Once upon a time, there was a boy named Max who lived in a small village. Max loved trains and he would spend hours watching trains pass by the station. One day, Max decided to take a trip to the big city to visit his grandparents.

Max packed his bag and headed to the train station, but just as he was about to catch the train, he realized he had forgotten his favorite toy - a teddy bear named Mr. Snuggles. Max was so upset that he started to cry. Just then, a kind old lady approached him and asked what was wrong. Max told her about his toy and the old lady offered to help.

The old lady and Max ran back to his house to retrieve Mr. Snuggles. They made it back to the train station just in time to see the train pulling away from the platform. Max was worried that he would miss the train, but the old lady had a plan. She told Max that there was a secret bar on the train where the conductor hung out. The old lady said that if they could make it to the bar, they could convince the conductor to stop the train and let them catch it.

Max and the old lady ran to the end of the platform and found a ladder that led to the roof of the train. They climbed up and made their way to the bar car. When they got there, they found the conductor sipping on a cup of tea. The old lady explained the situation to the conductor and asked him to stop the train. The conductor was so impressed by Max's bravery that he agreed to make an exception and stop the train.

Max and the old lady made it back to the train and settled into their seats. The rest of the journey was filled with plenty of adventures and fun. Max was grateful to the old lady for helping him catch the train and he made sure to give Mr. Snuggles a big hug. From that day on, Max knew that anything was possible if you had a kind heart and a little bit of determination.

And that's the story of how Max returned from his trip with a brand new adventure under his belt. The end.

Reflections

1. Who is Max and what does he love to do?
2. What does Max forget before he takes the train to the big city?
3. Who helps Max get back to the train station?
4. How do Max and the old lady catch the train?
5. What kind of adventures did Max have on the train?
6. What did Max learn from this experience?
7. How did the conductor react when Max and the old lady asked him to stop the train?
8. Why do you think the old lady wanted to help Max?
9. What do you think will happen to Max and Mr. Snuggles in their future adventures?
10. If you were Max, what would you do differently next time?