YONG BAO AND THE TIGER

Based upon the episode by Ian McCue and David Stoten

Adapted by Zack Wanzer and Rachel Ravens

It had been a long journey by ship, but at last, Percy the small engine was back on the Island of Sodor following his trip to China. He was back on the Ffarquhar branch line at the quarry.

"Welcome home, sweetie!" called Mavis. "How was it?"

"It was amazing!" Percy smiled. "Did you get my letter for Valentine's Day?"

"I sure did," giggled Mavis.

"Been hectic here," said Scarlett. "But glad you home, Percy."

And it wasn't just the Ffarquhar quarry duo that were glad to see Percy home.

"Welcome back, Percy!" grinned Toby. "We really missed you."

"Stanley did well in your absence, Percy," said Thomas, "but it wasn't the same. We're glad you had a great time in China."

"Thanks to you, Thomas," smiled Percy. "I've got some amazing stories to tell once the day's work is done."

"I bet you do," said Nia.

And that night, the engines gathered at Tidmouth sheds, eager to hear what Percy had to say. He told them all about his race with Hong-Mei, the trick she tried to pull on him about there being a real dragon, saving Lei the van from an accident, and even getting to see some pandas for himself.

"I figured that Hong-Mei would be competitive after seeing her win the Shunting Challenge," said Emily. "But I didn't think she'd be this competitive."

"Well, at least Yong Bao was his friendly self," said Percy. "And the other engines and rolling stock up in China were really friendly too."

"Percy," said Rebecca, "I was talking to Gordon about Yong Bao the other day. He said that Yong Bao had a picture of a tiger on his tender. But none of us knows how he got it. Do you know?"

"Oh, that's not just a picture, Rebecca," said Percy. "Yong Bao told me it's an emblem, and it's of great significance to him."

"Really?" asked Gordon, surprised. "How so?"

"Well," said Percy, "according to Yong Bao, it all started many years ago…"

China – Past

When he first entered service, Yong Bao looked very different from what he did today. Instead of his smart red livery with a green running board and yellow stripes, he was in a plain navy blue livery with a dark gray running board, but his wheels were still red with white rims. Yong Bao was primarily a goods engine, hauling freight to and from the various harbors and yards of the Chinese railway network.

"That's the last truck," Hong-Mei said as she shunted Lei onto Yong Bao's train; back then, she too looked different, being painted black with red wheels instead of blue. "Where are you off to today, Yong Bao?"

"Oh, just another goods train to the docks," Yong Bao explained. "This shipment is off to a place called… Sodor, I think."

"Sodor? Where's that?" asked Hong-Mei.

"I'm not entirely sure," said Yong Bao. "My driver says it's off the coast of England, but I haven't seen it on any maps."

"Maybe it's magic," joked Hong-Mei. Of course, we Sudrians know that isn't true, don't we?

Anyway, right at that moment, Da Li puffed on by with his passenger train. The dark purple-red engine had a sneer on his face. "Well, if it isn't the most plain duo in all of China!" he remarked. "One's just a shunter and the other only takes goods trains."

"I'm more than just a shunting engine, you know!" snapped Hong-Mei. "Just you wait, Da Li; one day, I'll be at the top of the league!"

"Provided, of course, that it's the loser's league!" Da Li laughed as he puffed away. Hong-Mei went red with anger.

"He's not worth it," Yong Bao said patiently. "Sooner or later, engines like Da Li wind up in trouble."

"I hope he tumbles into a shed and crashes next to a dancing scarecrow," she remarked.

"A dancing scarecrow?" chuckled Yong Bao. "Now that would really keep crows from eating farmer's crops." Just then, the big engine's guard blew the whistle.

"Ah, that's our cue to get going," said Lei. "Hong-Mei, keep up the good work."

"Xièxiè," smiled Hong-Mei. "Zàijiàn, Yong Bao and Lei."

"Zàijiàn," they called as they departed.

Out on the main line, Yong Bao observed the Chinese countryside. Along his way to the docks, he could see many villagers either at work, playing in the field, or just out on their morning stroll.

"It's always beautiful out here," he said to himself. "It is nice to get out with trains every day… but I wonder what it's like to be taking coaches."

"So you'd rather not take me anymore?" remarked Lei, sounding a bit hurt.

"What?" gasped Yong Bao. "Oh, no, I didn't mean it like that. I was just curious about it, that's all."

"Oh, I see," said Lei. "I suppose a change would be lovely every now and again. I'm sorry if I took your words the wrong way…"

"You've nothing to apologize for," chuckled Yong Bao.

