03x14 - Mavis

[bunniefuu]

(happy music)

(bouncy music)

- [Narrator] Mavis is a

diesel engine who works

for the quarry company

shunting freight cars

and their sidings.

She has six small wheels

hidden by side plates

just like Toby's.

Mavis is young and

full of her own ideas.

She loves rearranging things too

and began putting Toby's cars

in different places every day.

This made Toby cross.

"Freight cars," he grumbled,

"should be where you want them

when you want them."

"Fiddlesticks," said

Mavis and flounced away.

At last, Toby lost patience.

"I can't waste time playing

hunt the cars with you.

Take them yourself."

Mavis was pleased.

Taking cars made

her feel important.

At the station, Diesel

oiled up to her.

"Toby's an old fusspot,"

she complained.

Diesel sensed trouble

and was delighted.

"Toby says only steam engines

can manage freight cars,"

continued Mavis.

"How absurd," squirmed Diesel.

"Depend upon it, Mavis,

anything steam engines can do,

we diesels can do better."

Diesel knew nothing about cars,

but Mavis didn't realize this.

Toby's line crosses the

main road behind the station

and for a short way

follows a farm lane.

Frosty weather

makes the muddy lane

rock hard and very slippery.

(train chugging)

Toby stops before

reaching the lane.

His fireman halts the

traffic at the crossing,

and then he sets off again.

By using the heavy

cars to push him along,

he has no trouble

with the frosty rails

in the lane and across the road.

"It is the only safe thing to do

in this kind of weather."

Toby warned Mavis and

told her just what to do.

"I can manage, thank

you," she replied.

"I'm not an old

fusspot like you."

The freight cars were tired

of being pushed around by Mavis.

"It's slippery,"

they whispered."

"Let's push her around instead.

On, on, on!" they yelled.

Mavis took no notice.

Instead, she brought the cars

carefully down the lane

and stopped at the

level crossing.

All traffic halted.

"One in the headlamp

for fusspot Toby,"

chortled Mavis.

But Mavis had stopped

in the wrong place.

Instead of taking Toby's advice,

she had given the cars

the chance they wanted.

"Hold back, hold

back!" they cried.

"Grr up," ordered Mavis.

The cars just laughed,

and her wheels spun helplessly.

Workmen sanded the rails

and tried to dig

away the frozen mud,

but it was no good.

Everyone was impatient.

"Grr!" wailed Mavis.

Toby was in the yard

when he heard the news.

"I warned her," he fumed.

"She's young yet,"

soothed his driver.

"And she can manage

her cars herself,"

interrupted Toby.

"They're your cars really,"

his driver replied.

"Mavis is supposed to

stay at the quarry.

If Sir Topham Hat finds out..."

"Hmm, yes," said

Toby thoughtfully.

He and his driver agreed

that it would be best

to help Mavis after all.

An angry farmer

was telling Mavis

just what she could

do with her train.

"Having trouble,

Mavis?" chortled Toby.

"I am surprised."

"Grr!" said Mavis.

With much puffing

and wheel slip,

Toby pushed Mavis and

the freight cars back.

The hard work made his

fire burn fiercely,

and his firemen

spread hot cinders

to melt the frozen mud.

(suspenseful orchestral music)

At last they finished.

"Goodbye," called Toby.

"You'll manage now, I expect."

Mavis didn't answer.

She took the cars to the sheds

and scuttled home to the quarry

as quickly as she could.

(bouncy music)