"On Christmas Eve, many years ago I lay quietly in my bed." "I did not rustle the sheets." "I breathed slowly and silently." "I was listening for a sound I was afraid I'd never hear." "The ringing bells of Santa 's sleigh." "All right." "All right, Sarah, you had your water." "Now let's get you upstairs and into bed." "But" " But" " But, I have to" "He said Santa would have to fly faster than light to get to every house in one night." "And to hold everyone's presents his sled would be bigger than an ocean liner." "Your brother said that?" "." "He was just kidding you." "He knows there's a Santa." "He said he wasn't sure." "He wasn't sure if Santa was for real." "Of course Santa is real." "He's as real as Christmas itself." "But he won't come until you're sound asleep, young lady." "Sweet dreams." "Santa will be here before you know it." "So go to sleep." ""Stark, barren." "Devoid of life."" "He's gotta be asleep by now." "He used to stay awake all night waiting for Santa." "Think those days are just about over." "That would be sad if that were true." "Yeah, an end of the magic." "Merry Christmas, sweetheart." "See, he's out like a light." "An express train wouldn't wake him up now." ""End of the magic"?" "All aboard!" "All aboard!" "Well?" "." "You coming?" "." "Where?" "." "Why, to the North Pole, of course." "This is the Polar Express." "The North Pole?" "." "I see." "Hold this, please." "Thank you." "Is this you?" "." "Yeah." "Well, it says here no photo with a department-store Santa this year, no letter to Santa." "And you made your sister put out the milk and cookies." "Sounds to me like this is your crucial year." "If I were you, I would think about climbing onboard." "Come on, come on." "I've got a schedule to keep." "Suit yourself." "'Cause that's the way things happen On the Polar Express" "Whoo, whoo, the whistle blows That's the sound of her singing" "Ding, ding, the bell will ring Golly, look at her go" "You wonder if we'll get there soon Anybody's guess" "'Cause that's the way things happen On the Polar Express" "When we get there We'll scream, "Yay!"" "We'll arrive with A bang, bang, bang" "Boom, boom, boom Laughing all the way" "With a comfy seat and lots to eat Boy, it's just the best" "Wish it wouldn 't ever have to end" "With a little luck, we'll be on time There's no need to stress" "'Cause that's the way things happen On the Polar Express" "Hey." "Hey, you." "Yeah, you." "Do you know what kind of train this is?" "Train." "Do you know what kind of train this is?" "Do you?" "Of course." "It's a magic train." "We're going to the North Pole." "I know it's a magic train." "It's a Baldwin 2-8-4 S3-class steam locomotive built in 1 931 at the Baldwin Locomotive Works." "It weighs 456,1 00 pounds and...." "Are we really going to the North Pole?" "Hey, look!" "lsn't that wonderful?" "." "Herpolsheimer's!" "Herpolsheimer's!" "Wow, look at all those presents." "I want all of them." "It's so Christmassy and cozy and beautiful!" "Tickets." "Tickets, please." "Tickets." "Ticket, please." "Try your pocket." "Try your other pocket." "Thank you, sir." "Hey, watch out, there." "Thank you, sir." "That is a public-address microphone." "It is not a toy." "Boy, that guy sure likes to show off." "Look what that wise guy punched on my ticket." ""L-E." What the heck does that mean?" "." "Next stop, 1 1 344 Edbrooke." "We're heading for the other side of the tracks." "Well?" "." "You coming?" "." "It's just another pickup." "That's weird." "I thought you were supposed to be the last one." "Why, to the North Pole, of course." "This is the Polar Express." "Suit yourself." "Hey, that kid wants to get on the train." "Come on!" "Hurry up!" "We have to stop the train." "I don't know how." "Pull the emergency brake!" "Who in the blazes applied that emergency brake?" "!" "He did." "You." "In case you didn't know, that cord is for emergency purposes only." "And in case you weren't aware, tonight is Christmas Eve." "And in case you hadn't noticed, this train is on a very tight schedule." "Now, young man, Christmas may not be important to some people but it is very important to the rest of us!" "But" " But" "He was just trying to stop the train so that kid could get on." "I see." "Young man, is that what happened?" "Well...." "Let me remind you we are on a very tight schedule." "And I've never been late before and I am certainly not going to be late tonight." "Now, everybody, take your seats, please!" "Thank you." "Your attention, please." "Are there any Polar Express passengers in need of refreshment?" "Me!" "Me!" "Me!" "I thought so." "Hot, hot" "Oh, we got it" "Hot, hot" "Hey, we got it" "Hot, hot" "Say, we got