Just then, the two friends heard the sound of twigs snapping and grass rustling.

"Hmm?" said Lei. "What was that all about?"

"Perhaps it was just a cow or a horse in the paddocks," shrugged Yong Bao. But he was wrong when a heavy pawed, furry animal started to pad its way near the tracks. "Oh, driver, fireman, guard, brakes!"

Yong Bao and his train came to a gentle stop, and the big engine observed the furry intruder more carefully. The animal stared right back at Yong Bao, wondering what he was.

"Nǐ hǎo," he said at last. "What are you doing out here? This isn't a safe place for animals like you. You could get hurt, or worse…" Yong Bao squirmed at the thought.

"It's a tiger," gasped the driver. "I'd never thought I'd see one this close…"

"Nor I," agreed the fireman; it was such a mesmerizing moment for everyone that they didn't want it to end. But sadly, the moment ended far too soon as another whistle sounded out, scaring the tiger off.

"Oh, nǐ hǎo, Xiao Hu," sighed Yong Bao; the dark green tank engine was passing by with a tourist train.

"What are you doing out here, resting in the middle of the line?" scoffed Xiao Hu. "This isn't a shunting yard, you know!"

"For the record, we were on our way to the docks, not a shunting yard," grunted Lei.

"Pfft, whatever," grunted Xiao Hu, carrying on his way. "Manager won't like it if you're laying around doing nothing all morning!"

Yong Bao waited until Xiao Hu was out of sight, then briefly looked around for the tiger. But the tiger had long since gone.

"I suppose we'd better carry on then," Yong Bao sighed, setting off again. "If Xiao Hu asks why we stopped, I'll say that there was a bird on the line."

"Good idea," said Lei. "He doesn't deserve to know about the majestic animal we just saw. Neither does Da Li."

But they did end up telling one engine about it…

"You actually saw a tiger?!" gasped Hong-Mei. "It must have been a magnificent creature."

"Indeed it was," said Yong Bao. "You don't see too many tigers in their natural habitat."

"I know," sighed Hong-Mei. "It's all because of those blasted poachers! How dare they try and hunt them down to small numbers."

"Who knows what Xiao Hu and Da Li would do if they saw the tiger," Yong Bao muttered. "And… I'm worried about what will happen to the tiger so far inland."

"Maybe we should keep our eyes open for the tiger," suggested Hong-Mei. "Between us and Lei, we should have no problems finding it."

Despite what Hong-Mei had said, finding that same tiger again was easier said than done. No matter how hard she, Yong Bao and Lei looked, there was no sign of the tiger.

"Maybe the tiger managed to find its way home," suggested Lei.

"Or maybe it was rescued by some conservationists," said Hong-Mei.

"I hope so too," said Yong Bao. "It wouldn't be good if the poor animal ended up in a circus or something."

"If a circus came to our railway, I want to be the last engine to shunt that train," agreed Hong-Mei.

"And I would be the last engine to pull it," sighed Yong Bao.

Months passed, and there was still no sign of the tiger. It was now winter, which meant that many animals would go into hibernation.

"Do tigers hibernate?" asked Hong-Mei while shunting a goods train for Yong Bao.

"No," said Yong Bao. "Siberian Tigers don't. But they do hunt for other animals in order to survive."

"Ugh!" exclaimed Hong-Mei with disgust.

"Well, it's the circle of life, as they say," said Yong Bao. "Without predators, prey animals would get so numerous they would destroy the ecosystem."

"I… never thought about it like that," said Hong-Mei. "Still, I'm glad I'm not one of the tiger's prey animals."

"Same here."

"Make that three of us," said Lei. "Now, Yong Bao, we'd better get going with these shipments. Heavy snow is scheduled later and we don't want to end up caught in a snowdrift."

"Good point," said Yong Bao as the guard blew the whistle. "Zàijiàn, Hong-Mei."

Hong-Mei whistled goodbye as the train departed.

Yong Bao and Lei continued on their way down the line, trying to keep their eyes out for the tiger. They saw many people wearing thick coats, scarves and hats to stay warm, and many farm animals were kept in their barns. Da Li was passing by with a passenger train, and he wasn't happy about what he was pushing…

"Ugh, this big, heavy, awkward thing did not need to be fitted today!" he snorted.

"Don't be silly!" snapped his driver. "It was either that or you'd have to be pulled out of a snowdrift!"

