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The Railway Children (Graded Reader), Chapter 4. Stop the Train!

Chapter 4. Stop the Train!

The next day, the children woke up early. They wanted to know more about the strange man. ‘Mother, what happened to him?' asked Phyllis.

‘Yes, please tell us,' asked Bobbie.

So Mother told them.

‘Well, you know he's a writer. He wrote a beautiful book about poor people – and how to help them. In Russia he went to prison for it. Sometimes people go to prison for the wrong reason. He was in prison for three years. When he left, he wanted to find his family, but he couldn't find them. He left Russia and now he's looking for his family here.'

‘Oh, that's very sad,' said Bobbie.

‘Yes, it is,' said Mother. ‘Just think. He wasn't guilty of anything.'

The next day, the Russian man was better. The children stayed at home for three days. They wanted to help him. After three days, they also wanted something else. They really wanted

to go to the railway again.

‘We can go and find some fruit for him. That will be a nice surprise,' said Bobbie.

‘Yes,' said Peter. ‘There's lots of fruit near the tunnel.'

They went down the hill. When they were near the tunnel, Peter was very happy.

‘We can watch the trains and we can work at the same time,' he said. Then the children heard a noise. It was a very big tree.

‘Look! Look at that tree! It's falling,' said Bobbie. Then the tree fell on the track. ‘Oh no!' said Bobbie. ‘This is very dangerous. A train is coming soon and the tree is on the track.'

‘What can we do?' asked Peter. ‘The 11.29 train is arriving soon. We have to go to the station to tell somebody.'

‘There's no time,' said Bobbie. ‘It's 11.00.'

‘We need something red,' said Peter. ‘Then we can use it to wave at the train before it arrives here. Phyllis, Bobbie, our coats are red. We can use them.'

‘Good idea!' said Bobbie and Phyllis.

The children waited at the other end of the tunnel. Soon they heard a noise. ‘It's coming! It's coming,' said Peter.

The children waved their coats at the train.

‘The driver can't see us,' said Bobbie. The train was near and it was fast. ‘It's not stopping,' said Bobbie. ‘I'm going on the track. Then the driver can see me.'

‘No, Bobbie! It's too dangerous,' said Phyllis. But it was too late. Bobbie was on the track.

‘Stop, stop, stop!' said Bobbie. The train was very close now. Then the train slowly stopped just in front of poor Bobbie. The driver got off the train. Peter and Phyllis ran to the driver to tell him about the tree.

‘There's a tree…on the track at the other end of the tunnel,' said Peter.

‘Well, if it's true, you three children are heroes,' said the driver. ‘But what about the girl on the track?' Bobbie was still there. She was very frightened. ‘We have to take her home, poor girl!'

Soon everybody knew about the tree on the track. The children went back to the station. Everybody smiled and waved at them. They were not just the Railway Children now. They were the heroes from “Three Chimneys.” A few days later, a letter arrived.

Dear Sir and Ladies,

We want to thank you and the people on that train want to thank you. You children are heroes. We're having a party for you at three o' clock on the 30th of this month.

The children wrote a letter.

Thank you very much. We were very happy to

help. It's very nice of you to have a party for us.

See you there!

The children washed their best clothes and they waited for the day.

‘I'm very excited,' said Peter.

‘Me too,' said Phyllis.

The day arrived and they went to the party. It was at the station. There were flowers, a lot of food and a lot of people. Lots of people came to thank the children.

‘I was on that train,' said one man. ‘Thank you!'

‘You are heroes,' said another man. The children looked for one special person. There he was - the old gentleman from the 9.15 train. He stood in front of the people, then he started to speak.

‘I'd like to give something to these special children.' he said. ‘They did a great thing. Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis, you're the heroes from “Three Chimneys” and we're all very happy to know you.' Then he gave each of the children a watch – a beautiful gold watch.

‘Peter, say something,' said Bobbie.

‘Er … You're very kind,' said Peter. ‘It was nothing really. It was very exciting. Well, what I want to say is … er … Thank you very much.'

It was a great party. The children enjoyed every minute of this special day. They

were ready to go home. Then Bobbie had an idea. She spoke to the old gentleman.

‘I want to ask you something,' she said. Then Bobbie told him about the Russian man. ‘Where are his wife and children? He's very sad. Maybe you can find some information to help him. You're so clever.'

