The Mole's Underground Train

The Mole's Underground Train Çınar BİBER

Deep under a green meadow, where tree roots wiggled like sleepy snakes, lived a mole named Monty. His fur was velvety dark grey-brown, and his big pink digging paws were never still. Monty wore brass goggles on his forehead and a leather tool belt with a tiny spade and lantern. He loved to dig. But most of all, Monty loved to dream. He dreamed of a train that could zoom through the dark underground, faster than a beetle and smoother than a raindrop. 1

Every day, Monty dug new tunnels. They twisted and turned under the meadow, past worm castles and beetle homes. He made them just wide enough for his little friends to visit. The rabbits hopped in, the mice scurried, and the hedgehog rolled. But Monty wanted more. He sketched a tiny railway on a leaf, with little tracks and a tiny engine. "One day," he whispered, "I'll build a train that zooms!" 2

Monty worked hard. He laid shiny rails down the tunnels and built a little engine with a bright red chimney. It had tiny wheels and a bell that went ding-ding. His friend Shrew, who was tiny and slender with a soft reddish-brown coat and a blue scarf, watched with bright amber eyes. She carried a small notebook and a pencil tucked behind her ear. "It looks wonderful!" she said. "But will it go?" Monty grinned. "Let's find out!" 3

Monty invited all his friends for the first ride. Rabbit, Mouse, Hedgehog, and Shrew squeezed into the little carriages. Monty pulled the shiny brass lever. The engine puffed and chugged. It rolled slowly, then faster, into the dark tunnel. The friends cheered. "We're moving!" shouted Mouse. The little train rattled and hummed. Monty's heart swelled with pride. His dream was coming true! 4

But the tunnel ahead had a sharp twist. The train tried to turn, but the carriages jammed. Screech! The wheels stuck tight. The friends bumped into each other. "Oh no!" cried Monty. He pulled the lever, but the train wouldn't budge. The dark tunnel felt very dark indeed. Shrew patted his paw. "Don't worry," she said. "Every big idea needs a little testing." 5

Monty climbed out with his lantern. He studied the twisty tunnel. The walls were too narrow, and the turn was too sharp. "The train can't fit through here," he sighed. "I'll have to dig a new tunnel." Shrew opened her small notebook. She drew a wide, smooth curve. "What if the tunnel was wider and smoother?" she said. "Then the train could glide around the corner." Monty's eyes lit up. "That's a brilliant idea!" 6

Monty dug and dug. His big pink paws scooped out soft earth. He made the tunnel wider and the corners gentle and round. Shrew measured with her pencil and called out, "A little more to the left!" Rabbit and Hedgehog carried away loose soil. Mouse polished the rails. By sunset, the new tunnel was ready. Monty wiped his brow. "Let's test it again tomorrow!" 7

The next morning, Monty tested the train. It chugged through the new tunnel, smooth as silk. But at the next bend, the engine slowed. The rails were bumpy. "Hmm," said Monty. "The tracks need fixing." He and Shrew worked together. They straightened the rails and tapped them tight. Shrew wrote in her notebook: Bumpy rails make a bumpy ride. Monty nodded. "Testing shows us what to fix!" 8

They tested again. The train zoomed faster, but then it wobbled on a steep slope. The carriages swayed. "Whoa!" cried Mouse. Monty stopped the train. "The slope is too steep," he said. Shrew sketched a gentler hill. "Let's make it a slow rise," she suggested. Monty dug and smoothed the slope. He tested the train again and again. Each time, he found one more thing to fix. 9

Sometimes the train got stuck. Sometimes the bell wouldn't ring. But Monty never gave up. He kept his goggles on and his lantern close. Shrew wrote down every problem in her notebook. "Problem: loose wheel. Fix: tighten." "Problem: squeaky brake. Fix: oil." The friends helped. They pushed, pulled, and cheered. Every test made the railway better. 10

Finally, Monty tested the whole railway from start to finish. The train rolled out of the station. It zoomed through the wide, smooth tunnel. It glided around the gentle curves. It climbed the slow rise and chugged down the other side. The bell went ding-ding! Monty laughed. "We did it!" Shrew hugged him. "You did it," she said. "We just helped." 11

Monty learned that big ideas need careful testing. Each problem was like a puzzle. Shrew's notebook was full of fixes. "Testing isn't a failure," she said. "It's how we make things work." Monty nodded. "And good friends help," he said. He gave Shrew a tiny brass bell for her scarf. She gave him a new page in her notebook: Next big idea? 12

The next day, all the animals came for the first official ride. The train was polished and ready. Monty wore his goggles and a proud smile. Rabbit, Mouse, Hedgehog, and Shrew climbed aboard. The engine puffed. The bell rang. The train zoomed through the dark underground, fast and happy. Every tunnel was smooth. Every curve was gentle. The friends cheered and waved. 13

Word spread through the meadow. "Have you heard about Monty's train?" asked the rabbits. "It zooms like a dragonfly!" said the mice. Soon, animals came from all around to ride the underground railway. Monty was happy to share his dream. He and Shrew ran the railway together. Shrew kept the timetable and sold tiny tickets. Monty drove the train and kept the tunnels smooth.