Read this story on Yak Yacker with clickable word help, full story audio, and lesson notes below the text.
This version is written for English-speaking learners who want a friendly reading experience in English.
Bobbie, Peter, and Phyllis lived in London. Their father went away one night. They did not understand why. Their mother said, 'We must move to the country. It will be an adventure!'
The new house was small and old. It was called . Behind the house there was a . And behind the hill… a railway line! The children could hear the trains: Choo-choo! Whoosh! They loved it.
One day they walked to the station. A kind man in a uniform said, 'Hello! I'm Mr Perks, the .' 'Can we ?' asked Peter. 'Of course!' said Perks. 'But be careful!' The children became friends with Perks.
Every day at 9:15, a train passed. An old gentleman with white hair always . 'Let's !' said Phyllis. They waved and waved. The old gentleman smiled. They called him 'our '.
One day Mother was ill. She could not get out of bed. The children were worried. 'We must ask for help,' said Bobbie. They wrote a letter on a white paper: 'Please help Mother.' They tied it to a red petticoat and at the train.
The Old Gentleman saw the red flag. He pulled the . The train stopped! He read the letter. 'Don't worry,' he said. 'I will send a doctor and good food.' Soon a doctor came. Mother got better. 'The Old Gentleman is an !' said Phyllis.
One day it rained and rained. Bobbie saw on the line. 'A train is coming! We must !' she said. The children waved red flags. The train stopped . 'You are heroes!' the driver said.
One day, a train stopped at the station. A tall man got out. 'Bobbie! Peter! Phyllis!' he called. It was Father! 'I'm back,' he said. 'Everything is fine now. I so much!' The children ran and hugged him. They laughed and cried. The Old Gentleman had helped Father's innocence. They were a family together again.
Bobbie, Peter, and Phyllis lived in London. One night, their father left. They did not know why. Their mother said, "We need to move to the countryside. It will be fun and exciting!"
Their new house was small and old, named Three Chimneys. Behind the house was a hill, and behind the hill was a railway line! The children could hear the trains go "Choo-choo! Whoosh!" They really liked it.
One day they went to the train station. A friendly man in uniform said, "Hello! I'm Mr. Perks, the porter." Peter asked, "Can we watch the trains?" Perks said, "Sure! But be careful!" The children became friends with Perks.
Every day at 9:15, a train went by. An older man with white hair always waved. Phyllis said, "Let's wave back!" They waved a lot. The old man smiled. They named him "our Old Gentleman."
One day, Mother was sick. She couldn't leave her bed. The children were scared. Bobbie said, "We need to ask for help." They wrote a note: "Please help Mother." They tied it to a red skirt and waved it at the train.
The Old Gentleman noticed the red flag. He pulled the emergency cord, stopping the train. He read the note. He said, "Don't worry. I'll send a doctor and food." A doctor arrived quickly, and Mother improved. Phyllis said, "The Old Gentleman is like an angel!"
One rainy day, Bobbie saw rocks on the tracks. "A train is coming! We have to stop it!" she said. The children waved red flags. The train stopped just before hitting the rocks. The driver said, "You are heroes!"
One day, a train stopped at the station, and a tall man stepped out. He called, "Bobbie! Peter! Phyllis!" It was their father! He said, "I'm back. Everything is okay now. I missed you very much!" The children ran to hug him, laughing and crying. The Old Gentleman had helped show that Father was innocent. They were all together as a family again.
The story is full of interesting words about trains. Let's learn some new words together!
These words help you imagine the railway and the children's adventure.
- Railway: a track where trains go.
- Porter: a person who helps at the station.
- Communication cord: a rope inside a train that makes it stop.
- Petticoat: an old-fashioned skirt worn under a dress.
The Railway Children happened in the past, so we use the past simple tense. Many verbs add -ed, but some change completely!
Look at these examples from the story.
- Regular verbs: move → moved, wave → waved, stop → stopped.
- Irregular verbs: go → went, come → came, see → saw.
- Can you find more past verbs in the story?
The children needed help for their mother. They wrote a note and asked the Old Gentleman. We can use these phrases when we need help.
Try them out next time you have a problem!
- Can you help me, please?
- Could you send a doctor?
- Please help us.
Now you can use the new words and the past simple. Why not retell the story to a friend?
Or draw a picture of your favourite part and write one sentence about it.
- I loved it when...
- The children felt...
- My favourite character is...
The Railway Children comes from an older public-domain story tradition and is best known as a public_domain_children_story_retelling. This Yak Yacker article is an original learner retelling based on public-domain source material, so the wording here is simplified for modern learners rather than copied from one old edition.
Older printings, translations, and retellings of this story can vary quite a bit. This version is adapted for A2 Elementary learners studying English.
If you want to keep going, browse more in our English section and review the A2 English Vocabulary List. After that, try English Question Words for another useful next step.
