The Little Engine That Could (Reading 9 to 5, Ep. 2)

Christine: Hello, readers, and welcome to the podcast Get Bookie with Miss Cookie. I am your host, Miss Cookie. Today, we will be sharing the book The Little Engine That Could, retold by Waddy Piper and with art by Lauren Long. This is the second book in the series, Reading 9-5, Miss Cookie's Dolly Parton Tribute. We are sharing this story today because it is the first book that every child enrolled in the Imagination Library receives. You might remember from our last episode that this was the program Dolly Parton started that gives away free books to kids. This story was important to Dolly because growing up, her mother used to tell it to her. And for the rest of her life, it would help her persevere and stick with it when times got tough. She would just close her eyes and say I think I can. So let's read The Little Engine That Could Retold by Waddy Piper and with Art by Lauren Long Chug Chug Chug Puff 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 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 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 breakfasts, fresh spinach for their dinners, peppermint drops and lollipops for 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? And readers, in this picture, I see the little train is just looking exhausted and so disappointed and the elephant and the monkey and the clown, these toys are staring at her and they're they're looking pretty sad too. Here comes a shiny new engine, said the funny little clown who jumped out of the train. Let's let us go ask him to help us. So all the dolls and toys cried out together, Please, shiny new engine, won't you please pull our train over the mountain? Our engine has broken 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. Ha! I am a passenger engine. I have just carried a fine big train over the mountain with more cars than you have ever dreamed 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 arm chairs and look out of big plate glass windows. I pull the likes of you? Ha! 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 is 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 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 engine. I have just pulled a big train loaded with big machines over the mountain. These machines print 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. Please, kind 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 boys and girls on the other side won't have any toys to play with or good food to eat unless you help us. And readers in This picture, I can see the kind old engine, and he has like grey hair on the top of him, and he's got a long gray beard. But the rusty old engine sighed. I am so tired. I must rest my weary wheels. I cannot pull even so little a train as yours over the mountain. I cannot I cannot I cannot And off he rumbled to the roundhouse chugging I cannot I cannot I cannot Well, then indeed the little train was very, very sad, and the dolls and toys were ready to cry. But the little clown called out here is another engine coming a little blue engine, a very little one. Maybe she will help us. The very little engine came chug chugging merrily along. When she saw the toy clown's flag, she stopped quickly. What is the matter, my friends? she asked kindly. 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. Please help us, little blue engine. I'm 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 the dolls and the toys. The very little engine looked up and saw the tears in the doll's eyes, and And she thought of the good little boys and girls on the other side of the mountain, who would not have any toys or 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 tugged and slowly, slowly she started off. The toy clown jumped aboard, and all the dolls and the toy animals began to smile and cheer. Uff 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 I think I can I think I can I think I can Up up Faster and faster and faster and faster the little engine climbed until at least they reached the top of the mountain. Down in the valley there lay the city. Hooray, hooray cried the funny little clown and all the dolls and toys. The good little boys and girls in the city will be happy because you helped us, kind little blue engine. And the little blue engine smiled and seemed to say as she puffed steadily down the mountain I thought I could, I thought I could, I thought I could, I thought I could, I thought I could I thought. Thank you so much for sharing this story with me today, readers. I hope that you enjoyed hearing about the little engine Who Could. This story was so important to Dolly that it inspired her to write an entire album of children's songs. And the album is called I Believe in You. And you should check that album out. There's some really inspiring songs to listen to. But before you go do that, help our podcast grow. Like, follow, or comment below. And be sure to listen in for our next book in Reading 9 to 5, Miss Cookie's Dolly Parton Tribute, Coat of Many Colors. Thanks for listening, and we'll see you next time.