The Little Engine Who Could

I was at the Tellin’ Tales writing workshop and a prompt was “A story that has failed me is           .” My first instinct was, of course, Easter Bunny, Kill! Kill! People with CP can dress up as the Easter Bunny and kill their abusers with power tools themselves. They don’t need their mothers to do it for them.

Then I remembered another story.

A story that has failed me is The Little Engine That Could. How did the little engine know that he could? Or was it just the narrator assuming that he could? Also, just because the engine could doesn’t mean he should. I feel that these narratives are problematic and harmful to the engine community. What if an engine doesn’t think he can, and he actually can’t? Then the other engines will use The Little Engine That Could to encourage him. Then the engine will fail, the train will crash, and people will die. Does The Little Engine That Could really want all that blood on its hand?

The Little Engine That Could is the most toxic story since Goldilocks. But that’s another discussion.

Nobody has every explained how the ending knew that he could. Did he have a mechanical inspection? Did he already know how the story ends?

My children will never hear that story. I’ve been thinking of a new one.

The Little Engine Who Thinks Other People Should Mind Their Own Business.