THE RAILWAY CHILDREN -SYNOPSIS

Roberta(Bobbie), Peter and Phyllis lived in a comfortable home in London. Their father
was a civil servant while their mother was a housewife.Their parents were wonderful
and kind people. They also had a maid to do the house work.
ne day, two !entlemen came to the house to see their father. "oon after, he followed
them out.#e was taken to prison. #e was accused of bein! a Russian spy. The children
did not know why their father left with the two men but their mother knew. "he kept it
to herself and did not tell the children.
"oon, they had to move to a modest cotta!e in the $orkshire countryside. The cotta!e
was situated near a railway station. The children%s life revolved around the passin!
trains, workers at the station and the towns people.
Their mother wrote some stories to earn some money to buy food and for other
necessities. &t was hard at first to be poor but they soon learned to live with the little
they had.
They learned not to steal coal from the railway station even if they have so little coal to
keep warm. Their life was full of adventures. 'or instance, they mana!ed to stop a train
when a landslide covered the tracks. They found the in(ured boy (hound) in the train
tunnel and mana!ed to !et help for him.
They liked to wave at passin! trains. &n time they made many new friends and for!ed a
special friendship with one old !entleman in particular. The old !entleman !ets to
know them and helps them in various ways.
#e becomes instrumental in the release of their father from prison.'inally, one day
their father returns home and everybody is happy that now they are to!ether a!ain.
THE RAILWAY CHILDREN-CHARACTER
RB)RT* (BBB&))
Roberta is +, years old. "he has a brother named Peter and a youn!er
sister named Phyllis."he is fondly known as Bobbie in this novel. "he is
the eldest of the three. ne of her characters is, she is a very persistent
person."he doesn%t easily throw in the towel when the odds seem to be
a!ainst her.
There are many incidences in the novel where we can see herpersistence.
'or e-ample,in chapter . (pa!e +/ 0 para!raph 1 0 lines +0.),we can see how determined
she was in !ettin! the thin!s necessary for her mother%s recovery when her mother
was ill. #er persistence paid off when the old !entleman !ave the thin!s needed for her
mother%s recovery.
&n chapter 2 (pa!e .3 0 read the whole pa!e), Perks was not happy with people !ivin!
him presents.#e was worried that people would lau!h and make fun of
him.Bobbie persistently reasoned with Perks about the !ood intentions of the villa!e
people !ivin! him the presents untill he relented and accepted the !ifts.'inally, Perks
celebrated his birthday with a happy note.
&n chapter / (p! 4, 0 the whole pa!e), she did not !ive up in findin! a way to help
secure her father%s release from prison. "he was persistent even when her mother had
!iven up. "he secretly wrote a letter to her friend the old !entleman askin! for his help
to clear her father%s name.&n the end her father was released from prison.
*Brave - Chapter 5, Chapter 7, Chapter 8
*Kindhearted - Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 8
*Responsible - Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5
*Moral - we mst not easil! "ive p when thin"s seem impossible# $e mst %eep
tr!in" b! &indin" means and wa!s to ma%e the impossible possible li%e Roberta#
P)T)R
Peter is Roberta%s brother. #e is the second child in the family. Peter is
a very brave and smart youn! chap. #e wants to be an en!ineer when
he !rows up. #e has a knack for railway en!ines. #e
was over(oyed when his father !ave him a steam en!ine for his
birthday.ne distinct character of Peter is sharp-witted (intelli!ent).
&n 5hapter 1 (p,6 0 p4 0 lines +0.), &t was he who !ave the idea of usin!
somethin! red in colour to wave and stop the train from meetin! a certain
disaster.#e cut his sisters% red petticoats into si- pieces and put them on to sticks.Peter
to!ether with his sisters waved at the comin! train until it stopped.
&n 5hapter 2 (p! .2 0 p+ 0 lines +0.), Peter was honest in !ivin! the idea of askin! the
villa!e people to !ive !ifts for Perk%s birthday.#e told his mother about their true
intention of !ivin! Perks the presents.7any people !ave !ifts for Perks birthday party.
&n 5hapter , (p! +, 0 p . 0 lines +0.), we can see the darin" side of Peter. #e was darin!
enou!h to steal coal from the railway station at ni!ht but he did it i"norantl!.
