I Do Not Like Them, Peter Sam!
Written by Davey Moore
Based on Green Eggs And Ham by Dr. Seuss
With credit to Chase The Ferroequinologist
Agnes, Ruth, Lucy, Jemima and Beatrice are the oldest coaches on the Skarloey Railway. The coaches can be generally kind and quiet when treated well, and like almost all the engines on the railway…
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
PEEP-PEEP!
"Come along, my dears!" Peter Sam whistled, as he buffered up to them. "We have a long journey ahead of us."
Agnes managed a slight smile as he pulled them steadily forward.
"Oh, did you hear that, Lucy?" Ruth wondered to the coach. "He called us dears."
"Yes, indeed, Ruth," Lucy agreed. "What a splendid young fellow he is, that Peter Sam. Wouldn't you agree, Jemina?"
"Eh, what?" the third coach wondered. "Sorry, ladies. Speak up a little. I'm rather deaf of hearing if you can recall…"
Ruth and Lucy quickly scoffed this off, as Peter Sam pulled them further along.
…with perhaps one prime exception…"
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
PEEP-PEEEEEEP!
"Come along now, you lot! Look sharp!" Sir Handel gawked impatiently at them one day, as he clanked and pulled them roughly along. "I can't afford any of you cattle trucks to make me late today!"
"That's no way to speak!" Ruth snapped.
"What a horrid engine, that Sir Handel!" Lucy moaned in agreement.
"Hush, ladies!" Agnes snapped, then quietly said "I have a plan."
She proceeded to whisper her plan to the pair, who quietly giggled in agreement.
Agnes is the first coach of the bunch and the proudest one of all, though she is especially arch-enemies with Sir Handel and is therefore the common orchestrator with the coaches' tricks on him.
"Slow up now, you lot!" Sir Handel demanded. "We're approaching a red signal up ahead!"
The other coaches pretended to take no notice, but Agnes attempted to fire back!
"Huh! Slow it up yourself!" Agnes snapped back. "We're not the ones pulling the train!"
"Why, you…" Sir Handel spluttered. "I'll teach you to…"
"Alright, ladies," Agnes whispered to the others. "You in position?"
"Yes!" Ruth replied.
"Affirmative!" Lucy answered.
"Jemina, how about you?
"Erm, remind me again what we're doing…"
Ruth and Lucy expressed groans of irritation, as Agnes rolled her eyes and sighed with exasperation.
"Oh, oh," Beatrice chimed in. "I can start the braking process if you'd like."
"Stay out of it, Beatrice!" Ruth snapped.
"Yeah! You'll just spoil the whole thing!" Lucy added.
The coaches waited till Sir Handel came closer to the red signal and his driver applied his brakes, before preparing to slip their own brakes on.
"Now, ladies!" Agnes boomed.
SCREEEEECH!
"Woaaaaah!" Sir Handel wailed loudly, gliding on past the red signal. "Watch out, Skarloey!"
Skarloey gasped and shut his eyes and passed through and stopped, just inches away from Sir Handel.
"That was close," he murmured, than looked back and raised an eyebrow.
"Sir Handel!" he demanded. "Whatever are you playing at?"
Sir Handel groaned, as the coaches cheered from behind him, except for Agnes who just managed a slight chuckle.
By the time Sir Handel returned the coaches to the Yard at Crovan's Gate, he was still fuming.
Sir Handel bumped the coaches roughly into their siding and glared back at them.
"I'm very ashamed of you lot!" he scolded harshly. "You almost caused me an accident!"
"Well, maybe it would teach you to call us cattle trucks!" Agnes remarked.
"Well said, Agnes," Ruth agreed.
"Couldn't agree more," Lucy added.
"Pah!" Sir Handel scoffed, taking no notice, as Peter Sam watched from nearby. "Surely you never would have done so if you were proper coaches! I'll soon teach you some respect!"
Peter Sam watched as Sir Handel watched loudly and scampered off to the shed, before sighing with dismay.
Sir Handel returned to the Engine Sheds nearby the yard, where he slept with Peter Sam and Duke.
"I tell you, granpuff," he complained to Duke, as he reversed into his berth beside the old engine. "Those coaches, cattle trucks, Agnes and that lot, more like, they nearly caused me an accident! Can you imagine how much trouble I would have been in with the Thin Controller had one of my passengers gotten hurt?"
"Hmm…" the old engine thought hard. "Well, I've never had much experience with those coaches since I follow a different schedule than you and the others to an extent. Though need I remind you that back in our day, we three engines had a mutual respect for all the trucks and coaches as we had for them
"Heh!" Sir Handel snorted, "well, back in our day, trucks and coaches were also seen but not heard."
