Hey, it's me, Edward again and this story's about how I helped James when he was in trouble.
One day James had to wait at the station till I and my train came in. This made him cross. "Late again!"
I laughed, and James fumed away. I was just laughing it off. My friends let me know how James acted after that.
After James had finished his work, he went back to the yard and puffed onto the turntable.
He was still feeling very bad tempered. "Edward is impossible," he grumbled to the others. He clanks about like a lot of old iron and he is so slow he makes us wait!"
Thomas and Percy were indignant. "Old iron? Slow? Why, Edward could beat you in a race any day!" Thomas was my first Sodor friend. We go way back to when the railway was being built. He just arrived one day when engines were coming to help build the railway. Our home railways no longer needed us, so we stayed here. We were so happy we got to remain here due to our friendship.
"Really!" said James. "I should like to see him do it!" He really believed I was slow and it bothered me because I can get down on myself for my age.
Next morning, James's driver was suddenly taken ill. He could hardly stand, so the fireman uncouple James ready for shunting.
James was impatient.
Suddenly the signalman shouted. There was James puffing away down the line.
"All traffic halted," he announced at last. Then he told the fireman what had happened.
"Two boys were on James's footplate fiddling with the controls."
"Phew!"
"They tumbled off when James started."
Brriinngg!
The signalman answered the telephone.
"Yes...He's here...Right. I'll tell him."
"The inspector's coming at once. He wants a shunter's pole and a coil of wire rope."
"What for?" wondered the fireman.
"Search me! But you'd better get them quickly!"
The fireman was ready when I arrived. The inspector saw the pole and rope. "Good man. Jump in."
"We'll catch him, we'll catch him," I puffed.
James was laughing.
"What a lark! What a lark!" He chuckled to himself.
Suddenly he was going faster and faster. He realized he had no driver! "What shall I do? I can't stop. Help! Help!" I saw and heard James as I puffed after him.
"We're coming! We're coming!" I called.
I was panting up behind with every ounce of steam I had. At least I caught up with James.
"Steady, Edward!" called Driver.
The inspector stood on my front, holding a noose of rope in the crook of the shunter's pole. He was trying to slip it over James's buffer. Us engines swayed and lurched.
At last! "Got him!" he shouted. He pulled the noose tight.
Gently braking, Driver checked the speed and James's fireman scrambled across and took control.
"So the "old iron" caught you after all," I chuckled. I felt quite good about catching him, just like my little friend said I could.
"I'm sorry," whispered James. "Thank you for saving me. You were splendid, Edward."
"That's all right," I said.
We arrived at the station side by side.
Sir Topham Hatt was waiting. "A fine piece of work," he said. "James, you can rest and then take your train. I'm proud of you, Edward. You shall go to the works and have your worn parts mended."
"Oh, thank you, sir," I said. "It'll be lovely not to clank." I felt like a Really Useful Engine because of my controller being proud of me, but I liked the idea I wouldn't have to sound like old iron anymore.
A/N I think more emotional characters are easier for me, so I had Edward do this because the title refers to him. I had thought of a split between him and James, but no one else guided me. This is the end of the Edward streak, though.