"Do you know what?" Asked Percy the Small Engine innocently one bright morning.
"What?" Gordon grunted huffily.
"Do you know what?" Percy asked again.
"No of course I don't know, you silly little engine -if you don't tell me what 'what' is!"
"The Fat Controller says that the work is getting too heavy for me, so he bought an engine to help me!" Percy told him happily.
"Pah!" Snorted James "You don't need an engine to help you -you need to chat less, and that way the yard will be a blessed haven."
"And paying attention would help too!" Smirked Gordon.
The two engines laughed.
Percy was cross.
"Those two think I'm a silly little engine! They never listen to me anymore!"
To take his mind off their behaviour, he worked very hard and by the end he was exhausted.
He shunted coaches for Gordon's next train.
The Fat Controller was waiting on the platform
"Hello Percy- you look exhausted!" He said.
"Yes sir- I don't know if I'm standing on my dome or my wheels." Percy moaned.
"Well, you look the right way up to me. Cheer up Percy, the new engine is bigger than you and will be capable of doing the work alone. In the meantime, how would you like to help Thomas and Toby build my new harbour?"
"Oh yes please sir!" Working somewhere new with engines less likely to tease him sounded like a refreshing change.
"Good." said the Fat Controller.
...
"So what's your name?" Asked the Fat Controller.
The new engine was a pannier tank painted in Great Western green and had the letters G.W.R on his sides in yellow. He was indeed bigger than Percy.
"Montague sir," the engine spoke politely. "But on the Great Western, I was called Duck because I 'waddle' according to the other engines. I don't 'waddle' sir, but personally, I think Duck suits me better."
"Very well, Duck it is." Said the Fat Controller "Show him around Percy."
The two engines were soon very busy. Percy approved of Duck's hard work and dedication to see each job through to the end with satisfaction.
On the other hand, James, Gordon and Henry all made the same mistake; they assumed that Duck was a simple engine who would be an easy target for them.
"Right let's have a bit of fun!" They decided.
So whenever they passed him, they wheeshed steam and making quacking noises so bad that any actual ducks nearby would have taken offence.
Duck was shocked with their behaviour, but he was keen to ignore them.
"Do they order you about too?" He asked.
"Yes," replied Percy sadly. "They think that I'm a silly little engine."
"In that case, I'm going to help you put a stop to their nonsense. Here's what we'll do..."
...
The Fat Controller had just been given a plate of hot buttered toast. He loved hot buttered toast. He was going to take a bite when he heard the mother of all commotions going on outside.
Bother he huffed grabbing his hat to investigate.
Gordon, Henry and James were all standing in front of Tidmouth Shed s whistling and snorting. Percy and Duck -to his surprise- were both sitting calmly and defiantly outside the sheds, not letting the bigger engines in.
"STOP THAT NOISE!" he boomed
Silence echoed his shout.
"Duck, explain." He said. He suspected that the new engine was behind this- Percy never would have thought of such a protest.
"Sir, I am of Great Western heritage, and we do our work without fuss. But these... engines seem to think that we have to obey their orders. Begging your pardon sir, but these engines should know that only you can give us orders." Duck explained calmly.
"Duck, Percy, I am impressed with your performance this afternoon- but not your behaviour this evening! You have caused uproar in my yard and I will not stand for it!"
"Yes sir." Replied Duck, eyes lowered to the ground and staring at the ballast.
The big engines snorted to themselves at seeing the defiant Duck so shame faced.
"As for you three -you've been even worse! Your behaviour led to this disturbance. Duck may be in disgrace, but he has addressed an excellent point -this is my railway, and I give the orders to you. Is that clear?"
"Yes sir." they mumbled, ashamed.
"That's good."
Whilst Percy went to work on the new harbour with Thomas and Toby, Duck worked the yards alone.
He managed it easily.