‘What's his name?' asked the old gentleman. Bobbie wrote the name on a piece of paper.

S-Z-E-Z-C-P-A-N-S-K-Y

The old gentleman looked at the name. I know one of his books,' he said. ‘I read it two or three years ago. I'm very happy you asked me about him. I know a lot of Russians in London. Every Russian knows his name. I can try to get some information. Now tell me about you.' So Bobbie told the old gentleman about London and about “Three Chimneys”, and about many other things.

Ten days later the children heard a knock at the door. It was the old gentleman.

‘Hello,' he said. ‘I have some good news. I know where the Russian man's wife and children are. Can I speak to him?'

‘Yes, yes, that's wonderful. I'm so happy,' said Bobbie.

The children were very curious. They waited and watched. They watched the old gentleman speaking to the Russian. Then they saw the Russian man put his hands on his face. At first he cried, but then he smiled. He smiled for a long time.

‘Well,' said Bobbie, ‘I'm so happy that his story has a happy ending.'

Chapter 4. Stop the Train! Kapitel 4. Stoppt den Zug! Capítulo 4. Detener el tren Chapitre 4. Arrêtez le train ! Capitolo 4. Fermate il treno! 第4章.電車を止めろ 챕터 4. 기차를 멈춰라! Rozdział 4. Zatrzymać pociąg! Capítulo 4. Parar o comboio! Глава 4. Остановите поезд! Bölüm 4. Treni Durdurun! Розділ 4. Зупиніть поїзд! 第 4 章让火车停下来 第 4 章让火车停下来

The next day, the children woke up early. Am nächsten Tag wachten die Kinder früh auf. They wanted to know more about the strange man. Sie wollten mehr über den seltsamen Mann erfahren. ‘Mother, what happened to him?' asked Phyllis. Mutter, was ist mit ihm passiert?", fragte Phyllis.

‘Yes, please tell us,' asked Bobbie. Ja, bitte sag es uns", bat Bobbie.

So Mother told them.

‘Well, you know he's a writer. Du weißt doch, dass er Schriftsteller ist. He wrote a beautiful book about poor people – and how to help them. Er hat ein wunderschönes Buch über arme Menschen geschrieben - und wie man ihnen helfen kann. In Russia he went to prison for it. In Russland kam er dafür ins Gefängnis. Sometimes people go to prison for the wrong reason. Manchmal gehen Menschen aus den falschen Gründen ins Gefängnis. He was in prison for three years. Er war drei Jahre lang im Gefängnis. When he left, he wanted to find his family, but he couldn't find them. Als er ging, wollte er seine Familie finden, aber er konnte sie nicht finden. He left Russia and now he's looking for his family here.' Er hat Russland verlassen und sucht jetzt hier nach seiner Familie".

‘Oh, that's very sad,' said Bobbie. Oh, das ist sehr traurig", sagte Bobbie.

‘Yes, it is,' said Mother. Ja, das ist es", sagte Mutter. ‘Just think. Denken Sie nur. He wasn't guilty of anything.' Er hat sich nichts zuschulden kommen lassen.'

The next day, the Russian man was better. Am nächsten Tag ging es dem russischen Mann besser. The children stayed at home for three days. Die Kinder blieben drei Tage lang zu Hause. They wanted to help him. Sie wollten ihm helfen. After three days, they also wanted something else. Nach drei Tagen wollten sie auch etwas anderes. They really wanted Sie wollten wirklich

to go to the railway again. wieder zur Bahn zu gehen.

‘We can go and find some fruit for him. That will be a nice surprise,' said Bobbie. Das wird eine schöne Überraschung sein", sagte Bobbie.

‘Yes,' said Peter. ‘There's lots of fruit near the tunnel.' In der Nähe des Tunnels gibt es viele Früchte.

They went down the hill. Sie gingen den Hügel hinunter. When they were near the tunnel, Peter was very happy. Als sie in der Nähe des Tunnels waren, war Peter sehr glücklich.

‘We can watch the trains and we can work at the same time,' he said. Then the children heard a noise. It was a very big tree. Es war ein sehr großer Baum.

