Seasons Of Giving!
Part V: Millie Plays It Safe
It was New Year's Eve; the Earl was going to put on a firework display at Ulfstead Castle. Millie was picking up some flower pots from the groundskeeper lodge. They were going to be set up at the platform by the Estate.
"Good morning, Glynn!" she called to the "Coffeepot" engine as he passed by with his tour.
"Morning, Millie! Happy New Year!"
"Happy New Year to you too, Glynn!"
Soon her trucks were loaded and the groundskeeper smiled as he looked at her.
"You're good to go, Millie!" he told her.
"Merci, sir!" Millie whistled cheerily and made her way towards the Estate, humming cheerfully as she turned away from the park area.
Samson was bringing the fireworks for the display over from the Mainland along with his faithful brakevan: Bradford.
"Woah, woah, woah!" Bradford snapped, slamming his brakes on. "What's the rush, Samson?"
"We should be at the Estate any time now, Bradford," Samson explained. "Might as well push it the last mile."
"Not on my watch, boyo," Bradford assured him, gradually slowing him down.
Samson shut his eyes at the sudden decrease in speed, and maintained a sour expression on his face as they made their way further towards the castle.
Stephen had just finished giving his morning tour. There were lots of visitors for the New Year, and both Stephen and Glynn has kept themselves busy showing them around the castle and grounds.
"Thank you! Hope you all enjoyed the tour!" Stephen called as the visitors disembarked. "Be sure to come back for another round of Stephen and Glynn's castle tours, and, eh, happy new year…"
"Careful, Samson!" Bradford boomed, as they made towards the platform. "These fireworks are very fragile and must be handled with care."
Stephen's greetings were suddenly caught off by the sound of Bradford's voice as Samson came slowly in.
"Yes, Bradford," the tank engine sighed as he entered the platform. "I know, Bradford."
"Know as you might, Samson, you still should have gone slower with these vans on the journey here."
Stephen smiled with amusement as Glynn pulled into the platform with his tour, listening with the surprise to the banter between the two.
"I knew what I was doing. Thank you very much," Samson retorted, trying to keep his calm and hold back his frustration. "Besides, I'm not afraid of fireworks anymore."
"You didn't know what you were doing when you almost ran that red signal on the way here," Bradford reminded him. "And all because you were in a hurry…"
"Yes, I get it, Bradford," Samson sighed heavily. "We're here now. Can we please let it go?"
"Indeed you are here, Samson," the Earl chuckled as he approached him. "And on time too."
"At your service, sir," Samson assured him. "Where would you like me to leave these trucks?"
"Oh, I don't need you to leave them anywhere," the Earl told him, much to the tank engine's surprise. "In fact, I'd like you to keep them handy. I have a special job for you, Samson."
"For me, sir?"
"Yes. Since Millie has some trucks to take to the quarry, and Stephen and Glynn are busy with tours all afternoon, I'd like you to find a spot somewhere around the castle to set up the display."
"Yes, sir!" Samson obliged.
"Then later on this afternoon, I would like you to collect some perimeter fences from the Depot after the perimeter is set up."
"I won't disappoint you, my liege!" Samson whistled, then quickly left the platform as the Earl headed back to his office. "Come along, Bradford!"
"Easy now, Samson," the brake van warned, as they made out of the platform along the line beside the green. "We want to make sure we find the very best spot that is…"
SCREEEEECH!
Bradford groaned and winced as Samson came to an abrupt stop.
"Samson!" he demanded. "Whatever are you playing at?"
"I've found it, Bradford!" Samson marveled, looking out at the wide open plain before them. "The most perfect spot to have a display!"
"It's only one spot, Samson," Bradford reminded him. "Look a little harder. Come on now. Move it, move it!"
"Nonsense, Bradford!" Samson argued, as his driver exited his cab. "We'll see just how lovely this spot is by testing out a firework."
Samson's driver spoke with the guard, and asked him to light a firework right in the middle of the field, just to make sure it was safe...
