1. IT WAS A SPLENDID MORNING
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2. ON THE ISLAND OF SODOR.
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3. JAMES WAS FEELING
VERY PLEASED WITH HIMSELF.
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4. HIS RED PAINT
GLEAMED IN THE SUNSHINE
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5. AS HE SPED ALONG THE LINE.
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6. HE REACHED THE JUNCTION
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7. JUST AS PERCY PUFFED IN
WITH SOME FREIGHT CARS.
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8. JAMES WAS SURPRISED TO SEE HIM.
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9. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE,
PERCY?
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10. YOU SHOULD BE AT
THE STATION BY NOW."
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11. "I KNOW,"
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12. SIGHED PERCY.
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13. "THESE CARS HAVE BEEN
TROUBLESOME ALL MORNING."
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14. "THAT'S NO EXCUSE,
PERCY,
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15. "NOTHING SHOULD STOP US.
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16. "SIR TOPHAM HATT
RELIES ON US TO BE ON TIME.
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17. NOW, IF YOU'LL EXCUSE ME,
I'LL BE ON MY WAY,"
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18. AND JAMES PUFFED
IMPORTANTLY AWAY.
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19. "BOSSY BUFFERS,"
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20. JAMES ARRIVED AT THE HARBOR.
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21. IT WAS MARKET DAY.
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22. THE HARBOR YARD WAS FILLED
WITH THE SWEET SMELL OF FRUIT
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23. FROM FARAWAY LANDS.
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24. THE FRUIT WAS
DELIVERED IN BIG SHIPS.
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25. JAMES WATCHED AS STRAWBERRIES,
ORANGES, MELONS AND BANANAS
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26. WERE CAREFULLY LOADED
ONTO HIS CARS.
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27. THEN, HE SET OFF FOR THE STATION
ON THE MAINLINE.
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28. ON THE WAY HE MET THOMAS.
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29. "REALLY RELIABLE,
THAT'S ME,"
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30. PANTED JAMES.
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31. "PITY THE SAME CAN'T
BE SAID FOR PERCY.
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32. GOODBYE."
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33. "WHAT WAS ALL THAT ABOUT,"
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34. GASPED ANNIE AND CLARABEL.
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35. "THAT WAS TROUBLE,
TROUBLE FOR JAMES.
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36. JUST WAIT AND SEE."
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37. PERCY WAS BACK IN THE YARD
AND BUSY SHUNTING.
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38. HE HAD THE CARS
IN GOOD ORDER,
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39. AND WAS MAKING UP
FOR LOST TIME.
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40. BUT THE STATION MASTER
HAD BAD NEWS.
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41. "WHAT'S HAPPENED?"
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42. ASKED PERCY'S DRIVER.
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43. "JAMES' BRAKES HAVE JAMMED,
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44. WE NEED PERCY'S HELP
RIGHT AWAY."
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45. PERCY QUICKLY SET OFF
TO THE RESCUE.
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46. JAMES WAS STUCK ON THE
LINE AND LOOKING GLUM.
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47. PERCY COULDN'T HELP LAUGHING.
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48. "GOT YOURSELF IN A BIT
OF A JAM, EH, JAMES?
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49. A STICKY SITUATION?"
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50. "BE QUIET,"
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51. "IT'S NOT FUNNY
HAVING JAMMED BRAKES."
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52. "AND NOT VERY RELIABLE,
EITHER,"
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53. "I'M SURPRISED
YOU LET IT HAPPEN, JAMES,
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54. NOTHING SHOULD
STOP US ENGINES."
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55. "THAT'S ENOUGH, PERCY,"
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56. SAID THE DRIVER.
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57. "CAN YOU PUSH THESE CARS?"
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58. "OF COURSE I CAN,"
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59. "THERE'S NO TIME TO LOSE.
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60. JAMES HAS DONE
TOO MUCH OF THAT ALREADY."
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61. JAMES ANGRILY HISSED STEAM
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62. AS PERCY WAS COUPLED
TO THE CARS.
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63. "OFF WE GO,"
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64. SAID PERCY.
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65. "I'LL HAVE TO GO FAST
TO GET THERE IN TIME.
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66. THOSE BIG ENGINES
ARE SO UNRELIABLE."
