A/N I go by the name in my country's title, Thomas Gets Tricked, to decide the narrarator for this one. The first time an engine tells their version of the story, they introduce themselves. These stories are dictations, in my mind. I'm writing in what I call TTTE English, so I use British words even if I'm not because the show is.
You may know who I am, but in case you don't, I'm Thomas the Tank Engine. If you do know my friends and me, then you know I'm a book character and TV star and I'm described as having six small wheels, a short stumpy funnel, a short stumpy boiler and a short stumpy dome. This is the first story in the first book about me and the first episode of our TV show. Back then, I was station pilot at Vicarstown. A cheeky and fussy little engine, I was always pulling coaches about, getting them ready for the other engines and then when the train came back pulling them away so my fellow engines could rest.
I thought of myself as the hardest working engine. Because of being cheeky, I played tricks on them, especially big and proud Gordon. I enjoyed teasing him with my whistle and saying things like"Wake up, lazybones. Why don't you work hard like me?".
One day after Gordon pulled the express, he was about to take a nap in the siding. I cheekily came up and said, "Wake up lazybones. Do some hard work for a change. Can't catch me!". Then I ran off, laughing. I thought maybe he'd chase me for teasing him. He didn't and it was a while before I knew what he did then.
One morning, I had trouble waking up. My fire went out and I didn't have enough steam. Because of this, the express coaches were late in getting ready. However, at last, they got me started. I fussed into the station, yawning, "Oh dear, oh dear" and found Gordon waiting along with all the people.
"Hurry up, you", Gordon said to me.
"Hurry, yourself", was my reply.
I didn't know about Gordon's plan then, but I was soon to find out. He was coupled to the train as soon as the coaches stopped moving.
"Get in quickly, please", my fellow engine said with a whistle.
Part of my job was to push behind big trains to help them start, but this time Gordon started too quickly for them to uncouple me after I did that.
"Come on, come on", I heard Gordon puff to his coaches.
Come on they did, going too fast for me. I whistled peep!peep! and said "Stop, stop" because I wanted to, but couldn't.
I could hear Gordon saying "Hurry, hurry, hurry and the coaches say, "You can't get away, you can't get away.". We were going faster than I ever had before in my life. I was one unhappy little engine because I was out of breath and my wheels hurt from the speed, but there was no stopping. "I shall never be the same again", I thought sadly. "My wheels will be quite worn out." I almost wanted to cry from the pain, but was too breathless. All I could do was wait until we got to the station.
We stopped at the station and then I was uncoupled. My ordeal left me feeling very silly and exhausted. I went onto a turntable there, thinking of everyone laughing and onto a siding from there.
"Well, little Thomas", chuckled Gordon. "Now you know what hard work means, don't you?"
I was still too breathless to answer, but I thought unhappily, "I do.", as I puffed away to rest and have a long, long drink. I was almost out of water. "Maybe I don't have to be cheeky to Gordon to feel important," I thought. Then I puffed slowly home because my wheels still hurt.
Once I got back to my shed, my wheels hurt so I cried from the pain. Driver stayed to comfort me, wiping my tears with a cloth and speaking soothingly to me until I ceased crying. Now I shall let my friend Edward tell a story
A/N Thomas sensitivity on my part means if it's something added or canon doesn't refute it, he'll have comfort when he's feeling bad. In the classic seasons, which is what I'm working with here drivers did that, comfort their engines. I've read other fanfics based on this one's basis and may have shades of them in it. The end paragraph, for example came from other fics, but is only inspired. No flames, but otherwise I welcome reviews. Next chapter will be Edward Helps Out, as told to me by the old blue engine.
