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     Once upon a time, there was a little red train named 

Freddie.

     Freddie was a happy little train because he lived in 

Ridgetop, Tennessee, where it was typically sunny and mild. 

     Nearly 200 years ago rich people would come "up the 

Ridge" from Nashville to spend the hot summers in Ridgetop's 

cooler climate, 800 feet above sea level.   People with 

tuberculosis would also come to Watauga Sanitarium, a private 

hospital.

     They traveled on trains, Freddie's ancestors, through 

"Ridgetop Tunnel" a tunnel under the town that, when built, 

was the longest free-standing tunnel in the world.   Every time 

Freddie had a chance to go through the tunnel, he would 

happily whistle and hear his echo answer back, "Toot, toot."  

     Now Ridgetop is just a "sleepy, but friendly little town."

     Freddie didn't have to work really hard, so every day, he 

would find some time to just race along the tracks, and admire 

the reflection of his sleek body as his shadow skipped across the 

grass next to the tracks.

     One day, as he was delivering a load of apples

 to the market, he noticed something strange in the sky above 

him.

     Freddie wondered what it was, as he chugged along the 

tracks. It looked soft and fluffy and seemed to move along with 

the breeze. 

     "Who are you?" Freddie asked the mysterious 

shape that appeared to follow him.

"I'm a cloud," said the mysterious-looking puff.

     "What is a cloud?" asked Freddie.

     "Water evaporates from the earth and forms a large 

collection of very tiny droplets of water or ice crystals. My 

droplets are so small and light, they float high in the air," 

answered the puff in the sky.   

     "My name is Clara. What's your name?" she asked.

     "My name is Freddie," answered the little red

train.

     "Do you want to be friends?" asked Clara.

     "I don't know," answered Freddie   "You are so far away 

and you don't look anything like me! I don't think we can 

be friends."

 Clara was so counting on making friends     

with this cute little train because she was so 

terribly lonely!   Clara held her breath for so 

long, she started turning black!   When she 

could hold it in no longer,   she let out a huge 

gasp and the rain started pouring down.

      Freddie yelled up at Clara and told her how much he 

liked the rain and that perhaps they should be friends.  

Clara stopped crying and was very happy to have finally 

made a   friend. 

     In the days after, Clara followed Freddie around 

the tracks constantly, while listening intently to 

stories of Freddie's travels.   Whenever Freddie got 

hot and tired, he would ask Clara to rain a little and she 

would.   Since they were such good friends, Clara always 

sent a gentle rain and never let loose with her amazing 

but terrifying lightning.   They spent time together 

every day and learned it didn't matter at all if they 

looked different.

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