Peter Sam arrived back at the Sheds in time to hear Sir Handel ranting on.
"I could guess about the exact opposite with the coaches on this railway. They're nothing but trouble, I tell you! But that Agnes is the worst of all!"
Sir Handel's words left Peter Sam in deep thought, as he smiled weakly over at him.
"I have no trouble with those coaches, Sir Handel," he reminded him. "Maybe if there was a way you could try and be kinder to the coaches…"
But Sir Handel just snorted.
"Ha! Don't be ridiculous, Peter Sam! They hate me! They're out to get me, they are!"
"Nonsense!" Peter Sam suggested, as Duke sighed wearily.
"Yes! That's the catch!" Sir Handel went on. "That's exactly the way things have been since since day one when I first called them cattle trucks, and since then, they've been plotting their next move towards me every step of the way!"
"Those coaches never give me a problem," Peter Sam assured him. "I'm sure that being kinder to them like I am may soften things up a bit."
"I think Stuart's right, Falcon," Duke agreed. "We never had this problem with coaches back in our day."
Sir Handel shot him a dirty look, then looked over to the other side, startled, as Peter Sam went on.
"I suggest you try it first thing tomorrow when you take them out, Sir Handel," Peter Sam advised. "You'd be surprised what difference it could make."
Sir Handel sighed heavily.
"No!" he snapped, taking Peter Sam by surprise, then stressed, "I won't do so! I do not like them, Peter Sam!"
He backed further down into his berth, as Peter Sam sighed with dismay.
"Are you alright, Stuart?" he asked, rather sympathetically.
"It's just the animosity between Sir Handel and those coaches," Peter Sam admitted. "It may lead him to a lot of trouble some day amongst his passengers. I assure you, granpuff, I'll find a way to put an end to it all or bust!"
Duke expressed a look of concern to such a statement, then sighed sadly to himself.
The next morning, the Thin Controller came to see Sir Handel with a news of a special job for him.
"Good morning, Sir Handel!" he greeted. "I've taken a look at your timetable for today, and it doesn't look like you have a busy afternoon as of yet. I'm wondering if you could do the Lakeside special. You'd be working with Agnes and that lot."
Sir Handel was immediately appalled by the idea.
"Oh, please, sir," he begged. "Can't Peter Sam do it? He likes the coaches and works well with them."
"I've already assigned Peter Sam to deliver some supplies to Lakeside for the Refreshment Lady's tearooms," the Thin Controller sternly clarified. "And you have no other later that afternoon, so I'm counting on you, Sir Handel, to give the passengers a smooth ride."
"But…but…" Sir Handel protested, then thought quickly, before beginning to cough and splutter.
"I'm having slight boiler troubles, sir," he coughed. "I do think it's gotten to my smokebox today and I can't seem to make it up to steam."
He began to make loud wheezing noises, but the Thin Controller only sighed before rolling his eyes and heading back to his car. Sir Handel watched with disbelief as he set off, before his driver hopped aboard and got his fire going.
"Oh, botheration!" Sir Handel groaned with dismay. "Looks like I'm going to have to deal with them after all!"
All morning long, Sir Handel complained about the coaches everywhere he went…!
"I say," he announced to Rheneas and Rusty at the Depot, as he backed down to collect his trucks. "Imagine dealing with those good-for-nothing cattle trucks! They usually give me a heart attack when they're up to their old tricks! But yesterday, they crossed the line, I tell you!"
"Whatever are you going on about, Sir Handel?" Rheneas wondered.
"Agnes and that lot. They're a stuck-up bunch, they are! I'm lucky to even still be on my own wheels when going out with them!"
He was soon coupled up to his trucks and quickly made on his way, whistling loudly.
PEEP-PEEP-PEEEEEP!
Rheneas sighed and exchanged nervous glances with Rusty.
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
"They're always plotting their next move, they are" he complained to Merrick at the Blue Mountain Quarry, as the gantry crane loaded his trucks full of slate tiles. "I'm telling you, Merrick!. Those coaches are nothing but trouble!"
"Dear, oh, dear, Sir Handel," the gantry crane expressed rather worriedly. "Doesn't sound like you're having a good morning after all."
"You can say that again! And I probably won't have a good afternoon either. Not if I'm having to deal with those cattle trucks!"
He left off a heavy wheesh of steam, then whistled impatiently at Merrick.
PEEP-PEEEEP!
"Come along, Merrick!" he begged.
Duke came into view with his stone trucks and shot him a look of concern.
