1. THOMAS
THE TANK ENGINE
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2. WAS FEELING
BRIGHT AND CHEERFUL.
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3. IT WAS A SPLENDID DAY.
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4. "GOOD MORNING,"
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5. HE WHISTLED TO SOME COWS,
BUT THE COWS DIDN'T REPLY.
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6. "NEVER MIND,"
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7. SAID THOMAS.
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8. "THEY'RE BUSY
WITH THEIR BREAKFAST."
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9. NEXT HE SAW BERTIE.
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10. "HELLO, BERTIE.
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11. CARE FOR A RACE TODAY?"
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12. BUT ALL BERTIE COULD SAY WAS,
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13. "OUCH!
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14. THAT'S ANOTHER HOLE
IN THE ROAD."
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15. "I'M SORRY, BERTIE,"
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16. SMILED THOMAS.
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17. THOMAS WAS STILL
IN GOOD SPIRITS
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18. WHEN BERTIE ARRIVED
AT THE NEXT STATION.
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19. "BAD LUCK, BERTIE.
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20. "NOW IF YOU WERE
A STEAM ENGINE,
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21. YOU WOULD RUN
ON A PAIR OF RELIABLE RAILS."
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22. "HUH!"
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23. REPLIED BERTIE.
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24. "THE RAILWAY
WAS SUPPOSED TO DELIVER TAR
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25. "TO MEND THE ROAD
TWO WEEKS AGO.
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26. YOU CAN'T TRUST A THING
THAT RUNS ON RAILS."
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27. "I RUN ON RAILS.
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28. "YOU CAN TRUST ME,
BERTIE.
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29. I'LL SEE IF I CAN FIND OUT
WHAT'S HAPPENED."
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30. AND THOMAS PUFFED AWAY
TOWARDS THE BIG STATION.
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31. JAMES WAS SNORTING ABOUT
IN THE YARD.
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32. "IT'S TOO BAD,"
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33. HE GRUMBLED.
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34. "PERCY GOES TO WORK
AT THE HARBOR
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35. "AND I DO HIS JOB,
HERE, THERE, AND EVERYWHERE.
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36. TAKE THAT!"
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37. "OHHH,"
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38. GROANED THE FREIGHT CARS,
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39. "JUST YOU WAIT;
WE'LL SHOW YOU."
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40. GORDON LAUGHED.
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41. "I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, JAMES.
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42. "IF YOU PRETENDED
TO BE ILL EVERYWHERE,
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43. "YOU COULDN'T SHUNT
FREIGHT CARS HERE
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44. "OR GO TO THE QUARRY THERE,
COULD YOU?"
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45. "WHAT A GOOD IDEA,"
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46. AGREED JAMES.
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47. "LOOK,
HERE COMES THOMAS.
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48. I'LL START PRETENDING NOW."
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49. THOMAS WAS SORRY TO SEE
THE ENGINES LOOKING MISERABLE.
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50. "CHEER UP,"
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51. HE PUFFED.
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52. "IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY."
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53. "YES,"
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54. GRUMBLED GORDON,
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55. "BUT NOT FOR JAMES."
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56. "WHAT'S THE MATTER?"
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57. ASKED THOMAS.
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58. "HE'S SICK,"
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59. REPLIED GORDON.
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60. "YES, HE IS—
I MEAN, I AM,"
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61. STUTTERED JAMES.
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62. "I DON'T FEEL WELL
AT ALL."
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63. "DON'T WORRY,"
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64. "I'LL HELP OUT
IF YOU'RE ILL."
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65. GORDON AND JAMES
SNICKERED QUIETLY
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66. TO EACH OTHER.
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67. SOME OF JAMES' CARS
WERE COUPLED BEHIND THOMAS
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68. AND HE STEAMED AWAY
TO THE QUARRY.
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69. THE CARS WERE STILL CROSS.
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70. "WE COULDN'T PAY JAMES BACK
FOR BUMPING US,
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71. "SO WE'LL PLAY TRICKS
ON THOMAS INSTEAD.
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72. ONE ENGINE
IS AS GOOD AS ANOTHER."
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73. BUT THOMAS DIDN'T HEAR THEM.
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74. HE COLLECTED ALL THE STONE
FROM THE QUARRY
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75. AND SET OFF
BACK TO THE JUNCTION.
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76. DANGER LAY AHEAD.
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77. "NOW FOR OUR PLAN,"
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78. GIGGLED THE CARS.
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79. "GO FASTER,
GO FASTER."
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80. THEY PUSHED THOMAS
OVER THE SWITCHES.
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81. "SLOW DOWN!"
