Dear Roger,

Pongo and Lucky have been telling me about your hard work on the farm, they've told me that he works two jobs and something doesn't have enough time to spend it with your dogs, but when you do, they always have such fun time with you, especially Pongo. Lucky told me your birthday was coming up and he asked if I could write a story about the adventures he and Percy had over the past days. At first I was worried that these stories might make them concedit, but they've done such a useful and brave thing, that I've changed my mind and made them the book. I think you should consider yourself a lucky owner when you read these stories.

The Author

Percy, Lucky and the Signal

At the plantation, lived two humans named Roger, and his wife, Anita. They own two dalmatians Pongo, and his wife Perdita. Together, they have 99 dalmatian puppies. 15 of them were from birth, the other 84 were rescued. One of the puppies in the farm was a little dog called Lucky. His father works on the Fat the Controller's railway, to help out his owner and his family. But when the work was becoming busy, the Fat Controller brought an engine call Percy, and Lucky agreed to be his helper. They work at the yard shunting coaches and trucks for the big engines on the main line.

They are very good friends, and one of the things they love to do is play jokes. The engines and dogs don't mind their jokes as long as they don't get them into trouble, but something they play jokes that do get them into trouble.

One day, Lucky wanted to play a trick on Tramp and Gordon.

Lucky: Wake up, Tramp! The passengers are waiting for you and Gordon!

Tramp: Wh-what!?

Gordon quickly came out of the shed and Tramp look around.

Tramp: Where's our train!?

Lucky (Laughing): Over there!

And Lucky show them a line of dirty coal trucks.

Lucky just laughed and laughed.

Lucky (Laughing): Gotcha!

Tramp roll his eyes.

Tram (Chuckling): Okay, okay, you got me you little scamp. Now run along before you get into trouble.

Tramp admit the joke was funny, but Gordon wanted to pay Lucky out for tricking him.

Next, Percy decided to play a joke on James.

Percy: Stay in the shed today James. The Fat Controller wants to see you.

Now James was a conceited engine.

James (Thinking): Ah, the Fat Controller knows I'm a fine engine, ready for anything. He wants me to pull a special train.

When Jock arrived, James told him about Percy. So James's driver and fireman could not make him move. The other engines grumble, dreadfully. They had to do James's work, as well as their own.

Jock: Uh, James. Are you sure the Fat Controller is coming here?

Before James could answer the inspector arrived with Jim.

Jim: Come along James. You've got work to do.

Inspector: Yes, you can't stay here all day.

James: The Fat Controller told me to stay here. He sent a message this morning.

Jim: I'm sorry James, but the Fat Controller is away for a week, and I've received no message from him. So he couldn't have send you a message as well.

James: Oh. Oh… Where's Percy?

Percy had wisely disappeared. When the Fat Controller came back he did found James and Percy too, and he told Pongo what Percy have done, both engines and Lucky wished he hadn't as Lucky was grounded for three days and he and Percy apologized to both James and Jock. Jock forgave them, but now James also wanted to pay Percy out for getting him into trouble, but Percy and Lucky kept out of James and Gordon's ways.

One morning, however, both of them were very happy and excited today, that they forgot to be careful.

Tramp: What's got you excited, Spots?

Lucky: You guys know about that new harbor the Fat Controller is planning?

Tramp: The one by my son's branchline?

Lucky: Well the Fat Controller said that since me and Percy have improved ourselves, he wants us to bring some trucks to the junction!

Percy: And if everything goes well, he might promote me and Lucky to work forever on Thomas's branchline!

Jock: Wow, congratulations you two! We're really happy for you!

Tramp: I bet your father was crying tears of joy when he heard that.

James: Ah yes. You were saying, Gordon?

Lucky: What's going on you two?

Gordon: Oh, James and I were just speaking about signals at the junction. We can't be too careful about signals these days. But then again, we don't really need to say that to someone really useful like you two.

Both Percy and Lucky felt flatter.

Percy: Oh no of course not, Gordon.

James: We had spoken about backing signals. They need extra special care, you know. Shall I tell you two about them?

Percy: No thank you, James. Me and Lucky know all about signal.

And Lucky went with Percy to fetch the trucks.

Tramp: Backing signals? Now I know it's been awhile since I've worked here, but I never heard of them before.

James and Gordon just snickered quietly to each other.

Lucky: Are you sure, Percy?

Percy: Don't worry Lucky, we'll managed.

Percy (Thinking): But I wonder what backing signals are.

As he was thinking he suddenly saw a signal at danger. Percy stopped for a while, but signal shown that the line was clear, but it's arm moved up instead of down. Percy was surprise. He'd never seen that sort of signal before.

Percy (Thinking): Down means go and up means stop. So upper still, must be go back! Ah-ah! It's must be one of those backing signals!

Percy's Driver: Come on Percy, off we go!

But Percy didn't go forward, so his driver had to pull him back, but he went too far back that his driver had to stop him.

Percy's Driver: Whoa, Percy! You're going the wrong way!

Lucky: It's alright. It's a backing signal!

Percy's Fireman: A backing what?

And they told them about Gordon and James. The driver and fireman laughed, and they explain about signals that point up.

Percy: Oh dear, let's start quickly before they see us.

He was too late. Gordon went by with the express and he and Tramp saw it all.

Lucky was embarrassed at first, but he told Tramp that he laughed after a while and forgave Gordon and James. Percy on the other hand, thought that the big engines were just plain silly.