Chapter 4: A Cozy Caboose

"That was so much fun!" Lila smiled as they all sat down near the play area.

Charlie Brown smiled. "Sure was, Lila." he said, holding Heather's hand.

"Hard to believe there's a caboose in the park." Sally said.

"How'd it get there?" Eudora asked, removing her beanie from her eyes.

Barney gave a smile "You know, Eudora, our caboose wasn't always in the park. It used to be part of a real train."

"REALLY?!" Eudora's eyes widened.

"If you think about it, you can imagine what it looked like at the end of a long, long train." Barney added.

"I'm imagining a beautiful rainbow colored train." Lila declared.

"I'm imagining an all red train!" Linus said.

"The conductor would call ALL BOARD." Barney chuckled.

"ALL ABOARD!" Kami declared.

The kids were shocked "Whoa..."

"You're getting good at that." Mario said.

"She IS!" Schroeder commented.

Barney chuckled some more. "And up front, the engineer would blow the whistle."

Just then, a whistle sound blew.

"How did you do that?!" Lila gasped "It came from thin air."

"The wonderful mysteries of Barney magic strike again." Snoopy thought to himself as he laughed and let Lila pet him.

"And off they go, hurrying down the tracks." Barney narrated. "Riding past cities and trees and sparkling blue lakes and great big mountains! And after working hard for years and years, this caboose ended up in our park for everyone to enjoy."

Angela smiled "And I'm glad it did."

"It's not as cool as the treehouse, but I think it's starting to grow on me..." Sally told Eudora.

"Kami, since you're the conductor for today, what would you like us to do next?" Barney asked.

"I think we should all clean up that old caboose, so it'll look just like new!" Kami smiled, with most of the kids happily agreeing.

"I think that's a stupendous idea!" Barney smiled while Lucy frowned.

"Cleaning? On a school free Friday?!" Lucy exclaimed before glaring at Kami. "Do I look like a maid?!" Just then, her clothes were magically swapped with a maid's uniform.

"Now you do!" Lila giggled. Lucy gasped as she saw what happened before seeing Barney snicker.

"Just a little Barney magic humor." Barney giggled.

Lucy wanted to yell, but instead smiled and giggled. "OK, that was funny!" Lucy laughed.

"Let me change you back." Barney smiled before using his magic to give Lucy her regular clothes back.

"Let's get started, gang!" Linus smiled as the kids got to work.

Barney, Barney's Friends, and Peanuts Gang:

I've been workin' on the railroad,

All the live long day.

I've been workin' on the railroad,

Just to pass the time away.

Can't you hear the whistle blowing?

Rise up so early in the morn.

Can't you hear the captain shouting

"Dinah, blow your horn?"

"This is going perfect guys!" Heather smiled.

"Not a bad way to start spending time in the new park." Marcie grinned.

Barney, Barney's Friends, and Peanuts Gang:

I've been workin' on the railroad,

All the live long day.

I've been workin' on the railroad,

Just to pass the time away.

Can't you hear the whistle blowing?

Rise up so early in the morn.

Can't you hear the captain shouting

"Dinah, blow your horn?"

The kids, animals, and dinosaur then walked back into the caboose. "Conductor Kami, can we please take a break?" Peppermint Patty panted, exhausted.

"Lemme check the watch." Kami replied. "Hmmm, you're right, Patricia. I think it's time for all of us to take a break."

"It is good to have a break after hard work." Barney said.

"Glad we agree." Peppermint Patty smiled as she and Marcie climbed onto the couch.

Linus smiled and looked around "I see Mr. Boyd gave the caboose a little furnishing already."

"Mm hmmm..." Marcie replied, nuzzling up to Peppermint Patty.

"So are you having a good time being a conductor, Kami?" wondered Sally.

Kami smiled "I sure am."

"That's good."

Kami smiled "You guys have good ideas." She told Sally.

"You're not the first to tell us that." Sally smiled.

Lucy chimed in "If you have a pretty face, you're known for your good ideas."

"Thanks." Heather replied, with a smirk. Angela and Scott laughed at that.

"Barney?" Lila said.

"Yes?" asked Barney.

"This caboose is SUPER DEE DUPER!" she declared.

"I'm glad you like it."

"I love it!" Lila gave a happy smile before seeing Peppermint Patty and Marcie having fallen asleep together "Hmmm..." she motioned over to Lucy, Angela and Kami.

"Do they always cuddle up like that?" Angela asked, with a smile.

"When they're not at each others' throats." Lila said.

