Percy's Oil Spill

**Percy's Oil Spill** is the second episode of the first season.

## Plot

In the harvest time, the air is filled with fresh fruit and vegetables. But one day, there was rain pouring down on the Island of Sodor, Percy was taking trucks full of fruit to market, but up ahead, he saw a flood on the track.

"Oh no!" cried Percy, his driver applied the brakes, but it was too late. Percy was from wheel to buffer in the flood. It wasn't long before Thomas came to pull him out.

"Are you alright Percy?" he asked his friend.

"I'm fine Thomas," replied Percy, "just a little accident, that's all."

"Well glad to hear that it's not too serious," puffed Thomas, "let's get you out of here," and Thomas hauled Percy out of the puddle. "There you are Percy, feeling warmer now?"

"Yes indeed Thomas," peeped Percy. "Thanks for saving me, you're a good best friend."

"Happy to help, Percy," chuffed Thomas. "Got to go now. Sorry Percy, but I'll see you later!" and Thomas puffed away. Percy's wheels were wet after he had rolled right into the flood, but he continued on his way.

After Percy had delivered the fruit to market, he went to the quarry to help Mavis. As he arrived, Percy could see that Mavis was in serious need of help.

"Thank goodness you could get here Percy," she said, "all these trucks are tiring me out."

"Not to worry Mavis," puffed Percy and the two soon got to work. But Percy wasn't having such a great time, the trucks were up to no good.

"I'm bored," grumbled a truck.

"Me too," said another.

"Let's play a trick on Percy," another suggested.

"Good idea!" agreed the other trucks, and they whispered the plan amongst themselves. Percy shunted the trucks under the hopper in which their plan was being discussed.

"Wait for Percy to shunt us under the hopper," said the first truck.

"Yes sir!" declared the others.

"Shhh, quiet!" hissed the truck.

Percy hadn't heard the trucks, but as he shunted them under the hopper… "On! On! On! Forward we go! Hahaha!" Percy felt a jerk between his buffers and he was now right under the hopper. Stone poured out all over him.

"What was that for?" asked Percy crossly, but the trucks didn't reply.

"Oh dear Percy," exclaimed Mavis, "got in a bit of an accident there?"

"Yes Mavis," muttered Percy too quiet to be heard.

Percy was soon cleaned up and when work at the quarry was done, the Fat Controller sent him to work at the Coaling Plant. Percy arrived at the yard and was coupled up to some coal trucks, then he chuffed away. It was no longer raining and the sun was out, but there were still some parts of the track flooded.

Percy arrived at the coaling plant and shunted his trucks under the hopper. "Good, now that's done." he thought to himself.

But the Troublesome Trucks were up to no good.

"Let's go forward." whispered one truck.

"Yeah, so Percy can get covered in coal," whispered another.

And the trucks shot forward dragging Percy along. "Woah!" he gasped, coal poured out of the hopper and it went all over Percy. "Silly trucks!" he spluttered. The trucks giggled, but Percy bumped them hard.

"Ow! That hurt!" cried one truck.

"That's what you get for making me get covered in coal!" Percy snapped. But the trucks still giggled.

"Come on Percy," said his driver, "it's about time we had a rest, I think."

"About time!" grumbled Percy and he fumed away.

Later, Percy was sent to take some oil tankers to the depot. "Let's get going fast Percy," recommended his driver, "we don't want any diesel engines to start breaking down, do we?"

"Absolutely not!" agreed Percy. He arrived at Ffarquhar and was coupled up to a train of oil tankers. Nearby, he saw Harold who was on medical duties.

"Oh, hello Percy!" called the helicopter. "Can't stop to talk, I'm on medical duties."

"Okay Harold," muttered Percy who was obviously uninterested. Harold flew away, but his blades blew some dust which covered Percy from boiler to fender. "Are you being serious!" fumed the saddletank. "Now I'm covered in dust, what next? Chocolate?!"

"We can't wait here any longer Percy," reminded his driver, "we have work to do."

"More dirty work," grumbled Percy and he puffed crossly away. Percy's mood brightened up eventually as he chuffed through the countryside. He saw lots of puddles around him. "Wow! The rain has made a lot of mess recently, hasn't it?" Percy exclaimed.

"It sure has," agreed his driver, "but we mustn't give up here."

Percy was staring at the rails, checking if everything was all clear up ahead. All of a sudden, he drove right over a puddle, which resulted in his front being covered in rainy water.

"Woah! Where did that rain come from?" gasped Percy who was now very confused. But then there was trouble, there was an even bigger deeper puddle on the track up ahead. "Oh no!" Percy cried and his driver applied the brakes, but it was too late. Percy had fallen right into the big puddle which went up to his face, the tankers were leaking and there was oil all over the track. There was also oil covered all over Percy, he felt very bad about himself. "Oh no," he groaned, "there's oil all over me and my wheels are soaking wet. Oh, what will the Fat Controller say?"

He was soon to find out. "Percy," said the Fat Controller. "What a mess!"

"I'm sorry sir," muttered Percy shamefully. "I didn't know what was to come sir."

"I'm not blaming you entirely Percy," soothed the Fat Controller, "but you're very late with delivering those tankers. If I were you, I'd suggest you take another route which is dry."

"Yes sir, I'll promise I will do next time." replied Percy.

"Now the oil tankers are leaking and there's oil everywhere, even on you Percy," sighed the Fat Controller, "and this'll mean something not good as it seems."

"What would that be sir?" asked Percy.

The Fat Controller coughed and spoke up. "Well, none of the diesel engines on my railway will be working."

