16x15 - Muddy Matters

[bunniefuu]

[train whistles]

[theme music begins]

♪ They're two, they're four ♪

♪ They're six, they're eight ♪

♪ Shunting trucks And hauling freight ♪

♪ Red and green and Brown and blue ♪

♪ They're the Really Useful Crew ♪

♪ All with different Roles to play ♪

♪ 'Round Tidmouth Sheds or far away ♪

♪ Down the hills and 'Round the bends ♪

♪ Thomas and his friends ♪

[narrator] "Muddy Matters"

On the island of Sodor, there are lots of farms.

There are pig farms,

dairy farms,

and sheep farms.

Farmer McColl is very proud of his sheep.

One morning, the Fat Controller arrived at Tidmouth Sheds.

It had been raining hard.

Muddy puddles were everywhere.

Today is the Sodor Farmers' Fair.

One of you must collect Farmer McColl's sheep,

and take them to the fairground.

Whichever engine takes the sheep

will have his photograph taken.

The photograph will be on the front page

of the Sodor daily newspaper.

[narrator] James' firebox fizzed.

Please sir, can I take the sheep

and have my photograph taken for the front page?

After all, I am the cleanest and brightest

red engine on Sodor.

Very well, James.

You must go straight to Farmer McColl's farm.

The fair starts at teatime.

You mustn't be late.

[narrator] So James chuffed off cheerfully.

[train whistles]

Farmer McColl was waiting for James at the farm.

Hello, James.

Katie, my sheep, are washed and ready to go.

I want them to be the cleanest and smartest animals

at the fair.

Then they'll have their photograph

on the newspaper's front page.

I will keep them as clean and smart as I am, sir.

I, too, am to have my picture taken

and no one would want to photograph a dirty engine.

Good, James.

Take the fastest and flattest track to the fair.

You must be on time,

and my sheep must not be juggled.

[door latches]

[narrator] Katie bounded in to James's cab.

See you at the fair, Farmer McColl!

[narrator] And James puffed proudly away.

[train whistles]

James huffed to a halt at a junction.

There were two tracks to the fairground.

One track was wet and muddy from the rain.

The other track was old and bumpy, but dry.

James puffed, puzzled.

Farmer McColl told me to take the fast, flat track.

But if I do that, I will get dirty.

And so will Katie and the sheep.

Then, no one will want to put our photograph

on the front page of the newspaper.

[narrator] So James didn't take the fast, flat, wet track.

He took the bumpy, dry track instead.

James jumped and judded along the bumpy track.

Bubbling boilers!

This track is very bumpy.

[narrator] The sheep in the trailer jiggled

and the lock on the trailer gate rattled open,

but James didn't know.

He was too busy being the proudest

and cleanest engine on Sodor.

At Maron Station, James saw Emily collecting passengers.

James wanted to tell Emily all about his special.

[train whistles]

He steamed to a stop.

Hello, Emily.

I'm taking Farmer McColl's sheep and his dog, Katie,

to the fairground.

I'm going to have my photograph taken

for the front page of the daily newspaper.

[narrator] Emily gasped.

Oh, my, James! How grand!

Will Katie and Farmer McColl's sheep

be in the photograph, too?

They might be, in the background.

[narrator] Then there was trouble.

The sheep pushed open the unlocked trailer gate.

They clattered onto the platform.

Watch out, James! The sheep are running away!

Fenders and fireboxes!

Come back here! Stop!

[narrator] But the sheep weren't listening to James.

They didn't want to go back in the trailer.

Katie barked.

James was stern.

No, Katie!

You must stay clean in the cab.

I will find the sheep.

[dog barks]

[narrator] And James steamed slowly forwards,

until he saw the sheep

munching grass at the end of a field.

The fastest track to the end of the field

is wet and muddy.

I shall take the long track there,

and stay clean for the photographer.

[narrator] James was pleased with his plan,

so he chuffed carefully away on the very long track.

