04x14 - Gallant Old Engine

[bunniefuu]

(whimsical music)

(upbeat music)

- [George] Duncan would

not stop grumbling.

He grumbled that he

wasn't polished enough.

He grumbled that

he was overworked.

Most of all, he grumbled

about the passengers.

"I'm ashamed of you,

Duncan," said Skarloey.

"Thank goodness Rheneas

is coming home soon,

"perhaps he'll teach you some

sense before it's too late."

"What has Rheneas

to do with me?"

"Rheneas saved our

railway," replied Skarloey.

"Please, tell us about

it," said Peter Sam.

"Well," began Skarloey, "it

was before you came here.

"things were bad.

"Rheneas and I had to

keep the trains running

"or our railway

would have to close."

(sad woodwind music)

"How awful," murmured Peter Sam.

"I tried hard,"

continued Skarloey,

"but my old wheels ached.

"Rheneas understood. 'It's

my turn now', he'd tell me.

"He was often short of steam,

"but he always struggled to a

station and then rested there.

"'I mustn't stop between

stations,' he'd say.

"'The passengers

wouldn't like it.'"

"Hmph," huffed Duncan.

He had stopped on a viaduct

and hadn't cared at all.

"Passengers," continued

Skarloey, "get cross

"if you stop at

the wrong places.

"Rheneas stopped at

the wrong place once,

"and this is what happened."

(flute music)

"One wet and windy afternoon

when the rails were damp,

"Rheneas was traveling

home with a full train.

"There were even

passengers in the caboose.

(foreboding music)

"It wasn't a

comfortable ride at all.

"Rheneas's wheels kept slipping,

and it was a steep climb.

"At last, his wheels

gripped the rails again.

"'The worst is over,' he

thought, 'now we're away.'

"But they weren't.

"'Ah, I've gotta

cramp!' He groaned.

"And Rheneas stopped on the

loneliest part of the line.

"His driver examined

him carefully.

"'Your valve gear has jammed.

"'We need to reach

the next station.

"'Do you think you can

still get us there?'

"'I'll try,' replied Rheneas.

"Rheneas did his best.

"'If I fail,' he

thought to himself,

"'the passengers will be cross

and the railway will close.'

"Everything blurred.

"He was really too tired to

make another turn of his wheels,

"but he did.

"And another.

(exciting music)

"Finally, tired but triumphant,

Rheneas reached the station.

"'I'm here at last!' he wheezed.

"'Thank you for getting us

home!' said the passengers.

"'We'll tell all our friends

what a fine railway this is.'

"His driver was delighted.

"'You're a gallant little

engine,' he said to Rheneas.

"'When you're rested,

we'll mend you,

"'so you'll be

ready for tomorrow.'

"and," smiled Skarloey,

"Rheneas always was

ready for tomorrow."

"Thanks for telling us about

him," whispered Duncan.

"I was wrong.

"Passengers are

important after all."

The next day, Rheneas came home.

All the engines were

there to greet him.

Edward pushed his

truck to the siding,

where he was lifted

onto his rails.

This was the signal for

a chorus of whistles

from engines large and small.

Everyone was happy, and Rheneas

was the happiest of all.

"You know," he

whispered to Skarloey,

"this helps a little

engine to feel

"that at last he has

really come home."

(upbeat music)