The Train With No Name

was created especially for

Richard George Brown III
at the age of 6 months


With Love From
Grandma
February 14, 2004

 Richard went to the Waukegan train station to see the big circus train that was coming to town. Larissa and Clarice went along too.

 After exploring all of the trains, Richard climbed onto the back of a little track tester. Looking around, he found some old uniforms lying next to the little train.
"Hey! I can be an engineer!" said Richard.

 Richard had a feeling that the other trains didn't like having these new little visitors there.

 To his surprise, Richard heard the trains talking. They were talking about the arrival of the circus train.
"It has three big engines!" said the Two Engine Express.
"It has smoke stacks as big as trees!" exclaimed the Timberline Steamer.

 Then Richard heard the little track tester say, "I can't wait to see the circus train with all of the animals and clowns!"

 "Who cares what you want?" huffed the Two Engine Express. "Who do you think you are anyway? You don't even have a name or an engineer."
Richard felt sorry for the little train with no name.

 The little track tester was sad.
"I never go anywhere important, and more than anything, I do wish I had an engineer," he sighed.
That gave Richard an idea.
Soon, the trains lined up to leave Waukegan. As usual, the little track tester was last in line, but this time Richard and his friends were on board.

 Richard tugged on the whistle cord. "It looks like it's rusted shut," he said.
The little train suddenly stopped on its tracks.
"Who's that?" shouted the train with no name.
Richard proudly announced, "I'm Richard, your new engineer!"

 "But, you--you--just can't."
Suddenly, Richard heard an alarm.
"Look!" shouted Richard. "There's something wrong up ahead."

 The little track tester saw the circus train heading toward the bridge. "One of the rails is loose!" cried the track tester. "The circus train could crash!"

 Quickly, Richard grabbed a loose spike from the track and pushed it through the rusty whistle to unclog it.

 Richard pulled hard on the cord, and the old whistle sang out loudly! The circus train heard the whistle and screeched to a full stop. This gave everyone time to fix the track.

 When the little track tester returned to Waukegan, the Timberline Steamer rolled up, puffing with excitement. "Richard and you have saved the circus train," he said, "and we think it is time you had a name!"

 "We've decided to call you Hooty," said Richard.
Because he was no longer a train with no name, Hooty blew his whistle and announced that Richard was his new engineer.

 Everyone cheered for Hooty, now the biggest little train in Waukegan.
After a very exciting day, Richard had learned a big lesson.
You don't have to be big to be important.