To his parents, it was silent. But to those who truly , the sound was the most beautiful music in the world.
On Christmas morning, his sister Sarah found one small box left behind the tree. Inside was the silver bell, with a note: Found this on the seat of my sleigh. Fix that hole in your pocket.
"Well? Are you coming?" the Conductor asked, clicking his pocket watch shut with a sharp snap . THE POLAR EXPRESS - Sony Pictures Imageworks - ...
He slumped into his seat, the joy of the journey fading. He had seen the elves, the toy workshops, and the reindeer, but without the bell, it all felt like a dream he was already forgetting.
The snow fell in heavy, silent clumps as the massive locomotive hissed to a halt on a quiet suburban street. The boy, standing in his pajamas on the frozen lawn, stared up at the impossible sight: the , its iron skin glistening under the moonlight. To his parents, it was silent
The boy shook the bell. It let out a crystalline ring that echoed through the house. His parents looked at it, smiling but puzzled. "What a beautiful bell," his mother said. "Too bad it’s broken." "It’s not broken, Mom," the boy whispered.
Then came the . A troupe of waiters somersaulted down the aisle, pouring steaming cocoa from silver pots into porcelain cups without spilling a single drop. It was rich, thick, and tasted like melted magic. Inside was the silver bell, with a note:
But as they climbed into the jagged peaks of the , the boy felt a tug on his heart. He reached into his pocket and found only a hole. The silver bell—the one he had received from Santa himself at the North Pole, the one that rang with the purest sound he’d ever heard—was gone.