The Boy Who Talked to Trains

Leo lived near a loud train track. Every day at three o’clock, the blue train rumbled past his house.

Leo liked the blue train. One sunny Tuesday, he walked close to the metal tracks. He waved his red hat. The blue train slowed down. Chug, chug, whistle! The engineer smiled and waved back.

Leo smiled. He whispered, "Hello, train. Where are you going today?"

The train could not answer with words. But Leo heard the rhythmic sound: clack-clack, clack-clack. To Leo, that meant: "I am going to the big city. I carry tired workers and happy children."

Every afternoon, Leo talked to a different train.

At four o’clock, the long green cargo train rolled by. It carried heavy boxes. Leo asked, "Are you heavy?" The green train rumbled a deep answer: rumble, rumble, heavy load. It told Leo about the dark tunnels and high bridges far away.

At five o’clock, the fast silver passenger train zoomed past. It was very noisy. Whoosh! Leo shouted, "You are so fast!" The silver train sang back: zoom, zoom, chasing the wind.

Leo knew all the trains. He learned their sounds. Some sounds were loud and grumpy. Some sounds were soft and happy. His mother asked him why he stood by the tracks every day.

"I talk to the trains, Mom," Leo said. "They tell me stories about the world."

His mother smiled. "Trains have big journeys, Leo. One day, you will take a big journey too."

Leo touched his red hat. He looked down the long iron tracks. The tracks stretched far away into the green hills. He wondered where the red sunset train would go tonight.

What color train would you want to ride?