لخّصلي

Saving the train
One day, the children were walking by the fence along the top of the hill beside the railway line. The line here ran through a deep little valley and the hillside on both sides of the line was very rocky. But among the rocks, grass and flowers grew, and many small trees.
Phyllis stood by the fence and looked down to the lines at the bottom. 'It's like looking down the side of a mountain,' she said.
Suddenly, they heard a noise. It was soft, but very clear, and slowly began to get louder.
'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!
"I's magic!' said Phyllis. 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. Then a big rock began to move as well, and suddenly half the hillside was moving. A second or two later, everything came crashing down in a big heap on the railway line below.
'It's right across the line!' said Phyllis, feeling a little frightened now.
"Yes,' said Peter, slowly. And the 11.29 hasn't gone by yet.
We must let them know at the station, or there will be an awful accident.'
"There isn't time,' said Bobbie. 'It's past eleven now?'
They thought for a moment.
'We need something red. Then we could go down on the line and wave it,' said Peter. Everyone knows that red means danger, and the train would stop.'
'Our petticoats!' said Phyllis. "They're red. Let's take them off.'
The girls did this, then the three of them ran along the line to a corner. When they were round the corner, it was impossible to see the heap of trees and rocks.
"We'll need some sticks as well,' said Peter, taking one of the petticoats. 'Now." He took a knife from his pocket.
"You're not going to cut them, are you?' said Phyllis.
"Yes, cut them!' said Bobbie. "If we can't stop the train, there will be a real accident and people will be killed?
They cut the petticoats into six pieces and put them on to sticks. Now they had six red flags. Next, they pushed two of the flags into heaps of stones between the lines, then Bobbie and Phyllis each took one, and Peter took the other two. They stood ready to wave them immediately the train appeared.
It scemed a long time before the railway lines began to shake, and they heard the train coming. 'Wave your flags!' ordered Peter. '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.
"The train's not going to stop!' she shouted. 'They won't see us, it's no good!'
She ran on to the line, waving her two flags.
Bobbie ran onto the line, waving her flags.
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"Get back, Bobbie!' shouted Peter.
But Bobbie did not move from the line. She waved and waved her flags, shouting 'Stop, stop!' as the big black engine came towards her.
It did stop ... but only twenty metres from Bobbie.
Peter and Phyllis ran along the line to tell the driver about the trees and rocks around the corner. But Bobbie couldn't move because her legs were shaking too much. She had to sit down on the ground.
But they had saved the train.
"You're brave and clever children,' the driver told them.
Some weeks later, a letter arrived at the little white house on the hill. It was for Peter, Bobbie, and 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. Inglewood
Secretary, the Northern and Southern Railway Company
It was to be a very special day indeed.
The three children went down to the station at the right time, dressed in their best clothes, and the Station Master came to meet them.
"Come into the waiting room,' he said.
He took them into the room where people usually waited for the trains - but now there was a carpet on the floor, and flowers above the pictures on the walls.
Perks the Porter was there, and several men in high hats and long coats. There were ladies in expensive dresses, and people who had been on the train on 'red-petticoat day'.
Best of all, their own old gentleman was there, and he came across to shake their hands.
Then everybody sat down on chairs and an important-looking man got up to speak. He said nice things about the children - how brave and clever they were - and then he sat down. Next, the old gentleman got up and said more nice things about them. Then he called them across and gave each of them a beautiful gold watch.
Then the old gentleman gave each of them a beautiful gold watch.
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ug the train
*These are from the Northern and Southern Railway Company,' he said, 'to say thank you for the brave and sensible thing that you did to save the train.'
It was a wonderful day. A day that seemed more like a dream than real life.
Afterwards, the old gentleman walked with them to the little white house. 'I want to meet the mother of these clever children,' he said.
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.
'I've been very pleased to meet you,' Mother said to the old gentleman, when it was time for him to leave. T'm sorry we can't ask you to come and see us again, but we live very quietly?'
The children thought this was very strange. They had made a friend - a very good friend - and they dearly wanted him to come and see them again.
What did the old gentleman think? They didn't know. He looked closely at Mother and said, 'I thank you, Madam, for welcoming me to your house today?
But Bobbie was watching her mother's face as the old gentleman walked away. It was a sad, tired face.
"She's thinking about Father,' thought Bobbie. A birthday for Perks
It was breakfast-time and Mother was smiling.
'Ive sold another story, darlings,' she said. 'We can have cakes for tea.'
The three children looked at each other. Then Bobbie said, 'Can we have the cakes on Thursday instead of today?
It's Perks's birthday on Thursday?
"How do you know?' asked Mother.
'I showed him my brooch - the one you gave me for my birthday - and I asked him about his birthday. He says he doesn't keep birthdays any more, because he has other things to keep - his wife and children! But he said it was on the 15th, and that's Thursday?'
'And we thought we could make a birthday tea for him,' said Peter. 'He's been very good to us?'
'All right,' said Mother.
