Lee's Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends
Stories
Bulgy in the China Shop
It was early one morning on the Island of Sodor and Percy was resting after a busy shift with the mail train. His wheels ached but he enjoyed the work. It was so peaceful but the peace was soon interrupted by the arrival of Bulgy beside him. Bulgy was back to being a passenger bus once more after his stint as a vegetable bus grew tiresome in recent months. He still didn't like passengers but he enjoyed the open road and looking at the shops and scenery that Sodor provided for him. Percy didn't look too pleased to see Bulgy and Bulgy didn't look pleased to see Percy.
"I doubt anything interesting has happened to you rail dwellers lately?" sneered Bulgy as his passengers disembarked. Percy just looked on unimpressed.
"Not really…" he replied. "Although it's always more interesting than what happens on the roads."
"Really?" retorted Bulgy disdainfully. Percy now looked unsure with his own words but carried on.
"Well driver told me of the burglary at the Jewellers this morning. Burglaries don't happen to those on the rails! Driver said whoever did it was like a bull in a china shop!" he then said proudly.
"A bull in a china shop?" said Bulgy. "What a strange saying…"
"Driver says it means it…" began Percy.
"I know what it means you silly thing…" interrupted Bulgy before he set off all of a sudden with a beep of his horn. Percy still looked just unimpressed but dismissed Bulgy's rudeness and just carried on relaxing.
Later on, Bulgy was still parading round the roads and was thoroughly enjoying himself. Oddly, he wasn't being annoyed by his passengers at all today and was delighting in the peace and quiet he was getting. His passengers too were equally as impressed and were surprised with how smooth the ride was as Bulgy had a reputation for a rough ride.
"This is marvellous…" said one passenger. "A proper, good and reliable bus…"
"Comfy too…" remarked another. Bulgy had never been so pleased with passengers and really couldn't believe that they were in praise of him as it made such a nice change.
"Now why can't they be like this all the time?" he muttered to himself as he came to a halt at a crossing. There coming through was Percy who still didn't look too impressed with him once more. Bulgy tried to be kind and friendly and was about to say hello to Percy but he could see Percy wasn't in the mood for pleasantries at all. When he passed by and the crossing gates opened, Bulgy carried on his way once more with the passengers calling his praises for the smoothest ride they'd ever had in a bus. Bulgy's new found praise was causing jealously among the other buses of Sodor and Bertie was becoming the most jealous of all.
"How can they be in praise of him?" wondered Bertie. "This is Bulgy were talking about!"
"Wait and see Bertie…" said his driver. "He'll be more like himself in time and that might be sooner than you'd think…"
That bit later when Bulgy was on a break from taking passengers all around Sodor, he was still amazed that everyone around him was seemingly talking about the burglary at the Jewellers.
"Is everyone obsessed with this story?" Bulgy asked indignantly.
"Well it is interesting…" replied Bulgy's driver as his got out of his seat. "Now just don't bother anyone while I go for my sandwiches!" he added as he then went into the nearest sandwich shop. Bulgy just took it as a chance to look around at all the wonderful shops and scenery he could see around him in the hilly village. Bulgy took particular interest in the Fine China shop just located further down the road. Bulgy passed it near enough every day and admired the craftsmanship that went into each piece. He knew it was a very odd thing for someone like him to take an interest in, but Bulgy simply didn't care. Bulgy then began to dream about his place at the bus depot being filled with fine china and how magnificent it would look. He hoped the other buses would become jealous of his fine china space but Bulgy's dreaming was cut short by the loud whistle of George the Steamroller who was passing by.
"Wake up you lazy bus!" groaned George as he slowly carried on down the road. Bulgy didn't bother retorting as he could only smile as George was holding back a lot of other vehicles on the way. Horns beeped loudly in frustration and Bulgy just chuckled to himself as he then thought about the fine china once more.
"Last trip of the day!" beamed Bulgy brightly a little later as he began the final journey of the day. The passengers were once again singing Bulgy's praises as nothing had gone wrong at all. Bulgy knew that on this journey he would be passing by the fine china store and all he could think about was fine china once more and how wonderful it was. He was getting distracted somewhat but his driver was concentrating as hard as ever and ensured he was making the journey as smooth as possible. As Bulgy neared the hilly village, his dreams of the fine china intensified and he became thoroughly distracted.
"Come on Bulgy…" said his driver. "Concentrate and you'll be home soon!" but Bulgy didn't seem to respond. Bulgy's driver kept on trying to get his full attention but as a result he became distracted and didn't have full attention on the road.
"Driver!" called one passenger. "Can't you hear those sirens?"
"What sirens?" asked Bulgy's driver.
"THOSE SIRENS!" called several passengers. Bulgy's driver then saw that coming in his direction was a Police car, an Ambulance and a Fire engine. They were all heading to one accident further down the hill and Bulgy and his driver weren't aware of this at all. Bulgy's driver panicked and instead of pressing the brake he mistakenly put his foot fully down on the accelerator.
"Oh dear!" cried Bulgy as he lurched forward at speed. Bulgy's passengers panicked and so did his driver. As the Police car, Ambulance and Fire engine all neared, Bulgy's driver swerved suddenly and Bulgy couldn't believe where he was heading. He was going directly towards the Fine China shop!
"STOP!" cried the passengers as they held on. Bulgy's driver applied the brakes but it was simply too late. Bulgy ploughed straight into the fine china shop and obliterated the displays. Fine china and glass was smashed and scattered everywhere.
"Of all the places to crash…" muttered Bulgy as his engine hissed loudly before making him disappear in a cloud of steam.
Luckily no-one had been hurt in the accident but it was Bulgy's pride in the fine china that had been hurt the most. The shop's owner was furious and couldn't believe that almost all of their stock had been destroyed. The shop itself was also badly damaged and would take a long time to repair. When Butch the Breakdown Van had eventually pulled Bulgy out of the store, he was taken to the Fitter's Yard where the workmen would in time get round to fixing him. Bulgy was just still in disbelief at what had happened and really didn't want to talk about it, but he couldn't avoid the matter as Percy was on his break and wanted to speak to him.
"Fancy that!" laughed Percy. "All this talk of bulls in china shops and in actual fact it was Bulgy in a china shop!"
"Yeah…funny that!" grimaced Bulgy. "It's just my luck!"
"Well I'm sure you'll be fixed in no time at all…" smiled Percy. "But when you are fixed, I best warn all the shop owners that you might be popping in at any time!"
"Yeah, do that…" frowned Bulgy. Percy soon left to continue with work whilst Bulgy was left to mull over the irony of the accident before dreaming of his space at the depot being filled with lots and lots of fine china, which hopefully hadn't been smashed to smithereens.
