Ryers Readers - The Little Engine That Could

Episode Date: June 9, 2023

A classic story about believing in yourself! Can the Little Engine pull the train over the mountain on her own? I think she can….*RYERS20 for 20% off at www.thatdoughtho.com*

Let's do this! Thank you so much for tuning into today's story. Don't forget to tell your grown-up to go check out the Ryer's Reader's Instagram for more fun content. And if you're looking for even more fun, come join me on the Ryer's Reader's Patreon page, where you can find ad-free episodes, bonus content, and even become a Ryer's Reader celebrity. Before we get into the story, do you want to know a fun fact? Did you know that there are two different types of trains, passenger trains and freight trains? A passenger train can take people on rides to different towns or even across an entire country. A freight train carries all types of different things like food, lumber, animals, and other items all over to many different destinations. Pretty. Cool, huh?

Okay. Story time. Today, we have a super special Ryers Readers' Request from three-year-old Ryan in New York. Ryan would like to hear, The Little Engine That Could by Wadi Piper. I hope you enjoy this story, Ryan.

Let's do this. Chug, chug, chug, puff, puff. Ding, dong, ding dong. The little train rumbled. over the tracks. She was a happy little train, for she had such a jolly load to carry. Her cars were filled full of good things for boys and girls.

There were toy animals, giraffes with long necks, teddy bears with almost no necks at all, and even a baby elephant. There were dolls, dolls with blue eyes and yellow curls, dolls with brown eyes and yellow curls, brown eyes and brown bobbed heads and the funniest little toy clown you ever saw. And there were cars full of toy engines, airplanes, tops, jackknives, picture puzzles, books, and every kind of thing boys or girls could ever want. But that was not all.

Some of the cars were filled with all sorts of good things for boys and girls to eat. Big golden oranges, red-cheeked apples, bottles of creamy milk for their breakfast, fresh spinach for their dinners, peppermint drops and lollipops for their after-meal treats. The little train was carrying all these wonderful things to the good little boys and girls on the other side of the mountain. She puffed along merrily. Then, all of a sudden, she stopped with a jerk. She simply could not go another inch. She tried and she tried, but her wheels would not turn. What were all those good little boys and girls on the other side of the mountain going to do without the wonderful toys to play with and the good food to eat? Here comes a shiny new engine, said the funny little clown who jumped out of the train.

Let us ask him to help us. help us. So all the dolls and the toys cried out together. Please, shiny new engine, won't you please pull our train over the mountain? Our train has broke down and the boys and girls on the other side won't have any toys to play with or good food to eat unless you help us. But the shiny new engine snorted. I pull you? I am a passenger engine. I have just carried a fine, big train over the mountain with more cars than you could ever dream of. My train had sleeping cars with comfortable berths, a dining car where waiters bring whatever hungry people want to eat, and parlor cars in which people sit in soft armchairs and look out of big plate glass windows.

I pull the likes of you? Indeed not. And off he steamed to the roundhouse, where engines live when they are not busy. How sad the little train and all the dolls and toys felt. Then the little clown called out. The passenger engine is not the only one in the world. Here's another engine coming, a great big, strong one. Let us ask him to help us.

The little toy clown waved his flag and the big strong engine came to a stop. Please, oh please, big engine, cried all the dolls and toys together. Won't you please pull our train over the mountain? Our engine has broken down and the good little boys and girls on the other side won't have any toys to play with or good food to eat unless you help us. But the big, strong engine bellowed. I am a freight train. I have just pulled a big train loaded with big machines over the mountain.

These machines printed books and newspapers for grown-ups to read. I am a very important engine indeed. I won't pull the likes of you. And the freight engine puffed off indignantly to the roundhouse. The little train and all the dolls and toys were very sad. Cheer up, cried the little toy clown. The freight engine is not the only one in the world. Here comes another.

He looks very old and tired, but our train is so little, perhaps he can help us. So the little toy clown waved his flag and the dingy, rusty old engine stopped. His kind engine, cried all the dolly, and toys together. Won't you please pull our train over the mountain? Our engine has broken down, and all the boys and girls on the other side won't have any toys to play with or good food to eat unless you help us. But the rusty old engine sighed. I am so tired. I must rest my weary wheels.

I cannot pull even such a little train as yours over the mountain. I cannot, I cannot, I cannot. And oft he rumbled to the roundhouse chugging. I cannot, I cannot, I cannot. Then indeed the little train was very, very sad, and the dolls and the toys were ready to cry. But the little clown called out, Here is another engine coming!

A little blue engine. A very little one, but maybe she will help us. Very little engine came chugging merrily along. When she saw the toy clown's flag, she stopped quickly. What is the matter, my friends? she asked kindly. Oh, little blue engine, cried the dolls and toys. Will you pull us over the mountain? Our engine has broken down, and the good boys and girls on the

other side won't have any toys to play with or good food to eat unless you help us. Please, please help us, little blue engine. Not very big, said the little blue engine. They use me only for switching trains in the yard. I have never been over the mountain. But we must get over the mountain before the children awake, said all the toys and the dolls. The very little engine looked up and saw, saw the tears in the doll's eyes.

And then she thought of the good little boys and girls on the other side of the mountain who would not have any toys or any good food unless she helped. Then she said, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can. And she hitched herself to the little train. She tugged and pulled and pulled and tugged

and slowly, slowly, slowly, slowly, they started off. The toy clown jumped aboard, and all the dolls and toy animals began to smile and cheer. Puff, puff, chug, chug went the little blue engine. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can. Up, up, up, up, up, up. Faster and faster and faster.

the little engine climbed until they reached the top of the mountain. Down in the valley lay the city. Hooray! Hurray! cried the funny little clown and all the dolls and toys. The good little boys and girls in the city will be so happy because you helped us. Kind little blue engine. And the little blue engine smiled and seemed to say

as if she puffed steadily down. the mountain. I thought I could, I thought I could, I thought I thought I could. I thought I thought I could. I thought I could. The end. Don't forget to stick around to see if you can answer today's paying attention question. Before you go, do you think you can answer today's paying attention question? What color was the engine that helped the toys get over the mountain? If your answer was blue, You did it! Great job! You sure were paying attention! I hope you enjoyed that story! I wonder what we're going to read next. Bye, Ryan! Miss Ryan, and I'm the three-year-old. Um, when you play, read the little ones in that card?