it" "Hot chocolate Hot, hot" "Oh, we got it" "Hot, hot" "So we got it" "Hot, hot" "Yo, we got it" "Hot chocolate" "Here we 've only got one rule" "Never, ever let it cool" "Keep it cooking in the pot" "Then you got" "Hot chocolate" "Hot, hot" "Oh, we got it" "Hot, hot" "Hey, we got it" "Hot, hot" "Say, we got it" "Hot chocolate Hot, hot" "Oh, we got it" "Hot, hot" "So we got it" "Hot, hot" "Yo, we got it" "Hot chocolate" "Here we only got one rule" "Here we only got one rule" "Never, ever let it cool" "Never, ever let it cool" "Keep it cooking in the pot" "Soon you got hot chocolate" "Hot, hot" "Hey, we got it" "Hot, hot" "Oh, we got it" "Hot, hot" " Yeah, we got it" "Hot, hot" "Oh, we got it" "Hot, hot" " Yeah, we got it" "Oh, we got it" "Hot, hot" "Yeah, we got it" "You know, Montezuma, the king of the Aztecs would drink 50 quarts of hot chocolate every day." "It was thick as mud and red." "He put chili pepper in instead of sugar." "Get it?" "Hot chocolate?" "How do you know?" "That's not true." "Where you going with that?" "It's for him." "I don't think we're to leave our seats." "It's a violation of safety regulations for a kid to cross moving cars without a grown-up." "I think I'll be okay." "Are you sure?" "What about this lad in the back?" "." "Did he get any refreshment?" "." "Well, let's take some to him, by all means." "Watch your step, now." "Watch your step." "She forgot her ticket." "It hasn't been punched." "What are you doing?" "You're gonna get us in trouble!" "Young lady, forgive me." "I believe I have neglected to punch your ticket." "May I?" "." "I left my ticket right here on the seat." "But it's gone." "You mean you have lost your ticket." "She didn't lose her ticket." "I did." "I was trying to return it to you." "But the wind blew it out of my hand." "You can have my ticket." "These tickets are not transferable." "Young lady you will just have to come along with me." "You know what's gonna happen now?" "." "He's gonna throw her off the train." "He's gonna probably throw her off the rear platform." "Standard procedure." "That way, she won't get sucked under the wheels." "They may slow the train down, but they're never gonna stop it." "Stop it?" "That's it!" "I have to stop the train again." "No, please, don't do that again." "Where'd they go?" "What happened to them?" "." "Please, she's in big trouble." "You have to help me." "Hey!" "Hey!" "I found your ticket!" "Wait!" "Hey!" "Wait!" "I have your ticket!" "Is there something I can do for you?" "." "I'm looking for a girl." "A gi--?" "Ain't we all?" "I have her ticket." "Well, lookie." "Lookie here." "What is this?" "." "This is an official, authentic, genuine ticket to ride." "You better keep this in a safe place, young man." "If I was you...." "I keep all my valuables right here." "Right here in the old size 1 3." "Experience shows this is the safest place." "Not that I have much use for those." "Tickets." "I ride for free." "Oh, yeah, yeah." "I hop aboard this rattler any time I feels like it." "I own this train." "Oh, yeah." "It's like I'm the king of this train." "Yeah." "The king of the Pol Ex." "In fact, I am the king of the North Pole!" "Oh, where's my manners?" "Sit, sit." "Sit." "Take a load off." "Hey, would you like some Joe?" "Nice hot refreshment." "Perfect for a cold winter's night." "There." "Bless you." "What about Santa?" "." "Santa?" "lsn't he the king of the North Pole?" "You mean this guy?" "." "What exactly is your persuasion on the big man?" "Since you brought him up." "Well, I...." "I want to believe." "But" "But you don't wanna be bamboozled." "You don't wanna be led down the primrose path." "You don't wanna be conned or duped, have the wool pulled over your eyes." "Hoodwinked." "You don't wanna be taken for a ride, railroaded." "Seeing is believing." "Am I right?" "But what about this train?" "." "What about it?" "." "We're all really going to the North Pole aren't we?" "Aren't we?" "Are you saying that this is all just a dream?" "You said it, kid." "Not me." "So let's go find that girl." "One other thing." "Do you believe in ghosts?" "Interesting." "Wait." "Wait!" "Wait!" "I have to wake up." "Yeah." "I have to wake up." "Wake up." "Wake up." "Wake up." "Wake up!" "kid!" "kid, get your head out of the clouds!" "Wake up, kid!" "There's no sleepwalking on the Polar Express." "We gotta jump them knuckles." "Come on, kid." "Flip my shoulders." "Grab my lily." "That skirt you're chasing must have moved ahead." "We gotta hightail it to the hog, pronto." "To the hog?" "." "The engine." "The engine, you tenderfoot." "We gotta make the engine before we hit Flat Top Tunnel." "How come?" "." "So many questions." "There