06x17 - Gordon Takes a Tumble

[bunniefuu]

(upbeat ragtime

orchestral music)

- Sir Topham Hatt's

engines are proud

of how useful they are.

It makes them feel important,

but none of them feels

more important than Gordon.

"Watch out!" Gordon wheeshed,

"You'll get my paint all sooty!"

"Pulling freight cars is a

sooty job," teased Salty,

"but then, you wouldn't know."

"Of course not!" Gordon

huffed importantly.

"Express engines don't

pull freight cars.

It wouldn't be dignified!"

"Dingy-fried?" puzzled Percy,

"What's that?"

"Dignified," Gordon corrected.

"It means--

"It means that someone is

too big for his buffers,"

teased Salty.

"Pah!" said Gordon

and he puffed away.

That evening, fog covered

the Island of Sodor.

Everything slowed down,

and soon, the docks were

packed with waiting

freight cars.

This caused confusion and delay.

Sir Topham Hatt

came to the sheds.

He was in a great hurry.

"Henry, Thomas, and

Percy," he said,

"you must go to the

docks immediately."

"Yes, sir," they whistled.

(trains whistle and chug)

Then, sir Topham Hatt turned

to the big blue engine.

"You too Gordon," he said,

"I need a big engine to

take the freight cars

where they won't be in the way."

"Freight cars?" huffed Gordon.

He could not believe

what he heard.

Gordon wasn't happy to

be pulling freight cars.

He waited impatiently while

they were shunted into place.

"Hurry up, hurry up!,"

chuffed Gordon crossly.

"Why the rush,

Gordon?" asked Thomas.

"If I must pull freight

cars, then I'll show Salty

how an express engine pulls

freight cars," Gordon huffed.

"Careful Captain," Salty tooted,

"You don't want to get

too big for your buffers."

But Gordon ignored Salty.

(inspiring orchestral music)

The next morning,

Gordon raced along

with his heavy load.

"Now this is how you pull

freight cars," he puffed.

But the signalman had

accidentally had left

the point switched

to the branchline.

Gordon rattled

through the junction,

"That's strange, I'm

on the branchline!"

"Oh no!" The signalman cried,

"Express trains aren't

supposed to go that way!"

It was too late,

Gordon had already

raced into the distance.

The old branchline

was weak and rusty.

There were signs warning

all the trains to 'Go Slow',

but Gordon ignored the signs.

"I'm an express engine, I

don't go slow!" he said,

and he went even faster.

The branchline couldn't

take his weight,

and the rails buckled.

"Oh help!" Gordon cried as

he slid off the tracks...

(train cars crash)

and into a field.

(rumbling)

(suspenseful orchestral music)

(crash)

(hiss)

No one was hurt, but poor

Gordon felt very undignified.

"What will Sir Topham

Hatt say?" he groaned.

He found out, soon enough.

"Well Gordon," said Sir

Topham Hatt, "you wanted

to show Salty a thing or

two, and you've certainly

done that. You've shown

him how silly it is

to ignore 'Go Slow' signs."

"Sorry, sir", said

Gordon, and he let out

a sad wheesh of steam.

Gordon was soon repaired

and back at the docks,

ready for work, but he was

very unhappy with himself.

"Everyone makes

mistakes," said Thomas,

"even you."

"Salty is sorry he teased

you," puffed James.

"And I'm sorry I was

too big for my buffers,"

chuffed Gordon.

And all of the engines

gave a jolly toot,

even Gordon.

(train whistle)

(upbeat ragtime

orchestral music)