The Railway Children Page #2

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...

Oh, I suppose she's laid it

in the dining room.

Come along darlings, up here.

Let's go and see.

Come along.

Oh darlings, mind the steps.

Mind how you go, Peter.

Oh, that beastly woman!

She's taken the money

and not left us any food.

Aren't we going to have

any supper tonight? I'm starving!

I know! There's some food

in the cases in the cellar.

Aunt Emma sent them on

ahead of us. Come along.

Mind the step.

Come along, Bobbie,

it's a real feast.

Sardines, biscuits, ginger.

Raisins...

No Phyl, no! You do not put

the marmalade spoon in to the sardines.

Oh, Mummy, it's gorgeous, Mummy.

Tell you what,

let's drink Aunt Emma's health.

- Good idea.

- Here's to Aunt Emma.

- To Aunt Emma.

- Aunt Emma.

And all who sail in her.

- Oh! What's that, Mummy?

- Pie.

- Pie?

- Apple Pie.

Apple pie for breakfast?

Then we're not poor after all.

This is the supper

we should have had.

I found it in that little room

that we thought was a cupboard,

so Mrs Viney wasn't so bad

after all.

- Good morning, can I help you?

- I expect so. Viney's the name.

Hilda Viney, ma'am... Missus.

Do come in.

We're just been talking about you.

Oh, I see you found your supper then.

Funny time to have it though.

It was like a great dragon

tearing by.

A dragon's house

looks like that tunnel.

I never thought we'd ever get so near

to a train as this.

- It's better than toy engines, isn't it?

- I don't know, it's different.

It seems so odd to see all of a train.

It's so tall.

I've always seen them cut

in half by platforms

I wonder if that train's going to London?

London is where Daddy is.

- We don't know that, Phyl.

- He might be.

How do you do?

- How do you do?

- Yes.

- Could I ask you two questions?

- Yes, well it depends what they are.

I can't spend all day conversationalising

with the junior public.

Now what are they?

What's the white mark

on the coal heap for?

That's to tell you how much coal there is

you see, in case anybody nicks it.

Second question, please.

Do you know anything

about engines?

Do I know anything about engines?

Why?

- Because I've got one.

- Er, what gauge?

I don't know anything about gauges,

but it's about this big.

Yes?

- It's brass and it blew up.

- It blew up.

Well just excuse me young man,

I've got a lot to do

cos the Station Master's

having his hair cut in Leeds, you see

and Perks must be about it.

- Perks? Who's Perks?

- Me, sir. I'm Perks.

Right on time.

- What is?

- This ere's the Scots Flyer.

Why is it going so slowly,

Mr Perks?

Why... well it's all up hill

to Scotland, isn't it?

That train's going to Scotland.

If Daddy's not in London,

he's in Scotland

and that train is going to Scotland.

Perhaps, Phyl.

I don't think we're going to enjoy

being poor, you know,

being cold and all that.

Phyllis, try to imagine it

as an adventure.

All sorts of things might happen.

Mother could write about it.

Write a book.

You never know.

We won't always be poor, Phyllis,

I'm sure.

All right. Good night.

Good night.

I'm still cold though.

...lightly on the-cheek.

...one of the men, in a bowler hat,

opened the door...

Father did not turn,

but left without a word.

Why don't we ask the next train

to take our love to Daddy?

Trains don't carry people's love,

they'd be above that.

Yes, they do if you tame them first.

I wonder why Daddy

hasn't written to us.

Mummy says he's too busy.

he'll write soon, she says.

Well, why don't we wave anyway?

Three waves won't matter.

We won't miss them.

Charming...

Charming!

About time they had it seen to.

The coal in the little shed

has held out well, Bobbie.

There was hardly any there yesterday

when I looked.

Well, we've only had one fire.

I know but I could swear there's more

than when we first came.

- That's silly.

- Course it's silly.

So it's you, Pete.

- It's you.

- It's me what?

It's you that's been putting

the coal in the shed.

But where from Pete,

for heaven's sake?

From the coal heap of course,

they've got stacks of it there.

But that's stealing!

Don't you remember your catechism?

"Thou shalt not steal sayest the Lord"

It wasn't stealing.

It was mining.

I took from the top.

That's mining, not stealing.

If it was, all the miners in the world

would be in jug.

Oh, Pete... Pete!

Oh Pete, Pete.

We'll have to take it all back.

- What?

- All of it.

- All of it.

- All of it!

All of it.

There can't be anything wrong in trying

to keep your own mother warm.

That can't be wrong.

It's all right Pete,

at least we can burn the evidence.

Mrs Viney, here we are.

I've got the buns for tea.

- Buns?

- Yes, Mummy sold a story and...

Mrs Viney, what's the matter?

It's your dear ma, master Peter,

she's... she's very poorly.

You'd better go back to the village

and get Dr Forrest.

Right.

Don't let her die, Mrs Viney.

Doctor Forrest!

Mother's very ill,

please come quickly,

Stay there, my boy.

Influenza.

But not serious.

Now my Lady Grave-airs,

I suppose you'll want to be head nurse?

- Of course, Doctor.

- Right.

Now we'll send down some medicine.

Keep a good fire going

and have some strong beef tea

ready to give her

the moment the fever goes down...

She can have the grapes now

and the soda water.

Oh, and you'd better get

a bottle of brandy.

You can go in now...

May I have the list?

Don't worry, funny face.

She's head nurse

but you can be Matron.

Oh, thank you.

Oh, what utter nonsense,

I can't afford all that.

I haven't an idea in my head

for a story

so there won't even be buns

for tea for some time.

Tell Mrs Viney to boil some scrag-end

of neck for your dinner tomorrow

then I'll have some of the broth.

But even if we never have

anything to eat at all

you can't afford all those other things.

Right. So we've got to think

of some other way.

Now everybody, think.

Just as hard as ever you can,

think!

- I, O, N.

- You sure?

Yes.

I...

O...

N.

There. Brilliant.

"Look out at the station. "

Definitely one of your best works,

Rate this script:4.0 / 1 vote