"Nice." Kami said.

"I know how to their attention in less than 10 seconds." Lucy boasted.

"You do?" Mario asked.

"Yes I do." Lucy replied.

"Don't do anything you'll regret." Barney warned.

"I won't..." Lucy said.

Charlie Brown and Heather watched. "She will." Heather whispered.

Lucy then found a whistle, tiptoed over to where they were sleeping and then blew it, waking Peppermint Patty and Marcie up!

"AHHHH!" Marcie screamed in terror.

"The answer is 6!" Peppermint Patty exclaimed before seeing Lucy snickering. "Lucille…"

"What?" Lucy smiled innocently before noticing the lantern the toy Conductor was holding. "Barney, what's this thing the conductor's holding?"

"That's a railroad lantern and it looks like this one!" Barney smiled as he picked it up and magically turned it on.

"Nice." Lucy smiled.

"It goes white...green and red..." Barney added. "At night, the conductor would use these lights to tell the conductor different things. But during the day, he would use colored flags like these instead."

"What does each flag mean?" Kami wondered.

"A red flag means stop the train." Barney began. "A white flag means go-"

"HOLD THE PHONE! GREEN MEANS GO! YELLOW MEANS SLOW AND RED MEANS STOP, STOP, STOP! WHY IS WHITE GO? WHAT DOES GREEN MEAN?!" Sally beckoned.

"We're getting there." Barney said "The green flag means go slowly."

"Now I've heard it all!" the six-year-old declared.

"Let's try it!" Patty Swanson smiled as the kids got up to play.

"Red flag! Stop!" Barney said as they did just that. "White flag, go! Red flag, stop! White flag, go! Green flag, go slowly. White flag, go! You're all good at this game!"

"Little flags are very cool, but bigger flags would be even more fun!" Angela smiled.

"Why don't we make some of our own?" Kami suggested.

"Yeah! And we can make them in all different colors!" added Mario.

Barney smiled "I think that's a great idea!"

"Do you have...the bag?" Sally asked.

"Nope. Forgot to bring it." Barney realized. "Sorry."

"There's gotta be materials somewhere!" Kami said as Snoopy pointed at some of the drawers. "Here? Thanks, boy."

Snoopy licked Kami as a way to say thanks, making Lucy squirm.

"Kami, you just got dog lips..." Lucy said, nervously. Kami just shrugged it off. "Am I the only one with the dog lips problem?"

"Yes." Linus said, as they collected the supplies needed.

"This is going to be so much fun. First, take some tissue paper and choose a color for your flag." Barney instructed.

"Green's one of my favorite colors." Peppermint Patty smiled.

"Mine too!" Scott smiled.

"I'm more of a blue person myself." Linus smiled. "It's the color of security."

"Now, cut out a square or a triangle." Barney instructed.

"This is easy." Lila smiled before noticing Charlie Brown having trouble with the scissors.

"Let me help you out." Mario offered.

"Thank you." Charlie Brown smiled.

"Next, tape or glue your flags to a stick." Barney instructed.

"I used to make them at my nursery school." Angela said.

"That's nice." Lucy said.

"And after that, we're done." Barney smiled.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Linus asked.

Barney smiled. "Very nice."

"Lucy even made one for you." Kami said.

Lucy blushed beet red.

"It's purple. Thank you, Lucy." Barney smiled.

"No problem." Lucy replied, still blushing.

Angela smiled "What do you think, Barney?"

"I think with so many beautiful flags, we should have a parade!" Barney declared.

Angela, Lucy, and Heather:

Raise the red flag, raise it high.

Wave it up and down.

Mario, Charlie Brown, and Linus:

If you got a blue flag, it's your turn.

Wave it round and round.

Barney, Barney's Friends, and Peanuts Gang:

And let your flags wave high. Let the colors show.

Hold them up as high as they can go, go, go.

Wave those flags high. Let the colors show.

Hold them up as high as they can go.

Scott, Peppermint Patty, and Lila:

Raise the green flag, raise it high.

Wave it side to side.

Kami, Marcie, and Sally:

If you got a white flag, it's your turn.

Make a circle in the sky.

Barney, Barney's Friends, and Peanuts Gang:

And let your flags wave high. Let the colors show.

Hold them up as high as they can go, go, go.

Wave those flags high. Let the colors show.

Hold them up as high as they can go.

And let your flags wave high. Let the colors show.

Hold them up as high as they can go, go, go.

Wave those flags high. Let the colors show.

Hold them up as high as they can go.

Hold them up as high as they can go.