I do not own Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends, they are strictly the property of both the Awdry Family and Britt Allcroft. This story is strictly for entertainment and not profit.
Episode 15: Henry and the Elephant, Original Airdate: 9th November 1995
It was a sunny day on the Island of Sodor and there was excitement going on at Tidmouth. Topham Circus, a traveling circus that was own by Sir Topham Hatt's identical twin brother Barnum Hatt had come to the island and everybody was excited for it.
It was the opening night for the circus and the Billinton's were on their way with Sir Topham Hatt and his family. Earlier that day, Sir Topham Hatt had given Thomas and Howard free passes to the circus after being given them by his brother. Lucy was particularly excited as she was looking forward to seeing the clowns and the horses, whilst Annie and Clarabel were looking forward to seeing the lion tamers. Thomas however was looking forward to seeing the elephants which were of course both his and Lady's favourite animal. The Billinton's and the Hatt's had arrived at the circus and just bought some snacks and had taken their seats. As they were waiting for the show to start Barnum came into the ring with bad news, Barnum looked exactly like Sir Topham Hatt except he had a moustache and wore the ringmasters.
"Ladies and gentlemen, boys' and girls' I'm afraid that the show will be delayed for an hour" he said solemnly.
The audience gave a groan knowing that wouldn't like what they were about to hear.
"I know you were all looking forward to it, but the technicians have discovered a problem with the shows special effects and I promise you that we are working as fast as we can to repair it.
The Billinton's and the Hatt's were disappointed but knew that there was nothing they could do but wait for the problem to be fixed. As they began to munch on the snacks that they had, Thomas noticed Henry looking for a place to sit.
"Hey Henry, over here" Thomas called to his friend who saw him waving.
"Hey Thomas, Sir" Henry greeted Thomas and Sir Topham Hatt as he came over and sat down on the benches next to them.
"Hello Uncle Henry" Lucy greeted her honorary uncle.
"What are you doing here Henry if I may ask?" asked Sir Topham Hatt.
"Well, when I heard that your brother's circus was back in town I decided to visit," said Henry.
"And its your first time since that incident with Jumbo?" Lady Hatt asked.
"Yes, it is" replied Henry to his boss's wife.
Upon hearing the word elephant Thomas decided that maybe the best way for him, his family and his boss's family was to tell them one of his stories.
"Say Lucy did daddy ever tell you about the time that Uncle Henry got splashed by an elephant?" Thomas asked his daughter.
"Elephant splashed Uncle Henry?" asked Lucy.
"Are you really going to tell her that story?" Henry asked wondering if his honorary niece would laugh at him.
"Daddy tell story" asked her father and the other members of their group.
"Maybe one of Thomas' stories would help us to pass the time" suggested Howard.
"Me and Clarabel are both up to it," said Annie.
"So are we" announced Sir Topham Hatt's two grandchildren Bridget and Stephen.
Henry looked at everyone and saw that they were all looking forward to Thomas' story and decided that he wanted to listen to it as well. Now that he thought of it, the incident with the elephant was a little funny.
"Alright Thomas please take it from the top".
"Right then" Thomas said as he began his story, "the story that I'm about to tell involves one of the events that lead to Percy coming here".
(Story Begins)
Henry and Gordon were lonely when Thomas left Tidmouth to run his branch line, they both missed him very much. They had more work to do, which meant that they couldn't wait in the bunkhouse at Tidmouth around until it was time and find their coaches waiting for them at the platform at Knapford, oh no they had to fetch their coaches themselves. both Henry and Gordon did not like this one little bit.
Edward, James, and Lady was brought in to help them with the work load and do odd jobs. Edward and Lady didn't mind the extra, James didn't mind it either but only at the beginning. Eventually the workload got too much even for him.
"We get no rest, we get no rest" Henry, Gordon and James would complain to the stewards and stewardesses of their trains.
"You're lazy and slack, you're lazy and slack" the annoyed stewards and stewardesses would throw back at them, not wanting to hear anymore of their complaining.
One evening Thomas was brought his E2 into Knapford with his last train of the day. Henry and Gordon were both at the station, they saw Thomas hope down from his cab looking rather excited. They wondered what it was and so they decided to go over and ask him.
"Hello guys" said Thomas when he saw his two friends coming over to him.
"Hello Thomas" said Gordon, "what's got you so excited?".
"Did Lady show you her boobs" said James with a mischievous grin on his face.
