1. THOMAS
THE TANK ENGINE
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2. HAD BEEN WORKING
IN THE COAL YARDS ALL DAY.
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3. THE LITTLE BLUE ENGINE
WAS COVERED IN COAL DUST.
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4. "WE CAN'T CLEAN YOU UP
TONIGHT, THOMAS,"
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5. SAID HIS DRIVER.
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6. "THERE'S A PROBLEM
WITH THE HOSEPIPE."
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7. "BOTHER,"
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8. SAID THOMAS.
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9. "A BATH WOULD
MAKE ME FEEL MUCH BETTER.
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10. THE OTHERS ARE SURE TO SAY
I LOOK SILLY."
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11. BUT THE ENGINES
WERE TOO BUSY ARGUING
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12. TO NOTICE THOMAS.
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13. JAMES WAS TALKING
LOUDEST OF ALL.
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14. "I DESERVE
A NEW COAT OF PAINT.
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15. "SIR TOPHAM HATT SAYS
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16. I'M THE PRIDE
OF THE LINE AND—"
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17. "RUBBISH,"
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18. HUFFED HENRY.
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19. "WE'RE ALL
THE PRIDE OF THE LINE."
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20. "It's been like this all day,"
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21. CONFIDED PERCY TO THOMAS.
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22. "JAMES IS GETTING
A NEW COAT OF PAINT
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23. AND WON'T STOP
BOASTING ABOUT IT."
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24. "WHY, JAMES?"
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25. "I'MTHE ONE WHO NEEDS
A NEW COAT.
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26. LOOK AT ME!"
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27. "I'D RATHER NOT,"
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28. RETORTED JAMES.
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29. "YOU'RE NOT
A PLEASANT SIGHT,
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30. "AND WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND
THE NEEDS
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31. OF A REALLY IMPORTANT ENGINE!"
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32. THOMAS WAS FUMING.
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33. NEXT MORNING
AS JAMES WAS BEING REPAINTED
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34. HENRY HAD AN ACCIDENT.
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35. "IF YOU CAN'T
PUSH CARS PROPERLY, HENRY,
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36. "WHY NOT TALK
TO A TREE INSTEAD.
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37. YOU KNOW HOW MUCH
YOU LIKE THE FOREST!"
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38. "AS A MATTER OF FACT,
BOSSY BOILER,
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39. "SIR TOPHAM HATT
IS INSPECTING THE ISLAND
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40. "FOR TREES THAT
ARE TOO CLOSE TO THE LINE.
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41. HE'S WORRIED
THEY MIGHT CAUSE TROUBLE."
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42. "PAH,"
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43. LAUGHED JAMES.
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44. "IF I CAME UPON A TREE
I'D JUST PUSH IT ASIDE."
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45. "REALLY?"
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46. HENRY REPLIED.
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47. SOON, JAMES WAS SHOWING OFF
HIS PAINTWORK.
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48. "MAKE WAY
FOR AN IMPORTANT ENGINE."
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49. "YOU WOULDN'T FEEL IMPORTANT
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50. "IF ONE OF THESE TREES
CRASHED ON YOU,
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51. YOU'D FEEL HURT,"
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52. REPROACHED PERCY.
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53. "RUBBISH!
IT WOULDN'T DARE!"
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54. "YOU SHOULD
BE CAREFUL, JAMES,
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55. "TREES CAN BE
JUST AS POWERFUL AS ENGINES,"
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56. ADVISED TERENCE.
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57. "OH, PLEASE!"
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58. "NOW EXCUSE ME,
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59. SIR TOPHAM HATT NEEDS ME
TO PULL THE EXPRESS."
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60. AND HE HUFFED AWAY.
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61. BUT JAMES WAS WRONG.
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62. "YOU MUST GO
TO THE YARDS
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63. "AND COLLECT AN IMPORTANT
GOODS TRAIN, JAMES.
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64. IT'S HEAVY,
SO BE CAREFUL,"
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65. SAID SIR TOPHAM HATT.
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66. "BUT, SIR,
I'VE JUST BEEN REPAINTED.
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67. "CAN'T THOMAS OR PERCY
DO IT?
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68. THEY'RE DIRTY AND LIKE
WORKING WITH FREIGHT CARS."
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69. "REALLY USEFUL ENGINES
DON'T ARGUE."
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70. SO JAMES DIDN'T.
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71. BY THE TIME
HE ARRIVED AT THE YARDS,
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72. THE WEATHER HAD CHANGED
FOR THE WORSE.
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73. "YOUR COLOR'S NICE, JAMES.
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74. PITY ABOUT
YOUR FACE THOUGH,"
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75. SAID A FREIGHT CAR.
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76. JAMES IGNORED THEM
AND SET OFF.