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67. "BE CAREFUL, PERCY,"
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68. CALLED HIS DRIVER.
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69. BUT PERCY WAS IN A HURRY.
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70. HE DIDN'T SEE
THAT THE SWITCH HAD FAILED
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71. AND THAT HE HAD BEEN DIVERTED
INTO A SIDING.
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72. "LOOK OUT, PERCY!"
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73. SHOUTED HIS DRIVER,
AND APPLIED THE BRAKES.
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74. BUT IT WAS TOO LATE.
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75. THE DRIVER AND FIREMAN
HAD JUMPED CLEAR,
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76. BUT SQUASHED FRUIT
SQUIRTED ALL OVER PERCY.
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77. SIR TOPHAM HATT ARRIVED.
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78. "PERCY, YOU ARE NOT TO BLAME
FOR THE SWITCH FAILURE
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79. "BUT I DO NOT RUN
A JAM FACTORY."
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80. "YES SIR—UH, NO SIR,"
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81. AND PERCY SQUELCHED
SADLY AWAY.
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82. THAT NIGHT, THE SHED WAS SILENT.
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83. JAMES AND PERCY FELT VERY
SORRY FOR THEMSELVES.
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84. AT LAST THOMAS SPOKE.
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85. "YOU KNOW,"
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86. HE SAID TO NO ENGINE
IN PARTICULAR,
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87. "THERE'S MORE THAN ONE WAY
TO GET JAMMED—
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88. WE ALL LEARNED THAT TODAY."
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89. STILL THERE WAS SILENCE.
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90. "WHAT'S MORE, WE ALSO LEARNED
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91. THAT SOMETIMES WHEN ENGINES
HELP EACH OTHER OUT OF A... JAM,
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92. THINGS CAN
STILL GO WRONG."
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93. "SO,"
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94. SAID A VOICE.
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95. "SO, THAT MEANS
WE LEARNED A LOT TODAY,
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96. AND THEREFORE..."
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97. THEN CAME A CHORUS...
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98. "WE'RE REALLY USEFUL ENGINES,
AFTER ALL."
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99. IF SOMEDAY YOU SHOULD SEE
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100. THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE
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101. PUFFING HAPPILY
ALONG THE LINE,
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102. HE MAY BE ON HIS WAY
TO A VILLAGE
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103. NESTLED DEEP IN THE HEART
OF THE ISLAND OF SODOR.
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104. ONE NOVEMBER MORNING,
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105. THOMAS WHISTLED
TO ALL HIS FRIENDS,
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106. "IT'S NEARLY THANKSGIVING,
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107. AND I'LL BRING YOU
LOTS OF LETTERS AND PARCELS."
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108. BUT THEN,
AN EARLY SNOWSTORM CAME.
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109. THE ISLAND WAS COVERED
WITH THICK SNOW.
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110. THE ENGINES FOUND WORK
DIFFICULT.
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111. SOME HAD TO HELP CLEAR SNOW
FROM THE TRACK,
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112. AND WORKMEN HACKED AWAY
AT THE FROZEN BANKS OF ICE.
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113. THOMAS AND PERCY
WERE COLLECTING IMPORTANT MAIL
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114. FOR THANKSGIVING.
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115. "DRIVER SAYS THERE'S
LOTS OF MAIL FOR THE VILLAGE,"
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116. SAID THOMAS.
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117. "I'LL NEED AN EXTRA CAR
FOR IT ALL."
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118. PERCY WAS FEELING LEFT OUT.
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119. "IT'S NOT FAIR;
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120. YOU'RE NOT LEAVING ANY MAIL
FOR ME."
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121. BUT PERCY'S CHANCE HAD COME.
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122. "THERE'S BEEN
A CHANGE OF PLAN,"
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123. SAID THOMAS' DRIVER.
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124. "SIR TOPHAM HATT NEEDS US
AT THE BIG STATION.
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125. "PERCY,
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126. YOU ARE TO TAKE THOMAS' TRAIN
TO THE VILLAGE."
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127. PERCY WAS DELIGHTED,
BUT THOMAS WAS SAD.
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128. "I WON'T BE ABLE TO SAY
HAPPY THANKSGIVING
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129. TO ALL MY FRIENDS."