"You'd best be careful, Falcon," he warned. "That temper of yours may get into lots of trouble if you're not careful."
"Ha! Nonsense, granpuff!" he snorted. "I can handle myself! I'll give those coaches a piece of my mind! Just you wait and see!"
He whistled loudly and left, just as soon as his trucks were full of slate, leaving Duke to sigh with concern and carry on with his stone trucks.
Sir Handel delivered his slate tiles to Crosny-Cuirn, where he met Peter Sam waiting with the workmen's coach.
PEEP-PEEP!
"Hello, Sir Handel!" he greeted. "How's your day going?"
"Fine, so far!" Sir Handel admitted. "At least it will be until I have to work with silly cattle trucks again! I wonder, Peter Sam, how ever are you able to stand them?"
Peter Sam sighed wearily, feeling slightly short of breath, but managed a smile as he looked over at them.
"I'm just kind and gentle with them," he suggested.
"Huh! I see that."
"I'm sure that being nicer to the coaches won't hurt, Sir Handel," Peter Sam insisted, raising an eyebrow. "It might make you feel a lot better, in fact."
"How?" Sir Handel demanded.
"Well, you can start by being gentle with them as you take them out," he advised.
"Heh! Somehow, I don't see how that will do any good."
"Why not? It ought to be a good way to start off your journey."
"I do not find that to be a very good idea," Sir Handel admitted. "Those coaches are no pleasure to be around."
"B-but…but…"
"'Nough, said! I won't be any kinder to those coaches than they are to me. I do not like them, Peter Sam!"
He waited as his last truck was unloaded, before whistling loudly and setting off, much to Peter Sam's dismay.
"Oh, my," he sighed worriedly.
At the Yard, the coaches were waiting patiently for the next engine to take them out.
"Um, if you don't mind me mentioning, ladies," Beatrice wondered aloud to the others. "Do you think that maybe we…took a bit too far yesterday with Sir Handel and all…?"
"Huh?" Jemina abruptly wondered. "Sorry, can you repeat that…?"
But Ruth and Lucy scoffed.
"Certainly not!" Ruth bluntly responded. "I believe we taught him a valuable lesson. Don't you think, Lucy?"
"Indeed," the third coach agreed. "And you're very silly, Beatrice, to deduce such an idea on the matter…"
Beatrice sighed sadly and narrowed her eyes down as Lucy spoke aloud.
"Silence, ladies!" Agnes boomed, as loud as she could to make herself heard that the rest of the coaches all turned to listen to her.
"For once, you both make a valid point. Need I remind you all that Sir Handel has been rude to us since day one. We mustn't stand for one inch of it. Instead, we must show him to give us the respect we deserve."
Agnes spoke too soon though, as Sir Handel arrived and bumped roughly into them, causing them to groan and wail.
PEEP-PEEP!
"Hurry along, you lot!" he demanded. "And I shall stand for none of your nonsense today, thank you very much!"
"We'll give him nonsense!" Ruth giggled quietly, as Lucy did so after her.
"Hush, ladies!" Agnes quietly snapped, "and listen closely…"
She began quietly whispering her plan quietly to the others, who all giggled quietly in agreement.
"I'm in," Beatrice suggested, "as long as it doesn't involve any more near collisions…"
"Hush, Beatrice!" Ruth snapped.
"Yeah!" Lucy chimed in. "Let the professionals handle this!"
Beatrice sighed with disappointment, as the coaches continued to whisper amongst themselves. Sir Handel raised an eyebrow as he listened from the front of the train.
"What is going on back there?!" he demanded.
"Never you mind!" Agnes snapped. "Keep your eyes on the track!"
Sir Handel felt insulted and spluttered at such a remark.
"Well, at least I can actually see where I'm going!" he fired back. "Not like you useless cattle trucks!"
Agnes growled, insulted, and continued to whisper amongst the others, as Sir Handel raised an eyebrow with suspicion.
Unbeknownst to Sir Handel, the coaches were secretly discussing their next prank on him…
Soon enough, the cavalcade arrived at Crovan's Gate, where the passengers were waiting on the platform.
PEEP-PEEP!
"Hurry up and get on board! Come along now! Chop chop!" he whistled impatiently to the surprised passengers as they boarded the coaches.
PEEP-PEEP-PEEEEEP!
Jemina groaned at listening to such a noise.
"Please!" she moaned. "My ears are hurting just listening to such racquet!"
"It's alright, Jemina, dear," Ruth soothed.
"Yeah? Not the rest of you aren't deaf of hearing like I am!" Jemina went on. "You all can manage it!"