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77. SOON, THEY CAME TO A HILL
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78. AND HIS DRIVER KNEW
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79. THEY WERE IN FOR
A DIFFICULT TIME.
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80. AN OLD TREE,
CLOSE TO THE TRACK,
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81. WAS BEING BLOWN
BY THE STRONG WINDS
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82. AND THE RAIN
HAD WEAKENED THE SLOPE.
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83. ALL OF A SUDDEN,
THE TREE MOVED.
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84. "OHH! HELP!"
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85. CRIED JAMES.
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86. "GO AWAY!"
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87. BUT, OF COURSE,
THE TREE COULDN'T.
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88. JAMES TRIED TO REVERSE
AWAY FROM THE TREE,
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89. BUT HIS TRAIN
WAS TOO HEAVY.
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90. THEN HE HEARD A WHISTLE.
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91. "IT'S THOMAS,"
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92. CALLED HIS DRIVER.
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93. JAMES FELT EMBARRASSED
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94. AND WORRIED THAT
THOMAS WOULD LAUGH AT HIM,
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95. BUT THOMAS DIDN'T.
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96. HE KNEW THAT THIS WAS
NO TIME FOR TEASING.
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97. "BEEP-BEEP!
I'M READY,"
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98. WHISTLED THOMAS.
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99. "SO AM I."
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100. REPLIED JAMES.
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101. "AS READY
AS I'LL EVER BE."
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102. THEY WERE JUST IN TIME!
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103. LATER,
JAMES SPOKE TO THOMAS.
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104. "PERCY AND TERENCE
WERE SO RIGHT TO WARN ME.
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105. THANK YOU
FOR RESCUING ME, THOMAS."
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106. "OH, THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
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107. "WE ENGINES
MUST PULL TOGETHER...
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108. WHATEVER THE WEATHER!"
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109. JUST THEN,
EDWARD BUSTLED IN.
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110. "SIR TOPHAM HATT THINKS
YOU'RE BOTH BRAVE ENGINES.
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111. "THOMAS, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE
A NEW COAT OF PAINT.
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112. "AND, JAMES,
SIR TOPHAM HATT SAYS
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113. THAT TOMORROW YOU'LL PULL
THE SPECIAL EXPRESS."
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114. EVERYONE WAS VERY HAPPY.
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115. EARLY ONE MORNING,
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116. GORDON'S FIRE
WOULD NOT LIGHT.
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117. "I DON'T KNOW
WHAT'S WRONG,"
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118. SIGHED THE FIRELIGHTER.
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119. "THERE MUST BE
GREMLINS ABOUT!"
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120. "WHAT ARE GREMLINS?"
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121. ASKED PERCY.
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122. "I'VE HEARD THAT
THEY'RE LITTLE GREEN MEN
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123. WHO PLAY TRICKS,"
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124. REPLIED THOMAS.
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125. "CAN WE FIND ONE?"
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126. "PUH!"
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127. SAID JAMES,
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128. "GREMLINS DON'T EXIST.
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129. THEY'RE JUST AN EXCUSE
WHEN THINGS GO WRONG!"
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130. "IF FIRELIGHTER
SAYS THERE ARE GREMLINS,
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131. THERE ARE!"
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132. "HUH!"
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133. SNORTED JAMES.
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134. SIR TOPHAM HATT
HAD HEARD EVERYTHING.
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135. "SILENCE!"
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136. HE SAID.
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137. "I AM EXPECTING A V.I.P.,
A VERY IMPORTANT PERSON, TODAY.
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138. "SHE HAS HEARD THAT ALL
MY ENGINES ARE REALLY USEFUL.
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139. PLEASE PROVE IT."
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140. "YES, SIR,"
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141. THEY ALL SAID.
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142. "AS LONG AS
THE GREMLINS LET US."
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143. "WHAT GREMLINS?"
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144. "THE ONES
IN GORDON'S FIRE, SIR.
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145. "THAT'S WHY
HE'S NOT READY YET."
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146. "I'LL SEE
ABOUT THAT!"
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147. THUNDERED SIR TOPHAM HATT.
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148. AND HE DID.
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149. "GORDON, I EXPECT YOU TO BE
ON YOUR BEST BEHAVIOR TODAY.
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150. "YOU ARE TO PULL THE SPECIAL
COACH FOR MY SPECIAL VISITOR,
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151. "BUT NO HIGH SPEEDS, PLEASE,
SHE WON'T LIKE THAT."
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152. GORDON WAS PROUD AND PLEASED.
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153. HE WAS WAITING
FOR HIS SPECIAL COACH
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154. WHEN PERCY PUFFED IN
WITH SOME FREIGHT CARS.
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155. "WHAT'S THE MATTER,
GORDON?
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156. YOU'RE LATE."
