uh, Molly?
Yes, Tooey, and I'll even put marshmallows in it.
Yes!
(sadly): No!
It's supposed to be a good night for yo yekkoyh.
TRINI: But we didn't think
about all these clouds getting in our way.
We still have two more nights of strong solar flares.
(slurps)
But what if it's cloudy both nights?
I'll check the weather app.
TOOEY: Will it clear up soon?
MOLLY: Not tonight.
Um...
(gasps): Tomorrow night,
it's supposed to be totally clear.
One more sleepover?
What do you say, Trini?
Uh, Trini?
(snoring)
(yelps): I'm awake!
(laughs)
We better try and get some sleep tonight.
♪ ♪
(sighs): Still nothing.
What else can we even do?
I just found a site where people all over Alaska
share if they're seeing the lights.
Any near Qyah?
TOOEY: Not yet.
How are my Aurora hunters?
Hi, Grandpa.
We learned a lot from that book you showed us.
(sighing): That the solar wind
gets excited when it wants to dance.
What?
(yawning): We haven't been sleeping much lately.
MOLLY: She means the bits of sun that hit the atmosphere
get the atmospheric particles excited.
And that's what makes lights.
Great.
What else did you learn?
If the lights are cloudy,
you can't see your face.
Um...
She means if it's too cloudy out,
you can't see the lights.
So we checked the weather app.
Tonight, there's good weather,
and the solar flare activity has been strong.
I'm impressed.
But we still can't find them.
I'll never see the Northern Lights.
Sure you will, Trini.
In fact, you can see them right now over the big lake.
What? How do you know?
Called up my buddy Cliff on my ancient telephone,
and asked if he saw anything out at his place.
He said there's a pretty good show tonight.
Really?
If the lights
don't come to you,
you need to go to the lights. (chuckles)
Come on.
♪ ♪
Do you see them?
Are we there yet? Are the particles dancing?
Ooh!
We're almost there, Trini!
(gravel crunching)
(engine stops)
(jeep door opens and closes)
Whoa.
Whoa.
Definitely a good show.
Aren't they beautiful, Trini?
MOLLY: Trini?
(moans)
(gasps)
(unclicks seat belt)
(jeep door opens and closes)
Wow!
These are the most beautiful Northern Lights I've ever seen.
Looks like the ancestors
are pretty happy you went looking for them.
TRINI: Enaa baasee', ancestors.
Thank you.
♪ ♪
Hey, everyone!
Molly here to answer your questions about life in Alaska.
Abdul in Tennessee asks,
"What do the Northern Lights look like?"
My friends can show you.
KIDS: Hi, Molly!
We're in Fairbanks, Alaska.
I think the best time to see the Northern Lights
is in the middle of the night.
And it's just really cool if you see them.
They have, like, a whole bunch of colors
just waving around in the sky,
like green, red, purple.
BOY: Let's go look for the Aurora tonight.
BOY: We are searching about the weather.
I think it has to be, like, barely any clouds.
If there's clouds over,
you can't really see the Northern Lights.
p.m. is clear.
p.m. and p.m. is a good time,
because that's clear.
GIRL: I would type in...
"Aurora forecast." "Aurora forecast."
BOY: "Fairbanks, Alaska."
GIRL: So this is where
the Northern Lights are supposed to be, this whole green part.
Fairbanks is basically in the middle.
BOYS: That's a good thing.
BOY: We put all the information that we researched
together.
We're pretty sure that this is a good night
to see the Aurora Borealis.
My father told me that if you whistle at it,
he said they'll, like, dance, move around more.
My dad is Koyukon Athabascan,
and I'm also Koyukon Athabascan.
GIRL: Our friend Manny came to go look
for the Northern Lights with us.
One of the folklores I heard years and years ago,
when you look at the Northern Lights,
and if it did something unusual,
that would tell them where the caribou herd was.
BOY: Manny told us if it was, like, being unusual,
there might be a herd of caribou there.
That's a good way to find some food, back in the day.
The Northern Lights, they're right there!
MANNY: Everybody whistle-- maybe they'll dance.
(all whistling)
GIRL: The caribou is that way.
They're dancing!
BOY: They're moving so fast!
BOY: I've never seen them that bright before.
KIDS: Bye, Molly!
MOLLY: Mahsi'choo!
Thanks for asking, and see you next time!
MOLLY: "Fiddlesticks."
(crowd cheering) Hey, everyone.
It's me, Molly.
And that's my friend Oscar the Fiddle Kid,
though that's not actually his name.
(laughs)
(crowd cheering)
(playing folk tune)
So, we're having
a jig dance tonight.
That's Grandpa Nat jigging with Auntie Midge.
Ch'aroodzaa!
Let's dance! (cheers)
And that's my mom and dad.
Aanajj!
Come dance!
(phone camera shuts off, crowd cheering)
(music continues)
(slapping out rhythm)
Oscar!
You were amazing.
Thanks.
I was almost amazing.
(laughing): At jigging, I mean.
I can't jig at all.
Well, I can't fiddle at all.
Wish I could.
Really?
I could teach you.
Seriously?
Mmm, it looks kind of hard.
Well, it is at first.
But if you love something, you'll find a way.
I mean, the first time I picked this up,
I knew the only thing I ever wanted to do
was play the fiddle!
(humming)
(laughs)
(laughs, sighs)
Well, if you teach me how to fiddle,
I could play with you.
(gasping): We could do a duet!
Deal?
Deal.
We'll work on the handshake.
(laughs)
♪ ♪
OSCAR: Meet your fiddle, Molly.
Wow.
Hi, fiddle.
I hope we like each other.
That was my first fiddle.
Grandma gave it to me.
She said I played too many video games.
Do you still play a lot of video games?
