This article is a transcript of the Thomas and Friends episode known as “Edward and Gordon” in the UK and “Edward Helps Out” in the US as a part of Series 1. Both versions were released respectively on October 9, 1984 (UK) and January 29, 1989 (US).
UK Version[]
One day, Edward was in the sheds where he lived with the other engines. They were all bigger than Edward and boasted about it. “The driver won’t choose you again,” said Gordon. “He wants strong engines like us.” But the driver and fireman felt sorry for Edward. “Would you like to come out today?” “Oh, yes please,” said Edward. So they lit his fire, made lots of steam and Edward puffed away. The other engines were very cross at being left behind.
Edward worked hard all day. The coaches thought he was very kind and the driver was very pleased. “I’m going out again tomorrow,” Edward told the other engines that night. “What do you think of that?” But he didn’t hear what they thought but he was so tired and happy that he fell asleep at once.
Next morning, Edward woke up to find nothing had changed. Gordon was still boasting. “You watch me, little Edward, as I rush through with the express. That will be a splendid sight for you. Goodbye, little Edward. Look out for me this afternoon.” Edward went off to do some shunting. Edward likes shunting. It was fun playing with trucks. He would come up quietly and give them a push, then he would stop and the silly trucks would go bump into each other. “Huh?” They cried. “Whatever is happening?” Edward played ‘til there were no more trucks, then he stopped to rest.
Presently, he heard a whistle. Gordon was very cross. Instead of nice, shining coaches, he was pulling a lot of very dirty trucks. “A goods train, a goods train, a goods train,” he grumbled. “The shame of it, the shame of it, oh, the shame of it.” Edward laughed and went to find some more trucks. Then there was trouble. “Gordon can’t get up the hill,” the porter called to Edward’s driver. “Will you take Edward and push him, please?”
They found Gordon halfway up and very cross. His driver and fireman were talking to him severely. “You’re not trying.” “I can’t do it,” said Gordon. “The noisy trucks hold an engine back so.” Edward’s driver came up. “We’ve come to push.” “No use at all,” said Gordon. “You wait and see,” replied Edward’s driver. They brought the train back to the bottom of the hill. “I’m ready,” said Edward. “No good,” grumbled Gordon. They pulled and pushed as hard as they could. “I can’t do it, I can’t do it, I can’t do it,” puffed Gordon. “I will do it, I will do it, I will do it,” puffed Edward.
Edward pushed and puffed and puffed and pushed as hard as ever he could, and almost before he realized it, Gordon found himself at the top of the hill. “I’ve done it, I’ve done it, I’ve done it,” he said proudly. He forgot all about Edward and didn’t wait to say “thank you.” Edward was left out of breath and far behind. He ran on to the next station and there he found that the driver and fireman were very pleased with him. The fireman gave him a nice, long drink and the driver said, “I’ll get out my paint tomorrow and give you a beautiful coat of blue with red stripes, then you will be the smartest engine in the shed.”
US Version[]
One day, Edward was in the sheds where he lived with the other engines. They were all bigger than Edward and boasted about it. “The driver won’t choose you again,” said Gordon. “He wants strong engines like us.” But the driver and fireman felt sorry for Edward. “Would you like to come out today?” “Oh, yes please,” said Edward. So they lit his fire, made lots of steam and Edward puffed away. The other engines were very cross at being left behind.
Edward worked hard all day. The coaches thought he was very kind and the driver was very pleased. “I’m going out again tomorrow,” Edward told the other engines that night. “What do you think of that?” But he didn’t hear what they thought for he was so tired and happy that he fell asleep at once.
Next morning, Edward woke up to find nothing had changed. Gordon was still boasting. “You watch me, little Edward, as I rush through with the express. That will be a splendid sight for you. Goodbye, little Edward. Look out for me this afternoon.” Edward went off to do some shunting. Edward likes shunting. It was fun playing with freight cars. He would come up quietly and give them a push, then he would stop and the silly freight cars would go bump into each other. “Huh?” They cried. “Whatever is happening?” Edward played ‘til there were no more freight cars, then he stopped to rest.
Presently, he heard a whistle. Gordon was very cross. Instead of nice, shining coaches, he was pulling a dirty freight train. “A freight train, a freight train, a freight train,” he grumbled. “The shame of it, the shame of it, oh, the shame of it.” Edward laughed and went to find some more freight cars. Then there was trouble. “Gordon can’t get up the hill,” the porter called to Edward’s driver. “Will you take Edward and push him, please?”
They found Gordon halfway up and very cross. His driver and fireman were talking to him severely. “You’re not trying.” “I can’t do it,” said Gordon. “The noisy freight cars hold an engine back so.” Edward’s driver came up. “We’ve come to push.” “No use at all,” said Gordon. “You wait and see,” replied Edward’s driver. They brought the train back to the bottom of the hill. “I’m ready,” said Edward. “No good,” grumbled Gordon. They pulled and pushed as hard as they could. “I can’t do it, I can’t do it, I can’t do it,” puffed Gordon. “I will do it, I will do it, I will do it,” puffed Edward.
Edward pushed and puffed and puffed and pushed as hard as ever he could, and almost before he realized it, Gordon found himself at the top of the hill. “I’ve done it, I’ve done it, I’ve done it,” he said proudly. He forgot all about kind Edward and didn’t say “thank you.” Edward was left out of breath and far behind, but he was happy because he had been so helpful. At the next station, he found that the driver and fireman were very pleased with him. The fireman gave him a nice, long drink and the driver said, “I’ll get out my paint tomorrow and give you a beautiful coat of blue with red stripes, then you’ll be the smartest engine in the shed.”
