Nora’s Animal Train

Nora and Ben made a toy animal train on the garden path. A wooden engine stood at the front. Behind it were three little wagons. “The animals need places for their journey,” said Nora.

She put a toy bear in the wagon nearest the engine. A rabbit went in the next wagon. A fox went in the last wagon. Ben looked from the engine towards the back of the train.

“Bear is first, rabbit is second and fox is third,” said Ben. Nora pointed to each wagon in the same direction. “First means the one after the engine in our train,” she said. “That helps me know where to start.”

Mum brought a pretend station made from a cardboard box. “Fox needs to get off here,” she said. Nora counted from the back and reached for bear’s wagon. Ben paused. “Let’s check where our counting starts.”

Nora started beside the engine again. “Bear first, rabbit second, fox third.” She found fox in the last wagon. “I counted from the wrong end before,” she said. “Now I know which wagon to open.”

Fox visited the station. The last wagon stayed empty while bear and rabbit waited in theirs. Nora kept all three wagons attached. “The empty wagon still has its place,” she said. “It is still third.”

Then fox climbed back into the last wagon. The train rolled slowly along the path. Ben asked, “Which animal is just before fox?” Nora looked. “Rabbit. And bear is before rabbit.”

At the end of the journey, Nora checked the animals in their wagons once more. Bear, rabbit, fox. “Start at the engine,” she said. “Then bear is first, rabbit is second and fox is third.”