Samson's driver watched as Bradford's guard lit up a firework and they all stood back and watched it ignite in the air.
"Wow!" Samson gasped as he watched the firework go up beyond the height of the castle.
Bradford winced as the firework exploded in mid-air. Passengers from the tour covered their ears as Stephen and Glynn looked at each other with surprise. Millie came up the line just in time to hear the firework go off.
"GAH!" she screamed, coming to an abrupt halt and shutting her eyes. She slowly opened one, than quickly opened the other, relieved.
Samson chuckled.
"Oh, they're only fireworks, Millie. Nothing to be a little scaredy engine about."
"I was NOT scared!" Millie said firmly. "Just a little...surprised. That's all."
"Millie's not the only engine who's been scared of fireworks, Samson," Bradford reminded him. "If you can recall…,"
"Yes, I get it, Bradford," Samson cut off, going a deep shade of red.
Stephen and Glynn chuckled to each other, and Bradford smiled at Millie as she slowly made her way to the platform.
As the flower pots were unloaded from Millie's trucks and onto the platform, Samson was feeling very pleased with himself as he looked out at the spot he chose.
"It's perfect," he marveled proudly. "I'm sure the Earl will approve."
"Eh, I'm not so sure, Samson..." Bradford admitted.
"Of course it is!" Samson retorted. "I picked it out myself."
"It seems a little close-up to me," Bradford hesitated, Millie listening carefully as he commanded, "come on now, Samson. Keep searching. We'll find the right spot eventually."
Millie quickly made her way over as Samson argued back.
"Please, Bradford. Don't make this more complicated than it has to be."
"Um, if I may, Samson," Millie suggested. "I think Bradford might be right. This spot does seem a little too close for people to stand. Perhaps you could try testing different spots around the castle."
Samson laughed.
"Oh, you worry too much, Millie. The Earl asked me specifically to pick out a spot for the display so I did."
Millie shot Samson a sharp look.
"I hope you know what you're doing, Samson. There are plenty of other spots around this castle to have a display."
"You're just a silly little engine, Millie," Samson told her, leaving her in shock as he left the station. "I always know what I'm doing."
"Mmm…" Bradford thought. "Well, you didn't know what you were doing that one time you ended up at Vicarstown instead of the Blue Mountain Quarry, Samson."
Samson rolled his eyes and sighed heavily, Stephen and Glynn giggling to each other as Stephen left with his tour.
"And you didn't know what you were doing…"
"Okay, okay, okay, Bradford!" Samson retorted. "Give it a rest, will you? You're embarrassing me!"
"Only being honest, Samson."
Millie was very cross as she watched them both set off.
"That Samson!" she huffed, as she backed down into the station. "He's so stubborn and arrogant, and never listens to anyone but himself! I'll show him to call me a silly little engine!"
Glynn rolled slowly over beside her.
"Are you alright, Millie?" he asked,
Millie managed to regain her composure as she took a deep breath and sighed.
"Samson may be willing to risk this castle's safety and put all the visitors in danger," she decided, maintaining a serious expression on her face. "But I'm NOT. I must find the Earl right away."
Then she whistled and raced away.
"Wait, Millie!" Glynn called out.
But she was already gone.
"Oh, dear," Glynn sighed.
To assure the safety of the Earl's party guests, Millie decided that she would speak to him herself in regards to the spot Samson chose for the display.
Millie quickly rushed over the drawbridge and spotted the Earl on the main platform by the castle.
"Sir! Sir!" she whistled. "I need to speak to you right away…"
The Earl quickly put her hand up to shush her, lowering the telephone from his ear to respond.
"I'm sorry, Millie, but I'm a little busy at the moment. It'll have to wait."
He put the phone back up to his ear and walked back into his office, shutting the door behind him.
Millie sighed sadly.
"Even the Earl seems too busy to help," she murmured to herself.
It seemed to Millie as if she had no one to talk to about her concerns for the firework display. She felt very sorry for herself.
Millie thought long and hard before a sad expression turned to a rather serious one.
