the tales of sodor's engine

edward's precious passenger

James the Red Engine had returned to the sheds one evening exhausted and upset. He had pulled a special train of schoolchildren to the harbor for them to learn about ships and sailing, but the children had been so rambunctious on the trip to the docks and home again that James had developed an awful headache.

"I don't know why I offer to take the children if they won't behave," James said. "My poor coaches will need new springs after today."

Edward laughed.

"You can't blame the children. They were excited!"

"I'm sure it was a fun experience for them, but my axles are worn out!" put in James. "I wish they'd be more considerate."

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong, James."

"What do you mean, Edward?"

"Our passengers' happiness is our first priority!"

"But if they give me a headache, then what's the point?"

"There's always a point, James. Let me tell you a story to help you understand."

And so Edward began:

"Many years ago, when I first came to the Island, I met a shy young boy who was fascinated with steam engines. I was captivated by how much he knew and enjoyed listening to him speak about railways."

"But," Edward continued, "he was a troubled boy. He had a father who wasn't involved in his care and a mother who was overwhelmed with the burden of raising a son on her own. So, the boy spent most of his time at the station, looking for me. I realized that I had an obligation to become the boy's support system, and took as much time as I could to engage with him."

"I learned so much from him, James! I learned about the intricacies of the point systems and the inner workings of a wagon's brakes. I shuddered to think about how little the boy was stimulated at home when his mother was otherwise occupied with how to keep the water running. It made me feel good that he could express himself around me."

"When he wasn't in school, he rode on my footplate and I took him wherever he wanted to go. I could see that as he grew up he was becoming more confident and less...isolated. He went away to university, was married, and came back to raise a family of his own. When he stopped by, he often brought his children and I was pleased to see that he had nurtured a love of railways in them, too."

"The years flew by, his children moved away, and soon he was becoming an old man. He couldn't walk as well or as far, but I could see him sitting on one of the station benches, waving to me as I passed by. Then, one day, he stopped coming to the station altogether."

"What happened?" asked James.

"The little boy that I had seen grow up before my eyes had lived his life and had passed on."

"I'm sorry, Edward," James sighed.

"We had such a wonderful time together. He taught me about how important passengers are. You see, James, this is the point. No matter how difficult your passengers may be or how much you may feel inconvenienced by them, you must realize that you play a very important role in their lives. You are more than just a vehicle to get them from one place to another. You are the face they see every morning when then get on your train. Enjoy that opportunity - because imagine what would have happened if I had not been 'that face' for that little boy all those years ago."

"I see what you mean, Edward. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with me. I feel a little silly about how I reacted to the children."

"It's okay, James!" said Edward. "Children can be rambunctious, but maybe if you engage them more next time, you'll find that they have a lot of wisdom to share, too!"