James' favourite thing about winter was that he loved to slide down hills. It gave a feeling of exhilaration and something to boast about at the Sheds.
"James that is very irresponsible and dangerously reckless!" Said Edward in alarm when he first mentioned it. "Engines don't wear skates you know."
"For good reason!" Huffed Gordon "Edward's right- it is reckless of you James."
"Pah!" snorted James "I've never had an accident once!"
"Well, who's to say you wouldn't have one now?" Emily asked furiously.
"What rot and nonsense! I am an expert at sliding and I know how to avoid accidents!" The red engine retorted rudely.
With that, he went to sleep.
A few days later, Percy and James were both heading to Duck's Branchline with coal for the engines, as their supplies had been cut off by the foul weather in addition to James' coal run.
"So how do you slide James?" Percy asked, as the pair looked down from Gordon's Hill.
"Pft! Easy -I'll show you!"
He reversed, and then he charged the hill and plummeted downwards.
Then he applied his brakes so that his wheels slid along the ice covered rails.
"See? It's easy." He boasted.
Then it happened.
James saw the large snowbank at the bottom of the hill and tried to stop whistling frantically. But he found that to his horror, his wheels couldn't grip the rails.
"Help!" He cried.
...
James hit the snowbank with great impact.
Percy, alarmed, hurried down the hill.
"Are you alright James?" The green saddle tank asked worriedly.
"Get help..." moaned a now muffled James.
...
Unfortunately for him, the Fat Controller was at Wellsworth so Edward brought both him and Rocky to the scene.
"How reckless of you James, sliding down hills like that!" He boomed.
James cringed "I know, sir."
"Then why did you do it?"
"Because... because I was sure I wouldn't have an accident sir."
"Please don't me you trying to show off to Percy, were you?" Edward asked in dismay.
The silence in response was all the answer he needed
"James, I am ashamed of you!" Edward said furiously. "Forget what I said about you being irresponsible the other night- this far tops that! If Percy had an accident, you would be very sorry."
Percy gave his red friend a sympathetic smile as James positively cowered under the older engine's glare.
"Well, that should teach you about sliding down hills," The Fat Controller said. "Take him to the Steamworks, Edward."
"With pleasure, Sir." Edward replied.
James groaned at those three words.
He knew that he would be in for it now.
Edward may be one of the nice engines, but his lectures were horrendously terrifying!