Episode 45
A/N Daisy's the title character of this episode, so it just feels right for her to tell it.
Hey, it's me, Daisy. This is the story of when I first came to Sodor.
Percy and Toby were worried. Thomas had recently had an accident and had caused a great deal of trouble. And Sir Topham Hatt stood on the platform, waiting for them with important news. It was my arrival on the line.
"Here is Daisy, the diesel rail-car, who has come to help while Thomas is.. indisposed." Sir Topham Hatt introduced me to the other engines.
"Please, sir, will she go when Thomas comes back, sir?" Percy seemed to not be fond of me. Not much of a diesel fan, perhaps.
"That depends," said Sir Topham Hatt. "Meanwhile, however long she stays, I hope you will both make her feel welcome and comfortable."
"Yes, sir, we'll try sir," said the other engines.
"Good. Run along now and show her the shed. She will want a rest after her journey.
I was not easy to please. At least, they found me so. I shuddered at the engine's shed.
"This is dreadfully smelly. I'm highly sprung and anything smelly is bad for my swerves." I quite disliked the way their shed smelled.
Next, they tried the carriage shed. I liked it, except for the coaches inside.
"This is better," I said. "But whatever is that rubbish?"
The rubbish turned out to be Annie, Clarabel and Henrietta, who were most offended. Percy told me Annie and Clarabel were usually Thomas's coaches and Toby said "Henrietta's my coach, from my old line.".
"We won't stay here to be insulted," they fumed.
Percy and Toby had to take them away and spend half the night soothing their hurt feelings. They told me later how I upset those coaches I called "rubbish".
The other engines woke the next morning feeling exhausted. I, on the other hand, felt bright and cheerful.
"Oooh! Oooh!" I tooted, as I came out of the yard at the station. "Look at me," I purred the passengers. "I'm highly sprung and right up to date. You won't need Thomas's bumpy old Annie and Clarabel now.".
The passengers waited for me to start, but I didn't. I saw that a milk van was about to be coupled to me and was most indignant.
"Do they expect me to pull that?" I liked passengers only.
"Surely, said Driver. "You can pull one van.".
"I won't," I said. "Percy can do it. He loves messing about with freight cars." I began to shudder violently.
"Nonsense," said Driver. "Come on. Back down.".
I lurched backwards. I was so cross that I blew a fuse.
"Told you," I said and stopped. Everyone argued with me, but it was no use.
"It's fitter's orders," I said.
"What is?" My passengers wondered what my fitter's orders were.
"My fitter's a very nice man. He comes every week and examines me carefully. Daisy, he says, never, never pull. You're highly sprung and pulling is bad for your swerves. So, that's how it is," finished Daisy.
"Stuff and nonsense," said the stationmaster.
"I can't understand," said the shunter. "Whatever made Sir Topham Hatt send us such a feeble..."
"Feeble? Feeble?!" I spluttered. "Let me.." I was quite offended at being called feeble by that shunter.
"Stop arguing!" grumbled the passengers. "We're late already."
So they uncoupled the van and I purred away feeling very pleased with myself. I now enjoyed my journey.
"That's a good story," I chuckled. "I'll do just what work I choose and no more." But I said it to myself. No one else heard me.
A/N I think of her as Lazy Daisy in this story, so I wasn't real crazy about this chapter.