The Railway Children Chapter 5: Bedtime Story

Hello beautiful souls,

This is my reading of The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit, a beautiful story about three children who move from London to the countryside and fall in love with the railway. They face lots of trials and tribulations but have many exciting adventures along the way. This is a heart-warming story of love and resilience. This was one of my most cherished stories as a child.

You can find all the chapters on my profile in the playlist section.

I hope you enjoy this reading of a wonderful classic.

Take care, beloveds.

Transcript

Hello dear ones and welcome to today's reading of The Railway Children.

Today's chapter is chapter five,

Prisoners and Captives.

As always just taking a few moments to arrive in the space,

Putting down the to-do list,

Whether you are ready to go to bed and go to sleep or whether you're just taking a break from your busy busy day,

Just arriving here in your body,

In the space you find yourself and reconnecting to your breath.

And now if you're ready we shall continue with our story.

Chapter five,

Prisoners and Captives.

It was one day when mother had gone to Maidbridge,

She had gone alone but the children were to go to the station to meet her and loving the station as they did,

It was only natural that they should be there a good hour before there was any chance of mother's train arriving,

Even if the train was punctual,

It was most unlikely,

No doubt they would have been just as early even if it had been a fine day and the delights of woods and fields and rocks and rivers had been open to them,

But it happened to be a very wet day and for July very cold,

There was a wild wind that drove flocks of dark purple clouds across the sky like herds of dream elephants as Phyllis said and the rain stung sharply so that the way to the station was finished at a run,

Then the rain fell faster and harder and beat slantwise against the windows of the booking office and of the chill place that had general waiting room on its door,

It's like being in a besieged castle,

Phyllis said,

Look at the arrows striking against the battlements it's much more like a great garden squirt,

Said Peter,

They decided to wait up on the upside for the down platform looked very wet indeed and the rain was driving right into the little black shelter where down passengers have to wait for their trains,

The hour would be full of incident and of interest for there would be two up trains and one down train to look at before the one that should bring mother back,

Perhaps it'll have stopped raining by then,

Said Bobby,

Anyhow I'm glad I brought mother's waterproof and umbrella,

They went into the desert spot labelled general waiting room and the time passed pleasantly enough in a game of advertisements,

You know the game of course,

It is something like dumb crambo,

The players take it in turns to go out and then come back and look as like an advertisement and the others have to guess what advertisement it is meant to be,

Bobby came in and sat down under mother's umbrella and made a sharp face and everyone knew she was the fox who sits under the umbrella in the advertisement,

Phyllis tried to make a magic carpet of mother's waterproof that it would not stand out stiff like a magic carpet should and nobody could guess it,

Everyone thought Peter was carrying things a little too far when he blackened his face all over with coal dust and struck a spidery attitude and said he was the blot that advertises somebody's blue black writing fluid,

It was Phyllis's turn again and she was trying to look like the sphinx that advertises what's his name personally conducted tours up to the Nile when the sharp ting of the signal announced the up train,

The children rushed out to see it pass on its engine with a particular driver and firemen who were numbered among the children's dearest of friends,

Courtesies passed between them and Jim asked after the toy engine and Bobby pressed on his acceptance a moist greasy package of toffee that she had made herself,

Charmed by this attention the engine driver consented to consider her request that someday he would take Peter for a ride on the engine,

Stand back mates cried the engine driver suddenly and off she goes and sure enough off the train went,

The children watched the taillights of the train until it disappeared around the curve of the line and then turned to go back to the dusty freedom of the general waiting room and the joys of the advertisement game they expected to see just one or two people,

The end of the procession of passengers who had given up their tickets and gone away,

Instead the platform round the door of the station had a dark blot around it and the dark blot was a crowd of people,

Oh cried Peter with a thrill of joyous excitement,

Something's happened come on,

They ran down the platform when they got to the crowd they could of course see nothing but the damp backs and elbows of the people on the crowds outside,

