1. ONE DAY
PERCY ARRIVED AT THE QUARRY
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2. TO COLLECT SOME STONE
FOR HIS FREIGHT CARS.
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3. SNOW AND FROST
LAY EVERYWHERE.
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4. THERE WAS NOT A SOUND
TO BE HEARD.
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5. PERCY VENTURED FURTHER.
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6. HE FOUND MAVIS,
THE NEW DIESEL ENGINE,
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7. RESTING IN THE
SHELTER OF SOME ROCKS.
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8. "CHEER UP, MAVIS,"
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9. HE WHISTLED.
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10. MAVIS WAS
STILL REMEMBERING
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11. THE TROUBLE
SHE'D HAD WITH CARS.
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12. "MANAGER SAYS
I DON'T LISTEN TO ADVICE.
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13. "HE SAYS I'VE NO BUSINESS
JAUNTERING DOWN TOBY'S LINE.
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14. TOBY'S A FUSSPOT."
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15. "TOBY HAS FORGOTTEN
MORE ABOUT FREIGHT CARS
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16. THAN YOU WILL EVER KNOW,"
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17. REPLIED PERCY.
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18. "YOU MUST PUT THE CARS
WHERE HE WANTS THEM,
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19. "THEN YOU'LL BE
A REALLY USEFUL ENGINE.
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20. "NOW, IF YOU'LL EXCUSE ME,
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21. I HAVE TO TAKE THESE STONES
TO THE HARBOR."
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22. MAVIS LIKED PERCY
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23. BUT SHE STILL WOULDN'T LISTEN
TO HIS ADVICE.
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24. "WHY SHOULDN'T I
GO ON TOBY'S LINE?"
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25. THE SIDING ARRANGEMENTS
WERE AWKWARD.
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26. TO PUT THE CARS
WHERE TOBY WANTED THEM
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27. MAVIS HAD TO MAKE
SEVERAL JOURNEYS.
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28. SHE STARTED MAKING A PLAN.
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29. "IF WE USED THE TEENIEST BIT
OF TOBY'S LINE,"
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30. SHE SAID TO HER DRIVER,
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31. "WE WOULD SAVE
ALL THIS BOTHER."
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32. HER DRIVER,
SUSPECTING NOTHING,
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33. ALLOWED THEM TO GO AS FAR AS
THE FIRST-LEVEL CROSSING.
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34. A FEW DAYS LATER,
THE WEATHER CHANGED.
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35. AS THE SNOW MELTED,
THE QUARRY GREW BUSY AGAIN.
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36. SOME TRAINS WERE SO LONG
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37. THAT BEFORE LEAVING THE CARS
FOR TOBY,
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38. MAVIS HAD TO GO BEYOND
THE LEVEL CROSSING WITH THEM.
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39. NOW FOR HER PLAN.
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40. SHE WOULD GO
FURTHER DOWN THE LINE
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41. WITHOUT IT SEEMING
HER FAULT.
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42. "CAN YOU
KEEP A SECRET?"
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43. SHE ASKED
THE FREIGHT CARS.
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44. "YES, YES, YES,"
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45. THEY CHATTERED.
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46. "WILL YOU BUMP ME
AT THE LEVEL CROSSING
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47. AND TELL NO ONE
I ASKED YOU?"
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48. THE CARS PROMISED.
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49. BUT, WHILST MAVIS WAS AWAY,
TOBY ARRIVED.
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50. HE DECIDED
TO SHUNT THE CARS HIMSELF.
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51. THE TRUCKS DECIDED
TO BUMP HIM ANYWAY.
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52. THEY REACHED THE LEVEL CROSSING
AND TOBY'S BRAKES CAME ON.
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53. THIS WAS THE SIGNAL
FOR THE FREIGHT CARS.
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54. "ON, ON, ON,"
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55. THEY YELLED.
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56. TOBY WAS AWAY,
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57. WITH THE CARS SCREAMING
AND YELLING BEHIND HIM.
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58. NO ONE REALIZED
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59. THAT MELTED SNOW HAD TURNED
A STREAM AHEAD INTO A TORRENT
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60. AND THE BRIDGE ABOVE IT
WAS ABOUT TO COLLAPSE.
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61. THE RAILS WERE NOW
LIKE A TIGHTROPE
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62. ACROSS THE THUNDERING WATER.
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63. "STOP! STOP!"
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64. CRIED TOBY.
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65. HIS DRIVER
FOUGHT FOR CONTROL.
