The Midnight Dream Express

Oliver loved anything with wheels, but trains were his favorite. On his wooden floor sat circles of track, wooden bridges, and bright red cabooses. Yet tonight, beneath the white glow of the moon, something new gleamed across his windowsill.

Thin silver rails curved right past his potted cactus, vanishing behind the curtain.

Oliver crept closer. With a whisper of brakes, a miniature train rolled to a halt. It was no bigger than a loaf of bread, painted midnight blue with polished golden wheels. From its smokestack rose fragrant lavender-scented puffs that made Oliver blink sleepily. Inside the warmly lit passenger cars sat curled-up mice, a dozing badger, and three little chipmunks in flannel nightcaps.

A tiny door clicked open. Out stepped a round hedgehog wearing a brass-buttoned coat and a conductor’s cap perched neatly between his prickles.

"Oh dear, oh whiskers," the hedgehog fretted, tapping a silver pocket watch. "Behind schedule, utterly behind!"

Oliver knelt beside the sill. "Hello. I’m Oliver. What's wrong?"

"Conductor Quill, at your service," the hedgehog said with a polite tip of his cap. "Our bell is gone! The little brass locomotive bell vanished near your desk. Without its clear ting-a-ling, the skyward cloud-bridges won't open, and nobody will get their dreams delivered tonight."

Oliver looked determined. "I can help. My room is big, but I know where everything is."

"First clue," said Conductor Quill, holding up a magnifying glass. "The bell rolled off when we swerved around that mountain of books. It made a curious ringing sound against something hollow."

Oliver thought for a moment. He had left his empty tin lunchbox by the blue rug. He tiptoed over and peered inside. There was no bell, only two shiny pennies and a dusty green marble.

"Not here," Oliver reported, "but look at the dust. There's a tiny trail of glitter leading toward the nightstand."

"Aha! A sparkling trail!" Quill puffed, trotting alongside Oliver's slippers. "The bell was polished with star-wax this morning. It leaves a path!"

They followed the faint shimmer across the carpet until it led straight under Oliver's striped bedtime slipper. Oliver lifted the slipper with extreme care. Sitting right inside was his toy wind-up frog, proudly clutching the golden-yellow bell by its stem.

"Ribbit," said Oliver, chuckling softly. "Mr. Hoppy thought it was a new hat."

"A splendid hat, but a train needs its chime!" Quill chuckled.

Oliver carefully retrieved the little brass bell. But as he tried to hand it over, his thumb slipped. Clink! The bell tumbled, bounced gently off a wool sock, and rolled into the dark crevice beneath the bottom drawer of his dresser. The opening was too narrow for Quill's prickles, and too deep for Oliver's fingers.

"Oh, barnacles," Quill sighed, ears drooping.

Oliver tapped his chin. What was long, thin, and could hook a small loop? He smiled, remembering the wooden railway crane sitting in the middle of his floor. It had a neat little magnetic hook on a string. Oliver gently lifted the crane, angled the wooden arm under the dresser, and reeled out the string.

Click.

The magnet caught the brass collar. Slowly, steadily, Oliver drew the bell out into the moonlight.

"Hooray!" cheered Conductor Quill, dancing a joyful spin. "Brilliant engineering, Oliver!"

Quill hurried up the windowsill and fastened the bell to the train's roof. He gave the rope three brisk tugs.

Ting-a-ling! Ting-a-ling! Ting-a-ling!

High above, outside the glass, soft silver bridges unfurled across the starry sky like ribbons of mist. The lavender steam drifted thick and sweet through the room.

"All aboard for the Land of Dreams!" Quill called softly, climbing onto the train's step. "Thank you, Oliver. Sleep well."

Oliver climbed into his cozy bed and pulled the covers to his chin. With a gentle, rhythmic hum, the Midnight Dream Express glided up the silver tracks and out into the night sky. Oliver closed his heavy eyes, drifting away into peaceful slumber, while the distant, tiny chime whispered across the clouds.