But cakes didn't seem a very exciting birthday present.
'We can give him flowers,' said Bobbie, when they were discussing it in the garden, later that day.
Then Peter had an idea. "Perks is nice to everybody?' he said. There must be lots of people in the village who will want to help us give him a nice birthday. Let's ask everybody?'
Bobbie wasn't sure. Mother said we weren't to ask people for things.'
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wy for Perks
"Not for ourselves,' said Peter. 'I'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.
"It's my birthday tomorrow,' said old Mrs Ransome at the Post Office. 'Nobody will remember mine. Why should I give anything to Perks? Go away!'
But other people gave things - a pipe, a tin of tea, a walking stick - and others promised to give small presents, too.
There was a pipe, a tin of tea, and a walking stick.
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 the 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. While they were gone, Peter told his mother about Perks's presents. 'We're not doing it because he's poor,' said Peter,
"but because we like him.'
'I hope he understands that,' said Mother.
On Thursday morning, the children went to fetch the presents which other people had promised - eggs, meat, tomatoes. The old lady at the Post Office was standing outside as they went by.
I want to thank you for the roses,' she said.
'We're pleased you liked them,' said Phyllis.
'And here's your box,' said Mrs Ransome, giving it back to them. It was now full of shiny red apples. She smiled.
"The Perks's 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?'
'Thank you,' said Bobbie. "We will.'
The children put all the presents in the pram, and at three o'clock they pushed it to the Perks's little yellow house.
Mrs Perks and her young children were surprised to see them.
'We know it's Mr Perks's birthday,' said Peter. 'And we've brought some presents for him?'
The woman's eyes got bigger and bigger with surprise as each thing was taken from the pram.
'Perks has never had a birthday like it!' she said.
The cakes and the presents were put on the table, then the children hid in the other room when they heard Perks
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The children pushed the pram to the Perks's little yellow house. coming home from work. They wanted to surprise him by jumping out and saying Happy birthday! after he'd seen
the presents.
"What's all this?' they heard him say. What's that pram doing here?' His wife explained, but too quietly for the children to hear. But they heard Perks shout, 'I'm not having any of it! We've managed all these years, asking people for nothing, and I'm not going to start taking things now. We may be poor, but we don't need charity?
Bobbie ran into the other room. 'We thought you'd be pleased!' she cried.
"We didn't mean to do anything wrong,' said Peter, following her.
I - Ill never be kind to anyone again!' said Phyllis, starting to cry.
'Don't you understand?' said Perks. 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'll be saying now?
'No!' cried Bobbie. 'It's not charity! People were happy to give you birthday presents. The man at the village shop said,
"I'm pleased to give something to Mr Perks. He always pays his bills." And the woman at the Post Office wanted you to have the pram. It was for her granddaughter, but the little girl died?'
I'm not sending the pram back, Bert,' said Mrs Perks, when she heard this. 'So don't ask me to?
'I - I won't,' said Perks, quietly.
'And other people said you were kind and polite and hardworking,' said Bobbie. "They wanted to give you a birthday present. The old gentleman gave Peter a pound for you. He said you were a man who was good at his work. We thought you would like "Stop!" Perks said suddenly. 'I take back every word I said.
I-I don't know if I was ever so pleased ... not only with the presents, but with the kind thoughts of our neighbours.
They're the best presents of all, aren't they, Nell?'
"They are!' agreed his wife, happily.
Perks looked at the children. "You'll stay to tea, won't you?' he said.
"Oh, yes please!' they said.
7
The terrible secret
When the children first went to live at the white house, they talked about Father a lot and were always asking questions about him. But as time passed, their questions seemed to make Mother unhappy, so they stopped asking them. But they never forgot him.
Bobbie thought about Father often. She knew her mother was unhappy, and she worried a lot about that. And why was Father away for so long? Was there something that Mother wasn't telling them?
The answer came on the day she went to the station, to fetch the magazines. They were old magazines which people left on trains or in the waiting room. Perks said the children could have them to read, and one day Bobbie went to fetch them. 'Can't we explain all this to someone?' said Bobbie.
'I've tried, but nobody will listen,' said Mother sadly.
'I've tried everything. There's nothing we can do except be brave and patient. Now we won't talk of this any more, my darling. Try not to think of it. It's easier for me if you can be happy and enjoy things?'
But Bobbie did think about it. She did not talk to Peter or Phyllis, but she wrote a letter - to the old gentleman.
My Dear Friend,
You see what is in this newspaper. It is not true. Father never did it. Mother says someone put the letters in Father's desk, and she thinks it is the man who got Father's job. But nobody listens to her. You are good and clever. Can you find out the name of the real spy? It is not Father!
Peter and Phyllis don't know he is in prison. Can you help me? Oh, do help me!
With love from your friend,
Bobbie
She put the page of the newspaper with her letter and took it to the station. Bobbie asked the Station Master to give it to the old gentleman the next morning.
Now she could only wait and see what happened.