Peterinno'entl! thou!ht it was alri!ht to take some coal from the station. &n 5hapter 3
(p42 0 p+ 0 lines +04 8 p! 4/ 0 p, 0 lines +04), we can see how brave Peter was in
searchin! for the boy in the red shirt in the dark tunnel.#e was shakin! in fear but still he
continued the search for the boy with his sisters.
P#$LL&"
Phyllis is the youn!est child in the family. "he is the cutest of the
three."he is 9uite a bubbly character. "he is very naive and insecure."he
is also very sensitive but easily for!ivin!.&n 5hapter 1 (p,6,.: ; .+), we
can see the brave side of Phyllis. "he to!ether with her elder sister and
brother mana!ed to stop the train from meetin! with a terrible accident.
&n 5hapter + (p/ 0 p+ 0 last line), Phyllis felt very insecure when they moved in to their
new house at the countyside.
<hile in 5hapter 2 (p! .3 0 p+;,),Phyllis became very sensitivewhen Perks refused to
accept the !ifts the children had brou!ht to him. "he was so hurt by Perks%s words
that she started to cry.&n 5hapter 4,1,2 and 3 we can see how lovin!, carin! and helpful
Phyllis is.
7T#)R

7other is a homely type.<e can read this in 5hapter + (pa!e + 0
para!raph , 0 lines +0.). "he spends most of her time at home,
playin! with the children or readin! stories to them.=sually she
read the stories she wrote to them."he is a very protective woman.
"he protected her children from worryin! or feelin! sad about their
father. "he did this by not tellin! them what actually had happened
to their father. "he also told them that they need to play bein! poor
for a while in order not to cause more an-iety on them.
&n chapter , (p+, 0 p! + 0 lines ,0.), we can see how resourceful she
is. 7other wrote stories and sold them to put some food on the
table.
&n chapter 4 (p,+ 0 p! . 0 lines +0.), we can see that 7other is a very proud person.
*lthou!h they were poor, she stron!ly discoura!es her children from tellin! people that
they are poor and askin! stran!ers to help them.
"he is also a very carin! and lovin! 7other.&n 5hapter + (p+ 0 p, 0 lines +0.), 7other
was always ready to play with her chlidren. "he also read stories to them. <hereas
in 5hapter 6 ( p1. 0 p+ 0 lines ,04), she tau!ht her children their lessons as they have
stopped !oin! to school for some time now.&n 5hapter 3 (p1: 0 p+ 0 lines 306) , she took
in the in(ured boy into her house and nursed him to health.
'*T#)R
The children%s father worked in a !overnment ofiice. #e was a civil servant.
#e was an honest and hardworkin! man. #e was wron!ly accused of bein!
a Russian spy and was sentenced to 1 years in prison.&n 5hapter + (p! + 0 p
. 0 lines ,04),we can see how tolerant and wonderful he is. #e never !ets
an!ry at the children nor at his wife. The children love their father very
much for he is always happy and ready to play !ames with them.&n 5hapter + (p! . 0 p+
0 lines +0.), when Peter showed him his broken steam en!ine, father looked at
it 'are&ll! and smilin"l! told Peter that there is hope(optimisti') that his steam
en!ine could be repaired.#e is also a !rateful man. &n 5hapter 6 (p! 1/ 0 *+es,,said
-ather#,.t,s him . mst than%#,). 'ather was "rate&l for his release and wanted
to than% the old !entleman for helpin! him to clear his name and secure his release
from prison.
THE RAILWAY CHILDREN - Themes
There are rou!hly ten themes in this novel. They are as stated below >0
1.The Importance Of A Family - The family bond between the
characters in this novel is very strong. For example, in chapter 1,
mother was always at home spending time with the children. She
played with them and read stories to them. Mother also read
stories which she wrote to them after tea. Moreover, the children had a
wonderful father who was never angry, and was always ready to play a
game with them.The children loved their father and never forgot him though they
never taled much about him. !obbie, "eter and "hyllis were always together be it
at the railway line, the railway station and even when they collected gifts for
"ers.
2.Hope and Optimism - The children#s father was always optimistic
that things would be fine.For example, when "eter showed him his
broen toy steam engine, father looed at it and optimistically
assured "eter that he would mend it.!obbie had high hopes that the
old gentleman would be able to help her to see the truth about her
father#s innocence. The old gentleman helped !obbie in her $uest because he had
hopes that her father was innocent.
