The Little Train That Waited

Tilly was the smallest train at Moonbeam Station.

She had a blue engine, three little carriages, and a bell that went ting-ting in a very cheerful way.

Every night, Tilly carried bedtime things across the valley.

One carriage held clean pajamas.

One held soft blankets.

One held sleepy stories folded into tiny blue books.

“Ready,” said Tilly. “Ting-ting!”

But the station clock said, “Not yet.”

Tilly puffed a small puff. “Why not?”

“The moon has not reached the hill,” said the clock. “The route begins when the moon reaches the hill.”

Tilly did not like waiting. Her wheels wanted to roll. Her bell wanted to ring.

“I could go slowly,” she said.

“Not yet,” said the clock.

So Tilly waited.

She watched moths flutter around the lamp.

She listened to the wind move through the grass.

She counted three stars, then four, then seven.

“Is it time?”

“Not yet.”

The clock’s hands moved with a quiet tick.

“Waiting feels like doing nothing,” Tilly said.

“Look closely,” said the clock.

So Tilly looked closely. The pajama carriage smelled like clean soap. The blanket carriage made a soft woolly rustle. The story carriage had one book sticking out, and Tilly nudged it neatly back into place.

“That was something,” she said.

“Yes,” said the clock.

Tilly sighed steam into the cool air.

Then she heard a sniffle.

Beside the platform sat a rabbit wearing one slipper.

“I missed the blanket carriage,” said the rabbit. “My ears are cold.”

Tilly looked at her second carriage. It was full of blankets, and she was still waiting anyway.

“You may choose one,” she said.

The rabbit chose a yellow blanket and wrapped it around his ears.

“Thank you.”

Then a hedgehog arrived, carrying a tiny toothbrush.

“Is there a pajama carriage?”

“Yes,” said Tilly.

The hedgehog found striped pajamas with room for all his prickles.

Then a sleepy mouse came looking for a story about cheese clouds.

Tilly had one.

The mouse climbed onto the step and opened the book right there on the platform.

“Only the first page,” said the mouse. “I need to know if the clouds are cheddar.”

“They are,” Tilly said, peeking at the picture.

The mouse smiled.

By the time the mouse tucked the tiny book under one arm, the moon touched the hill.

“Now,” said the station clock.

Tilly rang her bell.

“Ting-ting.”

It was softer this time.

She rolled through the valley, delivering pajamas, blankets, and stories. At every stop, someone was ready because Tilly had waited.

When she returned to Moonbeam Station, her wheels felt pleasantly tired.

“Waiting was part of the route,” Tilly said.

“Often is,” said the clock.

Tilly settled in the engine shed. Her bell gave one sleepy ting.

The moon climbed higher, the rails cooled, and the little train that waited rested until morning.