A/N This one was adapted out of order, so I'll blend TRS canon in, even if I use show order.

Hey, it's me, Gordon. Today I shall tell what happened after I fell in the ditch.

After I got out of that ditch, I was all muddy so I had to be cleaned. "Mind my eyes!" I grumbled to my cleaners. The two men finished hosing and scrubbing me. I opened one eye, but shut it quickly.

"Wake up, Gordon," said Sir Topham Hatt sternly. "Listen to me. You will pull no more coaches until you are a Really Useful Engine."

I had to pull cars for the rest of the day.

"Goods trains! Goods trains!" I spluttered. I felt my position deeply. "That's for you! And you! And you!"

"Trucks will be trucks," laughed James.

"They won't with me," I snorted. "I'll teach them."

James got ready to take the Express when I returned.

"Be careful," I warned. "The hills are slippery. You may need help." James is most similar in size to my friend Edward, small for a tender engine.

"I don't need help on hills," replied James huffily. "Gordon thinks he knows everything."

Earlier, a storm had swept Gordon's Hill, blowing leaves onto the tracks, which made them slippery. Even though the storm had passed, the hill was still difficult to climb. James knew this. The signal showed the line clear and James began to go faster.

"I'll do it, I'll do it," he puffed.

Halfway up, he was not so sure.

"I must do it, I must do it."

But his wheels slipped on the leaves. He couldn't pull the train at all.

"Help! Help!" whistled James.

His wheels were turning forward, but the heavy coaches pulled him backwards. The whole train started slipping down the hill. His driver shut off steam and put on the brakes. Then carefully, he stopped the train. I saw everything. That hill could be tough, even for me, so I'm not surprised James was given trouble on it. I could go up it quite well with coaches, but Troublesome Trucks holding me back was what made me need Edward to help. Now, I had a chance to be to James what Edward was to me when I got stuck on the hill.

"Ah well. We live and learn! Never mind, little James. I'm going to push behind." I wanted to be a Really Useful Engine so I could pull the coaches again.

Clouds of smoke and steam billowed from us snorting engines as we struggled up the hill. It was hard to get up the hill with the leaves, but we did it.

"We can do it!" puffed James

"We will do it!" I puffed.

At last, we reached the top.

Peep, peep! "Thank you! Good-bye!" whistled James.

Poop, poop! I answered, "Good-bye!"

I wanted to pull coaches again, but went back to my goods train. I was miserable, but would pull coaches again. I just had yet to know when, but my little ally Thomas, who became that shortly after this story, when we were both in disgrace, played a role. But that's another story.

A/N I kind of blended book and show canon to create my story's end. The story Leaves is the basis of the show episode The Trouble With Mud, which are what I blended here. I'm not British, they are, so respect my English.