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66. THEY CAME NEARER AND NEARER
TO THE BRIDGE.
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67. IT WAS ALL OR NOTHING NOW.
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68. THE DRIVER BRAKED HARD.
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69. TOBY STOPPED,
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70. STILL ON THE RAILS
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71. BUT WITH HIS WHEELS TREADING
THE TIGHTROPE OVER THE ABYSS.
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72. MAVIS WAS HORRIFIED
AND QUICKLY CAME TO THE RESCUE.
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73. WORKMEN ANCHORED TOBY
WITH ROPES
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74. WHILE SHE PULLED
THE FREIGHT CARS AWAY.
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75. THEN SHE HELPED TOBY
TO SAFETY.
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76. "I'M SORRY
ABOUT THE CARS,"
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77. SAID MAVIS.
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78. "I CAN'T THINK
HOW YOU MANAGED
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79. TO STOP THEM
IN TIME."
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80. "OH, WELL,"
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81. SAID TOBY.
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82. "MY DRIVER TOLD ME
ABOUT CIRCUS PEOPLE
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83. "WHO WALK TIGHTROPES,
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84. BUT I JUST DIDN'T FANCY
DOING IT MYSELF."
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85. LATER, SIR TOPHAM HATT ARRIVED.
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86. "A VERY SMART
PIECE OF WORK,"
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87. HE SAID.
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88. "MAVIS, YOU DID WELL, TOO,
I HEAR."
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89. "I—IT WAS MY FAULT
ABOUT THOSE CARS, SIR,"
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90. SHE FALTERED.
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91. "BUT IF I COULD—"
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92. "COULD WHAT?"
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93. "COME DOWN THE LINE
SOMETIMES, SIR.
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94. TOBY SAYS HE'LL SHOW ME
WHAT TO DO."
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95. "CERTAINLY,"
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96. REPLIED SIR TOPHAM HATT,
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97. "IF YOUR MANAGER AGREES."
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98. AND SO IT WAS ARRANGED.
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99. NOW MAVIS IS
AS HAPPY AS CAN BE
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100. AND SIR TOPHAM HATT THINKS
SHE'S REALLY USEFUL INDEED.
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101. TREVOR THE
TRACTION ENGINE IS OLD-FASHIONED
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102. BUT HE DOESN'T CARE.
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103. HE KNOWS THAT
HE IS REALLY USEFUL,
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104. LIKE HIS FRIEND EDWARD,
THE BLUE ENGINE.
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105. EARLY ONE MORNING
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106. TREVOR WAS CHUFFING ABOUT
THE VICARAGE ORCHARD.
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107. HE HAD IMPORTANT NEWS
FOR EDWARD.
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108. "THE VICAR SAYS
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109. "THAT NOT ALL CHILDREN ARE ABLE
TO HAVE HOLIDAYS BY THE SEA,
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110. "SO HE'S HAVING
A GARDEN PARTY
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111. "TO RAISE MONEY
FOR A SEASIDE TRIP."
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112. I'M GOING TO BE
THE STAR ATTRACTION,"
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113. CHATTERED TREVOR,
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114. "GIVING RIDES
TO ALL THE VISITORS.
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115. THE VICAR IS PUTTING UP
POSTERS ALL ABOUT IT."
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116. "I'D LIKE TO HELP TOO,"
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117. SIGHED EDWARD.
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118. "BUT WITHOUT MY RAILS
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119. I WOULDN'T BE MUCH GOOD
AT A GARDEN PARTY."
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120. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY,
BUT EDWARD WAS WORRIED.
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121. "I WISH THERE WAS SOMETHING
I COULD DO FOR THE PARTY,"
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122. HE SAID.
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123. "I'D LIKE TO BE HELPFUL
LIKE TREVOR."
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124. EDWARD'S DRIVER LAUGHED.
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125. "YOU'RE HELPFUL
IN YOUR OWN WAY,
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126. AND THAT'S ON THE RAILWAY!"
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127. NEXT DAY, IT WAS TREVOR'S TURN
TO LOOK DISAPPOINTED.
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128. HE HAD BAD NEWS.
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129. "THE VICAR'S
BEEN SO BUSY
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130. "THAT HE FORGOT
TO PUT UP THE POSTERS.
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131. NOW NO ONE WILL KNOW
ABOUT THE PARTY."
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132. BUT EDWARD HAD AN IDEA.
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133. "DON'T WORRY,"
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134. HE SAID.
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135. "EVERYTHING IS
GOING TO BE ALL RIGHT."
