Lee's Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends

Stories

Gordon and the Prized Pumpkin

It was autumn on the Island of Sodor and the Annual Giant Vegetable Competition had arrived once again. All entrants were on their last weeks' worth of preparations while the organiser of the event, Lady Hatt set up the look and feel for the competition with her wonderful taste in design.
"This will be the best Giant Vegetable Competition Yet!" proudly boasted Lady Hatt to her Husband.
"Ofcourse dear..." he replied as he didn't want to cause offense. He was just about to leave the house when all of a sudden, Lady Hatt said.
"Gordon will be pulling the Vegetable Train on the day dear!" she said in a triumphant tone.
"You're kidding...aren't you?" replied the Fat Controller
"Ofcourse not! My decision is final!" she retorted. The Fat Controller then left the house and made his way to work, but on the way, he couldn't help think about Gordon and a duty he'd definitely not want to do...

A thunderous roar was on the tracks as Gordon pulled into Knapford Station in record time. He knew he was early, so it gave him a good reason to be his normal, boastful self. However, none of the other engines at the station were in the mood to hear Gordon's boasting, so they promptly left as quickly as they could.
"Oh..." commented Gordon "Obviously they're as busy as me!" he then added. He chuckled to himself as a result of this. He had a good while to wait until his next train was due to set off, so he just reminisced about other previous great events in his life. As he was doing this, he noticed in the distance that the Fat Controller had arrived at the platform and was standing, arms folded.
"Gordon!" he bellowed. Gordon promptly stopped reminiscing and looked straight back at the Fat Controller.
"Yes, Sir..." he replied with apprehension.
"Gordon, ahead of next week's Giant Vegetable Competition, my wife Jane, has told me to inform you that you will be the engine who will pull the Vegetable train." stated the Fat Controller
"The Vegetable train!" questioned Gordon "Surely there's been a mistake?"
"No, not at all. I hope you enjoy your duty! Goodbye!" replied the Fat Controller, he then quickly made his way to his car and went back to office. Gordon was left bemused with the duty that isn't normally given to the important engines like him.

The days soon passed as then the big day arrived. Everyone that was helping out on the day turned out as smartly as possible when they arrived at the station to drop off their giant vegetable onto the vegetable train for Gordon to take to the Old Tea Rooms where Lady Hatt had finally decided the competition should be held at. The great and good of Sodor turned up to hand over their over-sized vegetable to one of the porters who would safely secure it in one of the carriages. The Duke and Duchess of Boxford had grown a giant Marrow each, Mrs. Kyndley had grown one massive Tomato, Jeremiah Jobling had grown a massive Carrot and Miss Thripp, one of the local Bowles players had grown a very, very big Pumpkin. She advised Gordon's driver to take extra care on the journey so that damage wouldn't be caused, but as it was Gordon, he ignored that. The train tracks rattled as sped along the line without a care in the world.
"Pah! Vegetable train! I'll show them what it's worth!" he muttered to himself.
"Calm down Gordon!" called his driver "You don't want Lady Hatt angry at you!" Gordon promptly calmed down, he didn't want Lady Hatt angry at him, no-one would as when she was angry, everyone knew. Gordon then kept quiet for the rest of the journey. He soon arrived at the Old Tea Rooms and was greeted by Lady Hatt in a very smart green dress.
"Oh good..." she remarked "Gordon, I thank you..." she then continued.
"Thankyou your Lady-ness" said Gordon, although he wasn't quite sure how to respond.
"You're very funny Gordon!" replied Lady Hatt. She then left to sort out some last-moment rearrangements and left some helpers to collect the vegetables, but Gordon was bemused.
"I wasn't trying to be funny!" he said to his driver.
"Oh well" he replied "Atleast she's not angry at you!" he then said. Gordon agreed, he then looked on at the various stands with which giant vegetables stood upon. Lady Hatt then wondered around the stalls, with a clipboard in hand making notes, she was the judge of the competition, and she wouldn't be ever so nice as the competition got under way.

