Whistles and Sneezes

**Whistles and Sneezes** is the twenty-second episode of the first season. It is based on the stories Gordon's Whistle and Henry's Sneeze from the sixth Railway Series book, Henry the Green Engine.

## Plot

Henry has recently returned from Crewe after his accident. Gordon is jealous that Henry now gets to pull the express and complains that he did not need a new shape and left them all of his work as well as their own. He also claims that Henry whistles too loudly at stations, saying "It isn't wrong, but we just don't do it." Henry is upset by this remark, but Percy tells him he is glad that he is back and likes his whistling.

Later, when Henry arrives at Wellsworth, Edward tells him that he was glad to hear his whistle, cheering Henry up. Suddenly, to the engines' confusion, the sound of a high-pitched, droning whistle can be heard in the distance. It turns out to be Gordon, whose whistle is jammed. He flies down the hill, but he did not look at Edward or Henry. He thunders through the station and vanished. Edward is surprised, while Henry tells him what Gordon had said about whistling.

Gordon speeds down the line, the awful noise from his whistle continuing even when he reaches the last station making everyone, even the Fat Director, cover their ears. He leaves the express behind and is taken to some fitters who hammer his whistle valve back into place, which causes the noise to finally stop, at last, there was silence. That night, Gordon finds the sheds empty to his relief. As the other engines arrive back, Henry softly says to no one in particular, "It isn't wrong, but we just don't do it", and says nothing about whistles.

The next day, Henry takes a passenger train feeling as well as ever and soon approaches a bridge where three boys are waiting. Henry whistles in greeting, but suddenly feels pain as the boys do not answer but instead throw stones on him and his train, breaking the coaches’ windows.

While unhurt, the passengers are furious. They want to call the police, but are interrupted by Henry's driver who has a plan to get their own back. After getting everyone to promise to keep the plan a secret, the driver tells them. The plan is to have Henry sneeze and release the ashes that are built up in his smoke box. The passengers are excited and on the way back from the other end of the line, the driver makes sure everyone is ready and warns them to keep their windows shut until the train has passed the bridge because Henry is about to sneeze. Although the driver says that Henry is as excited as everyone else, Henry feels too stuffed up to answer.

Soon Henry approaches the bridge where the boys are waiting with more stones. Judging the moment, the driver has Henry sneeze at exactly the right time, covering the boys from head to toe in soot. Henry goes home satisfied, knowing that thanks to a whistle and a sneeze, he has taught both Gordon and the boys a lesson they will not soon forget.

## Characters

* Edward
* Henry
* Gordon
* Percy
* The Fat Director
* Green Express Coaches
* Thomas *(cameo)*
* James *(cameo)*
* Eagle *(cameo)*

## Locations

* Island of Sodor
	+ Tidmouth Sheds
		- The Works
	+ Wellsworth
	+ Gordon's Hill
	+ Knapford
	+ Rail Under Road Bridge and Signalbox
	+ Lower Tidmouth
* The Mainland *(mentioned)*
	+ Crewe *(mentioned)*

## Trivia

* The events from the previous episode are mentioned.
* This episode marks the first appearance of Lower Tidmouth in the series.

## References to Other Stories

* Gordon says to Henry that he goes gallivanting off to Crewe after his accident and comes back in a new shape leaving all of the engines to do his work as well as his own.