"On the contrary!" Lucy expressed with disagreement. "We like it no more than you! Peter Sam would never whistle this loud!"
Sir Handel groaned with annoyance, as Agnes smirked from behind him.
"Not to worry, ladies," she assured them aloud. "We'll give Sir Handel what's coming to him."
"Heh!" Sir Handel scoffed. "And just how will you manage to do that then?!"
"We have our resources," Agnes assured him. "Though I'm pretty sure that by now, Sir Handel, you of all engines would understand that."
"Huh!"
At that moment, the guard's whistle blew.
"Come along, ladies! It's time to go!" Beatrice announced.
Sir Handel tugged hard at the coaches, causing them to rattle and groan.
"Watch where you're going!" Agnes snapped.
But Sir Handel took no notice as he rolled his eyes and pressed further on.
As the journey progressed, Sir Handel couldn't help but hear the coaches giggling and chattering quietly behind him.
Agnes whispered something slow and quiet to Ruth, who gasped and listened with interest.
"Quick!" the first-class coach whispered. "Pass it on!"
Even by Agnes' deep voice, Sir Handel could hear what she was saying and raised an eyebrow.
"Pass what on?" he demanded.
"Hush!" Agnes snapped. "Never you mind! Worry about your passengers!"
Sir Handel spluttered with offense, then growled quietly as he observed Ruth whispering as quiet as she could to Lucy, who could only laugh as loud as she could.
"Shhhhhhh!" Agnes and Ruth hissed.
"Quick!" Ruth quietly demanded, "pass it on to Jemina, and whatever you do, make sure Beatrice has nothing to do with it!"
"Heard that!" Beatrice calmly pointed out.
"Shush!" the first two third-class coaches hissed aloud."
"Huh?" Jemina wondered with confusion.
"Alright! That does it!" Sir Handel snapped with impatience. "What are you lot whispering about now?!"
"Halt!" a voice shouted at him from up ahead.
Sir Handel looked at the track ahead and saw a farmer waving at him to slow down, before quickly pinning his brakes.
"Nooooooo!" he shouted, shutting his eyes as his brakes were applied hard.
He came to a stop just inches before a herd of sheep on the line. He slowly opened to see the commotion then opened the other with disbelief.
"Well, I never!" he gasped.
PEEP-PEEP-PEEEEEP!
"Shoo! Shoo!" he demanded, blowing his whistle loudly.
"Ow! My ears are hurting!" Jemina moaned.
The farmer walked over and stood before Sir Handel.
"Do be patient, Sir Handel," he advised. "This flock had only just stray from their field. But not to worry. I have it all under control."
Sir Handel sighed heavily as the farmer proceeded to blow a two-tone whistle and lead the sheep off the track two at a time.
PEEP-PEEP!
"Hi, Sir Handel!" he greeted.
The coaches all gasped with excitement.
"Peter Sam!" they cried, rather overjoyed.
"Hello, my dears!" Peter Sam greeted. "How's your journey going?"
"I can vouch for that!" Sir Handel bluntly remarked. "These lot have been nothing but trouble the whole way! I tell you, they've been whispering and giggling the entire journey! They're conspiring against me, I know they are!"
"That can't be true, Sir Handel!" Peter Sam concluded, raising an eyebrow at him.
Sir Handel sighed with exasperation and looked across at Peter Sam.
"Please, Peter Sam, how about a swap?" he suggested. "They'll never behave this way around you."
"Sorry, Sir Handel, but I'm already on my way to the bakery to pick up supplies for the cafeterias at Lakeside."
"Heh!" Sir Handel snorted. "I can do that job, easy peasy!"
"Seriously, Sir Handel," Peter Sam stressed, rather wearily. "You could at least try to get along with the coaches."
"Huh! And just how will I be able to do that then?"
"Well…," Peter Sam thought, thinking hard.
"Oh, dear," Sir Handel groaned. "I just had to ask, didn't I?"
"You can try engaging them in sing-song," Peter Sam suggested. "I do it all the time, and they love it!"
"Huh! What difference would be that make? They hate everything about me, and frankly I'm more than welcome to return to the sentiment."
"Well, maybe you should try it, Sir Handel," Peter Sam encouraged. "Perhaps they'll warm up to you much quicker if you do."
"I will do no such thing!" Sir Handel assured them, rather appalled. "I do not like the idea to any extent."
"But I do it, and…!"
"Under no circumstance! It is a silly idea! These coaches are sure to behave no different! I do not like them, Peter Sam!"
At long last, the line was cleared, and the farmer sighed as he walked before the two engines.
"Job done! Good to go, you two!"