Gordon was still where he had stopped as he'd been told to stay there by Lady Hatt. His driver agreed as he didn't want to get on the wrong side of Lady Hatt. Meanwhile, the competition was in full-swing, the Fat Controller had even entered with a giant Cabbage, but Lady Hatt wasn't impressed.
"Could do better, Topham!" she remarked. This left the Fat Controller stunned. She was like this for near enough all of the contestants and then were left either stunned or upset with the comments she left. Lady Hatt even gave out the Rosette for the 'Most Wonky Vegetable on Display' to the Duke's Marrow inspite of the fact that it wasn't wonky.
"She's not being very nice is she?" remarked Mrs. Kyndley to Miss Thripp.
"No..." replied Miss Thripp "But she's still got to see ours yet!" Lady Hatt then made her way over to them and immediately criticised Mrs. Kyndley's Tomato.
"It's not big enough!" remarked Lady Hatt. Mrs. Kyndley was stunned; she was left in a state of silence. Miss Thripp was now a little concerned for her Pumpkin, but she would be surprised with what Lady Hatt would say.
"Wow Miss Thripp, wow! Infact, I believe this is the biggest vegetable I've seen all day, and it looks like it will be the biggest, so therefore, I declare you, Miss Thripp, the winner of the Sodor Giant Vegetable Rosette!" Miss Thripp was shocked, but for good reasons. Applause then rang out in appreciation of Miss Thripp as she was given her rosette. Gordon looked on, and smiled with delight.
"I helped deliver that winning vegetable!" he boasted to his driver. His driver didn't respond, he just left him to carry on boasting.

The competition then came to an end, and the contestants and guests made their way home, but as Miss Thripp was leaving the entrance to the Tea Rooms, she tripped on a loose pathing slab. As she tripped, her prize-winning Pumpkin fell out of her grasp and flew in the air. Everyone looked on with stunned faces as the pumpkin made its way for Gordon.
"Oh no! My pumpkin!" cried Miss Thripp
"OH NO!" cried Gordon as the pumpkin got closer to his face, and then there was a problem. SPLAT went the pumpkin right in Gordon's face. Some people were left stunned like Lady Hatt, but for the majority of people, they just laughed at Gordon. Even his driver and fireman laughed at the predicament.
"How undignified!" remarked Gordon as the remains of the pumpkin slowly drooped from his face. Miss Thripp was sad to see her pumpkin gone, but atleast she still has the rosette, but she felt sorry for Gordon as he'd have to make his way to Tidmouth Sheds with the pumpkin residue on his face as there was no water tower nearby. Gordon didn't like this at all, on the way back to the sheds he saw many people who all looked at him with bemused faces. One boy said to his mother.
"Mother, why is that engines face orange and his body blue?" His mother chuckled to herself as Gordon passed by, he was very embarrassed and wouldn't be able to live it down, but everywhere he went, all he could see was orange. As it was autumn, the trees leaves were orange, the sun was setting and made the sky look orange. He passed Lord Callan and Miss Jenny on the way home who both had very orange hair, and they looked at him very oddly.
"That canny be Gordon can it?" Lord Callan said bemused.
"Tis a weird looking engine for sure…" Miss Jenny remarked. Gordon just felt totally embarrassed and completely undignified. When he arrived back at Tidmouth sheds, he saw Murdoch there at the sheds. His orange paint gleamed, and Gordon didn't think it would be right to be there in view of him when he looked like he did. Soon enough, he was washed down and could relax again, but as Murdoch was in his space at Tidmouth sheds, Gordon had to go to the sheds where Harvey and Salty were. Gordon was fine with Harvey, it was just Salty's long-winded stories that got on his nerves, as did his incessant singing, so as night drew in, Gordon was in the shed, eyes awake as Salty sang some sea-shanties, much to Gordon's displeasure.
"Oh dear…." Gordon sighed. "When will the indignity end?"