Everybody was talking at once it was evident that something had happened it's my belief he's nothing worse than a natural said a farmerish looking person Peter saw his red clean shaven face as he spoke,

If you ask me I should say it was a police court case said a young man with a black bag,

Not it the infirmary more like it,

Then the voice of the station master was heard firm and official,

Now then move along there I'll attend to this if you please,

But the crowd did not move and then came a voice that thrilled the children through and through,

For it spoke in a foreign language and what is more it was a language that they had never heard,

They had heard French spoken and German,

Aunt Emma spoke German nor was it Latin,

Peter had been in Latin for four terms now,

It was some comfort anyhow to find that none of the crowd understood the foreign language any better than the children did,

What's that he's saying asked the farmer,

Sounds like French to me said the station master who had once been in Paris for the day,

It isn't French cried Peter,

Well what is it then asked more than one voice,

The crowd fell back a little to see who had spoken and Peter pressed forward so that when the crowd closed up again he was in the front rank,

I don't know what it is said Peter but it isn't French I know that,

Then he saw what it was the crowd had for its centre,

It was a man,

The man Peter did not doubt who had spoken in the strange tongue,

A man with long hair and wild eyes with shabby clothes of a cut Peter had not seen before,

A man whose hands and lips trembled and who spoke again as his eyes fell on Peter,

No it's not French said Peter,

Try him with French if you know so much about it said the farmer man,

Began Peter boldly and the next moment the crowd recoiled again for the man with the wild eyes had left leaning against the wall and had sprung forward and caught Peter's hands and began to pour forth a flood of words which though he could not understand a word of them Peter knew the sound of,

There said he and turned his hands still clasped in the hands of the strange shabby figure to throw a glance of triumph at the crowd,

There that's French,

What does he say I don't know,

Peter was obliged to own,

Here said the station master again you move on if you please I'll deal with this case,

A few of the more timid or less inquisitive travellers moved slowly and reluctantly away and Phyllis and Bobby got near to Peter,

All three had been taught French at school how deeply they now wished that they had learned it,

Peter shook his head at the stranger but he also shook his hands and looked at him as kindly as he could,

A person in the crowd after some hesitation said suddenly no comprenez and then blushing deeply backed out of the press and went away,

Take him to your room whispered Bobby to the station master,

Mother can talk French she'll be here by the next train from Maidbridge,

The station master took the arm of the stranger suddenly but not unkindly and the man wrenched his arm away and cowered back coughing and trembling and trying to push the station master away,

Oh don't said Bobby,

Don't you see how frightened he is,

He thinks you're going to shut him up,

I know he does,

Look at his eyes,

They're like a fox's eyes when the beast's in a trap said the farmer,

Oh let me try,

Bobby went on,

I do really know one or two French words if I could only think of them,

Sometimes in moments of great need we can do wonderful things,

Things that in ordinary life we could hardly even dream of doing Bobby had never been anywhere near the top of her French class but she must have learned something without knowing it,

For now looking at those wild haunted eyes she actually remembered and what is more spoke some French words I do not know whether the man understood her words but he understood the touch of the hand she thrust into his and the kindness of the other hand that stroked his shabby sleeve she pulled him gently towards the inmost sanctuary of the station master,

The other children followed and the station master shut the door in the face of the crowd which stood a little while in the booking office talking and looking at the fast closed yellow door and then by ones and twos went away grumbling,

Inside the station master's room Bobby still held the stranger's hand and stroked his sleeve,

Here's a go said the station master,

No ticket doesn't even know where he wants to go,

I'm not sure now but I ought to send for the police I think,

Oh don't all the children pleaded at once and suddenly Bobby got between the others and the stranger for she had seen that he was crying,

By a most unusual piece of good fortune she had a handkerchief in her pocket,

By a still more uncommon accident the handkerchief was moderately clean standing in front of the stranger she caught the handkerchief and passed it to him so that the others did not see,

