The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit. Short summary

5 seconds

Peter and Phyllis’ father is arrested. The children, along with their mother, move to a small house in the countryside. There was a railroad next door, where the brother and sister spent a lot of time.

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Robert had two children, Peter and Phyllis. One day their father is falsely accused and taken to the police. The children and their mother are then forced to leave their large house in London and move with their servants to a cottage in the countryside.

The mother does not tell the children about their father’s arrest, saying that he has simply left. There was a railroad not far from their new home, where the children spent a lot of time and got to know other people.

Gradually the children learn to stove, cook, do laundry, and clean. The mother earns money by writing stories and poems. The whole family lives on this money. The children try to help their mother, but they have not yet succeeded. Brother and sister often quarrel, but after a time of common misfortune unites them.

The children learn news from the railroad, help their friends, and believe that their father will return to them. One day they prevent a train wreck and rescue an injured child. After a while, the father is acquitted, and he returns to his family.