3.Bravery -!obbie, "eter and "hyllis are brave children.
They rised their lives to stop a train from accident. "eter
and "hyllis waved their flags by standing along the railway
line while !obbie ran on to the line waving her falgs. The
children aslo showed bravery when they entered the dar
tunnel to loo for the boy in the red shirt.Mother stayed
calm and brave for the chlidren#s sae while her husband
was away in prison.

%.The &oys 'f (hildhood
).*indness !rings +eward
,.The -oss 'f .nnocence
/.&ustice Shall "revail
0.(oping 1ith 2ardship
3.+esourceful 4nd .nnovative
15.6aivety
THE RAILWAY CHILDREN-MORAL VALUE
There are some beautiful moral values 8 lessons we can see and learn from this novel.
The moral values 8 lessons are BR*?), @&AB#)*RT)B, "T)*L&AC &" <RAC,
P)R")?)R*A5) (A)?)R C&?&AC =P), ")A"&BL) (D=&5@ T#&A@&AC),
")A"&T&?) (AT ")L'&"#), #A)"T$ and 'R&)ABL$. &n this post, & will share
three of them.
7oral ?alue + 0 Brave
Example : &n chapter 1, the children mana!ed to save the train
and stop a very bad accident from happenin!.ne day, Roberta,
Peter and Phyllis saw a landslide which blocked the railway
line.The !irls used their red petticoats to make fla!s.The train
was movin! very fast.Bobbie braved herself and ran on to the
railway line and waved her fla!s.The train finally stopped (ust
twenty metres from Bobbie. The children%s bravery saved the people on the rain from
meetin! with an awful accident and from !ettin! killed.
7oral ?alue , 0 Kindhearted
)-ample > &n chapter ., the children%s mother was ill and had to stay in
bed. Br 'orrest came to check on their mother and told Bobbie her mother
needed milk and fruit and some other special thin!s to eat in order to !et
well. They couldn%t afford to buy them, so the children decided to ask help
from the old !entleman. The old !entleman was a kind enou!h to provide
them with all the thin!s they had asked and some they had not.
7oral ?alue . 0 Stealing Is Wrong
)-ample > &n chapter ,, Peter and his two sisters stole some coal from the
station yard. They took the coal back to their house.ne day, the station
master cau!ht Peter red handed stealin! coal in the station yard.Peter and
his two sisters admitted to helpin! Peter with his crime. The station master
warned them not to repeat it a!ain and let them !o. The children realised
that stealin! was wron!. They repented and never took any coal from the
station yard a!ain.
PLOT SUMMARY : THE RAILWAY CHILDREN
CHAPTER 1: THE BEGINNING OF THINGS
One night at their home in London, father, mother, Roerta!a"#o $no%n a# Boie&,
Peter and Ph'""i# are ta"$ing ao(t Peter)# ro$en mode" engine %hen there i# a $no*$
on the front door+ T%o gent"emen *ome to #ee father and ta"$ for a "ong time+ Father
#,ea$# rief"' %ith mother and m'#terio(#"' "ea-e# home+ The ne.t morning, mother
"ea-e# for London and ret(rn# in the e-ening, "oo$ing tired+ She re/(e#t# the *hi"dren