‘Look! Look at that tree! It's falling,' said Bobbie. Es fällt", sagte Bobbie. Then the tree fell on the track. Dann fiel der Baum auf die Gleise. ‘Oh no!' said Bobbie. ‘This is very dangerous. A train is coming soon and the tree is on the track.' Bald kommt ein Zug und der Baum steht auf dem Gleis.

‘What can we do?' asked Peter. Was können wir tun?", fragte Peter. ‘The 11.29 train is arriving soon. Der Zug um 11.29 Uhr wird bald eintreffen. We have to go to the station to tell somebody.' Wir müssen zum Bahnhof gehen und es jemandem sagen.

‘There's no time,' said Bobbie. Wir haben keine Zeit", sagte Bobbie. ‘It's 11.00.'

‘We need something red,' said Peter. Wir brauchen etwas Rotes", sagte Peter. ‘Then we can use it to wave at the train before it arrives here. Dann können wir damit dem Zug zuwinken, bevor er hier eintrifft. Phyllis, Bobbie, our coats are red. Phyllis, Bobbie, unsere Mäntel sind rot. We can use them.' Wir können sie gebrauchen.'

‘Good idea!' said Bobbie and Phyllis.

The children waited at the other end of the tunnel. Die Kinder warteten am anderen Ende des Tunnels. Soon they heard a noise. Bald hörten sie ein Geräusch. ‘It's coming! It's coming,' said Peter.

The children waved their coats at the train. Die Kinder winkten dem Zug mit ihren Mänteln zu.

‘The driver can't see us,' said Bobbie. Der Fahrer kann uns nicht sehen", sagte Bobbie. The train was near and it was fast. Der Zug war nah und er war schnell. ‘It's not stopping,' said Bobbie. Er hält nicht an", sagte Bobbie. ‘I'm going on the track. Ich gehe auf die Rennstrecke. Then the driver can see me.'

‘No, Bobbie! It's too dangerous,' said Phyllis. But it was too late. Aber es war zu spät. Bobbie was on the track.

‘Stop, stop, stop!' said Bobbie. The train was very close now. Der Zug war jetzt ganz nah. Then the train slowly stopped just in front of poor Bobbie. Dann hielt der Zug langsam direkt vor dem armen Bobbie. The driver got off the train. Der Fahrer stieg aus dem Zug. Peter and Phyllis ran to the driver to tell him about the tree.

‘There's a tree…on the track at the other end of the tunnel,' said Peter. Auf dem Gleis am anderen Ende des Tunnels steht ein Baum", sagte Peter.

‘Well, if it's true, you three children are heroes,' said the driver. Nun, wenn das stimmt, seid ihr drei Kinder Helden", sagte der Fahrer. ‘But what about the girl on the track?' Bobbie was still there. Aber was ist mit dem Mädchen auf der Rennbahn?" Bobbie war immer noch da. She was very frightened. ‘We have to take her home, poor girl!' Wir müssen sie nach Hause bringen, das arme Mädchen!

Soon everybody knew about the tree on the track. Bald wusste jeder über den Baum auf der Strecke Bescheid. The children went back to the station. Die Kinder gingen zurück zum Bahnhof. Everybody smiled and waved at them. Jeder lächelte und winkte ihnen zu. They were not just the Railway Children now. Sie waren jetzt nicht mehr nur die Eisenbahnkinder. They were the heroes from “Three Chimneys.” A few days later, a letter arrived. Es waren die Helden aus "Drei Schornsteine", und ein paar Tage später kam ein Brief.

Dear Sir and Ladies, Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,

We want to thank you and the people on that train want to thank you. Wir möchten Ihnen danken, und die Menschen in diesem Zug möchten Ihnen danken. You children are heroes. Ihr Kinder seid Helden. We're having a party for you at three o' clock on the 30th of this month. Wir veranstalten am 30. dieses Monats um drei Uhr eine Party für Sie.

The children wrote a letter. Die Kinder haben einen Brief geschrieben.

Thank you very much. We were very happy to Wir waren sehr froh, dass

help. It's very nice of you to have a party for us.

See you there!

The children washed their best clothes and they waited for the day.

‘I'm very excited,' said Peter. Ich bin sehr aufgeregt", sagte Peter.

‘Me too,' said Phyllis. Ich auch", sagte Phyllis.

The day arrived and they went to the party. Der Tag kam und sie gingen zur Party. It was at the station. Es war am Bahnhof. There were flowers, a lot of food and a lot of people. Es gab Blumen, eine Menge Essen und viele Menschen. Lots of people came to thank the children.