All of a sudden, Millie began to feel something else; Millie felt determined.
"Okay," she said to herself. "If I can't speak to the Earl about all this, then I shall take matters into my own hands. First, I need to find the firework vans that Samson brought."
She whistled loudly and raced away, as the Earl ran out of his office.
"Wait, Millie!" he called, waving his hands high up in the air. "You wanted to speak with me?"
But Millie had already left the castle and didn't hear the Earl.
Millie found the vans that Samson brought over from the mainland in a siding just outside the castle.
"Please," she asked a workman from nearby. "Can we take a box of these and light one at different spots around the castle?"
The workmen nodded, and walked towards the first van to fetch a box of fireworks.
The man on duty nearby lent Millie's driver a box of fireworks, and she quickly set off in search of the safest spot around the castle to have the display.
Millie's first spot in mind was the park area near the groundskeeper lodge. Duke was there, dropping off slate for the lodge's roof.
"Hello, Millie!" the old engine greeted. "Happy New Year!"
"Duke!" Millie cried excitedly. "Nice to see you. Happy New Year to you too!"
"So what brings you about these parts of the castle?" Duke wondered. "I don't see you carrying any trucks."
"I'm not," Millie admitted. "The Earl is having a firework display later on this evening, and I'm looking for a safe spot for it to be held."
"So I see," Duke observed, as he watched Millie's driver take the box of fireworks out into the middle of the park.
Millie's driver took out a firework and set it up. Then it lit right up into the sky. However, as the firework went off, it caused the surface to rumble and shake and scared off a family of deer nearby.
Millie and Duke watched with surprise as the mother doe led it's young into the bushes.
"I wonder where they all ran off to," said Duke.
"Uh oh," gulped Millie, as she watched the groundskeeper come out of his lodge and walk up to Millie's driver.
The groundskeeper spoke with Millie's driver, who returned to bring her bad news.
"I'm afraid this isn't the right place to have the firework display," he informed her. "Perhaps we can try the lake spot just before the Dinosaur park."
"What if that doesn't work either?" Millie wondered, as he hopped back aboard her cab.
"Never mind, Millie," Duke soothed. "I'm sure you'll find the right spot eventually."
Millie sighed and left the park area, Duke smiling as he watched her set off.
Samson and Bradford were having a rest in a siding just outside the Estate when the Earl arrived.
"I say, Samson," he wondered. "Have you seen Millie?"
"Millie, sir?"
Samson was confused.
"She wanted to have a talk with me in the castle earlier but I had an urgent phone call to make to the Depot. I haven't seen her since."
"Well, sir," Samson suggested. "She didn't quite like the spot I chose for the display. Perhaps she went out to find a different one."
"Hmm…" the Earl pondered, Samson and Bradford watching him with surprise. "I think I would like to have a word with Millie. In the meantime, I would like you, Samson, to pick up the next load of gravel from the Blue Mountain Quarry in her place and bring it to the park near the groundskeeper's lodge."
"The Blue Mountain Quarry?!" Samson spluttered. "But...what about those fences I was supposed to pick up?"
"Not to worry, Samson," the Earl assured him. "You should be done with this job in time to fulfill that one."
Then he headed back towards the castle, Samson watching with a look of disbelief on his face.
"So now I have to do Millie's job before my own," he moaned. "So this is what it all comes to."
"Come along now, Samson," Bradford firmly ordered, pushing him forward.
Samson groaned and sighed heavily, as he went to find some empty trucks.
Samson wasn't very happy about having to do Millie's work as well as his own. But unfortunately, he didn't have much of a choice!
Millie wouldn't give up her mission to find a safer spot for the display, as she made her way through a tunnel and out the other side to a lake spot just outside the Dinosaur Park.
"Hmm," Millie thought, as she came to a stop by the lake. "I wonder if we could find a spot around here."
"We'll look, Millie," her driver told her, as he hopped off and took a look around.
