Talk:The Little Engine That Could

Song?
There was a recording of a song sung by the little engine:

I think I can, I think I can, I think I have a plan, And I can do 'most anything If I only think I can.


 * There was a song in the film, titled "Nothing Can Stop Us Now". Other than that, I don't recall any songs. Rusty5 23:03, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

Illustrations by Lenski?
Is there a reference that backs up Lois Lenski's having illustrated the Watty Piper version of the story? The external page that lists here work (linked from her Wikipedia entry) does not list The Little Engine That Could. -- I have not found an external link that has a reference to Lois Lenski and her contribution to the 1930 printing. However I have in my possession an original 1930 copy and many of the illustrations in this printing are signed "Lois Lenski".

Copywrite?
Is this book still copyrighted or is it now available to freely use, quote and sell? -- Is this fact ... ?  08:16, 4 November 2007 (UTC)

What curious story
So the moral is, if you don't feel like doing a job, just make an excuse and eventually someone other eager-to-please mug will do it? And this is a children's book? Only in America... - 212.139.71.251 (talk) 13:28, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

Virgil
Wasn't it Virgil who said, "One can because one thinks one can"? I think this Virgil saying is fairly obviously the source for the "moral" of this book. Perhaps someone can find it cited somewhere so that it isn't original research? Leoniceno (talk) 03:10, 13 April 2009 (UTC)

Alternate Endings?
When I was a small child a women read this story to me from a book. First time it was ever read to me...... She told me that when the little engine finally got to the top, that his little heart couldn't handle it and gave out and he died of a heartattack.

That was the first and last time anyone ever read that story to me.

Does this have any merrit? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.37.40.139 (talk) 21:58, 29 July 2009 (UTC)


 * That was a parody that Michael O'Donoghue told in a Saturday Night Live skit. The memory of it still makes me laugh. TJRC (talk) 22:54, 29 July 2009 (UTC)

2011 Movie???
On the page of actress Brenda Song, there is said to be another movie based on this book and set to be shown in theaters in 2011. Is there anymore information about this? StarLegacy (talk) 03:21, 26 June 2010 (UTC)

George S. Patton?
The story originates around the turn of the century. General Patton graduated from the USMA in 1909. It is highly dubious to claim that this story is based on his life. To make such a bold claim in the article requires some form of reference. To note citation needed for such a dubious and significant claim while leaving it in is not sufficient.Huckfinne (talk) 17:44, 30 October 2010 (UTC)

Unstoppable reference?
I think the movie Unstoppable (2010) makes a veiled reference to The Little Engine That Could. The locomotive used to save the day is painted blue, and is described in such a way to make it sound not particularly powerful or fancy in one of the movie lines (Sorry, no exact quote at hand). —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.133.50.51 (talk) 05:45, 5 December 2010 (UTC)

Anthropo-MORE-phic!
I think we should use the word "anthropomorphic" a few more times in this article. Kafziel Complaint Department: Please take a number 04:00, 15 May 2013 (UTC)

External links modified
Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just added archive links to 1 one external link on The Little Engine That Could. Please take a moment to review my edit. If necessary, add after the link to keep me from modifying it. Alternatively, you can add to keep me off the page altogether. I made the following changes:
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/20090225072107/http://www.readfortherecord.org:80/site/PageServer?pagename=events_highlights_2006 to http://www.readfortherecord.org/site/PageServer?pagename=events_highlights_2006

When you have finished reviewing my changes, please set the checked parameter below to true to let others know.

Cheers. —cyberbot II  Talk to my owner :Online 19:36, 17 October 2015 (UTC)

Viable Sources
@Waxworker

Some information may not have the sources you personally view to be "reliable", this is because certain information simply doesn't have anyone doing deep research into it. The derogatory phrase "the little X that could" is common enough parlance that it deserves inclusion here, but is too obscure for many sources to even exist, let alone be dug up. Many other dot points in pop culture sections are sourced with the item itself, so it isn't anything new that my source was just an example of such usage. If you can bring up any further issues with my addition, or have a counterpoint to what I've just said, please do reply, otherwise I will redo my change. Insect.eate (talk) 09:57, 7 March 2024 (UTC)


 * - The use of the phrase "the little X that could" is only in the title of the post, and isn't discussed elsewhere in it. MOS:POPCULT states that "Cultural references about a subject should not be included simply because they exist. A Wikipedia article may include a subject's cultural impact by summarizing its coverage in reliable secondary or tertiary sources", and that "A source should cover the subject's cultural impact in some depth; it should not be a source that merely mentions the subject's appearance". If reliable sources don't discuss this in depth, it shouldn't be on the article. Waxworker (talk) 17:01, 7 March 2024 (UTC)
 * OK, based on that I will be removing precisely all of the current notes for pop culture since none of them meet those criteria.
 * As a side note, one might more accurately call this section "Legacy" rather than "Pop Culture", who knows if that will make a meaningful appreciation
 * Lets please sort this out now so we can avoid an edit war in the future. Will we follow the style guidelines strictly to the letter, and remove all pop culture notes, or will we allow some autonomy and accept the de facto standards for this article and others like it (see first post) for the sake of a well-read quality article. Insect.eate (talk) 08:10, 9 March 2024 (UTC)
 * - I agree that the 'In popular culture' section should be removed - the sourcing on the other entries isn't great. Waxworker (talk) 17:26, 9 March 2024 (UTC)