More fairy tales this week!
A little railroad
engine was employed at a station yard for some light work moving a few cars on
and off the switches. One morning it was
waiting for the next call when a long train of freight cars asked a large
engine in the roundhouse to take it over the hill.
The first engine that it asked said, "Sorry,
there are too many cars for me!" Then
the train asked another engine, and another, only to hear excuses like “Union
rules won’t let me, it’s too heavy,” “Today’s my day off,” and one even said, “I
would, but I threw my back out “.
In desperation, the
freight train asked the little engine if
it could pull it up the grade and down on the other side. "I think I can," puffed the little
locomotive, and put itself in front of the great heavy train. As it went on the little engine kept bravely
puffing faster and faster and said to itself, "I think I can, I think I
can, I think I can."
As it neared the top of the grade, which had so discouraged the larger engines, it went more slowly. However, it still kept climbing and saying, "I think I can, I think I can." It reached the top by using all its muscles and being very brave. It then went on down the grade, feeling very pleased until it started sliding down. No matter how hard the engineers pressed on their brakes, neither train could stop. There was a tremendous crash! They soon lay in a mangled heap at the bottom of the hill.
As it neared the top of the grade, which had so discouraged the larger engines, it went more slowly. However, it still kept climbing and saying, "I think I can, I think I can." It reached the top by using all its muscles and being very brave. It then went on down the grade, feeling very pleased until it started sliding down. No matter how hard the engineers pressed on their brakes, neither train could stop. There was a tremendous crash! They soon lay in a mangled heap at the bottom of the hill.
Today's post was really short,