The Railway Children

’We were not the Railway Children to begin with.

'I don't suppose we even thought about railways

'except as a means of getting to the theatre and the zoo.

'We were just ordinary suburban children

'and we lived with Father and Mother

'in an ordinary red brick fronted villa

'with coloured glass in the front door... '

Come on.

'... a tiled passage that was called a hall

'and big fires in big fireplaces.

'We even had a gas fire in the breakfast room

'and a servant's bell board.

'In fact, every modern convenience. '

Chins up!

'There we three of us. '

Now let's arrange your pretty hair.

'That's me, I'm Roberta.

'They call me Bobbie, sometimes Lanky.

'I'm the eldest, worst luck.

'That's Phyllis, who means well.

'And that's Peter, who wants to be an engineer. '

And don't forget to watch the dickey bird.

Watch the birdie.

'Mother did not spend all her time paying dull calls to dull ladies

'and sitting dully at home waiting for dull ladies to pay calls on her.

'She was always there, with us. '

'We had a father who was just perfect.

Her light's growing dim and if it goes out, then she's dead.

She says she would be get well again if children believed in fairies.

- Do you believe in fairies? - Yes.

That's not loud enough. Do you believe in fairies?

Yes!

It's still not loud enough. Do you believe in fairies?

YES!

Yes, I certainly do!

Mmm, it smells gorgeous.

It's fabulous, absolutely fabulous.

Now altogether... one, two, three.

Well done!

Happy Christmas!

I love you.

'You will think that we ought to have been very happy

'and we were but we did not know how happy

'till the pretty life at Edgecombe Villa was over and done with

'and we had to live a very different life indeed. '

Peter my boy, come here.

Dad... it's perfect.

It's more perfect than any one could ever dream of.

Thank you, Dad.

'The dreadful change came quite suddenly. '

You heaving brute!

'And that was the last we saw of poor Potts. '

What a wreck!

- Is there any hope? - Hope?

Of course, it'll want hope yes, and a new valve.

I'll tell you what, I'll give up Saturday afternoon to it.

Yes, and you can help me.

I hate doing a job like this especially at Christmas.

Who on earth is that?

An Englishman's house is his castle, but I wish they had moats and drawbridges!

Come in.

Yes?

Please, sir. There are two gentlemen wish to see you.

I've shown them into the study, sir, I hope that was all right?

Excuse me.

I wish we did have a moat and drawbridge.

Then if we didn't want anyone to...

I've never heard anything so preposterous. When? Who?

- Why's Daddy shouting? - I don't know, dear.

Come in.

Yes, Ruth?

What is it?

Please, ma'am, the Master wants you to just step into the study.

Look, I'm not going to say a thing!

Come in.

I will not!

All right, cabby, Scotland Yard.

It's bed-time.

Ruth will put you to bed.

But you promised we could stay up late. Daddy was going to play with us.

Father's been called away... on business.

Go up at once darlings, please.

It wasn't bad news, was it, Mummy?

Is anyone dead or...

Oh, no, nobody's dead.

I can't tell you anything about it tonight. Up you go.

96... 97... 98... 99... 100.

Well, good night then.

Ruth!

What's up?

Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies.

You'll know soon enough.

- Phyl? - Yes.

If Mother doesn't want us to know she's been crying then we won't know.

- That's all. - All right.

She's gone into London, that's all I know.

Now just you eat up.

Some dire calamity's happening, I just know it.

Good evening, Mrs Waterbury.

- Good evening, ma'am. - Good evening, Sally.

Oh, it's so cold! Let's get to the fire, Peter, come on.

My darlings, those men last night did bring very bad news

and Father will be away for some time

Is it something to do with the Government, Mummy?

Yes... yes, it is.

Now it's bed time, my darlings.

And don't worry. It will all come right in the end.

Don't you worry either because we'll be as good as gold.

Oh, we used to say life was so dull... Nothing ever happened like in books.

Now something has happened.

Yes, it has and it's made Mother unhappy.

Everything's horrid...

...just horrid.

Stairs... stairs... stairs...

’Everything continued to be perfectly horrid for some weeks.

'Mother was nearly always out,

'the between maid was sent away...

'... and Aunt Emma came on a visit.

- Good afternoon, children. - Good afternoon, Aunt Emma.

Your mother has sent for me in her distress,

and I'm here for a while but not for long.

I'm off to India as a governess

and as I shall be busy preparing for my arduous journey,

I shall require you to be seen and not heard.

Preferably to be not seen and not heard.

Children should be kept in their proper places.

- Do you understand? - Yes, Aunt Emma.

- Yes, Aunt Emma. - Excellent.

You may kiss me if you wish.

Altogether now

I have asked you not to use them utensils in that manner.

I was up at four this morning cleaning them

as if I haven't got enough to do what with the between maid leaving

and now your aunt asking me to heave bloomin' great boxes about

like I was a navvy or something.

- Ruth. - Yes?

There's no need to be so rude. Cook was just trying to cheer us up.

Come on, you two.

Well...

I'm very surprised at you, Cook. Where's your dignity?

And take that silly hat off.

Get yourself dressed properly.

I don't know I seem to do all the work round here.

We shouldn't really Peter, she'll get soaked.

It's too late, she's coming.

Stairs... stairs... stairs...

I'll have fallen arches before me holiday.

I hope you're undressed and ready, master Peter.

I haven't got all night, you know.

- Yes, Ruth. - Good...

You...!

- Oh! Stop it! - You nasty little limb, you!

If you don't mend your ways

you'll go where your precious father's gone, so I tell you straight.

Ruth!

We're going to have to play at being poor for a while.

We're moving to a darling little house in the country, up in Yorkshire.

- What? - I know you'll love it

- Is Aunt Emma coming? - No, Peter, unfortunately not.

- Don't you want a 1st Class, madam? - No, Second. Thank you.

Ah, looked like 1st Class quality to me.

- Are we on the right train for Yorkshire? - Yes.

Thank you.

Ooh... careful. Give that to me.

- I'll take that bag. - Thank you so much.

- Goodbye. - Thank you. Goodbye.

Excuse me.

We want to go to the house on the hill. The Three Chimneys.

- Er, do you know the way? - I daresay.

- Well, will you show us? - I daresay.

- Phyllis, are you all right? - Yes.

Can't we put just one box on your cart?

You asked me to show you the way, nothing was said about boxes.

Never mind, darlings. It's only a few more yards.

Whoa!

I wonder why she didn't leave the lights on.

Who is she?

Mrs Viney, The woman I engaged to clean the place and to get the supper.

I expect Mrs Viney's gone home.

Your train was late, see.

But she's got the key. What do we do?

She'll have left that under the doorstep.

- We all do hereabouts. - Well you might have said so.

You never asked, did you?

Nothing was said about a door key.

- May I borrow your lamp, please? - I daresay.

If you say "I daresay" once more, I shall have hysterics, I daresay

Oh... there we are.

What's that?

It's only the rats.

God works in mysterious ways his wonders to perform.

Ow! Rats!

I wish we hadn't come. Don't you worry, darlings.

I saw a paraffin lamp on the table, we'll soon have some light.

Oh, those poor little mice, they were so frightened.

I don't believe they were rats at all.

You've often said you wanted something to happen, well now it has.

It's quite exciting, isn't it?

I told Mrs Viney to get some meat and bread

and have some supper ready. I wonder where...