Chapter 67: Donald's Duck
Duck had been working for the North-Western Railway for a long time. He was so efficient at shunting that the trains ran like clockwork. But although he enjoys his job as station pilot, he longs for a change.
His chance soon came. He was in the sheds one morning, preparing his engine for the day's work, when Sir Topham Hatt came over to see him.
"Duck, I am pleased with your work in the yard, and feel that you deserve a reward. I'm reopening the line from Tidmouth to Arlesburgh, but I need someone to run it. Would you like to?"
"Oh, yes please, sir," said Duck. Thus, Duck took control of the line. It ran along the coast of Sodor until it reached a harbor at the end of the line. Although it is not as big as Brendam Docks, it is still important. Duck loved coasting down the line, exploring every twist and turn in the track. To Duck, it was paradise.
It wasn't all fun and games, however. Work still needed to be done, and there was lots of it. A new station was being built at the port, and Duck was kept busy taking supplies and workmen to and from the site. Bertie was brought into look after the passengers, while some of the other engine drivers were called into help. The work took a long time, but they all enjoyed working together.
Late one night, Duck and Donald were talking in their room. Well, Duck was talking, while Donald was trying to get some sleep. But Duck would not stop talking about how much getting this branchline meant to him.
"Having this line means that Sir Topham Hatt knows that he can depend on me," he went on.
"Ooch aye," groaned Donald, really wishing he would stop talking and go to sleep.
"And how could he not? I'm Great Western, and…"
"Quack Quack!" Donald snapped. Duck was taken aback.
"Pardon me?" He asked.
"You heard me! Quack Quack, that's all I hear. Your nickname suits you, Duck, cause you won't shut up! I'm surprised you haven't laid an egg yet. Now, some of us are trying to sleep, now stop yapping and do the same!"
With that, Donald flipped over in his bed and went to sleep. He didn't mean to snap at him, but his emotions got the better of him. Duck fell silent, and soon fell into a restless sleep.
The next morning, Toby saw that Duck was upset about something.
"What's the matter, Duck?" he asked kindly.
"Donald said that I quack last night," he told Toby sadly, "And that I won't stop talking. Do I talk too much, Toby?"
Toby smiled kindly.
"I don't think so," he said, "And I love hearing your stories about The Great Western Railway. But if you want to pay Donald out, I have an idea."
He whispered it to Duck, who smiled deviously.
"That is good," he told Toby, "I'll do it tonight."
Later that night, while the others were asleep, Duck snuck into the shed and placed something in the water tank of Donald's engine. Then, he quietly crept back to the house.
The very next day, while Donald went to fill his engine's water tank, he got a surprise.
'Well, bless me soul," he cried, "What do we have here?"
There, swimming in the tank, was a little duckling.
"I bet I know who's behind this," chuckled Donald. The duckling was rather tame, and took an instant liking to Donald. Donald shared his lunch with her, and let her ride in the cab with him. Percy, Toby, and Duck loved to tease him about it, but he took no notice.
However, that night, Donald placed something underneath Duck's pillow. He was a heavy sleeper, and did not wake, making his prank rather easy to pull off.
The next day, Duck awoke to find his pillow was rather hard. He reached underneath it and was rather surprised to pull out an egg!
"Well I'll be," he snickered. Donald, meanwhile, slowly awoke to see that his prank had gone off without a hitch.
"Well, well, well," he chortled, "You must have laid it in the night, Duck."
"Alright, alright," Duck said, "You win. I'm sorry for talking so much. I guess I let the whole thing go to my head."
"It's alright, Duck," Donald replied, "And I'm sorry, too. I didn't mean to tell you to shut up, I was just so tired."
The two are now good friends, and run the branchline with Douglas. As for the duckling, she now resides at Tidmouth Hault, where she can watch all the trains drive through. She always makes sure to wave hello to Donald when he passes through. The stationmaster named her Dilly, but everyone else prefers to call her Donald's Duck.