James in a Mess and Other Thomas the Tank Engine Stories, Rev. Awdry [free novels .txt] 📗

“I’m sorry about the chase, Bertie,” said Edward.

“My fault,” replied Bertie. “Late at junction … you didn’t know … about Thomas’ passengers.”

“Peep peep! Goodbye, Bertie, we’re off,” whistled Edward.

“Three cheers for Bertie!” called the passengers.

Bertie raced back to tell Thomas that all was well.

“Thank you, Bertie, for keeping your promise,” said Thomas. “You’re a very good friend indeed.”

Percy works in the Yard at the Big Station. He loves playing jokes, but they can get him into trouble.

One morning, he was very cheeky indeed. “Peep peep! Hurry up, Gordon! The train’s ready.”

Gordon thought he was late.

“Ha ha ha!” laughed Percy, and showed him a train of dirty coal trucks.

Gordon thought how to get back at Percy for teasing him.

Next it was James’ turn.

“Stay in the Shed today, James. Sir Topham Hatt will come and see you.”

“Ah!” thought James. “Sir Topham Hatt knows I’m a fine engine. He wants me to pull a Special Train.”

James’ Driver and Fireman could not make him move. The other engines grumbled dreadfully. They had to do James’ work as well as their own.

At last, the Inspector arrived. “Show a wheel, James. You can’t stay here all day.”

“Sir Topham Hatt told me to stay here. He sent a message this morning.”

“He did not. How could he? He’s away for a week.”

“Oh!” said James. “Oh! Where’s Percy?” Percy had wisely disappeared!

When Sir Topham Hatt came back, he was cross with James and Percy for causing so much trouble.

But the very next day, Percy was still being cheeky. “I say, you engines, I’m to take some freight cars to Thomas’ Junction. Sir Topham Hatt chose me especially. He must know I’m a Really Useful Engine.”

“More likely he wants you out of the way,” grunted James.

Gordon looked across to James. They were going to play a trick on Percy.

“James and I were just speaking about signals at the Junction. We can’t be too careful about signals. But then I needn’t say that to a Really Useful Engine like you, Percy.”

Percy felt flattered.

“We had spoken of ‘backing signals,’ ” put in James. “They need extra-special care, you know. Would you like me to explain?”

“No thank you, James,” said Percy. “I know all about signals.”

Percy was a little worried. “I wonder what ‘backing signals’ are,” he thought. “Never mind, I’ll manage.” He puffed crossly to his freight cars and felt better.

He came to a signal. “Bother! It’s at ‘danger.’ ”

The signal moved to show “line clear.” Its arm moved up instead of down. Percy had never seen that sort of signal before.

“Down means ‘go’ and up means ‘stop,’ so upper still must mean ‘go back.’ I know! It’s one of those ‘backing signals’ that Gordon told me about.”

“Come on, Percy,” said his Driver. “Off we go. STOP! You’re going the wrong way!”

“But it’s a backing signal,” Percy protested, and told him about Gordon and James. The Driver laughed and explained.

“Oh, dear!” said Percy. “Let’s start quickly before they see us.”

He was too late. Gordon saw everything.

That night, the big engines talked about signals. They thought the subject was funny! Percy thought they were being very silly!

Percy worked hard at the new harbor. The workmen needed stone for their building. Toby helped, but sometimes the loads of stone were too heavy, and Percy had to fetch them for himself. Sometimes he’d see Thomas.

“Well done, Percy. Sir Topham Hatt is very pleased with us.”

An airfield was close by. Percy heard the airplanes zooming overhead all day. The noisiest of all was a helicopter.

“Silly thing!” said Percy. “Why can’t it go and buzz somewhere else?”

One day, Percy stopped at the airfield. “Hullo!” said Percy. “Who are you?”

“I’m Harold. Who are you?”

“I’m Percy. What whirly great arms you’ve got.”

“They’re nice arms,” said Harold. “I can hover like a bird. Don’t you wish you could hover?”

“Certainly not—I like my rails, thank you.”

“I think railways are slow,” said Harold. “They’re not much use and quite out-of-date.” He whirled his arms and buzzed away.

Percy found Toby at the Quarry. “I say, Toby—that Harold, that stuck-up whirlybird thing, says I’m slow and out-of-date. Just let him wait. I’ll show him!”

He collected his freight cars and started off, still fuming.

Soon they heard a familiar buzzing.

“Percy,” whispered his Driver, “there’s Harold. He’s not far ahead. Let’s race him.”

“Yes, let’s!” said Percy.

Percy pounded along. The cars screamed and swayed.

“Well, I’ll be a ding-dong-danged!” said the Driver. There was Harold—the race was on!

“Go it, Percy!” he yelled. “You’re gaining!”

Percy had never been allowed to run fast before. He was having the time of his life.

“Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!” he panted to the cars.

“We don’t want to, we don’t want to,” they grumbled.

It was no use. Percy was bucketing along with flying wheels, and Harold was high and alongside.

The Fireman shoveled for dear life.

“Well done, Percy,” shouted the Driver. “We’re gaining! We’re going ahead! Oh, good boy, good boy!”

A “distant signal” warned them that the harbor wharf was near. “Peep, peep, peep!”

“Brakes, Conductor, please.” The Driver carefully checked the train’s headlong speed.

They rolled under the Main Line and halted on the wharf.

“Oh, dear!” groaned Percy. “I’m sure we’ve lost.”

The Fireman scrambled to the cab roof. “We’ve won! We’ve won!” he shouted. “Harold’s still hovering. He’s looking for a place to land!”

“Listen, boys!” the Fireman called. “Here’s a song for Percy:

Said Harold the Helicopter to our Percy, ‘You are slow! Your Railway is out-of-date and not much use, you know.’ But Percy with his stone cars did the trip in record time, And we beat the helicopter on our old Branch Line.”

Percy loved it. “Oh, thank you!” he said. He liked the last line best of all and was a very happy engine.

Christmas in Wellsworth

Easter in Harwick

Halloween in Anopha

James and