Thomas the Tank Engine had finally arrived in Russia. There was snow everywhere and it was very cold. "Bust my buffers," he shivered. "If it gets any colder, my fire is going to fizzle out."

"Hey!" called a voice.

Thomas jumped and then, he saw a familiar face; a tough-looking diesel shunter was smiling at him. "Oh, hullo. You're…Ivan, right? We competed in the Shunting Competition at the Great Railway Show."

"That's right. It's nice to see you again, Thomas. Anyway, I've been asked to show you around. Come on."

Ivan led Thomas to a shed to rest for the night. Thomas was grateful. In spite of being cold, he had come a long way and was feeling worn out. The two engines were soon talking and laughing together.

"So, that Rajiv isn't as brave and bold as he pretends to be, is he?" chuckled Ivan.

"No," replied Thomas, "but Ashima was right. He's not so bad when you get to know him."

"He certainly made quite the spectacle of himself in the Best Decorated Engine Parade."

Thomas laughed too. "You know, Ivan, you're not all you appear to be either. You may be strong and tough, but you're also friendly…and funny."

"Well, Thomas, I like a good laugh as much as any other engine and I've learned that sometimes, even a little smile can go a long way. Frieda certainly found that out when we were traveling home."

"Was she that big blue engine with red wheels?"

"Yes," said Ivan. "I learned that she's quite a serious engine most of the time and is often grumpy, but she may have changed her ways since then. Here's what happened." And Ivan began.

Ivan and Frieda were on their way home from the Great Railway Show. Like the other engines, they got separated and were soon traveling on their own. They were still making good time, but everywhere they went, it seemed everyone was only excited about seeing Ivan. This seemed to make Frieda even grumpier than usual. She wanted everyone to be excited because she was there too.

As they traveled through the Netherlands, they stopped at a station where a large crowd of passengers were waiting. "Hooray! it's Ivan!" they cheered. "Ivan the super shunter!"

"Ivan can shunt," whistled Frieda huffily, "but he's not as strong or fast as me." Everyone was surprised.

After a few moments of silence, another passenger spoke up. "So, Ivan, how did you do at the Great Railway Show?"

"Did you win the Shunting Competition?" asked another.

This made Frieda grumpier still. When the signal changed, she puffed quickly away with a wheesh and a whistle.

Ivan was concerned. "Don't worry, Frieda. I'm sure everyone is just as happy to see you."

"I would've believed that if I saw it," snapped Frieda, "but they will be, especially when we reach my home in Germany."

Frieda was sure she was right, but even when they got to Germany, it was Ivan who seemed to get all the attention. "Hello," he said. "So nice to meet you."

Soon, Frieda could bear it no longer and her safety valve blew off. "What is wrong with me?!" she shouted crossly. "I was at the Great Railway Show too! I was in the Strongest Engine Competition! True, I came in fourth place, but I am still a strong, fast engine and just as capable of doing my work as Ivan!" And she stormed off to the shed. Now, Ivan was worried.

When Ivan reached the shed that evening, he found Frieda looking very glum. It seemed she wasn't cross anymore. "Frieda, are you all right?" he asked.

"I don't understand," sighed Frieda. "Why is everyone so happy to see you and not me?"

Ivan pondered. "I think," he said slowly, "maybe…it's because I smile."

"What?" Frieda was surprised. "But that's silly. I smile."

"Mmm, not so much," said Ivan thoughtfully.

"So…does everyone think I'm unhappy and that's why they ignore me?"

"I don't think they ignore you, but they might be happier to see you if you show that you are happy to see them. I think I have an idea. I'll explain tomorrow."

The next morning, before they left, Ivan told Frieda that he decided to show her how to give her best smile. "Think big and cheerful," he said, "and think about what makes you happy." Frieda tried, but it didn't come easily to her. "Not…bad, but I think maybe you need to practice. You can do so on the way."

So, as they set off, Frieda practiced smiling and being cheerful as the made their way through the German countryside. Ivan talked with her about what she liked, and it turned out they were very similar. They were both strong in their own ways and wanted to prove how efficient and reliable they were.

At last, they arrived at the next town, and everyone cheered happily for Ivan…and Frieda. Frieda could hardly believe it. She felt happier than she had been for a very long time, and she smiled from buffer to buffer. "You know what, Ivan?" she said. "I'm going to try to be cheerful all of the time."

"Ah, good," grinned Ivan. "A happy engine is a useful engine."

"Thank you so much for your help. I suppose there are better ways to make others like you besides being big, strong and fast." And Ivan couldn't agree more.

"It seems that I'm not the only one to impress others while visiting different countries," said Thomas.

"It's true," agreed Ivan. "Maybe Frieda will even surprise you when you see her in Germany. She is a lot like Rajiv; not so bad when you get to know her."

"Well," replied Thomas, "there's only one way to find out, isn't there?"