121 ANIMAL TALES

The Railway Children

The Railway Children is a children’s book by Edith Nesbit, originally serialised in The London Magazine during 1905 and first published in book form in 1906. It has been adapted for the screen several times, of which the 1970 film version is the best known. When Father is taken away unexpectedly, Roberta, Peter, Phyllis and their mother have to leave their comfortable life in London to go and live in a small cottage in the country. The children seek solace in the nearby railway station, and make friends with Perks the Porter and the Station Master himself. Each day, Roberta, Peter and Phyllis run down the field to the railway track and wave at the passing London train, sending their love to Father.

Jack, Milo, Robin, and Big Rock are back, and they have a new friend with them too—Blaze, the magical phoenix. As usual, the gang is low on money, so they plan to come together as a family and make some cash by taking on notorious bully Buster Gutt. Unfortunately, Buster is even meaner than they thought. In the second story, villainous Lord Veto tries to break up the Waldo’s Wrestling Trolls family. He plants seeds of doubt in Jack, which sets Milo off, and soon Princess Ava is caught in the middle of two very grumpy boys.