I do not own Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. They are strictly the property of both the Awdry Family and Britt Allcroft, this story is purely and only for entertainment.

Episode 21: Whistles and Sneezes, Original Airdate: 11th December 1984

It was a warm sunny Friday afternoon on the Island of Sodor. Thomas had just arrived home after work and having picked up Lucy from playschool, Henry and Gordon were both there, Thomas had invited them earlier that day. The four of them were playing buckaroo in the sitting them, Gordon was just putting the cowboy hat on buckaroo when.

BUCK

"Oh bother" groaned Gordon.

"Well it looks like Lucy's the winner today" said Thomas proudly.

"Congratulations little Lucy" Henry smiled at his honorary niece.

"Thanks Uncle Henry" said Lucy happily.

Thomas then put buckaroo away in the cupboard before heading upstairs briefly, he returned a couple of minutes later with his laptop.

"Anybody fancy a Domino's?" asked Thomas.

"I do," said Henry.

"The usual for me please Thomas" replied Gordon.

Thomas then looked at Lucy who gave him a nod, meaning which pizza, sides, and dessert she wanted. Thomas then ordered the food and sat back down in the sofa, with Lucy, Henry and Gordon whilst waiting for their Domino's to arrive.

"So, what do we whilst we wait for our pizzas?" asked Gordon.

"Daddy story" said Lucy excitedly.

"You want a story sweetie?" asked Thomas.

"Yes please" said Lucy excitedly.

Thomas then looked at Henry and Gordon, who both gave a nod of approval.

"I guess I'm down for it," said Gordon.

"Take it away Thomas" smiled Henry.

Thomas smiled at his two friends and his daughter, whilst thinking of which story to tell. Then the idea flew into his head, the story involved both Henry and Gordon, the spring following Henry's return from Crewe.

"How about I tell the story of Uncle Gordon's whistle and Uncle Henry's sneeze?" Thomas asked Lucy.

Gordon's eyes widened with fright, he knew what Thomas was talking about and he didn't want his honorary niece to hear it either.

"Please Thomas anything but that" begged Gordon.

"Uncle Gordon whistle and Uncle Henry sneeze?" Lucy asked innocently.

"Too late Gordon" chuckled Henry.

Gordon just groaned in defeat and slunk back into the couch, hoping that it would swallow him up.

"Right now," said Thomas as he began his story, "it began shortly after Uncle Henry had returned from Crewe".

(Story Begins)

Gordon was cross, he was in the kitchen of the Tidmouth Bunkhouse grumbling. Thomas, Lady, Edward, Henry, Percy, Burnett, and Howard all signed at the fact Gordon was going to go into one of his grumbling sessions.

"It's not fair" he said, "why does Henry's engine get a new shape?".

"Because it was badly damaged in a crash" grumbled Thomas in annoyance, "haven't you forgotten that?".

Gordon knew full well that was the reason why Henry's engine was given a new shape, however he still grumbled.

"Any shape for my engine is good enough for him. He goes galivanting off to Crewe and comes back saying how happy he is, it's disgraceful" said Gordon grumpily, "and another thing, he blows his engines whistle too much. No respectable engine driver wouldn't blow their engines whistle loudly at stations. It isn't wrong but we just don't do it".

"Oh, please just shut up Gordon" said Lady in annoyance, "Henry doesn't need to hear your bullshit, especially after what he went through".

Poor Henry didn't feel happy anymore. He was so happy to be home with his friends, however Gordon's words quickly crushed that. Gordon then got up from his chair and went to start up his engine.

"We're glad to have you back Henry" said Gordon, "but remember what I said".

Gordon then left the kitchen. Percy however put a comforting hand on Henry's shoulder, Henry then looked at Percy who had a smile on his face.

"Never mind" said Percy kindly, "I glad that your home and I like your whistle".

Henry smiled as Percy's kind words made him feel better. Later that day Gordon was at the station at Kirk Ronan, waiting for Lady's branch line service. She and Burnett both soon arrived with three old green coaches.

"I see you two finally arrived," said Gordon, "I was worried that I might have to leave without you".

"And leave your passengers behind" said Lady crossly, "honestly Gordon you are an utter dick at times".

"Lady's right" agreed Burnett, "and let's not forget those nasty things that you said to Henry this morning?".

"I wasn't being nasty" Gordon said as he raised his hands in defence.

"Then what were those words for anyway?" asked Lady and Burnett both asked.

"I was merely trying to tell him that we don't go around bragging of our engines new shapes and blowing their whistles so loudly" said Gordon, "I was just trying to look out for him that's all".

"We'd believe that when we see it for ourselves" said Burnett sternly.

Just then the guard blew his whistle, signalling that it was time for Gordon to depart with the express on the return journey to Knapford. Gordon then hopped into this cab and set off, as he was departing, he blew his engines whistle. However, both Lady and Burnett noticed something as Gordon departed the station.

"Burnett why is Gordon still blowing his engines whistle?" asked Lady when she heard Gordon's A3's whistle continued to blow.

"Maybe Gordon feels that he should be the only driver on Sodor who gets to blow his engines whistle loudly," said Burnett.

"Hypocrite" said Lady.

Later over at Wellsworth, Henry had just arrived with his passenger train. He found Edward oiling his engines wheels in the station siding, Edward noticed him and smiled.

"Hello there Henry" said Edward as Henry hopped down from the cab.

"Hello Edward" smiled Henry as Edward walked up to him.

