Orakel Children's Books
The Railway Children
The Railway Children by E. Nesbit, prepared as a public-domain Orakel edition with 14 chapter-aware companion links.
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Chapters
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Chapter I. The beginning of things.
Chapter I. The beginning of things. from The Railway Children. They were not railway children to begin with. I don't suppose they had ever thought about railways except as a means of getting to Maskelyne and Cook's, the Pantomime, Zoological Gardens, and Madame Tussaud's. They were just ordinary suburban children, and they lived with their Father and Mother in an ordinary red-brick-fronted villa, with coloured glass in the front door, a tiled passage that was called a hall, a
Open2Chapter II. Peter's coal-mine.
Chapter II. Peter's coal-mine. from The Railway Children. “What fun!” said Mother, in the dark, feeling for the matches on the table. “How frightened the poor mice were--I don't believe they were rats at
Open3Chapter III. The old gentleman.
Chapter III. The old gentleman. from The Railway Children. After the adventure of Peter's Coal-mine, it seemed well to the children to keep away from the station--but they did not, they could not, keep away from the railway. They had lived all their lives in a street where cabs and omnibuses rumbled by at all hours, and the carts of butchers and bakers and candlestick makers (I never saw a candlestick-maker's cart; did you?) might occur at any moment. Here in the deep
Open4Chapter IV. The engine-burglar.
Chapter IV. The engine-burglar. from The Railway Children. What was left of the second sheet and the Brunswick black came in very nicely to make a banner bearing the
Open5Chapter V. Prisoners and captives.
Chapter V. Prisoners and captives. from The Railway Children. It was one day when Mother had gone to Maidbridge. She had gone alone, but the children were to go to the station to meet her. And, loving the station as they did, it was only natural that they should be there a good hour before there was any chance of Mother's train arriving, even if the train were punctual, which was most unlikely. No doubt they would have been just as early, even if it had been a fine day, and
Open6Chapter VI. Saviours of the train.
Chapter VI. Saviours of the train. from The Railway Children. The Russian gentleman was better the next day, and the day after that better still, and on the third day he was well enough to come into the garden. A basket chair was put for him and he sat there, dressed in clothes of Father's which were too big for him. But when Mother had hemmed up the ends of the sleeves and the trousers, the clothes did well enough. His was a kind face now that it was no longer tired and
Open7Chapter VII. For valour.
Chapter VII. For valour. from The Railway Children. I hope you don't mind my telling you a good deal about Roberta. The fact is I am growing very fond of her. The more I observe her the more I love her. And I notice all sorts of things about her that I
Open8Chapter VIII. The amateur firemen.
Chapter VIII. The amateur firemen. from The Railway Children. “That's a likely little brooch you've got on, Miss,” said Perks the Porter; “I don't know as ever I see a thing more like a buttercup without it WAS a
Open9Chapter IX. The pride of Perks.
Chapter IX. The pride of Perks. from The Railway Children. It was breakfast-time. Mother's face was very bright as she poured the milk and ladled out the
Open10Chapter X. The terrible secret.
Chapter X. The terrible secret. from The Railway Children. When they first went to live at Three Chimneys, the children had talked a great deal about their Father, and had asked a great many questions about him, and what he was doing and where he was and when he would come home. Mother always answered their questions as well as she could. But as the time went on they grew to speak less of him. Bobbie had felt almost from the first that for some strange miserable reason
Open11Chapter XI. The hound in the red jersey.
Chapter XI. The hound in the red jersey. from The Railway Children. Bobbie knew the secret now. A sheet of old newspaper wrapped round a parcel--just a little chance like that--had given the secret to her. And she had to go down to tea and pretend that there was nothing the matter. The pretence was bravely made, but it wasn't very
Open12Chapter XII. What Bobbie brought home.
Chapter XII. What Bobbie brought home. from The Railway Children. “Oh, look up! Speak to me! For MY sake, speak!” The children said the words over and over again to the unconscious hound in a red jersey, who sat with closed eyes and pale face against the side of the
Open13Chapter XIII. The hound's grandfather.
Chapter XIII. The hound's grandfather. from The Railway Children. Mother did not get back to her writing all that day, for the red-jerseyed hound whom the children had brought to Three Chimneys had to be put to bed. And then the Doctor came, and hurt him most horribly. Mother was with him all through it, and that made it a little better than it would have been, but “bad was the best,” as Mrs. Viney
Open14Chapter XIV. The End.
Chapter XIV. The End. from The Railway Children. Life at the Three Chimneys was never quite the same again after the old gentleman came to see his grandson. Although they now knew his name, the children never spoke of him by it--at any rate, when they were by themselves. To them he was always the old gentleman, and I think he had better be the old gentleman to us, too. It wouldn't make him seem any more real to you, would it, if I were to tell you that his name
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