Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
Thomas was a tank engine who lived at a Big Station. He had six small wheels, a short stumpy funnel, a short stumpy boiler and a short stumpy dome.
He was a fussy little engine, always pulling coaches about. He pulled them to the station ready for the big engines to take out on long journeys; and when trains came in, and the people had got out, he would pull the empty coaches away, so that the big engines could go and rest.
He was a cheeky little engine, too. He thought no engine worked as hard as he did. So he used to play tricks on them. He liked best of all to come quietly beside a big engine dozing on a siding and make him jump.
"Peep, peep, peep, pip, peep! Wake up, lazybones!" he would whistle, "why don't you work hard like me?"
Then he would laugh rudely and run away to find some more coaches.
One day Gordon was resting on a siding. He was very tired. The Big Express he always pulled had been late, and he had had to run as fast as he could to make up for lost time.
He was just going to sleep when Thomas came up in his cheeky way.
"Wake up, lazybones," he whistled, "do some hard work for a change --- you can't catch me!" and he ran off laughing.
Instead of going to sleep again, Gordon thought how he could pay Thomas out.
One morning Thomas wouldn't wake up. His Driver and Fireman couldn't make him start. His fire went out and there was not enough steam.
It was nearly time for the Express. The people were waiting, but the coaches weren't ready.
At last Thomas started. "Oh, dear! Oh, dear!" he yawned.
"Come on," said the coaches. "Hurry up." Thomas gave them a rude bump, and started for the station.
"Don't stop dawdling, don't stop dawdling," he grumbled.
"Where have you been? Where have you been?" asked the coaches crossly.
Thomas fussed into the station where Gordon was waiting.
"Poop, poop, poop. Hurry up, you," said Gordon crossly.
"Peep, pip, peep. Hurry yourself," said cheeky Thomas.
"Yes," said Gordon, "I will," and almost before the coaches had stopped moving Gordon came out of his siding and was coupled to the train.
"Poop, poop," he whistled. "Get in quickly, please." So the people got in quickly, the signal went down, the clock struck the hour, the Guard waved his green flag and Gordon was ready to start.
Thomas usually pushed behind the big trains to help them start. But he was always uncoupled first, so that when the train was running nicely he could stop and go back.
This time he was late, and Gordon started so quickly that they forgot to uncouple Thomas.
"Poop, poop," said Gordon.
"Peep, peep, peep," whistled Thomas.
"Come on! Come on!" puffed Gordon to the coaches.
"Pull harder! Pull harder!" puffed Thomas to Gordon.
The heavy train slowly began to move out of the station.
The train went faster and faster; too fast for Thomas. He wanted to stop but he couldn't.
"Peep! peep! stop! stop!" he whistled.
"Hurry, hurry, hurry," laughed Gordon in front.
"You can't get away. You can't get away," laughed the coaches.
Poor Thomas was going faster than he had ever gone before. He was out of breath, and his wheels hurt him, but he had to go on.
"I shall never be the same again," he thought sadly, "my wheels will be quite worn out."
At last they stopped at a station. Everyone laughed to see Thomas puffing and panting behind.
They uncoupled him, put him on to a turntable, and then he ran on a siding out of the way.
"Well, little Thomas," chuckled Gordon as he passed, "now you know what hard work means, don't you?"
Poor Thomas couldn't answer, he had no breath. He just puffed slowly away to rest, and had a long, long drink.
He went home very slowly, and was careful afterwards never to be cheeky to Gordon again.
Thomas was a tank engine who lived at a Big Station. He had six small wheels, a short stumpy funnel, a short stumpy boiler and a short stumpy dome.
He was a fussy little engine, always pulling coaches about. He pulled them to the station ready for the big engines to take out on long journeys; and when trains came in, and the people had got out, he would pull the empty coaches away, so that the big engines could go and rest.
He was a cheeky little engine, too. He thought no engine worked as hard as he did. So he used to play tricks on them. He liked best of all to come quietly beside a big engine dozing on a siding and make him jump.
"Peep, peep, peep, pip, peep! Wake up, lazybones!" he would whistle, "why don't you work hard like me?"
Then he would laugh rudely and run away to find some more coaches.
One day Gordon was resting on a siding. He was very tired. The Big Express he always pulled had been late, and he had had to run as fast as he could to make up for lost time.
He was just going to sleep when Thomas came up in his cheeky way.
"Wake up, lazybones," he whistled, "do some hard work for a change --- you can't catch me!" and he ran off laughing.
Instead of going to sleep again, Gordon thought how he could pay Thomas out.
One morning Thomas wouldn't wake up. His Driver and Fireman couldn't make him start. His fire went out and there was not enough steam.
It was nearly time for the Express. The people were waiting, but the coaches weren't ready.
At last Thomas started. "Oh, dear! Oh, dear!" he yawned.
"Come on," said the coaches. "Hurry up." Thomas gave them a rude bump, and started for the station.
"Don't stop dawdling, don't stop dawdling," he grumbled.
"Where have you been? Where have you been?" asked the coaches crossly.
Thomas fussed into the station where Gordon was waiting.
"Poop, poop, poop. Hurry up, you," said Gordon crossly.
"Peep, pip, peep. Hurry yourself," said cheeky Thomas.
"Yes," said Gordon, "I will," and almost before the coaches had stopped moving Gordon came out of his siding and was coupled to the train.
"Poop, poop," he whistled. "Get in quickly, please." So the people got in quickly, the signal went down, the clock struck the hour, the Guard waved his green flag and Gordon was ready to start.
Thomas usually pushed behind the big trains to help them start. But he was always uncoupled first, so that when the train was running nicely he could stop and go back.
This time he was late, and Gordon started so quickly that they forgot to uncouple Thomas.
"Poop, poop," said Gordon.
"Peep, peep, peep," whistled Thomas.
"Come on! Come on!" puffed Gordon to the coaches.
"Pull harder! Pull harder!" puffed Thomas to Gordon.
The heavy train slowly began to move out of the station.
The train went faster and faster; too fast for Thomas. He wanted to stop but he couldn't.
"Peep! peep! stop! stop!" he whistled.
"Hurry, hurry, hurry," laughed Gordon in front.
"You can't get away. You can't get away," laughed the coaches.
Poor Thomas was going faster than he had ever gone before. He was out of breath, and his wheels hurt him, but he had to go on.
"I shall never be the same again," he thought sadly, "my wheels will be quite worn out."
At last they stopped at a station. Everyone laughed to see Thomas puffing and panting behind.
They uncoupled him, put him on to a turntable, and then he ran on a siding out of the way.
"Well, little Thomas," chuckled Gordon as he passed, "now you know what hard work means, don't you?"
Poor Thomas couldn't answer, he had no breath. He just puffed slowly away to rest, and had a long, long drink.
He went home very slowly, and was careful afterwards never to be cheeky to Gordon again.