Sir Handel and Peter Sam both whistled as they made it on their way, the former muffling quietly to himself over Peter Sam's advice.
"Engage in sing-song! How silly of that Peter Sam to think of such a thing. I do not sing!" he ranted to himself.
Agnes used the commotion to express a look of determination, before proceeding to whisper to the coaches behind her, who giggled in response.
"Heh!" Sir Handel snorted to himself from the front. "I'll just ignore them. That way, they won't get to me. They'll give up before the Refreshment Lady can say TEATIME, I'm sure of it!"
He focused on the signal ahead of him and gradually let off steam.
"NOW, LADIES!" Agnes shouted.
"NOOOOOOOO!" Sir Handel screamed.
He slammed on his brakes hard and shut his eyes, coming to a stop just before the green signal. He opened his eyes slowly to see it turn red, then watched with dismay as Duncan passed though.
"Silly cattle trucks!" he remarked. "You could have made me late!"
But the coaches took no notice as they cheered and laughed amongst themselves.
"Well done, ladies! Well done!" Agnes congratulated.
Sir Handel sighed with dismay, then waited as his signal turned green before setting off again.
"Silly cattle trucks!" he moaned. "They DO NOT like ME, and I DO NOT like THEM!"
Sir Handel arrived at Lakeside all in good time, though he was still in a bad mood as he arrived at the top station and let off a heavy wheesh of steam.
Sir Handel stopped right at the platform, and excessive steam poured and billowed from his funnel, and back amongst the coaches, who only responding coughing and groaning.
Agnes spluttered and angrily spit out steam, as their passengers all got out onto the platform with no trouble whatsoever.
"I say," Ruth groaned, loudly coughing out steam. "Have you ever seen so much smoke, Lucy?"
The third coach coughed loudly.
"Not at all, Ruth!" she spluttered, coughing out steam. "What about you, Jemina?"
The fourth coach could only respond by wheezing out steam and coughing loudly.
"Far too much steam!" Ruth complained.
"Indeed!" Lucy agreed.
"I don't feel anything…" Beatrice wondered with confusion, as the smoke reached out beyond her view of the track away from her.
"Heh!" Sir Handel snorted, as he listened to the coaches coughing and groaning amongst the smoke. "All worked up over a little steam…!"
PEEP-PEEP!
At last, Peter Sam arrived with the supplies for the station tearooms.
"My goodness, dearies," he gasped, watching with surprise as he listened to the coaches coughing and wheezing. "Are you okay?"
"They'll be fine, Peter Sam," Sir Handel bluntly remarked. "They're only overreacting over a small wheesh of steam. That's how difficult they are, you know."
"Hmm…" Peter Sam wondered, as the men got to work at unloading his trucks. "I wonder if maybe you let off too much steam, Sir Handel."
"Too much?" Agnes remarked. "Huh! What an understatement!"
"See what I mean?" Sir Handel asked. "These coaches are no short of difficult to deal with!"
"Well," Peter Sam thought, then suggested, "I only let so little steam when I enter stations and I don't do it until aftermy passengers are onboard. Maybe you should try it, Sir Handel. You'll probably feel much better once you do, and the coaches won't complain as much."
"Nonsense!" Sir Handel snorted. "I won't change my old habits just to appease to these cattle trucks! I do not like them, Peter Sam!"
Peter Sam sighed wearily, a look of hopelessness on his face, as Ruth and Lucy watched from where they stood.
Sir Handel waited anxiously for the passengers to be done with their tour, with not even the lovely view of Lakeside being able to keep him in high spirits.
As soon as his passengers were all back onboard, Sir Handel let off as much steam as he did before.
The coaches coughed and spluttered, but Sir Handel only looked the other way and took no notice. As soon as his guard's whistle blew, he advanced along the line, pulling the coaches sternly behind him.
"You did it again, you silly engine!" Ruth complained.
"Yes, yes," Lucy agreed, coughing out smoke. "Far too much steam."
Jemina coughed and wheezed out steam in agreement, as Beatrice sighed and turned her eyes down in dismay.
"You're a reckless engine! That's what you are!" Agnes bellowed. "I'm surprised the Thin Controller still keeps you on…!"
"Silence!" Sir Handel snapped. "I will feel much better once I return you cattle trucks to the yard! Not another word out of any of you? Do you understand?"
The coaches all went silent and muttered quietly to one another, as Sir Handel sighed with relief and pressed forward.
Sir Handel thought that he had handled the coaches effectively, but he couldn't help but hear them whisper quietly and giggle to themselves. He anxiously pretended to take no notice and carried on, though there was trouble ahead…
Mr. Hugh and the workmen were inspecting the line during their routine maintenance check, as Rusty watched carefully from nearby.