"Oh, of course not, well not now," Percy was sad he'd let everyone down, but an idea quickly flew into his funnel. "Yes they will sir!" he exclaimed.

The Fat Controller was surprised. "Really, then how?" Percy told the Fat Controller of his plan. The Fat Controller thought for a second and smiled at his engine. "Very well Percy," he said. "After you're out of this flood, you must take the oil to the depot quickly as you're already late."

"Yes sir!" replied Percy hesitantly.

"And after you've delivered your oil tankers to the depot. You can go to the washdown to get cleaned." announced the Fat Controller.

"Yes sir, thank you sir!" peeped Percy happily, he was so glad that he could finally get a wash.

After Percy was out of the flood and the mess was cleaned up, the tankers were covered up with tape and Percy raced off to the yards to collect more oil. The tankers were soon repaired and refilled, and Percy quickly set off. "Mustn't be late! Mustn't be late!" he panted.

At last, Percy arrived at the depot, but he was more late than usual and it was already dusk. The coaling plant manager was cross.

"Percy, you should have been here two hours ago," he scolded, "and you're very late indeed!"

"I'm sorry sir," apologised Percy, "but there was a flood on the track and I got stuck in it."

"And why have you got oil all over you?" asked the manager sternly.

Percy gulped. "Well, you see sir, there was a massive flood on the track and I drove right into it, plus the oil in the tankers had leaked everywhere and oil splattered all over me."

"Oh, I see," said the manager under his breath. "Well, I'll let you off for this one Percy, I understand the rain

"That's good," commented the manager. "Anyway, let's unload these oil barrels… and fast." So as the workers unloaded the oil barrels, Percy puffed away to the washdown.

That night, when Percy came back to Tidmouth Sheds after having his washdown, it was very late indeed.

"Percy!" exclaimed Thomas. "Where have you been?"

Percy sighed, not really wanting to tell Thomas his story. "Busy day I suppose," he said, "I had lots of jobs to do today. First I was taking fruit to the market. Secondly I was helping Mavis at the quarry. Then I was taking empty coal trucks to the coaling plant and then I was sent to take oil tankers to the depot, but I ran into a flood and the oil leaked everywhere, even on me. And as a result, I was very late taking the oil tankers to the depot."

"Oh my," said Thomas in surprise, but Gordon and James just laughed.

"Silly Percy!" laughed James.

"Yes indeed," huffed Gordon. "A silly little tank engine getting covered in oil is so funny to hear!" and the two engines continued laughing and began shouting remarks at Percy, just as he whistle blew loudly. The two big engines paused and became silent.

"I may just be a little tank engine, but I'm still useful no matter what." Percy protested.

"Percy's right," scolded Thomas. "Just because we're small little tank engines that doesn't mean we're silly and we can't do things right. Apologise to Percy now!"

Gordon and James still didn't care, but they apologised anyway. "Sorry Percy for laughing at you because you fell into a flood." said James swiftly.

"Yes, I'm sorry too," snickered Gordon. "Also for laughing at you because you fell into a flood and you got oil all you." But the two engines burst into laughter again.

Thomas blew his whistle aloud. "You didn't even do it properly," he exclaimed, "do it properly or else…"

"Or else what?" scoffed Gordon.

"Uh… I'll tell the Fat Controller." Thomas threatened.

"Okay fine, we'll do it properly," snorted James, "right; I'm sorry Percy for laughing at you, and teasing you to add onto that."

"What he said," murmured Gordon, but he just got a glare from Thomas. "What? I did it properly, how else do you want me to say it?"

"Apologise to Percy, don't just say 'what he said'."

"Don't taunt me like that Thomas," huffed Gordon. "Okay I'm sorry Percy for laughing at you and making fun of you. How about that little Thomas?"

"Fine," was all Thomas replied. "So you won't tease Percy in future?"

"Just stop treating us like immature children please!" begged Gordon. "We said our sorry, and no we won't, for your sake!"

"Good to hear," said Thomas, chuckling a little.

"Thanks for the backup Thomas," smiled Percy, "you are a good best friend."

"Don't mention it Percy," laughed Thomas, "just protecting a friend in need."

Percy still felt a little embarrassed of what happened that day, but he himself thought it was a little funny too.

## Characters

* Thomas
* Gordon
* James
* Percy
* Mavis
* Harold
* The Fat Controller
* Edward (*cameo*)
* Henry (*cameo*)
* Toby (*cameo*)
* Duck (*cameo*)
* Donald (*cameo*)
* Diesel (*cameo*)
* Sidney (*cameo*)
* Winston (*cameo*)
* Stafford (*cameo*)
* Annie and Clarabel (*cameo*)
* Henrietta (*cameo*)
* Terence (*cameo*)
* Farmer Trotter (*cameo*)

## Locations

* Sodor Hay Company
* The Windmill
* Farmer Trotter's Field
* Anopha Quarry
* Knapford Yards
* The Coaling Plant
* Ffarquhar
* Ffarquhar Sheds
* The Fuel Depot
* Tidmouth Sheds
* The Market (*mentioned*)
* The Washdown (*mentioned*)

## Trivia

* This episode is similar to the sixth season television episode *Percy's Chocolate Crunch*. A reference to said episode is also made.
* Canonically, this episode marks Terence's first appearance since the 2008 television special *The Great Discovery* and his first appearance in an episode since the seventh season television episode *Not So Hasty Puddings*.
* This episode marks Mavis' only speaking role in the first season of *The Adventures on Sodor*.