to e good %hi"e #he i# a%a' and not to a#$ an' /(e#tion ao(t father+ Se-era" horrid
%ee$# ,a## ' and one morning, mother te""# the *hi"dren that the' are mo-ing to a
"itt"e %hite ho(#e near rai"%a' "ine in the *o(ntr'+ The' ta$e the train and arri-e at their
ne% home in the dar$+
CHAPTER 2: PETER AND THE COAL
The fami"' do not get a de*ent #(,,er a# the' thin$ 0r#+ 1ine' ha# not ,re,ared it for
them+ 0other ,re,are# %hat #he *an and off the' go to ed+ The ne.t morning, the
*hi"dren %a$e (, fee"ing e.*ited in their ne% home+ The' di#*o-er that a near' fie"d
a*$# onto a rai"%a' "ine (t the rai"%a' #tation i# too far to #ee from %here the' are+
Before #(,,er the *hi"dren de*ide# to go to the rai"%a' #tation+ The' ha-e a "ot to #ee
and a "arge hea, of *oa" *at*he# Peter)# attention+ 2hen Peter #tea"# *oa" from the
#tation 'ard, he i# *a(ght ' the Station 0a#ter+ Peter thin$# that ta$ing #ome *oa"#
from the midd"e of the hea, i# harm"e##+ The Station 0a#ter %arn# them that %hat the'
ha-e done i# #tea"ing e*a(#e the *oa" e"ong# to the rai"%a' #tation+ It i# on"' then
the' rea"i3e %hat the' ha-e done i# %rong+
CHAPTER 3: THE OLD ENTLEMAN
B' no% the *hi"dren $no% the time %hen the train# ,a##+ E-er' morning, the' %i"" %a-e
to an o"d gent"eman %ho a"%a'# %a-e# a*$ at them+ The' ,retended that the o"d man
$no%# their father and ta$e# their "o-e to him in London+ One da', their mother
e*ome# -er' i"" and Boie re#o"-e# to do #omething ,o#iti-e to he",+ The *hi"dren
,aint the %ord#, 4LOO5 O6T AT THE STATION7 on a "arge %hite #heet and %a-e it at
the 8+19 train the ne.t da'+ 2hen the train i# ao(t read' to "ea-e, Ph'""i# ,a##e# a
"etter to the O"d Gent"eman+ In the e-ening, a "arge o. of #(,,"ie# i# de"i-ered to the
*hi"dren %ith a"" the thing# the' ha-e a#$ed for+
CHAPTER !: "O""IE#S RIDE
2hen their mother fina""' re*o-er# from her i""ne##, the' *onfe## to her %hat the' ha-e
done ear"ier+ The fami"' "ater *e"erate# Boie)# 1:
th
irthda', a"" dre##ed in their e#t+
Boie re*ei-e# -ario(# ,re#ent# from the fami"' in*"(ding Peter %ho re"(*tant"' ha# to
gi-e her the ro$en ha"f of hi# to' train fi""ed %ith #%eet#+ Her "o-e"' irthda' ,art'
ho%e-er end# on a #ad note %hen #he rea"i3e# that her mother i# -er' (,#et "ater that
night+ Boie #e*ret"' %ant# to re,air Peter)# ro$en train+ She goe# to the #tation and
a**identa""' get# into the engine of one of the train#+ Fee"ing #*ared, #he #ee$# he",
from t%o rai"%a' %or$er#+ The t%o men not on"' re,air the to' (t a"#o ma$e #(re #he
arri-e# home #afe"'+ 2ee$# "ater, Boie introd(*e# Peter and Ph'""i# to the friend"'
engine dri-er and ;im, the fireman+
CHAPTER $: SAVIN THE TRAIN
The *hi"dren %itne## a "and#"ide that *o-er# the rai"%a' "ine+ The *hi"dren ,re-ent an
imminent a**ident ' %a-ing the gir"#) red ,etti*oat#+ The train *ome# to re#t <(#t in
time, at ao(t t%ent' metre# from %here Boie #tand# on the tra*$#+ 2ee$# "ater, a