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82. POOR THOMAS
STOOD DAZED AND SURPRISED
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83. IN A MUDDY POND
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84. AS A TOAD EYED HIM
SUSPICIOUSLY.
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85. "BUST MY BUFFERS,"
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86. MUTTERED THOMAS.
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87. "THE DAY STARTED
SO WELL TOO."
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88. DUCK PULLED AWAY THE CARS,
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89. AND EDWARD HELPED THOMAS
BACK TO THE JUNCTION.
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90. SUDDENLY, THOMAS REMEMBERED
THE MISSING TAR.
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91. HE TOLD EDWARD ALL ABOUT IT.
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92. "THAT'S STRANGE,"
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93. SAID EDWARD.
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94. "A CAR FULL OF TAR
HAS BEEN LEFT AT MY STATION.
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95. "THAT MUST BE IT.
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96. DRIVER WILL MAKE SURE
IT GETS TO BERTIE NOW."
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97. LATER,
JAMES SPOKE TO THOMAS.
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98. "I'M SORRY
ABOUT YOUR ACCIDENT,"
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99. HE MUTTERED.
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100. "AND SO IS GORDON.
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101. WE DIDN'T MEAN
TO GET YOU INTO TROUBLE."
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102. "NO, INDEED,"
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103. SPLUTTERED GORDON.
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104. "A MERE MISUNDERSTANDING,
THOMAS.
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105. ALL'S WELL
THAT ENDS WELL."
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106. JUST THEN
BERTIE ARRIVED.
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107. HE LOOKED
MUCH MORE CHEERFUL.
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108. "MY ROAD'S
BEING MENDED NOW."
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109. "OH, I AM GLAD,"
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110. REPLIED THOMAS.
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111. "THANKS
FOR ALL YOU DID."
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112. ADDED BERTIE.
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113. "NOW I KNOW
I CAN TRUST AN ENGINE,
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114. ESPECIALLY
IF HIS NAME IS THOMAS."
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115. GORDON AND JAMES PUFFED
SILENTLY AWAY TO THE SHED,
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116. BUT THOMAS STILL HAD COMPANY.
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117. "WELL, WELL,"
HE SIGHED,
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118. "WHAT A DAY FOR SURPRISES."
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119. THE TOAD,
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120. WHO WAS LOOKING FORWARD
TO A RIDE HOME, NOISILY AGREED.
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121. MAVIS IS A DIESEL ENGINE
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122. WHO WORKS
FOR THE QUARRY COMPANY,
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123. SHUNTING FREIGHT CARS
IN THEIR SIDINGS.
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124. SHE HAS SIX SMALL WHEELS
HIDDEN BY SIDE PLATES
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125. JUST LIKE TOBY'S.
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126. MAVIS IS YOUNG
AND FULL OF HER OWN IDEAS.
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127. SHE LOVES
REARRANGING THINGS TOO,
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128. AND BEGAN
PUTTING TOBY'S CARS
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129. IN DIFFERENT PLACES
EVERY DAY.
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130. THIS MADE TOBY CROSS.
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131. "FREIGHT CARS,"
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132. HE GRUMBLED,
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133. "SHOULD BE WHERE YOU WANT THEM,
WHEN YOU WANT THEM."
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134. "FIDDLESTICKS,"
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135. SAID MAVIS
AND FLOUNCED AWAY.
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136. AT LAST
TOBY LOST PATIENCE.
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137. "I CAN'T WASTE TIME
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138. "PLAYING 'HUNT THE CARS'
WITH YOU.
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139. TAKE THEM YOURSELF."
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140. MAVIS WAS PLEASED.
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141. TAKING CARS
MADE HER FEEL IMPORTANT.
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142. AT THE STATION
DIESEL OILED UP TO HER.
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143. "TOBY'S
AN OLD FUSSPOT,"
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144. SHE COMPLAINED.
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145. DIESEL SENSED TROUBLE
AND WAS DELIGHTED.
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146. "TOBY SAYS ONLY STEAM ENGINES
CAN MANAGE FREIGHT CARS,"
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147. CONTINUED MAVIS.
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148. "HOW ABSURD."
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149. SQUIRMED DIESEL.
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150. "DEPEND UPON IT,
MAVIS,
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151. "ANYTHING STEAM ENGINES
CAN DO,
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152. WE DIESELS
CAN DO BETTER."
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153. DIESEL KNEW NOTHING ABOUT CARS
BUT MAVIS DIDN'T REALIZE THIS.
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154. TOBY'S LINE
CROSSES THE MAIN ROAD
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155. BEHIND THE STATION AND,
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156. FOR A SHORT WAY,
FOLLOWS A FARM LANE.