is but one inch of clearance between the roof of this rattler and the roof of Flat Top Tunnel." "Savvy?" "It's just the run up to the hump, kid." "This will be interesting." "Get back on, kid." "Hurry!" "Grab my muck stick." "There's only one trick to this, kid." "When I say "jump" you jump!" "You." "I thought you got thrown off, and" "You're driving the train?" "They put me in charge." "The engineer had to check the light." "Here's the light." "Careful." "All right, now." "I got it." "How do you know how?" "It's easy." "Come here, I'll show you." "This big lever here, that's the throttle." "This little one here, that's the brake." "And those are the pressure gauges." "And that rope is the whistle." "The whistle." "You wanna try it?" "." "I've wanted to do that my whole life." "Hold still!" "Hold still!" "Don't move!" "Look!" "Stop the train!" "Stop the train!" "Stop the train!" "What?" "." "They want us to stop the train." "Which one is the brake?" "." "He told me this was." "Who?" "." "The engineer." "The engineer?" "." "This one looks like a brake." "No, he said this was the brake." "Are you sure?" "Are you sure?" "Pull the brake!" "Stop the train!" "Caribou?" "There can be no Christmas without the Polar Express arriving on time." "Am I the only one who understands that?" "You." "I should have known." "Are you bound and determined that this train never reaches the North Pole?" "But look." "Caribou crossing?" "!" "I make that herd to be at least 1 00,000, maybe even a million." "It's gonna be hours before they clear this track." "A tough nut to crack." "We are in some serious jelly." "And a jam." "Tight spot." "Up a creek." "Up a tree." "Lost in the grass." "I'll tell you what's grass: our a" "Problem solved." "All ahead, slow." "We're going pretty fast." "Tell the engineer to slow down." "Slow it down." "Watch the speed!" "Jumping jeepers, the cotter pin sheared off." "What?" "." "The pin." "Where?" "." "There." "Oh, no." "Oh, no." "They can't hear me." "They can't?" "." "I don't like the look of this." "Under the safety bar." "Is everything all right?" "What should we do?" "Considering we've lost communication with the engineer we are standing totally exposed on the front of the locomotive the train appears to be accelerating uncontrollably and we are rapidly approaching Glacier Gulch which happens to be the steepest downhill grade in the world I suggest we all hold on tightly." "The pin." "The pin." "Jiminy Christmas, the ice has frozen over the tracks." "Hold on." "Hold on." "No, no." "Come on." "Watch your step." "Come on, sweetie." "Up you go." "Up you go." "Put your feet on here." "On here." "Little adventure, huh?" "." "Young man, quick thinking on your part." "Step to your left, please." "To your left." "Well, that is more like it." "What in the name of Mike?" "." "Look." "Get us the blazes out of here!" "Turn this sled around." "Look there." "Tracks." "Dead ahead." "Right." "Left." "Right." "Hang a Louie." "Toss a Ritchie." "Port astern." "To the starboard." "My slipper." "You're gonna lose your ticket." "It's not my ticket, it's yours." "It's my ticket?" "." "Yes." "Right. keep up with me." "Left." "Right." "Left." "Right." "Left." "Right." "Left." "Right." "Oh, no!" "Oh, no!" "Brace yourselves!" "Well, that's more like it." "Thank you." "Thank you." "I can't believe you found my ticket." "Did someone say they found a ticket?" "Well, in that case...." "Tickets, please." "Thank you." ""L-E"?" "." "Just like that know-it-all kid." "Watch your step." "Tricky walking up here." "It's mighty slick." "Mighty slick, I tell you." "There you go." "What did I tell you?" "Years ago, on my first Christmas Eve run, I was up on the roof making my rounds when I slipped on the ice myself." "I reached out for a hand iron, but it broke off." "I slid and fell." "And yet, I did not fall off this train." "Someone saved you?" "Or something." "An angel." "Maybe." "Wait." "Wait." "What did he look like?" "." "Did you see him?" "." "No, sir." "But sometimes seeing is believing." "And sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can't see." "The forsaken and the abandoned." "Mind your step, now." "These poor toys have suffered enough being left to rust and decay in the back alleys and vacant lots of the world." "What are they doing here?" "It's a new concept the boss came up with." "Instead of being thrown away, they're collected." "Refurbished." "He calls it "rebicycling." Something like that." "Makes me wanna cry seeing toys that were treated this way." "These hopelessly entangled string puppets and marionettes pose a particular problem." "We found the nimble fingers of our work force here at the