"I've asked the men to inspect the right hand side near the field," Mr. Hugh told his engine. "We believe that it contains a bad stretch right before the distance you're standing."
Rusty listened with caution as his driver went on.
"I've asked the men to flag down approaching engines. Please, Rusty, remain on standby just in case."
"Yes, sir," the little diesel obliged.
He waited anxiously as he watched his driver walk off, then heard the sound of Sir Handel's whistle from up the line.
PEEP-PEEP!
"Oh, botheration!" he snorted, as he saw the guard waving his red flag, and gradually let off steam.
Sir Handel attempted to slow down as he saw the red flag up ahead, though the coaches had a different plan in mind.
"NOW, LADIES!" Agnes shouted.
"Press forward!" Ruth called out.
Lucy and Jemina pretended to surge ahead as well.
"Noooo!" Sir Handel panicked.
He shut his eyes tight and passed the man on guard with the red flag, who nearly fell back with surprise.
"Slow down, Sir Handel!" Rusty warned. "Slow down!"
But Sir Handel wasn't able to hear Rusty's warning in time as he approached the bad stretch.
The men waved and shouted, and Rusty honked his horn loud. Eventually, Sir Handel opened his eyes.
"Woah!" he wailed, as he saw the bad stretch of line before him.
He turned sharply at the bad stretch and his front wheels came off right at it, as the coaches jolted forward and then back, groaning in reaction. They listened as the passengers got out and began complaining to the guard
"Uh oh," Beatrice muttered.
"We'll be late and miss our train home!" one lady complained.
"I say!" the Grumpy Passenger with the mustache complained. "Call this a railway?"
"We want our money back!" another man ranted.
Sir Handel sighed with dismay, as Rusty backed down beside him.
"Oh, dear, Sir Handel. I hope you're not too hurt!"
"Huh!" Sir Handel snorted. "Nothing the men won't be able to fix."
"I know that," Rusty observed. "I must say, though, your passengers don't look very happy."
"So I've noticed…"
The coaches heard what Rusty had said and noticed for themselves as the passengers complained angrily to the guard. At long last, Mr. Hugh walked up.
"Alright, that's enough now!" he assured them, loud enough to make himself heard. "I know how anxious you all are to get back, but sitting around here grumbling about it isn't helping anything. It's best we work together to lift Sir Handel's front wheels back onto the rails so you can all get home safely. Come along now."
Puzzled yet surprised, the passengers followed Mr. Hugh up to the front of the train, where the men were also waiting.
As the passengers and workmen worked together to lift Sir Handel's front wheels back onto the rails, the coaches were left to think over the events that transpired.
"I wonder, ladies," Beatrice began, "do you think that maybe we took it too far?"
"Heard that one!" Jemina bellowed. "Yes, yes, indeed!"
"I think, for once, you may be right, Beatrice," Lucy admitted.
"Precisely," Ruth agreed. "Even though that he was kind of asking for it."
Sir Handel listened carefully to this as he was lifted back onto the rails, and thought hard about his actions that had recently transpired.
"Agreed!" Agnes bellowed out. "The little tyke did have it coming to him."
"Hmm…" Sir Handel thought to himself, raising an eyebrow.
"I must confess, though," the first-class coach went on, "the seriousness of the incident we have recently caused, and I assume full responsibility for it. None of this would have happened had it not been for my ideas. I'm sorry, my dear ladies. I…"
"No!" Sir Handel cut off, catching the coaches by surprise, who all stopped to listen to him.
"All of this my fault for being so rude. I got myself into this and I have no one to blame but myself."
"Huh! You can say that again!" Agnes remarked.
Sir Handel raised his eyebrow at such a remark, then took a deep breath, realizing that firing back was only going to make things worse.
"Please," he went on. "Can we perhaps put aside our differences and work together to get these passengers home on time?"
"Huh! As long you treat us nicely," Ruth bluntly suggested.
"Couldn't have put it any better myself," Lucy agreed. "What do you think, Jemina?"
"Erm...refresh my mind, ladies. What are we talking about?"
"I think, ladies," Beatrice put in, "that Sir Handel is remorseful for the way he's treated. It's probably best we all cooperate with him, don't you think?"
The three third-class coaches all wondered at such a suggestion and whispered quietly amongst one another.
"I want to hear him say it," Agnes demanded.
Sir Handel took a deep breath and thought hard of what to say.
"I'm sorry for my behavior," he apologized. "And for all those times I've called you cattle trucks since the first day I arrived."