"I can handle the snow without it!" retorted Da Li. He tried to shake it, bump it and rattle it; as a result, the passengers in the coaches were being jolted around like crazy.

"Argh!" cried one, falling out of her seat. "I knew I should have taken the later train!"

"I want my money back!" added another one.

"You'll be fine," snorted Da Li. "I just need to get this off!"

"Are you sure this is wise?" asked Yong Bao. "We need our snowploughs in order to keep the trains running."

"Maybe you do, but I don't," Da Li insisted. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some passengers to get to the station."

Yong Bao sighed as he turned away to the docks at the next junction; he would've had much better luck talking to the Great Wall of China.

Yong Bao and Lei soon came to a tunnel; this meant that the docks weren't too far off.

"I forgot to ask," said Lei. "Where is this shipment going?"

"I believe it's going to India," Yong Bao shrugged. "I could be wrong… huh?!" The engine's eyes widened in surprise. "It can't be…"

"Yong Bao?" asked Lei. "Are you okay?"

"Lei, be very quiet," urged Yong Bao. "Look…"

Engine, van and crew silently stared; standing right before them was the tiger they'd encountered all those months ago. The majestic animal looked right into Yong Bao's eyes; its own eyes were shining bright gold amongst the snow. The tiger roared, and flicked its tail in the opposite direction of the docks.

"You… want me to follow you?" asked Yong Bao.

The tiger leapt off of the rock it was standing on and raced alongside the tracks, Yong Bao following shortly behind. Soon, he and the tiger were racing alongside each other. It was almost thrilling, as if the world around them had disappeared.

I can't believe it… thought Yong Bao. I'm following a tiger… Oh, if only my crew could take a picture of it.

Suddenly, a loud yell pierced the air. "HELP!" it cried. "HELP, SAVE ME!" In response to the yelling, Yong Bao and the tiger came to a stop.

"It's Da Li!" the blue engine exclaimed. "And it looks like he and the passengers are in serious trouble!"

"Yong Bao!" came another voice; it was Hong-Mei, and she had Ping the breakdown crane in tow. "You try and pull Da Li back; Ping will hold him steady."

"Ready and raring to help out!" the breakdown crane said as he was moved into position.

"B-be careful," stammered Da Li as Ping was attached.

"Oh, that's rich coming from you," muttered Ping. "Trying to shake off your snowplough again?"

Once Da Li was secured, Yong Bao coupled up to the coaches and began to pull back on the train.

"Hold on!" Yong Bao called, straining as he pulled back. "I got you…" Just then, the tiger appeared from the top of the mountain and let out a powerful roar; Yong Bao felt a rush of confidence as he pulled harder. Slowly but surely, Da Li was pulled away from the ledge and back onto firm ground. Inside the coaches, the passengers cheered for Yong Bao's quick thinking.

"T-Thank you, Yong Bao, Hong-Mei and Ping," Da Li said quietly. "You three are very brave and strong. And Yong Bao and Hong-Mei, I'm sorry I was rude to you two."

"I accept your apology," said Yong Bao. "I'm glad we were able to help. But I also have someone to thank."

"We were lucky you were nearby, Yong Bao," said Hong-Mei. "Ping and I wouldn't have managed on our own."

Yong Bao smiled, and then he looked back at the tiger once again, who looked back. With a reaffirming roar, the tiger walked off into the sunset.

That evening, the inspector – Ms. Kim's father – scolded Da Li for his reckless behavior. I can't repeat what he said; not only because Yong Bao didn't tell me, but also because he said it wasn't very polite.

"It was thanks to you, Yong Bao and Hong-Mei," he said, turning to the pair, "that hundreds of lives have been saved from certain doom. Because of this, I'd like for you two to be repainted in the colors of your choices."

"Well," said Hong-Mei, "I've always liked the color blue."

"And… I've liked red," Yong Bao added.

"Ah, you'd like to be repainted in the pride of China," smiled the inspector. "We can do that. Any other requests from you two?"

"No, thank you," said Hong-Mei. "My blue paint will be enough for me."

"Actually, I do have something to add," said Yong Bao. "Is it okay if I have an emblem of a tiger?"

"That sounds very fitting," said the inspector. "A mark of your strength, Yong Bao."

Sodor – Present Day

"And now, you know the truth," finished Percy. "The reason why Yong Bao chose the tiger was because that was what led him to those passengers in trouble."

"Hey," said Gordon. "A little blue tank engine rescuing someone with a crane. Where have I heard that before?"