He puffed up just as the last sheep was moving away.

Bother!

[narrator] Katie barked.

James snorted.

No, Katie.

You must stay clean.

I have another good idea.

We will take the long, dry track to find the sheep.

[narrator] James huffed to a halt by a field.

The sheep were chewing the grass.

Katie was happy to see her sheep.

She barked and barked.

James smiled.

Well done, Katie! My plan is working.

When you bark, the sheep will come to you in my cab.

All I have to do is wait and be clean.

[narrator] Soon all the sheep had gathered by James.

Katie stopped barking.

Hurrah for me!

[narrator] James was so pleased with himself,

he let out the loudest and longest whistle ever.

[train whistles]

The sheep jumped in surprise.

They ran and they raced away

right through the mud in the field.

Fenders and fireboxes!

This is a disaster!

I promised I would keep the sheep clean,

and now they are dirty.

I promised to take them to the fair,

and now they're running away.

I wanted to have my photograph

on the front page of the Sodor newspaper,

and now no one will want my photograph.

[narrator] James sighed.

Then he heard a rattle on the track.

It was Thomas and Percy.

Hello, James. We're off to the fair.

Farmer McColl is waiting for you there.

He is very excited to see his sheep in the show.

[narrator] And Thomas and Percy whooshed away.

Farmer McColl is waiting for me

to bring Katie and his sheep.

I cannot let him down.

It doesn't matter if we're dirty.

We have to be there.

[narrator] Katie barked.

She could see the sheep running away to the farm.

Run and round up your sheep, Katie.

I will whoosh down the muddy track to meet you by the farm.

[narrator] So James' driver let Katie go,

and James whooshed like the wind

down the muddy, wet track.

Soon James was no longer James the bright red engine,

he was James the muddy, messy one.

But James didn't mind.

James pulled up to Farmer McColl's halt.

Katie and the sheep were waiting for him.

They were covered in mud,

but James didn't mind.

All aboard for the fair!

-[door latches] -[dog barks]

Now, I will whoosh like the wind

down the fast, flat, and wet track.

[narrator] At last James arrived at the fairground.

He was covered in mud from fender to footplate.

James! What ever has happened to you?

Oh, my! How splendid!

A hard-working engine with his sheep and sheepdog,

straight from the fields.

That's the photograph I need

for the front page.

[narrator] James beamed from buffer to buffer.

So a very muddy James had his photograph taken

with Katie, the muddy sheepdog,

Farmer McColl, the Fat Controller,

and lots of muddy sheep.

James had never been happier

to be the dirtiest engine on Sodor.

[cheerful music]

[train whistles]

♪ They're two, they're four, ♪

♪ They're six, they're eight ♪

♪ Shunting trucks And hauling freight ♪

♪ Red and green and Brown and blue ♪

♪ They're the Really Useful Crew ♪

♪ All with different Roles to play ♪

♪ 'Round Tidmouth Sheds or far away ♪

♪ Down the hills and 'Round the bends ♪

♪ Thomas and his friends ♪

♪ Thomas, he's the cheeky one ♪

♪ James is vain But lots of fun ♪

♪ Percy pulls the Mail on time ♪

♪ Gordon thunders Down the line ♪

♪ Emily really knows Her stuff ♪

♪ Henry toots and Huffs and puffs ♪

♪ Edward wants to Help and share ♪

♪ Toby, well let's say, He's square ♪

♪ They're two, they're four ♪

♪ They're six, they're eight ♪

♪ Shunting trucks And hauling freight ♪

♪ Red and green and Brown and blue ♪

♪ They're the Really Useful Crew ♪

♪ All with different Roles to play ♪

♪ 'Round Tidmouth Sheds or far away ♪

♪ Down the hills and 'Round the bends ♪

♪ Thomas and his friends ♪

[train hoots]

[engine chuffs]

[cheerful music continues]