*eremon' i# he"d at the #tation to *ommemorate the *hi"dren)# ra-er'+ The O"d
Gent"eman ,re#ent# the *hi"dren %ith a go"d %at*h ea*h and meet# their mother at
home+ The *hi"dren re"a' that e-entf(" da' to their mother+

CHAPTER %: A "IRTHDAY &OR PER'S
THE CHIL=REN)S 0OTHER HAS ;6ST SOL= A STOR> AN= S6GGESTS HA1ING
SO0E CA5ES FOR TEA+ BOBBIE RE?6ESTS THAT THE> HA1E IT ON PER5S)S
BIRTH=A> AN= 0OTHER AGREES+ PETER CO0ES 6P 2ITH AN I=EA TO AS5
THE 1ILLAGERS FOR LITTLE GIFTS, CONFI=ENT THAT THE> 2ILL GI1E
SO0ETHING TO A PERSON AS NICE AS PER5S+ SO0E OF THE 1ILLAGERS ARE
=ELIGHTE= 2ITH THE I=EA B6T OTHERS, S6CH AS 0RS+ RANSO0E SI0PL>
BR6SHES THE0 OFF+ THE THREE CHIL=REN, HO2E1ER, GO HO0E AN=
COLLECT SE1ERAL ROSES FOR 0RS+ RANSO0E SINCE IT IS HER BIRTH=A>+
THAT 5IN= GEST6RE TO6CHES 0RS+ RANSO0E)S HEART AN= SHE GI1ES THE
CHIL=REN SE1ERAL APPLES AS 2ELL AS HER =EA= GRAN=CHIL=)S PRA0
FOR PER5S)S SON+ THE CHIL=REN BRING THE GIFTS TO PER5S)S HO6SE AN=
2AIT FOR HIS ARRI1AL SO AS TO S6RPRISE HI0+ IN SPITE OF THIS, PER5S
BECO0ES 6PSET AS HE SEES THE GIFTS AS A FOR0 OF CHARIT>+ THE
CHI=REN E@PLAIN THAT THESE GIFTS ARE GI1EN SINCEREL> AN= PER5S
RELENTS+ HE AS5S THE THREE CHIL=REN TO STA> FOR TEA+
CHAPTER (: THE TERRI"LE SECRET
BOBBIE =ISCO1ERS THE REASON FOR HER FATHER)S =ISAPPEARANCE
2HEN SHE REA=S THE NE2SPAPER ARTICLE+ =EEPL> 6PSET, SHE REF6SES
TO BELIE1E THAT HE IS A SP> AN= IS I0PRISONE=+ HER 0OTHER ATTE0PTS
TO E@PLAIN THAT HER FATHER HAS BEEN FALSEL> ACC6SE= OF SELLING
GO1ERN0ENT SECRETS TO ANOTHER CO6NTR>+ BOBBIE BELIE1ES IN HER
FATHER)S INNOCENCE AN= =ECI=ES TO 2TITE TO THE OL= GENTLE0AN TO
CLEAR HIS NA0E+
CHAPTER ): THE "OY IN THE RED SHIRT
THE BO> IN RE= GOES 0ISSING =6RING A AHARE AN= HO6N=S) GA0E
ORGANISE= B> THIER SCHOOL+ BOBBIE AN= HER SIBLINGS ENTER THE =AR5
RAIL2A> T6NNEL TO LOO5 FOR HI0+ THE> FIN= HI0 L>ING B> THE RAIL2A>
TRAC5 2ITH A BRO5EN LEG+ BOBBIE STA>S 2ITH THE IN;6RE= BO>, ;I0, IN
THE =AR5 T6NNEL 2HILE PETER AN= PH>LLIS SEE5 HELP FOR0 THE FAR0+
THE CHIL=REN TA5E ;I0 HO0E FOR 0E=ICAL ATTENTION+ THE> LATER
LEARN THAT ;I0 IS THE GRAN=CHIL= OF THE OL= GENTLE0AN 2HO0 THE>
HA1E 0ET EARLIER+ THE OL= GENTLE0AN 1ISITS THE LITTLE 2HITE HO6SE
2HERE ;I0 IS TA5EN CARE OF+ 0OTHER OFFERS HERSELF TO TA5E CARE OF
;I0 6NTIL HE GETS BETTER+ THE OL= GENTLE0AN IS GRATEF6L TO THE
FA0IL>+ 2HEN THE OL= GENTLE0AN LEA1ES THE HO6SE, HE HAS A PRI1ATE
CHAT 2ITH BOBBIE ABO6T HER FATHER+ HE SA>S THAT HE HAS RECEI1E=
THE LETTER AN= HAS BEEN LOO5ING INTO THE CASE+ HE BELIE1ES THAT
HER FATHER IS INNOCENT+
CHAPTER *: THE MAN AT THE STATION
THE CHIL=REN 2A1E AT THE PASSING 8+19 TRAIN AN= ALL THE PASSENGERS
RESPON=+ AT THE STATION, AN O1ER;O>E= 0R+ PER5S, 2HO HAS REA=
ABO6T BOBBIE)S FATHER IN THE NE2SPAPER, GREETS HER+ A LON=ON
TRAIN STOPS AT THE STATION AN= BOBBIE SEES HER FATHER RET6RN AFTER
SER1ING HIS SENTENCE IN PRISON+ THE> RET6RN HO0E HAPP> AN=
RE6NITE=+