by Daniel Kelly – 2026
The little train she rumbled over the tracks. A happy little engine, White smoke puffing, from the stack, Her cars were filled with good things, such a jolly load, For the boys and girls over the mountain, There were giraffes, teddy bears, an elephant so small. Blue eyed dolls with yellow curls, And the gayest clown of all, Brown eyed dolls with pretty bobs, a sight you never saw, For the boys and girls over the mountain, Cars full of toy engines, aeroplanes, and tops, big golden oranges, Bottles of milk and lolly pops, Every kind of thing you would want to eat or play, For the boys and girls over the mountain, Then all of a sudden, she stopped with a jerk. Could not go another inch. Her wheels they would not work, What were those good children, all going to do, Those boys and girls over the mountain. She asked a shiny engine, won’t you help me please, With you being new and shiny, You could pull us with such ease, I won’t carry the likes of you, I just carry things fine, No toys for children over the mountain. Then came a Big Strong Engine, down the other line, Please pull us over the mountain, You’re a Freight engine so fine, I only pull expensive things, not food and little toys, I care not for the kids over the mountain, Here comes a rusty engine, looking old and tired, Perhaps he can help us, If his boiler can be fired, I am so tired. I must rest my weary wheels. I cannot pull you over the mountain. There came another engine, a little one so blue, chugging along merrily. She asked what she could do Will you pull us over the mountain? Yes she said of course, I will try to pull you over the mountain. The little engine looked into the doll’s teary blue eyes, She said, “I think I can. And she could to their surprise, She tugged and pulled and slowly, up the hill she climbed, All the way over the mountain. To the boys and girls over the mountain,