"I would give you a ride on this toy train," said the Engineer in the
cab across from the Fireman, "but you are too large to get in any of the
cars."

"But we aren't!" cried the Tiger. "Come on, Mr. Lion, let's go for a
ride while we have the chance!"

"All right!" agreed the Lion from the Noah's Ark.

So then, in the closet where they had been put away for the night, the
small animals rode up and down the floor in the toy train. The Fireman
made believe piles of coal under the boiler, and the Engineer turned on
the steam and made the cars go. The Fireman rang the bell, and the
Engineer tooted the whistle.

The Nodding Donkey, being rather large, could not fit in the train, but
the other toys were just right, and they had a fine time.

"Perhaps if you climbed up on top of the cars I might give you a ride,"
said the Engineer after he had taken all the Noah's Ark animals on short
trips around the closet floor.

"Oh, thank you; but I might fall off and get my head out of order so it
would not nod," answered the Donkey. "I think I'll just keep quiet this
evening."

"Perhaps you could tell us a story," suggested the Camel. "Tell us the
latest news from North Pole Land, where Santa Claus lives. It is a long
time since we were there."