"Your engine looks splendid" commented Edward, "I was pleased to hear its beautiful whistle yesterday".

"Thanks Edward" said Henry, grateful for Edwards kind words.

Since he had a while before his next passenger train, Henry decided to kill some time by talking to Edward. The two friends spent several minutes chatting about the latest news on the North Western Railway and what Henry did in his spare whilst at Crewe.

They had just finished their conversation and were about to go back to work when Henry heard something in the distance, it sounded like a horrible screeching sound.

"Edward, can you hear something?" asked Henry.

Edward perked his ears, sure enough he heard the horrid screeching noise. However, at the same time it sounded very familiar.

"It sounds like Gordon's A3's whistle," said Edward, "and it ought to be. But Gordon never whistles like that".

And it was Gordon. His A3 came rushing through the station at tremendous speed, his A3's whistle valve had come lose, hence the loud shrilling. It was so dreadful that both Edward and Henry had to cover their ears, Gordon didn't look at either Henry or Edward. His A3 just screamed through the station and disappeared into the distance.

"Well," laughed Edward after the loud noise had gone.

"It isn't wrong, but we just don't do it" chuckled Henry.

Meanwhile Gordon's A3 continued to rush down the mainline. It charged up Gordon's Hill with ease and was soon speeding down the other side, in the cab Gordon was desperately trying to get the whistle to shut off. After he left Kirk Ronan he whistled Lady and Burnett goodbye, but for reasons unknown it wouldn't stop.

"Please just shut up" begged Gordon who couldn't take any more of the dreadful whistle.

Soon he had arrived back at Knapford Station. The noise was so bad that everyone on the platform had to either drop their umbrellas or parcels and cover their ears, Gordon just looked around in embarrassment. Sir Topham Hatt was in his office when he heard the dreadful noise, he stepped out and was greeted by the loud shrill. Covering his ears, he walked straight over to Gordon.

"TAKE YOUR ENGINE AWAY GORDON" he shouted at the top of his voice, "AND PLEASE STOP THAT NOISE".

Gordon sadly did just that, a shunter quickly uncoupled Gordon's A3 from the express and Gordon brought it to the siding at the station. A pair of workmen with hammers and ear protection, they climbed onto the engine with ladders and soon knocked its valve into place, mercifully silence fell over the station.

Later that night, Gordon brought his engine into its berth at Tidmouth station, he was glad that its valve was fixed. He then hopped down the cab and quietly walked into the bunkhouse, where he tried to quietly sneak through the lounge to his car and drive home. But he once he entered the lounge, he saw Thomas, Lady, Henry, and James were already there and had their eyes on him.

"Oh no" groaned Gordon dreading was about to come next.

"It isn't wrong" said Henry with a mischievous grin on his face, "but we just don't do it".

Gordon then signed sadly before heading for his car, he was certain that it would be a long before this blew over.

The next day Henry was enjoying himself enormously. The sun was out and there was hardly a cloud in the sky, it seemed like nothing could spoil his day.

"You feel so well girl" said Henry to his engine.

Henry was then approaching the road bridge by the signal box. He noticed some little boys on the bridge, he then decided to say hello to them by whistling. Henry was just passing under the bridge when he whistled and that's when it happened.

CRASH

Instead of waving and taking his engines number, the naughty boys thought that it would be funny to drop stones on Henry's engine and the coaches instead. The stones broke the windows of the coaches and scratched Henry's engines paintwork, Henry brought the train to a stop and hopped down from the cab. He was going to confront the boys when they ran off, much to his anger.

The passengers, stewards and stewardesses hopped down from the coaches to inspect the damage.

"They've broken our glass" sobbed one of the stewardesses as she was comforted by her friends.

The passengers luckily weren't hit by the stones. But they were however very angry by the boy's actions.

"Call the police" demanded one of the passengers.

"No" said Henry.

"No" demanded the passenger, "but those little shits need to be punished".

"And they will be," said Henry.

"What do you mean?" asked the passenger.

"I'm going to make my engine sneeze at them," said Henry.

The passengers were confused and asked how Henry was going to make his engine sneeze at the boys, Henry said to wait and see. Later at the next station the windows had being repaired and Henry told the passengers to keep them shut, the passengers did just that and Henry set off.

What Henry had did was that he built up lots of soot and ashes in his engine's firebox, the plan was that the next time he saw the boys that he would wheesh it at them. Soon Henry arrived back at the bridge, he saw that they had more stones but this time he was ready. As his engine rolled under the bridge, the boys were about the drop their stones when Henry let full blast. The naughty boys were then covered from head to in soot, they were so frightened that they ran home.

Henry was pleased by the results and went home confident that both Gordon and the boys would think twice being so mean again. He after all had taught them a very valuable lesson, with both a whistle and a sneeze.

(Story Ends)

"And ever since then Uncle Gordon hasn't been mean to Uncle Henry" said Thomas as he finished his story.

"I sure learned my lesson from that whistle" said Gordon humbly.

Just then they heard the doorbell ring, meaning that their Domino's Pizzas had arrived. Thomas then got up and grabbed his wallet before opening the door and paying the delivery man for the pizzas, soon Thomas, Lucy, Henry and Gordon were all having a nice tasty dinner

And done. Sorry it took so long, I've no excuse. Anyway please be so kind and leave a preview and as always see you all next time. Also in reply to Guest's question, Lady will be on the coaches with Annie and Clarabel and during the runaway, she goes into labour.