Thomas blushed and looked away, chuckling slightly. James rolled his eyes.

"That reminds me," said Percy. "Hong-Mei also got An An and Yin-Long as her coaches not long after the story had spread."

"Well, I guess I have a counterpart in China, and so do Annie and Clarabel," laughed Thomas. "Who would have thought?"

"That tiger sounds like quite a majestic animal," said James. "If only I was there to see it myself."

"Well, I didn't see it either," said Percy. "And I was in China for a while. But all the same," he continued, "it's great to be home."

Nia smiled. "I know what you mean, Percy."

Emily looked at the clock in the sheds. "I suggest we all get some sleep. Compared to what happened to you, Percy, I think we'll have a quiet time for a while."

The seven engines all drifted off to sleep, not knowing what the future was going to bring…

Meanwhile, on the mainland, a long blue diesel numbered D325 was helping a steam engine who looked a lot like Edward used to be, except female and painted brown, to a place called Armathwaite.

"Is this where you live?" the diesel asked.

"It's the junction to our line, yes," said the steam engine. "The station at the other end is called Leadford."

"I bet the railway is beautiful," smiled the diesel. "Tell me more about yourself, Fiona."

"Well…" she began, "I worked alongside a small number of brothers and sisters, one called Flower and another called Edward. We…" She bit her lip. "…weren't all that strong. I was going to be rebuilt, but… the workshops didn't even try…" A tear slipped down her face.

"Oh," gasped the diesel. "Well, at least you're in a loving home now. How many engines live with you?"

"I… I can introduce you to my friends when we get to the junction," she smiled.

"I'd love that!" smiled the diesel.

I'd better get back to my sheds quickly… Fiona thought.

The duo eventually came to the other end of the line. The sheds were so big and spacious, the diesel was certain about a dozen engines could fit in there.

"Wow," he gasped. "You've got quite a pad, Fiona."

"T-thanks," stammered Fiona. "I, er… think my sister is waiting for me in the shed."

"I'll shunt you in there," said the diesel.

"I… I can handle it," Fiona insisted as the two were uncoupled. "Th-thank you for your help. The fuel depot's over there."

The diesel purred away in the direction Fiona had gestured too. No sooner was he out of sight, when Fiona scampered into the sheds.

"Don't tell me," gasped a dark blue well tank engine. "You got another one?!"

"Hey, it's what we have to do," said Fiona. "Now, let me get right to the back!"

"Oh, not again…" gulped a tank engine similar to Porter.

The diesel had soon shown up at what Fiona told him was the fuel depot. However, he couldn't help but feel that something was rather off about it.

"Driver, do you see the fuel depot?" asked the diesel.

"No, Boris," the driver admitted. "Hmm… maybe we took a wrong turn."

"No," said a dangerously calm voice. "You're in the right place, my friends."

Boris and his driver looked back to see another steam engine heading towards them; this one was a Black Five painted gray.

"Heh, I knew Fiona would be the best one to send out," smirked the gray engine. "She's so good with her downcast behavior."

"Indeed, Holly," smiled a woman wearing a red boiler suit and welder's mask. "You stay on the lookout, my girl."

"Of course." Holly puffed off onto a nearby siding.

"Whoever you are," said Boris' driver, "I don't know what type of game you're playing, but–" He was cut off as the woman whacked him over the head with a shovel.

"He'll never know what hit him," smirked another woman; this one in a fancy designer's dress. "Don't worry, honey; he'll never find his way back here."

"Who are you?!" Boris cried, his fear already rising by the minute as the other woman dragged his driver away. "What's with the torch?! What have I ever done to you to deserve such a cruel fate?!"

The first woman didn't say anything as she got closer to the terrified diesel. Then, she lit the torch and, looking up at Boris, only said three words in a cold tone:

"Long live steam."

THE END?

Author's Comments

We've been holding back on this for quite a while, but at long last, here is our rewrite of Yong Bao and the Tiger, one of the highlights of Series 24! This rewrite generally stuck rather closely to the original, with additions such as giving Hong-Mei and Lei more of a role to play, so there's not much else to add about the behind the scenes, really. For those of you who may be wondering, Scarlett is a BR Class 06 based upon one of the engines from the Japanese video game Oshaberi Oekaki Kikansha Thomas to Nakamatachi, so expect to see her show up for a Between the Lines story in the near future. Also, that extended epilogue at the end hints at what is to come.

Speaking of which, the next chapter will be the first to the next book of the season, The Great Locomotive Shortage!