Wait till mother comes Phyllis was saying,

She does speak French beautifully you just love to hear her,

I'm sure he hasn't done anything like you were sent to prison for for said Peter,

Looks like without visible means to me said the station master,

Well I don't mind giving him the benefit of the doubt until your mama comes,

I should like to know what nations got the credit of him that I should,

Then Peter had an idea,

He pulled an envelope out of his pocket and showed that it was full of foreign stamps,

Look here he said,

Let's show him these Bobby looked and saw that the stranger had dried his eyes with her handkerchief so she said all right,

They showed him an Italian stamp and pointed from him to it and back again and made signs of questions with their eyebrows,

He shook his head then they showed him a Norwegian stamp,

The common blue kind it was and again he signed no,

Then they showed him a Spanish one and at that he took the envelope from Peter's hand and searched among the stamps with a hand that trembled,

The hand that he reached out at last with a gesture of one answering a question contained a Russian stamp,

He's Russian cried Peter or else he's like the man who was in Kipling you know,

The train from Maidbridge was signalled,

I'll stay with him until you bring mother in said Bobby,

You're not afraid missy,

Oh no said Bobby looking at the stranger as she might have looked at a strange dog of doubtful temper,

You wouldn't hurt me would you,

She smiled at him and he smiled back a queer crooked smile and then he laughed again and the heavy rattling swish of the incoming train swept past and the station master and Peter and Phyllis went out to meet it Bobby was still holding the stranger's hand when they came back with mother the Russian rose and bowed very ceremoniously then mother spoke in French and he replied haltingly at first but presently in longer and longer sentences the children watching his face and mother's knew that he was telling her things that made her angry and pitying and sorry and indignant all at once well mum what's it all about,

The station master could not restrain his curiosity any longer oh said mother it's all right he's a Russian and he's lost his ticket and I'm afraid he's very ill if you don't mind I'll take him home with me now,