North Pole are best for working out those knots and tangles." "Thank you." "Double-locked here." "You are just like me, my friend." "A scrooge!" "Ebenezer Scrooge." "North Pole, Santa Claus, this train it's all a bunch of humbug." "A bout of indigestion." "Oh, yeah." "I know what you are." "You're a doubter." "A doubter." "You don't believe!" "You're a doubter!" "You don't believe!" "You missed it." "We rode down some really sharp hills." "We were on what looked like a frozen lake." "But I know it was just an optical illusion." "He said the train was on ice." "I said it's impossible" "You can't put a train track-- Where you going now?" "I'm wishing on a star" "And trying to believe" "That even though it's far" "He'll find me Christmas Eve" "I guess that Santa 's busy" "'Cause he's never come around" "I think of him When Christmas comes to town" "The best time of the year" "When everyone comes home" "With all this Christmas cheer" "It's hard to be alone" "Putting up the Christmas tree With friends who come around" "It's so much fun When Christmas comes to town" "Presents for the children Wrapped in red and green" "All the things I've heard about But never really seen" "No one will be sleeping" "On the night of Christmas Eve" "Hoping Santa 's on his way" "When Santa 's sleighbells ring" "I listen all around" "The herald angels sing" "I never hear a sound" "And all the dreams of children" "Once lost will all be found" "That's all I want When Christmas comes to town" "That's all I want When Christmas comes to town" "Look." "The northern lights." "Hey." "You three." "We just crossed it." "Latitude 66°33'." "The Arctic Circle." "And do you see?" "Those lights in the distance." "They look like the lights of a strange ocean liner sailing on a frozen sea." "There is the North Pole." "It's a magic carpet on a rail It never takes a rest" "Flying through The mountains and the snow" "You can ride for free and join the fun If you just say yes" "'Cause that's the way things happen On the Polar Express" "Whoo, whoo, the whistle blows That's the sound of her singing" "Ding, ding, the bell will ring Golly, look at her go" "You wonder if you'll get there soon Anybody's guess" "'Cause that's the way things happen On the Polar Express" "When we get there We'll scream, "Yay!"" "We'll arrive with A bang, bang, bang" "Boom, boom, boom Laughing all the way" "We made it." "With five minutes to spare." "We made it." "There should be elves." "Where are the elves?" "." "Yeah, where are the elves?" "." "They are gathering in the center of the city." "That is where Santa will give the first gift of Christmas." "Who gets the first gift of Christmas?" "." "He will choose one of you." "Look." "Elves!" "All right." "All right, ladies and gentlemen." "Two columns, if you please." "Shorter in the front, taller in the rear." "Even-numbered birthdays on the right, odd-numbered on the left." "No pushing." "No pushing." "But let's not dilly-dally." "It's five minutes to midnight." "Hey, what gives?" "It was five minutes till midnight four minutes ago." "Exactly." "Columns of two." "One, two." "Excuse me." "Question." "What about him?" "No one is required to see Santa." "Ladies and gentlemen, you do not have to hold hands..." "Come on." "...but please remain in your columns while we are in transit." "Look, you have to come with us." "She's right." "Christmas just doesn't work out for me." "Never has." "But Christmas is such a wonderful, beautiful time." "It's a time for giving and being thankful, for friends and family." "People hang decorations and lights." "Santa leaves presents under our Christmas trees." "Christmas just doesn't work out for me." "Look, I don't know if Christmas is gonna work out for you or not but this is Christmas Eve." "Don't stay here by yourself." "Yes, come with us." "We'll go together." "Oh, no." "We're gonna be okay." "Maybe not!" "The emergency brake." "The emergency brake." "There's no brake." "I can't find the brake!" "Take a break, kid." "How about a nice, good hot cup of Joe?" "." "We're gonna crash!" "We're spinning." "You hear that?" "." "The bell." "What bell?" "." "The sleighbell." "Sleighbell?" "Don't you hear it?" "It's coming from that tunnel." "That's the way we should go." "Come on." "What?" "." "What?" "Come on." "Come on." "We're lost." "Yes." "Yes." "I hear it." "I hear it too." "I don't hear anything." "Okay, it's down this way." "Are you sure?" "Absolutely." "Why can't I hear anything?" "Get down and be quiet." "Yeah." "Okay." "Well, that was the wrapping hall, chief." "Just finished the last one." "How's it wrapped?" "." "It's wrapped in candy-striped red with a number-seven holly-green bow."