Now there were two men who had come just on purpose to teach him how.

And who do you suppose they were? The engineer and the fireman! When the engineer heard the new engine call out, he asked, "What do you want, new engine?"

And the engine answered:

"I want the sound Of my wheels going round.

I want to stream A jet of steam.

I want to puff Smoke and stuff.

I want to ring Ding, ding-a-ding.

I want to blow My whistle so.

I want my light To shine out bright.

I want to go ringing and singing the song, The humming song of the engine coming, The clear, near song of the engine here, The knowing song of the engine going."

Now the engineer and the fireman were pleased when they heard what the new engine wanted. But the engineer said:

"All in good time, my engine, Steady, steady, 'Til you're ready.

Learn to know Before you go."

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Then he said to the fireman, "First we must give our engine some water."

So they put the end of a hose hanging from a big high-up tank right into a little tank under the engine's tender. The water filled up this little tank and then ran into the big boiler and filled that all up too. And while they were doing this the water kept saying:

"I am water from a stream When I'm hot I turn to steam."

When the engine felt his boiler full of water he asked eagerly:

"Now I have water, Now do I know How I should go?"

But the fireman said:

"All in good time, my engine, Steady, steady, 'Til you're ready, Learn to know Before you go."

Then he said to the engineer, "Now we must give our engine some coal."

So they filled the tender with coal, and then under the boiler the fireman built a fire. Then the fireman began blowing and the coals began glowing. And as he built the fire, the fire said:

"I am fire, The coal I eat To make the heat To turn the stream Into the steam."

When the engine felt the sleeping fire wake up and begin to live inside him and turn the water into steam he said eagerly:

"Now I have water, Now I have coal, Now do I know How I should go?"

But the engineer said:

"All in good time, my engine, Steady, steady, 'Til you're ready.

Learn to know Before you go."

Then he said to the fireman, "We must oil our engine well." So they took oil cans with funny long noses and they oiled all the machinery, the piston-rods, the levers, the wheels, everything that moved or went round. And all the time the oil kept saying:

"No creak, No squeak."

When the engine felt the oil smoothing all his machinery, he said eagerly:

"Now I have water, Now I have coal, Now I am oiled, Now do I know How I should go?"

But the fireman said:

"All in good time, my engine, Steady, steady, 'Til you're ready.

Learn to know Before you go."

Then he said to the engineer, "We must give our engine some sand." So they took some sand and they filled the sand domes on top of the boiler so that he could send sand down through his two little pipes and sprinkle it in front of his wheels when the rails were slippery. And all the time the sand kept saying:

"When ice drips, And wheel slips, I am sand Close at hand."

When the new engine felt his sand-dome filled with sand he said eagerly:

"Now I have water, Now I have coal, Now I am oiled, Now I have sand, Now do I know How I should go?"

But the engineer said:

"All in good time, my engine, Steady, steady, 'Til you're ready.

Learn to know Before you go."

Then he said to the fireman, "We must light our engine's headlight." So the fireman took a cloth and he wiped the mirror behind the light and polished the bra.s.s around it. Then he filled the lamp with oil. Then the engineer struck a match and lighted the lamp and closed the little door in front of it. And all the time the light kept saying:

"I'm the headlight shining bright Like a sunbeam through the night."

Now when the engine saw the great golden path of brightness streaming out ahead of him, he said eagerly:

"Now I have water, Now I have coal, Now I am oiled, Now I have sand, Now I make light, Now do I know How I should go?"

[Ill.u.s.tration]

And the engineer said, "We will see if you are ready, my new engine." So he climbed into the cab and the fireman got in behind him. Then he said, "Engine, can you blow your whistle so?" And he pulled a handle which let the steam into the whistle and the engine whistled (who wants to be the whistle?) "Toot, toot, toot." Then he said, "Can you puff smoke and stuff?" And the engine puffed black smoke (who wants to be the smoke?), saying, "Puff, puff, puff, puff, puff." Then he said, "Engine, can you squirt a stream of steam?" And he opened a valve (who wants to be the steam?) and the engine went, "Szszszszsz." Then he said, "Engine, can you sprinkle sand?" And he pulled a little handle (who wants to be the sand?) and the sand trickled drip, drip, drip, down on the tracks in front of the engine's wheels. Then he said, "Engine, does your light shine out bright?" And he looked (who wants to be the headlight?) and there was a great golden flood of light on the track in front of him.

Then he said, "Engine, can you make the sound of your wheels going round?" And he pulled another lever and the great wheels began to move (who wants to be the wheels?) Then the engineer said:

"Now is the time, Now is the time.

Steady, steady, Now you are ready.

Blow whistle, ring bell, puff smoke, hiss steam, sprinkle sand, shine light, turn wheels!

'Tis time to be ringing and singing the song, The humming song of the engine coming, The clear, near song of the engine here, The knowing song of the engine going."

Then whistle blew, bell rang, smoke puffed, steam hissed, sand sprinkled, light shone and wheels turned like this: (Eventually the children can do this together, each performing his chosen part.)

"Toot-toot, ding-a-ding, puff-puff, Szszszszsz, drip-drip, chug-chug."

(After a moment stop the children)

That's the way the new engine sounded when he started on his first ride and didn't know how to do things very well. But that's not the way he sounded when he had learned to go really smooth and fast. Then it was that he learned _really_ to sing "The Knowing Song of the Engine." He sang it better than any one else for he became the fastest, the steadiest, the most knowing of all express engines. And this is the song he sang. You could hear it humming on the rails long before he came and hear it humming on the rails long after he had pa.s.sed. Now listen to the song.