Millie watched as her driver knelt down beside the lake to feel the ground and check that it was firm enough and he did the same for other spots all around. Millie then turned her eyes over to the other side of the track as her driver did the same procedure in spots over by the cliff side. She sighed as he made his way back over.
"I'm sorry, Millie," he regretfully informed her. "But this place won't do at all either. The ground by the lake and over by the cliffside isn't firm enough to ignite the fireworks."
"Huh," Millie thought, thinking hard as her driver hopped back aboard. "Perhaps the Dinosaur Park might have a better spot. It may be our last shot at finding one."
She whistled and slowly set off for the Dinosaur Park standing right before her.
"Here goes," she sighed nervously, as she ventured slowly to observe the sights above her.
At the Quarry, Samson was still in a bad mood, as his gravel trucks were being loaded up.
"Fancy that!" he complained. "Having to do Millie's work just because she can't trust in my ability to determine what a good spot looks like."
"Havin' fun, are we, Samson?" Duncan teased as he passed by.
"I have experience with fireworks, not her!" Samson went on.
"Get a grip, Samson," Bradford told him firmly. "Perhaps if you hadn't been calling Millie names in the first place, you never would have gotten yourself into this."
Samson spluttered with disbelief.
"I never called her any names! All I said was that she was a silly old engine for not believing that the spot I chose was safe."
"Yes," Bradford thought. "Well, you also called her a scaredy engine for being afraid of the fireworks and…"
"Yes, yes, I get it, Bradford!" Samson snapped, at the verge of losing his patience with the brake van.
Rheneas and Peter Sam both chuckled as they passed by, causing Samson to go a deep shade of red.
Soon enough, Samson's trucks were filled up with gravel and he made his way back towards the castle, wondering if Bradford could be right about the things he said to Millie.
Millie and her driver looked slowly around the Dinosaur Park for a wide open space to light a firework. But unfortunately, even with the park keeper's assistance, they didn't have much luck.
Millie watched anxiously as the park keeper knelt down and felt the ground, her driver watching over. Then the keeper lit a firework, both men standing back as it ignited up into the sky. Millie looked up in surprise, then looked back towards her driver and the keeper.
"Seems firm enough," the keeper told him. "I don't think it'd be much of a wide open space with all these dinosaurs in the way though. You and Millie might want to keep looking."
The driver nodded, then sighed and headed back towards his engine.
"Don't worry, Millie," he assured her as they got going on their way again. "We'll look at different spots as we head back towards the Estate.
Millie whistled as she left the Dinosaur Park and approached a woodland area up ahead.
"Aha!" she wondered. "This could be it. If the ground is firm enough."
"Yes," her driver pondered, as he stepped off and felt the ground himself.
"Firm enough," he confirmed. "But I'm afraid there'd be too many trees in the way for it to seem like a safe spot."
They continued along back towards the Estate, though Millie was starting to have doubts that they would never find the right spot.
They approached an area with a wide open plain up ahead.
"This looks almost like the spot Samson picked," Millie thought, as she came to a spot.
Her driver hopped off and took a look around, feeling the ground in different places then heading back towards his engine, sighing sadly.
"I'm afraid this is it, Millie. None of the ground seems firm enough to let off a firework. I guess there's only one thing left to do."
"Speak with the Earl," Millie sighed.
"I'm sure he'll know what to do," the driver assured her as he hopped back aboard.
Millie and her driver made their way back over to the Estate. But when Millie got there, Samson was waiting at the platform, and he did not look very happy to see her.
"There you are, Millie," he scolded. "You silly little engine. Whatever were you thinking dilly dallying around the castle all afternoon?!"
"I was not dilly dallying!" Millie argued. "I was only concerned with the safety of the Earl's party guests."
"There was no need," Samson argued back. "The spot I picked out for the display was safe enough. If you had only listened to me when I told you I found the perfect spot, I wouldn't have been left to do your job!"
"My job?"
"Yes! You were assigned to collect trucks of gravel from the Blue Mountain Quarry, and I had to do it instead."
PEEP-PEEP!
