Chapter 5 : Saving the train
Phyllis stood by the fence and looked down to the lines at the bottom.
Phyllis : it’s like looking down the side of a mountain.
Suddenly they heard a noise. It was soft, but very clear , and slowly began to get louder.
Peter : Look at the tree over there !’Cried Peter.
The girls looked and saw a tree moving slowly downwards on the opposite side of the railway line !
Phyllis : It’s magic. I knew the railway was magic .Look some other trees are moving, too.
They watched as the trees moved on and on, grass and stones moving with them and suddenly half the hillside was moving. Everything came crashing down in a big heap on the railway line below.
Phyllis : it’s right across the line.
Peter : and the 11.29 hasn’t gone by yet. We must let them know at the station, or they will be an awful
Accident.
Bobbie : there isn’t time, it’s past eleven now .
Peter :We need something red. Then we could go down on the line and wave it .Everyone knows that
Red means danger, and train would stop.
Phyllis : Our petticoats ! They’re red. Let’s take them off.
Peter : We’ll need some sticks as well, taking one of the petticoats .Now …(he took a knife from his pockets.
Phyllis : You’re not going to cut them, are you ?
Bobbie : yes , you cut them ! if we can’t stop the train. there will be a real accident and people will be killed.
It seemed a long time before the railway lines began to shake, and they heard a train coming.
Peter : Wave your flags! But don't stand on the line, Bobbie.
The train came very , very fast . The lines began to shake and the two flags that were pushed into the heaps of stones soon fell over, but Bobbie ran across and picked up one of them.
Bobbie : the train’s not going to stop! They won’t see us, it’s not good !
Peter : Get back , Bobbie !
But Bobbie did not move from the line. She waved and waved her flags, shouting ‘Stop .stop’ as the train came towards her .
It did stop.. but 20 meters from Bobbie.
Bobbie fell onto the ground.
Driver : You’re brave and clever children.
Some weeks later, a letter arrived at the little white house on the hill.it was for Peter, Bobbie ,Phyllis , and it said:
Dear Sir and Ladies – We would like to say thank you for saving the train and stopping a very bad accident . Please come to the station at three o’clock on the 30th of the month , if this is a suitable day.
J.Ingle wood-secretary , the Northern and Southern Railway Company
Best of all , their own old gentleman was there, and he came across to shake their hands. He said nice things about the children- how brave and clever they were-and then he sat down. He called them across and gave each of them a beautiful gold watch.
Old gentleman : these are from the Northern and Southern Railway Company .
Afterwards, the old gentleman walked with them to the little white house.
Old gentleman : I want to meet the mother of these clever children.
Mother was surprised to see their visitor, but she thanked him again for the things he had sent when she was ill. Then they talked about ‘red-petticoat day ’ ,and the children showed Mother their watches and told her about the people at the station.
Mother : I’ve been very pleased to meet you, i’m sorry we can’t ask you to come and see us again, but we live very quietly.
Old gentleman : thank you, Madam, for welcoming me to you house today .
Chapter 6 : A birthday for Perks
Mother : I’ve sold another story , darlings, we can have cakes for tea.
Bobbie :can we have the cakes on Thursday instead of today ?, It’s Perks’s birthday on Thursday.
Mother :how do you know ?
Bobbie : I asked him about his birthday . he told it was on 15th , and that’s Thursday.
Peter : and we thought we could make a birthday tea for him. he’s been very good to us .
Mother : all right !
But cakes didn’t seem a very exciting birthday present.
Bobbie : we can give him flowers .
Peter : perks is nice to everybody . there must be a lot of people in the village who will want to help us give him a nice birthday. Let’s ask everybody.
Bobbie : mother said we were not to ask people for things.
Peter : not for ourselves. It’s all right to ask for other people. I’ll ask the old gentleman ,too.
So, they went to the village. some people were kind and some were not.
Mrs. Ransome : it’s my birthday tomorrow .nobody will remember mine . why should I give anything to Perks? Go away !
Early the next morning , Bobbie and Phyllis went into the garden and cut some roses. They put them into a box with one of Bobbie’s prettiest handkerchiefs. Then they wrote on a piece of paper :for Mrs. Ransome for her birthday , with our love, and put it inside a box. Bobbie and Phyllis took the box down to the Post Office , and put it inside the door when the old woman wasn’t looking.
On Thursday morning , the children went to fetch the presents which other people had promised. The old lady at the Post Office was standing outside as they went by.
Mrs Ransome : I want to thank you for the roses.
Phyllis : we’re pleased you liked them .
Mrs Ransome : and here’s your box. the Perks children will like them . and I’ve got a pram in the back of the shop.it was for my daughter’s first child, but the child died after six months. I’d like Mrs. Perks to have it for her little boy , will you take it ?
Bobbie : thank you . we will .
Peter : we know it’s Mr. Perk’s birthday, And we have brought some presents for him .
Mrs. Perks : Perks has never had a birthday like it .
The cakes and the presents were put on the table , then the children hid in the other room when they heard Perks coming home from work. They wanted to surprise him by jumping out and saying ‘Happy Birthday ‘! After he had seen the presents.
Mr. Perks :what’s all this ? what’s the pram doing here? I’m not having any of it !we may be poor , but we don’t need charity .
Bobbie : we thought you’d be pleased !
Peter :we didn’t mean to do anything wrong.
Phyllis : I’ll never be kind to anyone again !
Mr. Perks :don’t you understand ? people in the village will laugh at me.”Poor Perks, he can’t take care of his own family. We have to give him things. That’s what they will be saying now.
Bobbie : no ! it’s not charity! People were happy to give your birthday presents.
Mrs. Perks : I’m not sending the pram back, Bert. so, don’t ask me to .
Peter : I- I won’t .
Bobbie : and other people said you were kind , polite and hardworking. They wanted to give you a birthday presents.
Perks : stop ! I take back every word I said . I don’t know if I was ever so pleased ….they’re the best presents of all,aren’t they Nell ?
Mrs. Perks :they are !
Phyllis -Zam mr. Ransome-aina
Peter -eya mrs. Perks-eya
Bobbie -Mia Mother-zam
Narrator -aina, eya Perks -aina
Station master- Mia