When I get them back from Grandma.
(video game playing) Ha! Another high score.
So,
I wrote down a bunch of instructions
to help you practice at home.
Yay!
Can we start with that jigging thing you played yesterday?
(fiddle screeching) Yikes! Uh, no.
You start by learning how to hold your instrument.
"Lesson one, step one:
"Position the fiddle.
"Place the fiddle on your shoulder
and hold the fiddle neck with your left hand."
"Step two:
"Position the bow.
"Place your thumb underneath
and your fingers on top."
Not too tight.
You want a nice loose hand.
Good, you're ready for step three.
Woo-hoo!
What's next?
Learn the strings.
Let me show you.
Oh, whoops.
Forgot to add "step three."
G, D, A, and E.
"Good Dogs Always Eat."
Find A and D. (sighs)
The middle two strings.
A is on the left...
♪ ♪
GRANDPA NAT: There's my maestro.
How's the fiddle coming along?
It's... great.
Show me what you learned, segoya.
(inhales)
(fiddle screeching "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star")
(whines)
Sorry.
(laughs)
All fiddlers screech at first.
Hey, you should've heard me
when I first started drumming.
(drumming unevenly)
Eventually, after a lot of practice,
I learned all types of drumming.
(drumming steadily and quickly)
(tapping)
Looks like you can keep a b*at.
Oh, yeah, I do that a lot.
Here, try this.
(drumming slowly)
(drumming in sync)
(drumming more complicated rhythm)
(tapping to rhythm)
(whines, pants)
(both drumming on table) (panting)
Finish strong and...
(pounding table)
(stop drumming)
Woo-hoo! (laughs)
(playing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star")
Wow!
And you've only been playing for two weeks.
Do you want to practice tomorrow morning?
Can't.
I'm seeing Grandpa.
He has a surprise for me.
The afternoon could work, say
Sure.
Thanks for the lesson, Oscar.
Don't forget your fiddle.
Oh. (laughs)
MOLLY: ♪ Twinkle, twinkle ♪
♪ Little star ♪
Huh.
That song needs a way better rhythm.
Hey, Suki, can I borrow this?
(Suki whines)
MOLLY: ♪ Twinkle, twinkle, little star ♪
♪ How I wonder, wonder what you are ♪
♪ Up above the world so high ♪
♪ Like a diamond in the sky ♪
♪ Twinkle, twinkle, little star ♪
♪ How I wonder what you are ♪
Woo! (howls)
(laughs)
Any guesses about Grandpa's surprise?
Mom, if I guess what it is, it won't be a surprise.
(chuckling): True.
Why don't you give Grandpa a surprise?
Hmm, like what?
I was thinking
he'd like to hear "Twinkle, Twinkle."
(laughing): That's not much of a surprise, Dad.
A surprise is like seeing a moose in pajamas.
(laughing)
Well, in the meantime,
I think Grandpa would like to hear you play the fiddle.
Okay.
(gasps): I better get going.
Grandpa's expecting me now.
Bye!
Aren't you forgetting something?
(chuckles): Oh.
Yeah.
(Molly playing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" on fiddle)
Yay!
That's the nicest surprise you've ever given me.
Is it time for my surprise?
It is.
I was thinking we could either break a table with our drumming,
or perhaps you'd like to borrow...
this.
(gasps)
Grandpa, I love it!
Give it a tap.
The skin is stretched pretty tight.
I think it makes a good sound.
(b*ating deeply)
Feel your heartbeat.
That's where the sound of the drum comes from.
Thump, thump, thump.
Thump, thump, thump.
Now feel that b*at
come through your hand onto the drum.
(b*ating slowly)
(b*ating slowly)
It's like the drum is your heart.
That's the idea.
Can you give me lessons, Grandpa?
Aren't you already taking fiddle lessons?
I can do both!
I mean, I like the fiddle,
but I love the drum.
Okay, then.
Yes!
How about we start tomorrow?
I'll make some lunch, then we'll both make music.
I can't wait. Bye!
(chuckling)
Forget something?
Yes.
Mahsi'choo, Shchada'a.
♪ ♪
MOLLY: Nah'in, Mom!
This was the surprise!
And Grandpa's giving me lessons.
That's great, hon.
Oscar called.
How come?
(gasps)
Oh, no! I forgot my...
Fiddle practice. Fiddle practice.
Oscar!
I'm so sorry.
I went to Grandpa's and he gave me a drum, woo-hoo!
And then we started playing.
And now he's going to give me lessons.
So you're taking drum lessons?
Yeah.
I mean, I can take fiddle lessons, too.
Do you want to come over now?
Um...
Okay.
I think I hurt Oscar's feelings.
Oh.
Don't you like playing the fiddle?
I do like it,
but I really like the drum.
Have you ever done something you knew was right for you?
That's how I felt
when I first went up in a plane.
I knew right away that I had to be a pilot.
So, what should I do?
Tell Oscar the truth.
It might make him sad, but only for a little bit.
I mean, the fiddle is his thing.
The drum is yours.
He'll understand.
♪ ♪
Oh, what am I going to say?
Um... "Oscar, I've got great news!"
I thought I heard something.
Uh, are you talking to yourself?
(inhales)
I'm sorry, but Mom likes to fly,
and drumming is like a heartbeat.
So, thanks for everything and I hope you understand.
What?
(sadly): Oh, got it.
If it makes you feel any better, I used to play piano.
Really?
Uh-huh, and I liked it.
But when I tried the fiddle, I kinda...
Fell in love with it? Fell in love with it.
(both laugh)
Exactly.
Do you still want to play some music?
I would love to.
♪ ♪
(drumming rapidly)
(Oscar playing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star")
(playing tune quickly with added notes)
(song ends on high note)
♪ ♪