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130. "DON'T WORRY,"
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131. SAID PERCY KINDLY.
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132. "I'LL DO IT FOR YOU."
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133. "IT'S NOT THE SAME,"
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134. SIGHED THOMAS.
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135. PERCY WAS MAKING GOOD TIME
ON HIS WAY TO THE VILLAGE
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136. WHEN SUDDENLY...
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137. "WHAT'S THAT?"
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138. CALLED HIS DRIVER.
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139. THERE AHEAD WAS A FOG MAN
BY THE LINE.
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140. HE WAS HOLDING A RED LIGHT.
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141. "THE VILLAGE IS CUT OFF
BY THE SNOW,"
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142. HE SHOUTED.
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143. "WE NEED SNOWPLOWS,
WORKMEN AND A HELICOPTER.
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144. LEAVE YOUR CARS IN THE SIDINGS
AND GO BACK QUICKLY."
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145. PERCY WAS SOON STEAMING
TO HAROLD'S AIRFIELD.
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146. "BEEP-BEEP!"
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147. WHISTLED PERCY.
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148. "WAKE UP, LAZY WINGS.
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149. "THE MOUNTAIN VILLAGERS
NEED YOUR HELP;
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150. THEY'RE STRANDED."
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151. "WHIZZO,"
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152. REPLIED HAROLD.
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153. "I LIKE AN EMERGENCY
TO KEEP ME WARM."
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154. AND HE BUZZED AWAY.
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155. "NOW,"
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156. SIGHED PERCY.
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157. "WHAT'S NEXT?"
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158. SUDDENLY,
THERE WAS THOMAS,
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159. WITH TERENCE THE TRACTOR
AND A WORKS TRAIN.
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160. "COME ON, PERCY,"
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161. WHISTLED THOMAS,
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162. "FOLLOW ME."
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163. THE TWO ENGINES
BATTLED THEIR WAY
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164. THROUGH THE SNOW.
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165. AT LAST THEY REACHED
THE VILLAGE.
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166. HAROLD WAS ALREADY THERE
BUSILY DROPPING FOOD
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167. FOR THANKSGIVING DINNER
TO THE PEOPLE BELOW.
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168. TERENCE QUICKLY GOT TO WORK.
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169. "LOVELY STUFF,"
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170. HE SAID,
AS HE PUSHED THE SNOW ASIDE.
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171. "WELL DONE, PERCY!
WELL DONE, THOMAS!"
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172. CHEERED THE VILLAGERS.
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173. "PERCY,
I'VE JUST REMEMBERED...
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174. "YOUR MAIL TRAIN IS STILL BACK
AT THE SIDING, ISN'T IT?"
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175. PERCY HURRIED BACK TO FETCH IT.
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176. JUST THEN,
TOBY ARRIVED WITH HENRIETTA.
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177. "WE'VE BROUGHT LOTS OF
HOT DRINKS AND FOOD
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178. FOR THE VILLAGERS,"
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179. HE WHISTLED.
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180. THAT NIGHT ALL THE ENGINES
HAD GONE BACK TO THE SHEDS,
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181. EXCEPT TOBY.
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182. THE VILLAGERS HAD MADE A PLAN
TO THANK THE ENGINES.
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183. THEY LOADED PAINT POTS
AND PARCELS INTO HENRIETTA.
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184. THEN THEY SET OFF THROUGH
THE MOONLIT COUNTRYSIDE.
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185. ALL THE ENGINES
WERE FAST ASLEEP IN THE SHEDS
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186. AS TOBY RAN SILENTLY
INTO THE YARD.
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187. HE HAD NO IDEA
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188. WHAT THE VILLAGERS
WERE GOING TO DO,
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189. BUT HE KNEW IT WAS GOING TO BE
A BIG SURPRISE.
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190. WHEN THE ENGINES WOKE
THE NEXT MORNING,
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191. THEY COULD NOT BELIEVE
THEIR EYES.
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192. THE SHEDS HAD BEEN REPAINTED
AND DECORATED.
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193. THE ENGINES WHISTLED IN DELIGHT
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194. AND EVERYONE AGREED
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195. THAT IT WAS
A REALLY HAPPY THANKSGIVING.
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