A/N Due to my listening to James A Williams reading of James The Red Engine, this may be a blend of book and model TTTE. For anyone new to my Thomasverse, I'm not British, they are, so there's a reason for my English.
Hello, it's me again, James The Red Engine and I'm telling the rest of the story this time.
I had to stay in my shed several days after banging my coaches. It made me miserable. "Oh dear. I wonder how long I shall have to stay in the shed, would anyone else ever see my red coat again. Why did I go so fast that I made a hole in one of my coaches that had to mended with of all things a passenger's bootlace?" I began to cry, too miserable to care.
At last, Sir Topham Hatt arrived. "I know you are sorry, James and I know, too that you want to be a useful engine. People are laughing at my railway and I do not like that at all."
I said, "I will try hard to do my best." and he comforted me a bit because I was so miserable.
He then said, "That's a good engine. There's nothing like determination. I want you to pull some trucks for me."
Usually, I didn't like pulling the Troublesome Trucks, but I puffed away delighted to be let out of my shed.
"Here's your freight train, James," said Thomas. My hero, I thought, remembering how that cheeky little engine saved me from that field my first day as an official NWR engine. I was on trial before that, but that was my first real day. "Have you got some bootlaces ready?" And he ran off laughing. So cheeky, I thought. But that's just him.
"Oh, no", said the freight cars. "We want a proper engine, not a red monster." But I took no notice of their behavior and started when the conductor was ready. I was too happy about being released from that miserable shed to care.
"Come along, come along," I puffed to those Troublesome Trucks.
"We won't, we won't," screamed the cars. I didn't care about their behavior and pulled those screeching Troublesome Trucks sternly out of the station. The cars tried hard to make me give up but I still kept on. Sometimes their brakes slipped on and sometimes the axles ran hot and each time the trouble had to be put right and each time I started again, determined not to let them beat me.
"Give up, give up. You can't pull us! You can't, you can't!", called the Troublesome Trucks.
"I can and I will! I can and I will!", I puffed and slowly but surely pulled them along the line. At last, we saw Gordon's Hill.
Driver warned, "Look out for trouble, James. We'll go fast and get them up before they know it. Don't let them stop you."
So I went faster and soon we were halfway up. "I'm doing it. I'm doing it," I panted. "Will the top never come?" I had to put effort out as I was on that big hill with those Troublesome Trucks and am nearly Edward sized, so smaller for a tender engine.
Then with a sudden jerk, it all came easier. I said, "I've done it, I've done it. Hooray! it's easy now.". But Driver shut off steam. I wondered what was going on.
Driver said, "They've done it again. We've left our tail behind. Look."
The last cars were running backwards down the hill. A coupling had snapped. But the conductor stopped the cars and got out to warn approaching engine. I realized that was what made it easier.
"That's why it was easy," I said as I backed the cars carefully down. Those Troublesome Trucks, I thought. "What silly things freight cars are. There might have been an accident."
"Shall I help you, James?" called Edward.
"No, thank you. I'll pull them myself," I said. I didn't help from that pile of old iron.
"Good, don't let them beat you. You're doing well, whistled Edward as I slowly struggled up the hill.
"I can do it, I can do it," I puffed. I pulled and puffed as hard as I could. It really mattered to me that I do it without help.
"I've done it, I've done it," I panted. I was resting in the yard when Edward pulled up.
Peep Peep!, he whistled. Then, I saw Sir Topham Hatt. I was worried.
"Oh dear, what will he say?", I asked myself. But Sir Topham Hatt was smiling. That made me feel better. Maybe I'd been a Really Useful Engine.
He said, "I was in Edward's train and I saw everything. You made the most troublesome train on the line behave. After that performance, you deserve to keep your red coat." His words made me feel so good. I knew I made up for all the naughty things I did before banging the coaches, along with that behavior.
A/N I believe Sir Topham Hatt loves his engines and that's why he comforted James in my Thomasverse version of this story. He's a father figure in my eyes and I have a buddy here who likes Hurt/Comfort, whether or not the character deserves comfort. Respect my Thomasverse, so review, but no flames. The part with James being on trial explains his too early presence.