Agnes raised an eyebrow as the rest of the coaches listened carefully to his apology.
"You're not cattle trucks," he went on, "you're a really useful bunch of coaches and you really do help to keep this railway running smoothly and on time. I would like us all to start over and get along. Please, can we work together to get these passengers home on time?"
"Hmm…" Agnes thought. "Fair enough. Don't you think, ladies?"
"Indeed," Ruth agreed.
"Capital idea!" Lucy added. "Don't you think, Jemina?"
"Ehh, begging your pardon, ladies?"
Beatrice sighed heavily and smiled.
"Apology accepted, Sir Handel!" she assured him.
Her guard hopped back aboard and blew his whistle. Sir Handel sighed with relief and carried on.
"Thank you!" he called back to them.
"Huh! Think nothing of it!" Agnes remarked, letting a huge sigh of air under her breath.
Sir Handel continued further along his journey so gently and so carefully, he found that the coaches actually stopped complaining.
"Hmm…" he thought to himself. "Now what was it again that Peter Sam suggested?"
He thought hard to himself until it suddenly occurred to him.
"Oh, yes," he thought to himself.
He began humming happily to himself, much to the coaches' confusion.
"What sort of drivel is this?!" Agnes quietly wondered.
"He's not a bad singer. I'll give him that," Ruth whispered.
"But can he be trusted?" Lucy wondered.
"Huh! That can be debated!" Agnes scoffed doubtfully.
This time, Sir Handel decided to ignore the coaches and follow Peter Sam's advice by engaging in sing-song.
"Oh, I'm Sir Handel and I'm running this train.
On the way home to Crovan's Gate
I'm Sir Handel and I'm running this train
On the way back from Lakeside!"
"Hmm…" Ruth wondered. "Not bad…"
"No, no. Not at all," Lucy agreed.
"I kinda like this Sir Handel better," Jemina admitted, listening faintly to his singing. "Though I do wish I could understand what he's singing."
"Then perhaps it's best we sing along with him!" Beatrice suggested.
She proceeded to begin the chorus of singing amongst the coaches,
"Oh, he's Sir Handel and he's running this train.
On the way home to Crovan's Gate"
At first, Sir Handel was surprised, but eventually began to sing-along with them, Agnes joining in after him.
"He's/I'm Sir Handel and he's/I'm running this train
On the way back from Lakeside!"
The cavalcade began to sing the melody on "la-la-la-la-la" as they continued along towards home.
Sir Handel found that Peter Sam's advice was working well, and by the time they returned to Crovan's Gate, he let off a small wheesh of steam after the passengers disembarked.
"How's that?" he asked.
"Mmm…a little better, I'll admit," Agnes pointed out. "Though it's definitely something you could get a little more used to."
Sir Handel smiled as the rest of his passengers disembarked before setting off again, slowly and gently.
Sir Handel returned the coaches to the yard, and left them at the carriage shed.
"Thank you for a wonderful day out!" he told them. "I'm sorry if I gave you any sort of grief."
"Oh, well, erm...no problem," Agnes muttered, rather surprised.
"We're sorry too!" Ruth chimed in. "Aren't we, Lucy?"
"Indeed," the second coach agreed. "You have come a long way all in a course of one day. Wouldn't you agree, Jemina?"
"Huh?" the fourth coach blurted out. "Sorry, ladies. You must speak up for I am rather deaf of hearing and…"
Beatrice sighed.
"Erm, no worries, Jemina," she cut off, then explained, "you did well today, Sir Handel. The ladies and I had a great time out with you…in spite of a few mishaps…"
PEEP-PEEP!
"Goodnight...my dears," he greeted. "Here's to another fantastic day out tomorrow."
At that moment, Peter Sam arrived back at the yard in time to hear everything. He chuckled loudly, shocking Sir Handel.
"Well, well, Sir Handel," he teased. "I guess your journey out with the coaches was a success after all."
Sir Handel went a deep shade of red, as the coaches giggled quietly.
"Erm...come along, Peter Sam, we must be heading back to the sheds now."
Peter Sam chuckled and started up, Sir Handel toiling along beside him.
"Okay," he responded cheekily. "I bet you're really excited for your next journey out with the coaches tomorrow."
"Oh, give it a rest, will you?" Sir Handel sighed heavily.
Peter Sam chuckled loudly as the two friends headed home to the sheds, side-by-side.
"You know, ladies," Ruth wondered aloud. "I, for one, am really starting to like Sir Handel."
"Likewise," Lucy added, "Peter Sam's advice is a really good influence on him. Wouldn't you agree, Jemina?"