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136. THEN HE EXPLAINED
TO HIS DRIVER.
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137. "THE VICAR CAN PASTE
HIS POSTERS
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138. "ON MY CAB AND COACHES,
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139. SO WHEREVER I GO,
THEY'LL GO TOO!"
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140. "WELL DONE, EDWARD,"
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141. SAID HIS DRIVER.
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142. "I'M SURE
SIR TOPHAM HATT WILL AGREE!"
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143. AS INDEED HE DID.
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144. EDWARD STEAMED HAPPILY
THROUGH THE STATIONS
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145. COLLECTING HIS PASSENGERS.
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146. "LOOK,"
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147. THEY SAID,
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148. "THE VICAR IS HOLDING A PARTY;
WE MUST GO TO THAT!"
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149. LATER TREVOR WAS RESTING
IN THE ORCHARD SHED
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150. WHEN BERTIE ROLLED BY.
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151. "HELLO, TREVOR.
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152. WHY ARE YOU DOZING THERE
LIKE AN OLD STICK-IN-THE-MUD?"
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153. "I'M NOT DOZING,
I'M RESTING,"
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154. REPLIED TREVOR.
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155. THEN HE TOLD BERTIE
ABOUT THE VICAR'S PARTY.
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156. "I'LL BE THERE TOO,"
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157. BOASTED BERTIE.
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158. "I'M NOT SURE
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159. "PEOPLE WILL WANT TO RIDE
ON AN OLD TRACTION ENGINE
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160. AFTER TRAVELING
IN A SMART RED BUS LIKE ME."
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161. THE PARTY DAY ARRIVED.
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162. IT HAD RAINED HEAVILY
DURING THE NIGHT
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163. AND THE ORCHARD GROUND
WAS SOAKED.
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164. "RAIN AND MUD
WON'T SPOIL MY DAY,"
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165. SAID TREVOR.
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166. "NO, INDEED,"
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167. AGREED HIS DRIVER.
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168. "WE'LL STAY ON THE ROAD,
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169. THEN WE WON'T
GET BOGGED DOWN."
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170. TREVOR WAS SOON BUSY
TRUNDLING UP AND DOWN
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171. THE QUIET COUNTRY LANE
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172. CARRYING
LOTS OF LAUGHING CHILDREN.
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173. HE WAS JUST TURNING A CORNER
WHEN HE HEARD BERTIE.
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174. "HELLO, OLD TIMER.
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175. "I'M TAKING EVERYONE
TO THE PARTY.
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176. PEOPLE HAVE COME
FROM ALL OVER THE ISLAND."
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177. TREVOR GAVE BERTIE
A CHEERFUL WHISTLE
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178. AND TURNED BACK
TOWARD THE ORCHARD.
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179. THEN, THERE WAS TROUBLE.
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180. "HELP, I'M STUCK!"
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181. SHOUTED BERTIE.
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182. HIS WHEELS HAD SUNK
DEEP IN THE ORCHARD MUD.
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183. TERENCE THE TRACTOR
ARRIVED JUST IN TIME.
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184. "I'M THE ONE
WHO HAS TO PLOW FIELDS,"
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185. LAUGHED TERENCE.
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186. "WE'D BETTER
GET YOU OUT OF HERE."
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187. USING STRONG ROPES,
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188. TERRENCE AND TREVOR
PULLED BERTIE CLEAR OF THE MUD.
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189. "THIS WILL TEACH BERTIE
A THING OR TWO,"
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190. TREVOR CHUFFERED TO HIMSELF.
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191. AT LAST,
BERTIE WAS ON THE ROAD AGAIN.
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192. "THANK YOU, TREVOR.
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193. YOU'RE NOT
A STICK-IN-THE-MUD AT ALL!"
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194. "NO,"
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195. SMILED TREVOR,
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196. "BUT YOU WERE,
JUST FOR A LITTLE WHILE."
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197. THAT EVENING THE VICAR ARRIVED
TO SEE EDWARD AND HIS DRIVER.
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198. "THANKS TO YOUR GOOD IDEA
ABOUT THE POSTERS,
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199. "HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE PAID
TO COME TO THE PARTY.
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200. WE'VE RAISED LOTS OF MONEY
FOR THE CHILDREN."
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201. EDWARD WAS VERY PLEASED,
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202. AND TREVOR FELL HAPPILY ASLEEP
THINKING OF
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203. ALL THE CHILDREN WHO WOULD NOW
GET TO THE SEASIDE AT LAST.
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