Thomas' excited face soon melted down into a scowl at James question, whilst Gordon facepalmed in embarrassment
"No, she didn't James and I would very much like it if you didn't ask me that again" said Thomas in annoyance.
Gordon then gave James a smack on the back of his head.
"Ouch" said James.
"Well, you deserved it James" said Gordon angrily before he turned to face Thomas, "anyway what's got you so excited Thomas?".
"Look at the poster on the wall there" said Thomas, pointing towards the wall.
Gordon and James both turned to see a large circus poster hanging on the wall. They both walked to see what it said, written on the poster in big red letters said "COME TO TOPHAM'S CIRCUS. SHOWING FROM MARCH 4TH to APRIL 2ND".
"Topham's Circus" asked Gordon in confusion.
"Is Sir Topham Hatt now expanding into circuses now?" asked James equally confused at the name Topham's Circus.
"I'm actually not young James" came a familiar voice.
The three railway workers turned to see Sir Topham Hatt walking towards them.
"Before you ask, Topham's Circus is owned by my twin brother Barnum Hatt" Sir Topham Hatt told his employees.
"May I ask what your brother looks like Sir?" asked Thomas.
"He looks just like me Thomas" laughed Sir Topham Hatt, "except he has a moustache and wears a ringmaster's uniform".
That answer pleased Thomas.
"When will your brothers circus be here Sir?" asked Gordon.
"It will be arriving tomorrow" said Sir Topham Hatt, "I invited Barnum's circus here as a reward for all the hard work you've been doing of late".
That made the engine drivers feel excited. The next day as Sir Topham Hatt had promised the circus arrived at Brendam Docks on Edward's branch line. Henry, Gordon, and James forgot to be cross as the three of them wanted to pull the special coaches and trucks, later after the big top was set up Thomas, Lady, Edward, Henry, Gordon, and James were given free passes by Barnum Hatt to see the show on their opening night.
On the first night, all six employees took their seats in the audience and watched as Barnum Hatt stepped into the ring to begin the show, as Sir Topham Hatt described he looked exactly like him except for his moustache and wore the trademark outfit of the ringmaster.
"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls" he announced to the audience, "welcome to Topham' Circus, tonight we have quite the show for you all".
The audience cheered at the announcement; Barnum smiled at their enthusiasm.
"I'm glad that you are all excited, tonight we have our spectacular horse riders, our silly clowns, our skilled acrobats, our fun monkeys, our jugglers, our brave lion and tiger-tamer, our sultry snake lady, our mighty strongman and last but not least our giant elephants" Barnum announced to the audience.
The audience gave another cheer as Barnum left the ring so that the show could begin. The circus stayed on Sodor for a month and the drivers attended nearly every show that was on, soon however it came time for the circus to leave Sodor. James was given the honour of taking the train away and Henry and Gordon soon started grumbling again.
Later Henry was having a lunch of ham and cheese sandwiches and a pack of cheese and onion walkers' crisps when Sir Topham Hatt came up to him.
"Henry, could you spare a moment?" he asked.
"Of course, Sir" replied Henry, "is something up?"
"When you're finished with your lunch, I want you to take some workmen to the tunnel near Ballahoo" Sir Topham Hatt told him.
Henry gave a look of discomfort. The tunnel on the Ballahoo was where his engine had been shut up in due to his anxiety of the rain.
"Sure Sir, what's the problem?" asked Henry.
"It seems that there's a block that needs clearing, think that you could bring to it please?" asked Sir Topham Hatt.
"Will do Sir," said Henry.
When Henry was finished his lunch, he collected two 7 plank trucks and the workmen rode in one, whilst the other truck contained their tools. An hour later they had arrived at the tunnel. The workmen hopped down from the trucks and collected their tools and made their way into their tunnel with Henry and the foreman staying outside. The tunnel was dark, and it was very quiet, but it wouldn't remain that for long.
Henry and the foreman were both having a conversation when they both heard frightened yells, they both turned to see the workmen running out of the tunnel frightened.
"What happened?" asked the foreman who was concerned.
"We when to the block in the tunnel and began to dig" said one workman.
"But then it gave a grunt and moved" said a second.
"It grunted and moved?" asked Henry in confusion.
"Rubbish" said the foreman not believing the story.
"Its not rubbish, its big and alive" said a third workman.
"And we're not going back in that tunnel, so there" announced a fourth workman.
The foreman didn't like this attitude at all and decided to put a stop to it.
