Toby and the Tunnel of Dark

3-5 min read
8 pages

Toby is a little train who loves nothing more than a good long journey — except when the tracks disappear into a dark, whispering tunnel. With a gentle push from his wise old engine friends, Toby gathers his courage and discovers that even the blackest tunnel keeps a bit of sunshine waiting on the other side. A warm story about bravery, good friends, and believing in yourself, one whistle at a time.

Once, at the busiest railway station you ever saw, there lived a little train named Toby. He was cheerful from cowcatcher to caboose, and he loved to travel more than anything in the world. But Toby had one worry that made his boiler shiver: tunnels. Those dark, narrow, hush-hush places gave him the collywobbles.

Toby's friends, the other trains, wanted to help him be brave. “A tunnel is only a little piece of the journey,” said Bella, a bright red engine polished shiny as an apple. “Roll on through, and I promise — there's always light waiting at the other end.”

Toby wasn't so sure, but he made up his mind to try. As he chugged up to the very first tunnel, his wheels went wibble-wobble and he slowed right down. Then he remembered what Bella had told him. He took one big, deep breath — whoooosh — puffed up his courage, and rolled bravely forward, straight into the dark.

Oh, it was worrisome! The dark seemed to go on and on, and the tunnel walls felt close enough to tickle his sides. But Toby did not stop. On he went, wheels trembling, whistle small. And then — there! Far ahead, a tiny glimmer of light winked at him, little but oh so hopeful.

That glimmer gave Toby wings. He sped up, faster and faster, and burst out of the dark into the warm, golden sunshine — clang-clang, hooray! A great wave of pride and relief washed over him from funnel to footplate. He had done it. He had beaten his fear.

After that day, Toby never dodged a tunnel again. He understood now that a tunnel is only a short stretch of a long adventure, and that he had all the courage he needed tucked right inside him. With every tunnel he rolled through, he grew a little braver, and his fear got left far behind on the tracks.

Soon Toby was famous far and wide as the train who conquered his fear. His courage cheered on all the other trains to face their own worries too — for every journey has its tricky bits, and the important thing is to keep chugging forward.

And so Toby puffed happily onward, choo-choo, traveling the whole wide world and delighting in every single part of his adventures — tunnels most of all.

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Toby and the Tunnel of Dark

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