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157. "DRIVER SAYS THERE'S GREMLINS
IN THE TURNTABLE!"
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158. REPLIED GORDON.
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159. "THEY MUST BE
EVERYWHERE!"
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160. SQUEAKED PERCY.
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161. AT LAST,
THE TURNTABLE WAS MENDED
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162. AND GORDON PUFFED AWAY
WITH THE SPECIAL COACH.
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163. HE WAS SOON WORKING HARD
TO MAKE UP FOR LOST TIME.
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164. AFTER HE ARRIVED
AT THE STATION,
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165. SIR TOPHAM HATT
BECAME CONCERNED.
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166. "WHERE'S THOMAS?"
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167. HE WONDERED.
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168. "HE'S SUPPOSED TO BE BRINGING
MY VISITOR FROM THE DOCKS."
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169. "HUH,"
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170. HUFFED GORDON,
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171. "THOMAS ISN'T REALLY USEFUL
IF HE'S LATE."
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172. BUT IT WASN'T LONG
BEFORE THOMAS ARRIVED.
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173. "I'M SORRY.
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174. "A COW
STRAYED ON THE LINE
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175. "AND WE HAD TO WAIT FOR
THE FARMER TO TAKE HER AWAY,
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176. BUT THE DRIVER SAYS YOUR
VISITOR IS HERE SAFE AND SOUND."
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177. "INDEED SHE IS,"
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178. SMILED SIR TOPHAM HATT.
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179. "HOW NICE TO SEE YOU."
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180. "Who is it?"
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181. WHISPERED PERCY.
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182. "I don't know,"
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183. REPLIED THOMAS,
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184. "but Sir Topham Hatt
is certainly keen to please her.
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185. He's arranged
a special party for her!"
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186. "SHE'S GOT A DOG
AS WELL,"
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187. SAID PERCY.
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188. "COME ON, THOMAS,"
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189. SAID THE DRIVER.
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190. "YOU NEED A DRINK."
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191. "PUH!"
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192. PUFFED GORDON,
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193. "THOMAS IS JUST
A LAZY LITTLE ENGINE.
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194. "SIR TOPHAM HATT IS EXPECTING ME
TO ARRIVE ON TIME.
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195. WE'RE LATE
BECAUSE OF THOMAS."
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196. GORDON'S DRIVER DECIDED
TO MAKE UP FOR LOST TIME.
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197. THEN THERE WAS TROUBLE.
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198. "I THINK
WE'D BETTER SLOW DOWN.
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199. "THIS IS AN OLD LINE.
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200. "IT COULD MAKE THINGS
UNCOMFORTABLE FOR THE V.I.P."
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201. AND IT DID.
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202. SHE WAS TAKING A BATH
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203. AND THE WATER WAS SLOPPING
ALL OVER THE PLACE.
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204. "OHHHH!"
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205. SHE CRIED.
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206. GORDON WAS VERY RELIEVED
TO REACH HIS FINAL DESTINATION,
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207. WHERE THOMAS WAS WAITING
TO COLLECT SIR TOPHAM HATT
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208. AND HIS SPECIAL VISITOR.
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209. HE BLEW
AN EXTRA LONG WHISTLE.
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210. THIS FRIGHTENED
THE VISITOR'S DOG SO MUCH
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211. THAT HE FLED
FROM THE STATION
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212. AND RAN INTO A FIELD
WHERE A BULL WAS GRAZING.
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213. THE BULL FRIGHTENED
THE LITTLE DOG EVEN MORE.
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214. HE RAN BACK AGAIN
ONTO THE PLATFORM
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215. AND OVER THE BRIDGE.
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216. HE DIDN'T STOP UNTIL HE JUMPED
STRAIGHT INTO THOMAS' CAB.
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217. BUT HE HAD A WONDERFUL RIDE
ALL THE WAY TO THE DOCKS.
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218. "WHAT'S THE DOG'S NAME?"
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219. ASKED THE FIREMAN.
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220. "WELL, AFTER TODAY'S EVENTS,
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221. "I THINK I'LL RENAME HIM
'GREMLIN.'"
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222. SIR TOPHAM HATT CHUCKLED.
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223. "IN THAT CASE,
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224. I'VE MET ONE AT LAST!
HA-HA!"
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225. "EXCUSE ME, SIR,
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226. BUT WHO IS
YOUR VERY IMPORTANT VISITOR?"
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227. "WHY, DIDN'T I TELL YOU?
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228. "THIS LADY IS MY MOTHER,
AND SHE AGREES WITH ME.
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229. "YOU ARE INDEED
REALLY USEFUL ENGINES,
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230. "AND MY MOTHER, OF COURSE,
IS ALWAYS RIGHT!
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231. "HA-HA-HA-HA!"
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