He's really quite worn out,

I'll run down and I'll tell you all about him tomorrow,

I hope you won't find you're taking home a frozen viper said the station master doubtfully oh no mother said brightly and she smiled oh no I'm quite sure I'm not why he's a great man in his own country he writes books beautiful books I've read some of them but I'll tell you all about it tomorrow she spoke again in French to the Russian and everyone could see the surprise and pleasure and gratitude in his eyes he got up and politely bowed to the station master and offered his arm most ceremoniously to mother she took it but anybody could have seen that she was helping him along and not he her you girls run home and light a fire in the sitting room mother said and Peter had better go for the doctor but it was Bobby who went for the doctor I hate to tell you she said breathlessly when she came upon him in his shirt sleeves weeding his pansy bed but mother's got a very shabby Russian and I'm sure he'll have to belong to your club I'm certain he hasn't got any money we found him at the station found him was he lost then asked the doctor reaching for his coat yes said Bobby unexpectedly that's just what he was he's been telling mother the sad sweet story of his life in French and she said you would be kind enough to come directly if you were at home he's a dreadful cough and he's been crying the doctor smiled oh don't said Bobby please don't you wouldn't if you'd seen him I never saw a man cry before you don't know what it's like Dr Forrest wished then that he hadn't smiled when Bobby and the doctor got to the three chimneys the Russian was sitting in the armchair that had been fathers stretching his feet to the blaze of a bright wood fire and sipping the tea and sipping the tea mother had made him the man seems worn out mind and body was what the doctor said the cough's bad but there's nothing that can't be cured he ought to go straight to bed though and let him have a fire at night I'll make one in my room it's the only one with a fireplace said mother she did and presently the doctor helped the stranger to bed there was a big black trunk in mother's room that none of the children had ever seen unlocked now when she had lighted the fire she unlocked it and took some clothes out men's clothes and set them to air by the newly lighted fire Bobby coming in with more wood for the fire saw the mark on the night shirt and looked over to the open trunk all the things she could see were men's clothes and the name marked on the shirt was father's name then father hadn't taken his clothes with him and that night shirt was one of father's new ones Bobby remembered it's being made just before Peter's birthday why hadn't father taken his clothes Bobby slipped from the room as she went she heard the key turned in the lock of the trunk her heart was beating horribly why hadn't father taken his clothes when mother came out of the room Bobby flung tightly clasping arms around her waist and whispered mother daddy isn't he isn't dead is he oh my darling no what makes you think of anything so horrible I I don't know said Bobby angry with herself but still clinging to that resolution of hers not to see anything that mother didn't mean for her to see mother gave her a hurried hug daddy was quite quite well when I heard from him last and he'll come back to us someday don't fancy such horrible things darling later on when the Russian stranger had been made comfortable for the night mother came into the girl's room she was to sleep there in Phyllis's bed and Phyllis was to have a mattress on the floor a most amusing adventure for Phyllis directly mother came in two white figures started up and two eager voices called now mother tell us all about the Russian gentlemen a white shape hopped into the room it was Peter dragging his quilt behind him like the tail of a white peacock we have been patient he said and I had to bite my tongue not to go to sleep and I just nearly went to sleep and a bit too hard and it hurts ever so long do tell us make a long story of it I can't make a long story of it tonight said mother I'm very very tired Bobby knew by her voice that mother had been crying but the others didn't know well make it as long as you can said Phil and Bobby got her arms around mother's waist and snuggled close to her well it's a story long enough to make a whole book on a whole book on he's a writer he's written wonderful books in Russia at the time of the Tsar one dared not say anything about the rich people doing wrong or about the things that ought to be done to make poor people better and happier if one did one was sent to prison but they can't said Peter people only go to prison when they've done wrong or when judges think they've done wrong said mother yes that's so in England but in Russia it was different and he wrote a beautiful book about poor people and how to help them I've read it there's nothing in it but goodness and kindness and they sent him to prison for it he was three years in horrible dungeons with hardly any light and all damp and dreadful in prison all alone for three years mother's voice trembled a little but mother said Peter that can't be true now it sounds like something out of a history book the Inquisition or something it was true said mother it's all horribly true well then they took him out and sent him to Siberia a convict chained to other convicts wicked men who'd done all sorts of crimes a long chain of them and they walked and walked and walked for days and weeks till he thought that they'd never stop walking and overseers went behind them with whips yes whips to beat them if they got tired and some of them went lame and some fell down and when they couldn't get up and go on they beat them and then left them alone to die oh it's all too terrible and at last he got to the mines and he was condemned to stay there for life for life just for writing a good note writing a good noble splendid book how did he get away when the war came some of the Russian prisoners were allowed to volunteer as soldiers and he volunteered but he deserted at the first chance he got that's very cowardly isn't it said Peter to desert especially when it's war do you think he owed anything to a country Peter that had done that to him if he did he owed more to his wife and children he didn't know what had become of them oh cried Bobby he had them to think about and be miserable about too all that time that he was in prison yes he had them to think about and be miserable about all the time that he was in prison for anything he knew they might have been sent to prison too they did those things in Russia but while he was in the mines some friends managed to get a message to him that his wife and children had escaped and come to England so when he deserted he came here to look for them had he got their address said Peter no just England he was going to London and he thought he had to change at our station and then he found he lost his ticket and his purse oh do you think he'll find them I mean his wife and children not the ticket and things oh I hope so I hope and pray that he'll find his wife and children again Phyllis now perceived that mother's voice was quite unsteady steady why mother she said how very sorry you seem for him mother didn't answer for a minute then she just said yes and then she seemed to be thinking and the children were quiet presently she said dears when you say your prayers I think you might ask God to show his pity upon all prisoners and captives to show his pity Bobby repeated slowly upon all prisoners and captives is that right mother yes said mother upon all prisoners and captives all prisoners and captives