The Winx Club's Sodor Adventures - Season 2
Episode 25: Woolly Bear
In the summer, the work crews cut the long grass along the tracks, raking it into heaps to dry in the sun. At this time of year, Percy and Musa stop where they have been cutting. The men load up their empty wagons and they pull them to the station. Toby and Roxy then take them to the hills for the farmers to feed their stock.
"Wheesh!" Percy gave a ghostly whistle. "Don't be frightened, Thomas," he laughed. "It's only us!"
"You're just too easy to scare nowadays, Thomas," added Musa.
"Here it comes," groaned Bloom. "Complaints about the ghost prank."
"Your ugly fizz is enough to frighten anyone," said Thomas. "You're like..."
"Ugly indeed. I'm..."
"A green caterpillar with red stripes." continued Thomas firmly. "You crawl like one too."
"I don't!"
"Who's been late every afternoon this week?"
"It's the hay!"
"Yes," said Musa, "you know that the farmers need it to feed their livestock."
"I can't help that," said Thomas. "Time's time, and Sir Topham Hatt relies on me to keep it. I can't if you crawl in the hay till all hours."
"Thomas, leave Percy alone!" said Musa crossly. "You're just upset that we made you fall for our ghostly prank a few nights ago."
"Look, you two," said Bloom, "Thomas has had a very hard week. And you know that bad pranks are no fun at all."
"Come on, Bloom," said Musa, "don't you remember you joined in as well?"
"Yes, I did," sighed Bloom. "Maybe it was funny at first, but you two must understand that your repeated joke got old and worn thin by now. Even Toby and Roxy have grown sick of it. Why don't you two try and move on from that for a change?"
"And if you don't, then get out of here!" shouted Thomas.
"Thomas!" scolded Bloom. "Stop that rude attitude of yours, or I'll put you back in your shed!"
"Green caterpillar, indeed!" fumed Percy as he and Musa set off to collect some hay to take to the harbor.
"I don't care what rude engines or rude fairies say," said Musa. "I think you're handsome."
"Yes," said Percy, "or at least nearly everyone. Anyway, my curves are better than Thomas' corners. Thomas says I'm always late," he grumbled. "I'm never late, or at least only a few minutes. What's that to Thomas? He can always catch up time further on."
All the same, he and Musa decided to start home early. Then came trouble.
CRASH!
"Blah!" said Musa in disgust.
A crate of treacle was upset all over Percy. Percy was cross. Even after Musa helped clean him, he was still sticky when they puffed away.
The wind was blowing fiercely.
"Look at that!" exclaimed Musa.
The wind caught the piled hay, tossing it up and over the track. The line climbed here.
"Take a run at it, Percy!" Musa advised.
Percy gathered speed. But the hay made the rails slippery and his wheels wouldn't grip. Time after time he stalled with spinning wheels and he and Musa had to wait until the line ahead was cleared before they could start again.
Everyone was waiting. Thomas seethed impatiently. "I knew it, Bloom!" he said. "I knew Percy and Musa will be as slow as snails!"
"Now, Thomas," warned Bloom. "They'll be along soon."
But Thomas wasn't listening. "Ten minutes late. I warned them. Passengers will complain and Sir Topham Hatt..." Then a whistle interrupted him.
"Thomas!" cried Bloom. "Look over there!"
Then they all saw Percy and Musa. They laughed and shouted.
"Sorry we're late," Percy panted.
"Yeah," added Musa, "we had to wait until the farmers cleared the hay off the tracks."
"Look what's crawled out of the hay!" teased Thomas.
"What's wrong?" asked Percy.
"Talk about hairy caterpillars," puffed Thomas. "It's worth being late to have seen you."
When Percy got home, Musa showed him what he looked like in the mirror.
"Bust my buffers! No wonder they all laughed. I'm just look like a woolly bear."
"Yeah," said Musa, "it's one of the kinds of caterpillar Flora told me and the other girls about. And you do look kind of funny."
"I see what you mean," said Percy. "Please clean me before Toby and Roxy come."
But it was no good. Thomas and Bloom told Toby and Roxy all about it.
Instead of talking about sensible things like playing ghosts, Thomas and Toby made jokes about "woolly bear" caterpillars, and other creatures which crawled about in hay. They laughed a lot, but Percy and Musa thought they were really being very silly indeed!
The End
