Little Engines Can Do Big Things (Thomas and Friends) Read online

  Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends™

  Based on The Railway Series by The Reverend W Awdry.

  © 2000 Gullane (Thomas) LLC. Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends and Thomas & Friends are trademarks of Gullane (Thomas) Limited.

  HIT and the HIT Entertainment logo are trademarks of HIT Entertainment Limited.

  All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc., New York, and in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto.

  Pictureback and Random House and colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

  www.randomhouse.com/kids/thomas

  www.thomasandfriends.com

  Library of Congress Control Number: 00-100736

  eISBN: 978-0-375-98396-2

  v3.1

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  First Page

  Other Thomas & Friends e-books

  Things were very busy on the Island of Sodor. Sir Topham Hatt was away on vacation, and all the engines were doing their best to be Really Useful.

  But Thomas the Tank Engine did not feel useful at all.

  James teased Thomas for bumping into the buffers.

  Gordon scolded Thomas for being late.

  They made Thomas feel unimportant.

  “Important is big,” Gordon told Thomas. “And we are big engines. You are small.”

  “Bossy sprockets!” grumbled Thomas. “I’ll show them.”

  “Little engines can do big things,” Thomas said to himself. “Especially when they have nice blue paint like me.”

  But just then Harold the Helicopter flew by, making a cloud of dust. Thomas’ nice blue paint got all dirty.

  Two nasty diesels made fun of Thomas.

  “Let’s start laughing now!” they said. And they did.

  Thomas was determined to prove that little engines could be Really Useful, too. That night, Thomas was right on time doing his mail route.

  He even comforted Percy, who felt bad for being late.

  The next morning, Thomas saw Henry looking glum.

  “Morning, Henry,” peeped Thomas. “What’s the matter?”

  “I’ve got boiler ache,” Henry told him.

  Thomas offered to fetch some special coal for Henry.

  “Thank you, Thomas,” said Henry. “Special coal will make me feel much better.”

  Thomas smiled and puffed away, feeling Really Useful indeed.

  Near a set of old buffers, Thomas set to work collecting the coal cars. But the last car was not coupled properly.

  Thomas didn’t notice the coal car sliding quietly backward. He didn’t notice it mysteriously disappearing through the old buffers. It wasn’t until later that Thomas realized the coal car was missing.

  “I was up near the buffers when the last coal car disappeared,” Thomas told Percy.

  Percy got very excited. “Maybe those buffers are the entrance to the Magic Railroad!” he cried.

  The engines had heard the legend of the Magic Railroad and of the beautiful golden engine called Lady, who gave the railroad its magic power. Lady had disappeared long ago, and the Magic Railroad had disappeared with her.

  “Percy, you are clever!” Thomas exclaimed, and hurried away.

  Thomas steamed back to the old buffers. He knew that bringing Lady back would be Really Useful. But he was nervous, too.

  “What if I go on the Magic Railroad and my wheels don’t work?” thought Thomas. “What if it’s dark?”

  But Thomas kept going.

  He reached the old buffers … and passed right through!

  The Magic Railroad was dark and scary, but it was also beautiful. Thomas found the missing coal car. With the car coupled properly, he continued along the Magic Railroad.

  Thomas passed through another set of buffers and into a world he had never seen before. This was the other end of the Magic Railroad and the home of Lady the Golden Engine.

  Lady had not run in many years. But with the help of the special coal from the Island of Sodor, she was soon steaming again.

  As Lady moved along, her lovely, happy face was revealed once more. The rails became clear and golden, and beautiful shavings fell behind her and gathered between the tracks.

  The Magic Railroad was coming back to life!

  Thomas followed Lady back through the buffers.

  With a roar, the two little engines burst onto the Island of Sodor.

  “Hooray for Thomas!” the engines cheered.

  Lady was back, and the Magic Railroad would run once again.

  “You see?” said Thomas. “Little engines can do big things.”

  Christmas in Wellsworth

  Lost at Sea!

  Misty Island Rescue

  Thomas and the Treasure

  Thomas Breaks a Promise

  Thomas-saurus Rex

  Trouble in the Tunnel*

  *A STEP INTO READING® leveled reader

 

 

  Rev. W. Awdry, Little Engines Can Do Big Things (Thomas and Friends)

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