"Say what?!"
Ruth and Lucy groaned, as Beatrice smiled.
"Psst! Jemina!" she whispered. "Sir Handel!"
"Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah," Jemina blurted out. "Fine young chap he's become. Hasn't he, ladies?"
"Indeed," Lucy sighed, rather flustered.
"What do you think, Agnes?" Ruth wondered.
"Begging your pardon?" Agnes wondered, pretending not to notice.
"Do you agree?" Lucy asked.
"Erm...about what?"
"You know," Ruth put in.
"No, I do not!"
"Yes, you do!" Lucy cheekily replied.
"No, I don't!"
Ruth and Lucy giggled quietly, as Beatrice sighed.
"About Sir Handel," the guard's van reminded her.
"Oh, right, right," Agnes blurted out, pretending as if she has only remembered.
"Mmm...I don't know," she thought.
"Oh, what do you mean?" Ruth prodded.
"He can't possibly be that bad," Lucy chimed in.
Agnes took a deep breath.
"Oh alright," she admitted. "I guess Sir Handel isn't that bad of an engine after all. But let me assure you ladies that the whole dears thing was originally Peter Sam's. Better still, it's best we give the tyke another chance after all to see what we're really made of."
The coaches chuckled in agreement, as Agnes eyes Sir Handel closely exiting the yard side-by-side with Peter Sam.
The coaches were sure that they were ready to warm up to Sir Handel, though Sir Handel himself still needed a bit of prodding…
"I do not!" Sir Handel huffed, as he and Peter Sam returned to Crovan's Gate Sheds.
"You do too, Sir Handel!"
"Do not!"
"Admit it, Sir Handel!" Peter Sam grinned. "You do like the coaches after all!"
Sir Handel sighed and blushed a slight shade of red.
"Well," he admitted sheepishly, "I guess they're not so bad once you get used to them…"
"I knew it!" Peter Sam exclaimed. "I knew my advice would work…!"
"But…" Sir Handel cut off. "That doesn't mean I'm friends with the coaches."
"Oh, sure," Peter Sam teased, chuckling slightly.
Sir Handel spluttered.
"What's that supposed to mean?!"
"Oh, Sir Handel," Peter Sam grinned. "It's okay to admit that deep down, you are friends with the coaches."
"Am not!"
"Yes, you are," Peter Sam chuckled.
"No, I'm not!"
"Yes, you are!"
"No, I'm not!"
"Yes, you are!"
Duke returned to the sheds and had a good chuckle as he listened to the two banter back and forth.
Sir Handel refused to admit it, but deep down, he knew that he was beginning to like the coaches after all.
Snow Problem For Daisy (based on Snow Problem by Christopher Awdry)- when a snowfall on the Other Railway delays Daisy's return journey, she lands herself in deep trouble getting caught in a blizzard.
Driving Home For Christmas - The Fat Controller strives hard through bad weather to make it home in time for Christmas Eve but encounters several obstacles along the way, as his family waits eagerly for his return!
Murdoch And The Kipper - when it is Murdoch's turn to take the Kipper, Henry's tall tales leave him unconvinced that he'll have an accident as well, but finds that sometimes things can happen when you least expect them to.
And coming this Spring...Thomas & Friends in Ready! Set! Rescue!
Amber Rushes In - a new ambulance van named Amber arrives as part of the Search and Rescue Team to transport injured people to the hospital in emergencies. However, Amber is so eager to rush into an emergency that she often forgets where she is needed.
Gator's Discovery - while delivering some rock salt along Duck's Branch Line, Gator comes across Bulstrode the Barge washed up by the shore and enlists Percy's help to make him good as new.
No Bother For Butch - Butch spends all day tending to other engines and vehicles in a state of emergency, that he doesn't think to take notice of the problem with his own engine, dismissing others' warnings. Instead, he puts his friends entirely before himself, which eventually leads to his own emergency!
Amber's Castle Conundrum - a pair of rock climbers are injured at Callan Castle, so the Rescue team are called into action, though Amber takes a wrong turn and ends up at Ulfstead instead!
Trevor And Flynn - Trevor often tries to find a way to help Flynn with fighting fires when he passes by despite Flynn clearly thinking the old traction engine has little use in a situation like that; however, when Belle derails on the way to a fire, Flynn may end up needing Trevor's help after all when he starts to run out of water.
Captain's Call To Action - Captain discovers a muddy stretch of stream and reports it to the Search and Rescue Team, prompting the workmen to take precautions and keep the area off limits. However, when Bulstrode attempts a shortcut back to Norramby and gets stuck, Captain jumps into action and saves him.