04x13 - Passengers & Polish

[bunniefuu]

(gentle music)

(lively music)

- [Narrator] Nancy is

a conductor's daughter.

One day, she was

working on Skarloey

with some polish and a rag.

Skarloey was snoozing happily,

but Nancy wanted to talk.

"Wake up, lazybones.

"Your brass is filthy.

"Aren't you ashamed?"

"No," yawned Skarloey.

"You're just an old fusspot."

And Skarloey closed his eyes.

He was thinking about

his friend Rheneas,

and all the good

times they had shared

before Rheneas went

away to be mended.

(horn whistling)

Nancy interrupted again.

"Don't you want to look nice

when Rheneas comes home?"

Skarloey wasn't sleepy anymore.

"What? When?"

"Soon, Daddy told me.

"I'm going now," she said.

"Nancy, stop.

"Do I really look nice?

"Please, polish me again."

"Now who's an old

fusspot?" laughed Nancy,

and set to work once more.

Duncan was jealous.

"Aren't you gonna

polish me too?"

"Sorry, not today.

"I'm going now.

"I'm helping the refreshment

lady this afternoon.

"We must get the ice cream

ready for the passengers.

"Never mind, Duncan."

But Duncan did mind.

"It isn't fair," he complained.

"Peter Sam gets

a special funnel,

"Sir Handel gets special wheels,

"passengers get ice cream,

but I'm not even polished."

Of course, this wasn't true,

but Duncan enjoyed complaining.

He became sulkier still.

That afternoon, there was

bad news from up the line.

"One of Skarloey's coaches

has come off the rails,"

called Duncan's driver.

"We'll have to take

workmen here right away."

"All this extra work,"

grumbled Duncan.

"It wears an engine out!"

"Rubbish!

"Come on!"

(gentle music)

The derailed coach was in a

middle of Skarloey's train,

so he had gone on to the top

station with his front coaches.

Duncan shunted the works

train into the sidings,

and left the workmen

to sort out the mess.

Then he brought the passengers

in rear coaches home.

He sulked all the way.

"I get no rest, I get

no rest," he muttered.

Duncan had made the

journey very difficult.

He was short of steam,

so his driver waited a while

in the hope of raising more.

But Duncan wouldn't try.

"We'll keep our passengers

waiting," said his driver.

Duncan was cross.

"You always think about the

passengers, and never about me."

It wasn't long before

Duncan built up

enough steam to set off again.

But he was still very

grumpy and cross.

"I'm overworked, and

I won't stand it."

At last, they reached the

viaduct near the station.

"Come on, Duncan,"

called his driver.

"One more effort, and

you'll have a rest

"and a drink in the station."

Then Duncan was very rude.

(steam hissing)

"Keep your old station.

"I'm staying here."

And he did too.

Skarloey had to haul

Duncan and his train

all the way to the platform.

(steam hissing)

The passengers were furious.

They told everyone what

a bad railway it was.

(passengers chattering)

That night, Sir Topham

Hatt spoke to Duncan.

"No passengers means no polish."

"And no polish means

no passengers,"

Duncan muttered to himself.

He still has a lot

to learn, doesn't he?

(lively music)