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157. FROSTY WEATHER
MAKES THE MUDDY LANE ROCK HARD
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158. AND VERY SLIPPERY.
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159. TOBY STOPS
BEFORE REACHING THE LANE.
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160. HIS FIREMAN HALTS THE TRAFFIC
AT THE CROSSING
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161. AND THEN
HE SETS OFF AGAIN.
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162. BY USING THE HEAVY CARS
TO PUSH HIM ALONG
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163. HE HAS NO TROUBLE
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164. WITH THE FROSTY RAILS
IN THE LANE
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165. AND ACROSS THE ROAD.
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166. IT IS THE ONLY SAFE THING
TO DO IN THIS KIND OF WEATHER.
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167. TOBY WARNED MAVIS
AND TOLD HER JUST WHAT TO DO.
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168. "I CAN MANAGE,
THANK YOU,"
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169. SHE REPLIED.
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170. "I'M NOT AN OLD FUSSPOT
LIKE YOU."
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171. THE FREIGHT CARS WERE TIRED OF
BEING PUSHED AROUND BY MAVIS.
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172. "IT'S SLIPPERY,"
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173. THEY WHISPERED.
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174. "LET'S PUSH HER AROUND
INSTEAD.
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175. ON, ON, ON,"
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176. THEY YELLED.
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177. MAVIS TOOK NO NOTICE.
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178. INSTEAD, SHE BROUGHT THE CARS
CAREFULLY DOWN THE LANE
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179. AND STOPPED
AT THE LEVEL CROSSING.
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180. ALL TRAFFIC HALTED.
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181. "ONE IN THE HEADLAMP
FOR FUSSPOT TOBY,"
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182. CHORTLED MAVIS.
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183. BUT MAVIS HAD STOPPED
IN THE WRONG PLACE.
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184. INSTEAD OF
TAKING TOBY'S ADVICE
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185. SHE HAD GIVEN THE CARS
THE CHANCE THEY WANTED.
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186. "HOLD BACK,
HOLD BACK,"
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187. THEY CRIED.
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188. "GRRRR UP!"
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189. ORDERED MAVIS.
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190. THE CARS JUST LAUGHED
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191. AND HER WHEELS
SPUN HELPLESSLY.
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192. WORKMEN SANDED THE RAILS
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193. AND TRIED TO DIG AWAY
THE FROZEN MUD
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194. BUT IT WAS NO GOOD.
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195. EVERYONE WAS IMPATIENT.
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196. "GRRRRR! AGH!"
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197. WAILED MAVIS.
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198. TOBY WAS IN THE YARD
WHEN HE HEARD THE NEWS.
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199. "I WARNED HER!"
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200. HE FUMED.
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201. "SHE'S YOUNG YET,"
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202. SOOTHED HIS DRIVER,
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203. "AND—"SHE CAN MANAGE
HER CARS HERSELF,"
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204. INTERRUPTED TOBY.
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205. "THEY'RE YOUR CARS REALLY,"
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206. HIS DRIVER REPLIED.
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207. "MAVIS IS SUPPOSED TO
STAY AT THE QUARRY.
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208. IF SIR TOPHAM HATT
FINDS OUT..."
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209. "HMM... YES,"
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210. SAID TOBY THOUGHTFULLY.
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211. HE AND HIS DRIVER AGREED
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212. THAT IT WOULD BE BEST
TO HELP MAVIS AFTER ALL.
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213. AN ANGRY FARMER
WAS TELLING MAVIS
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214. JUST WHAT SHE COULD DO
WITH HER TRAIN!
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215. "HAVING TROUBLE, MAVIS?"
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216. CHORTLED TOBY.
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217. "I AM SURPRISED."
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218. "GRRROSH,"
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219. SAID MAVIS.
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220. WITH MUCH PUFFING
AND WHEEL SLIP
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221. TOBY PUSHED MAVIS
AND THE FREIGHT CARS BACK.
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222. THE HARD WORK
MADE HIS FIRE BURN FIERCELY
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223. AND HIS FIREMEN
SPREAD HOT CINDERS
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224. TO MELT THE FROZEN MUD.
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225. AT LAST THEY FINISHED.
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226. "GOOD-BYE," CALLED TOBY.
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227. "YOU'LL MANAGE NOW
I EXPECT."
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228. MAVIS DIDN'T ANSWER.
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229. SHE TOOK THE CARS
TO THE SHEDS
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230. AND SCUTTLED HOME TO THE QUARRY
AS QUICKLY AS SHE COULD.
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