"Right" he said firmly, "I'll ride in the front truck and Henry will push it out".
Henry just groaned, this the exact tunnel where his engine had been shut up in. But now it was even worse, there was apparently something big and alive in it. But he plucked up courage and hopped back into his engine, whilst the foreman hopped into the lead truck.
"Alright here we go" Henry announced as he began to push the trucks into the tunnel.
He bravely brought his engine and the trucks into the tunnel. Sure, enough they came to the "blockage". Just like the workmen said it was alive and both Henry and the foreman discovered that it was also very strong, it then began to push Henry's engine out of the tunnel.
"What the?" Henry yelped in surprise.
His engine came out of the tunnel, then the trucks and they soon saw that pushing Henry's engine was a large and very cross African Elephant.
"Well bless me" said the foreman in amazement, "its one of the elephants from the circus".
One of the workmen went to find a phone to inform of what they found. The workmen meanwhile offered the elephant sandwiches and cakes, the elephant realizing that he was cross because he was hungry calmed down and helped himself.
"Well what do you know Henry" laughed the foreman, "I guess Dumbo was angry because he was hungry".
"I guess so" replied Henry.
The elephant drank three buckets of water without stopping and was just about to drink another when Henry accidently let off steam. Spooked the elephant squirted the water all over Henry.
"AH" yelped Henry, "I already had a shower last night".
The workmen and the foreman just laughed. Soon Edward arrived with a van and the elephants keeper. Once the keeper had safely put the elephant in the van, Edward took them back to the circus whilst Henry took the workmen home.
Later that night at the bunkhouse behind Tidmouth sheds, Henry told Gordon and James about his day. Instead of laughing at the face that he got squirted by an elephant, they felt sorry for him.
"You poor thing Henry" said Gordon sadly.
"You've been badly treated" finished James sympathetically.
(Story Ends)
"And eventually things arose that would bring Uncle Percy to Sodor" said Thomas to Lucy as he finished his story.
"Daddy tell story bedtime?" asked Lucy.
"Yes, daddy will tell you the story at bedtime" promised Thomas.
Just the music started playing, signalling that the problem was finished, and the show could begin. Thomas, Lucy, Henry, the Billintons and the Hatt's watched as the show began with its spectacular horse's act. They had a great time, Lucy's favourite part was the elephants, Stephen's favourite was the lion and tiger-tamers, and Bridget's favourite was the acrobats.
Two hours later after the show was finished Barnum invited them to see some of the circus animals. They soon came to the elephants where they saw a baby suckling its mother, it saw the group and rushed over to them with its mother following behind in case they would try to hurt her baby. Lucy giggled as the baby elephant sniffed her with its trunk.
"I see your daughter likes the elephants young Thomas," said Barnum.
"That she does Barnum, elephants are her favourite animal" said Thomas, "they are also the favourite animal of me and her mother".
The baby elephant reached its trunk out to Henry was seemed reluctant to touch it. However, he soon gave in and found himself smiling at his interaction with it.
"I have to say this baby elephant certainly seems to like me," said Henry.
"It wouldn't surprise me" said Barnum, "his father was Jumbo, the elephant who you found in the tunnel".
"Whatever happened to that elephant Barnum?" Sir Topham Hatt asked his brother.
Barnum Hatt gave a sad sigh.
"I'm afraid we had to have him put to sleep after he got cancer" Barnum said sadly.
"Oh dear that's not good" said Henry a little shocked at the news.
"It was said for the circus" said Barnum, "but he mated with young Mary here and just two weeks ago she had Jumbo Jr. here".
"That's good" said Henry, "at least old Jumbo's legacy will live on".
Whilst he wasn't looking Jumbo Jr. walked over to a bucket of water that was in his and Mary's encloser and dipped his trunk into it. He sucked up the water before walking back over to Henry again, when Henry saw him coming back, he reached out to touch him again. However, when he did Jumbo Jr. let it rip, soaking with water.
Everyone including Barnum burst out laughing at the sight. Henry just gave a sigh of annoyance at the baby elephants little trick.
"Yep, he's certainly a chip of the old block like his dad" said Henry sulkingly.
And done. Just to let you all know on Tuesday I'll be writing Thomas' Christmas Party, I know that it was the final for season 1. But I ran out of time to write the others due my laziness at writing and that is something I'm not pleased with myself at. Any please be so kind to leave a preview and as always see you next time.