Before Millie could respond, Stephen trundled slowly into a nearby platform.
"Millie! Phew!" the Rocket engine sighed, taking a deep breath. "The Earl would like to see you in the Castle, Millie. I believe it's urgent."
"Oh, dear," she sighed, than slowly made her way towards the castle.
"Huh! Serves her right," Samson remarked. "Telling me what a good spot doesn't look like."
Stephen shot him a look of confusion.
Millie made her way slowly but nervously over to the Castle where the Earl was waiting for her.
"Sir, I'm very sorry" she immediately apologized. "I wasn't present when I had a job to do. But, sir…"
The Earl silenced her by shushing her and raising a hand up whilst lifting a finger.
"I'm not cross with you, Millie," he assured her. "However, I also trust that you have a reasonable explanation as to where you've been."
Millie sighed and took a deep breath, deciding to explain herself.
"I know you asked Samson to pick out the spot for the display, sir. But he only looked at one spot and it didn't look very safe to me. So I wanted to assure the safety of your guests by finding the very best right spot there was."
The Earl chuckled loudly, much to Millie's shock, then smiled and turned to face her.
"Oh, I do appreciate your concern, Millie. But there's absolutely nothing to worry about."
"There isn't, sir?"
"I've had it all taken care of," the Earl explained. "Perimeters are being set up all around the field by the Estate to assure that it is safe enough for people to see while not getting up too close to the fireworks being set off."
"Oh," Millie thought, thinking things over.
Millie realized that she had been a very silly engine, having looked all over the castle for a safer spot to have the firework display when the problem had already been taken care of.
"I'm sorry, sir," she sighed. "I've caused such a misunderstanding by worrying about a problem that had already been resolved."
"That's alright, Millie, the Earl told her kindly. "Little harm has been done to this matter, Millie. However, I do advise you to be mindful in future to consult me first before making a decision."
"Yes, sir."
"Good. Anyway, I have some final preparations to make for the display later this evening. Samson is supposed to pick up some perimeter fences from the Depot to put up around the field where the fireworks will go off."
"Oh," thought Millie. "Well, eh, since Samson had to my work, sir, while I was off looking for a safer spot, perhaps I could pick up the fences for him."
"That would be great, Millie. I'll phone ahead right away to tell them you're coming. Be sure to let Samson know."
"I will, sir," Millie whistled, and she left the castle to find Samson.
Samson was just backing up to collect Bradford when Millie whistled and pulled up alongside.
"Don't worry about going to the Depot, Samson," she quickly told him. "I have it all taken care of."
Samson was speechless.
"Eh, what…?"
"The Earl explained everything to me. Perimeters are being set up around the spot you chose and I'm going to fetch the fences from the Depot since you took care of my job."
"I, eh, don't know what to say, Millie…"
"Say no more then. I'll be back in a jiffy."
Then she whistled and took off.
"What was all that about?" Samson wondered to Bradford.
"I don't know, Samson. But my guess is you and I can get another good rest in before the party starts."
Samson smiled in agreement as they backed down into a siding, and he shut his eyes peacefully.
Millie made it over to the Engine Depot just as Stanley dropped off the fencing, and the workmen got it loaded and tied down onto her flatbed. Then she set off back for the castle.
At the castle, both Millie an Glynn watched as the workmen set up the fences all around the spot Samson had chosen.
"Hmm," Millie thought to Glynn, observing the spot a little closer. "I guess this doesn't seem so much like a bad spot after all."
Glynn just chuckled.
"We'll just have to see, Millie. The men are still testing it out."
The two friends smiled and watched back in astonishment as the men tested a firework, and it went off in the air, exploding high above the castle.
Later on that evening, the firework display took place at the Estate. Many of the Earl's guests came to watch the fireworks, and pretty soon, the countdown to the New Year began.
"10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1! Happy New Year!"
People cheered and Millie, Stephen, Glynn and Samson all blew their whistles loudly. Another firework was set off into the air, Stephen and Glynn both watching in surprise.
