덜컹덜컹 밤기차

All Aboard the Night Train

Dad held my hand tight. The station was big and bright. People walked fast with their bags. A voice spoke from high above. "Night train to the sea, track four!" That was our train. My heart went thump, thump, thump. I had never slept on a train. Tonight I would.

The train was long and silver. It hummed like a sleepy cat. A kind man checked our tickets. He smiled and said, "Welcome aboard!"

We found our tiny room inside. It had two beds, up and down. "The top bunk is yours," Dad said. I climbed the little ladder fast. My bed was like a warm shelf. A shelf made just for me! Then the train gave a soft jolt. Slowly, slowly, we began to move.

Lights in the Dark

The window showed the city sliding by. I pressed my nose to the glass. The glass felt cool and smooth. Soon the city lights grew small. The dark fields came out to meet us.

Little lights slid past like fireflies. Some lights were houses on hills. Some were cars on far roads. One town glowed like a bowl of stars. Then it was gone behind us.

High up, the moon came out. It was round and very white. The moon ran along with our train. It jumped over trees and barns. It never once fell behind. "Look, Dad, the moon is racing us!" Dad laughed and rubbed my hair. "Then we should let it win," he said.

The Sounds of the Night

I lay down under the soft blanket. Now I could hear everything. The rails sang a clicking song. Clack-clack, clack-clack, clack-clack. The wheels rolled low and steady. The wind whooshed past my window.

Sometimes a horn called out, long and low. It sounded like a whale in the dark. Far away, a crossing bell rang. Ding, ding, ding, then it faded. Every sound was new to me. But none of them felt scary. They felt like a nighttime band.

Dad's voice came from the bed below. "Are you still awake up there?" "Yes," I whispered back. "The train is singing to me." "Then let it sing you to sleep," he said.

The Rocking Song

The train rocked me side to side. It felt like a slow, gentle boat. My eyes grew heavy and warm. The clicking song went on and on. Clack-clack, clack-clack, soft and low.

I thought about the racing moon. I thought about the firefly lights. The night was carrying us somewhere new. I held my bear a little closer. Then, somewhere between two sounds, I slept.

Morning at the Window

A thin light touched my face. I opened one eye, then two. The window was pink and gold. Morning had come while I slept! Outside, the sea flashed blue and bright.

"Good morning, sleepy one," Dad said. "The train carried you all night long." I smiled at the waking sky. The night train had rocked me to sleep. It had carried me like a friend. And someday soon, I told myself, I would ride it home again.