‘I was on that train,' said one man. Ich war in diesem Zug", sagte ein Mann. ‘Thank you!'

‘You are heroes,' said another man. The children looked for one special person. There he was - the old gentleman from the 9.15 train. Da war er - der alte Herr aus dem Zug um 9.15 Uhr. He stood in front of the people, then he started to speak.

‘I'd like to give something to these special children.' he said. Ich würde diesen besonderen Kindern gerne etwas geben", sagte er. ‘They did a great thing. Sie haben eine großartige Sache gemacht. Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis, you're the heroes from “Three Chimneys” and we're all very happy to know you.' Then he gave each of the children a watch – a beautiful gold watch. Bobbie, Peter und Phyllis, ihr seid die Helden aus "Drei Schornsteine" und wir sind alle sehr froh, euch zu kennen", und schenkte jedem der Kinder eine Uhr - eine wunderschöne goldene Uhr.

‘Peter, say something,' said Bobbie. Peter, sag etwas", sagte Bobbie.

‘Er … You're very kind,' said Peter. 'Äh ... Sie sind sehr freundlich', sagte Peter. ‘It was nothing really. Es war wirklich nichts. It was very exciting. Well, what I want to say is … er … Thank you very much.' Nun, was ich sagen möchte, ist ... äh ... vielen Dank.'

It was a great party. The children enjoyed every minute of this special day. They Sie

were ready to go home. waren bereit, nach Hause zu gehen. Then Bobbie had an idea. Dann hatte Bobbie eine Idee. She spoke to the old gentleman. Sie sprach mit dem alten Herrn.

‘I want to ask you something,' she said. Ich möchte Sie etwas fragen", sagte sie. Then Bobbie told him about the Russian man. ‘Where are his wife and children? Wo sind seine Frau und seine Kinder? He's very sad. Er ist sehr traurig. Maybe you can find some information to help him. Vielleicht können Sie einige Informationen finden, die ihm helfen. You're so clever.' Du bist so schlau.'

‘What's his name?' asked the old gentleman. Wie ist sein Name?", fragte der alte Herr. Bobbie wrote the name on a piece of paper. Bobbie schrieb den Namen auf ein Stück Papier.

S-Z-E-Z-C-P-A-N-S-K-Y

The old gentleman looked at the name. Der alte Herr sah sich den Namen an. I know one of his books,' he said. Ich kenne ein Buch von ihm", sagte er. ‘I read it two or three years ago. Ich habe es vor zwei oder drei Jahren gelesen. I'm very happy you asked me about him. Ich bin sehr froh, dass Sie mich nach ihm gefragt haben. I know a lot of Russians in London. Ich kenne eine Menge Russen in London. Every Russian knows his name. Jeder Russe kennt seinen Namen. I can try to get some information. Ich kann versuchen, einige Informationen zu bekommen. Now tell me about you.' So Bobbie told the old gentleman about London and about “Three Chimneys”, and about many other things. Also erzählte Bobbie dem alten Herrn von London und von "Three Chimneys" und von vielen anderen Dingen.

Ten days later the children heard a knock at the door. Zehn Tage später klopfte es an der Tür der Kinder. It was the old gentleman. Es war der alte Herr.

‘Hello,' he said. ‘I have some good news. Ich habe eine gute Nachricht. I know where the Russian man's wife and children are. Ich weiß, wo die Frau und die Kinder des russischen Mannes sind. Can I speak to him?' Kann ich mit ihm sprechen?

‘Yes, yes, that's wonderful. I'm so happy,' said Bobbie. Ich bin so glücklich", sagte Bobbie.

The children were very curious. Die Kinder waren sehr neugierig. They waited and watched. Sie warteten und beobachteten. They watched the old gentleman speaking to the Russian. Sie beobachteten den alten Herrn, der mit dem Russen sprach. Then they saw the Russian man put his hands on his face. Dann sahen sie, wie der russische Mann seine Hände auf sein Gesicht legte. At first he cried, but then he smiled. He smiled for a long time.

‘Well,' said Bobbie, ‘I'm so happy that his story has a happy ending.' Nun," sagte Bobbie, "ich bin so froh, dass seine Geschichte ein glückliches Ende hat.