"Cinders and ashes!" Millie gasped in astonishment.
Stephen chuckled.
"You mean, gunpowder and chemicals, Millie. That's what fireworks are made of."
"Yeah," Millie thought. "I guess I can't think of any better place in the castle this display could have taken."
"Not even the Dinosaur Park?" Glynn mused. "Otherwise all the dinosaurs would have been dinomite!"
Millie and Stephen chuckled along with him.
"Good one, my friend!" Stephen remarked, as Millie backed down beside Samson and Bradford.
"Oh, eh, Millie," Samson stuttered. "Bradford and I were, mmm, enjoying the fireworks and we hoped you were too."
Millie sighed and smiled at him.
"I'm sorry that I didn't believe you about the spot you chose for the display, Samson, and that you had to go through the trouble of doing my work for that matter."
"Oh, well, erm, no problem…um…, Millie."
He felt awkward for a second before the sound of a familiar…
"Ahem!"
Bradford raised an eyebrow at Samson in a demanding way, so as to encourage him to make up his side of the quarrel.
"Um, I'm sorry too, Millie," he said as Millie looked back at him surprised. "If I hadn't called you a silly little engine, I probably wouldn't have gotten myself into that mess. You were only looking out for the Earl's party guests, and I should have reasoned with you like you tried to do with me."
Millie smiled at him, as Samson sighed, relieved, until he heard another…
"Ahem!"
Bradford raised his eyebrow at him again, before looking over at the next firework being set off.
"Doh!" Samson groaned, then took a deep breath and continued.
"I'm also sorry for teasing you about being scared of fireworks. I've been scared of fireworks too in the past and I know what it feels like so I don't know why I…"
Millie chuckled loudly, cutting him off.
"Don't worry, Samson. Another year gone by, it's all in the past now, as is my fear of fireworks."
"Oh," Samson thought. "Well, uh...me too."
Bradford chuckled from nearby, surprising both of them.
"Well now, you too. We can all enjoy the fireworks now. As good friends."
Then he cleared his throat and sang out:
"Should old acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind"
Millie and Samson smirked at each other as Bradford continued:
"Should all acquaintance be forgot
And auld lang syne"
Everyone begin to sing out as well;
"For auld lang syne, my friends
For auld lang syne
We'll take a cup of kindness yet
For auld lang syne"
Happy New Year's! This was a nice little experiment with someone from the Ulfstead crew. Millie can be quite a worrier so I thought this'd be a fitting storyline for her. Samson and Bradford were also fun for me to give a role this set; their banter was a blast to write: Samson being either proud or cocky but embarrassed when Bradford gets on him about the past. Having the Millie-Samson dynamic here was also fun; it was very much kinda like it was in Millie And The Volcano, only it's more resolved here and a bit distinctive in a way that Samson pays the price for calling Millie names while Millie herself comes out of the episode learning to consult someone in authority before going ahead with a decision. I'm very excited for I have to offer in 2020, and I hope you are all too. Be sure to tell me which ones below for my Spring Set you are most excited for. Till then, stay tuned for...
The Power Of Words - Big Mickey has a hard time communicating with other engines, though when Cranky's arm needs repair, Big Mickey must manage in his place and overcome his problem.
Turn 'Em Into Roads - George is tasked with guiding Philip and the workmen in laying some tarmac down for a level crossing on Edward's Branch Line, though when he feels BoCo is intentionally ignoring him, he schemes to get revenge on the Metropolitan Vickers diesel by causing trouble for both him and Philip.
The Good Side Of George - Rebecca encounters George on probation and makes an attempt to be friendly towards him, despite George being very unfriendly towards her.
Oliver Sent For Scrap - Oliver never tires of boasting about the time Douglas saved him from scrap. However, his boastfulness gets the better of him when he is sent to take some scrap trucks to the scrapyard, and Iron 'Arry and Bert plan to scrap him.
Belle Calls In Sick - Belle takes on bad water from a water tower by the Rescue Center and has to wait in her shed while the workmen inspect her.