Every once in a while, I read “The Little Engine That Could” to my daughter. (It’s not fun, so I wouldn’t recommend it. Even my daughter doesn’t like the story; she just digs the illustrations.)
Whenever people talk about that book, the point seems to be that the little engine was so great. She thought she could do it, she gave it her all, and she made it happen.
Ok, fine.
But you know, that engine does her work only a few pages before the end of the book. She deserves her day in the sun, but I think the real hero of the story is the clown.
You have no idea what I’m talking about.
The clown is one of the toys that needs to get over the mountain. The original engine breaks, so he flags down one, then two, then three engines, who all turn him down. But does he give up? No.
Finally, the FOURTH one he flags down agrees to give it a try (and then gets all the credit).
This clown is a rock, man! Each time that the other toys are sad and crying, he pulls it together. He’s the most valuable player here, not some engine who says “I think I can” a few times on the 5th to the last page of a 35 page book.
And by the way, he’s apparently “the funniest little toy clown you ever saw.” I mean, he’s got it all.
So next time this book comes up for a reading in your book club, make sure the clown gets his due.
Way to fight for the little guy with the big hair. Good point and lesson though! Think the clown gets a raise for being a team player?
No raise, but he’s probably just happy that everything worked out for the good little boys and girls on the other side of the mountain.
While I agree with your assesment of the clown’s contribution, I still think that when the clown finally got over the hill he probably scared the crap out of all the little boys and girls. Perhaps the clown was motivated by evil, as I think most clowns are.