The Flying Kipper
One evening Pongo was telling his family about his good news with Henry.
Perdita: That's wonderful honey.
Lucky: I told you, you have a big and strong engine.
Pongo: Thanks' you two, but I have more good news. I'm going to be leaving early for work tomorrow around 4:00, we have to take a very special train form the harbor, but Henry's driver told me that if we pull the train nicely the Fat Controller would let Henry pull the express.
Lucky: Wow, you're very lucky.
Perdita: What about Gordon?
Pongo: Well I don't think Tramp won't mind, but don't tell Gordon, you know how he gets jealous sometimes when he hears someone else pulling the express.
Rolly: Mother I'm hungry.
Perdita: Alright, come on let's eat and celebrate Henry's success.
Early next Pongo left the house to join Henry, his driver and fireman at the harbor.
All kinds of ships use the harbor at the big station by the sea, there are passengers' ships, cargo ships, and fishing boats also come there. They unload their fish on the key; some of it goes to shops in the town and the rest in a special train to other places faraway; this is the train the railway man call "the flying kipper".
Henry was ready at 5:00 it had snowed a little bit last night, so there were some snow and frost on the rails.
Men hustle and shouted loading the vans with crates of fish, the last door bang, the guard showed his green lamp; the flying kipper was ready to go.
Henry's wheels slipped onto the icy rails.
Henry: Come on, come on; don't be silly, don't be silly.
The vans shuttered and groan.
Vans: Tron-trick, tron-trick. Alright, alright!
Henry: That is better, that is better.
Henry was having a great day and Pongo was enjoying himself too.
Pongo: Nothing like a good early run to start the day Hun Henry?
Henry: You said it Pongo!
They were going well, the light grew better and signal lights shown green as they passed.
Then a yellow signal appeared ahead.
Henry (Thinking): Distant signal.
The driver prepared to stop, but the whole signal was down.
Henry's Driver: All clear Henry; away we go.
Pongo (Thinking): Strange though, it looked like it was about to change to red.
They couldn't know the points from the mainline to a siding were frozen, and home signal should have been set to danger, but fall snow had forced it down.
A goods train was waiting at the siding to let the flying kipper pass and the driver and fireman were drinking coca at the break van. The guard looked at his watch.
Guard: The kipper is due.
Fireman: Who cares? This is good coca.
The driver got up.
Driver: Come on fireman; back to our engine.
CRASH!
Henry tried to stop but it was too late, his driver and fireman had jumped cleared before the crash and the three men shot up in the air like jacks-in-a-box.
Henry however was left dazes and surprised; Pongo couldn't jump in time and landed in the snow a few feet away from Henry.
The fireman landed head first in the heap of snow and was struggling to get out. The driver went to check on Pongo and the goods train fireman waved his empty mug.
Goods train Fireman: You clumsy great engine; the best cup of coca I've ever had, and then you knocked over me and spill it all!
Goods train Driver: Never mind the coca; run and telephone the breakdown gang.
The crew arrived next morning and helped cleared the mess, but they had hard time lifting Henry back on the rails.
The Fat Controller, Tramp, and even Perdita came to see them.
Perdita: Pongo honey, are you alright?
Pongo: I'm fine dear, luckily the snow broke my fall, and I only hurt one of my front paws.
Tramp: Well if I were you, I'd have that check to make sure it's not serious, we're just glad you two are alright.
Pongo: Thanks Tramp; me too.
Henry: I'm sorry about what happened, but the signal was down and I just went along.
The Fat Controller: Cheer up Henry we know it wasn't your fault. Ice and snow cause the accident, but Tramp is right you should have your paw looked at Pongo just to be safe, and you Henry will be sent to Crew, a fine place for sick engine. They'll give you a new shape and a larger firebox; you'll feel a different engine and won't need special coal anymore. Won't that be nice?
Henry: Yes sir.
Pongo was set to vet after Henry was put back on the rails. The vet said that the injury wasn't anything serious, but he had to stay in bed for a few days for it to heal and while Henry was away at Crew, the engines had to do his work as well as their own. They don't mind and understand, but they miss both Henry and Pongo and hope everything goes well for them.
A few days later Henry returned home and Pongo was back at work. A crowd of people waited to see them arrive with Henry's new shape and they both look so splendid and stronger that they gave them three cheers.
Henry: Peep, Peep! Thank you very much!
I am sorry to say that a lot of little children are often late for school, because they wait to see Henry go by. They often see him pulling the express and he does it so well that Tramp is proud of him, Gordon on the other hand, well that's another story.
