FanFic:Thomas The Trackmaster Adventures Episode 56: Oliver Gets the Bird

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Next Episode: Episode 57

Episode 56: Oliver Gets the Bird

Oliver’s guard is cross when he starts without him blowing the whistle. Oliver is surprised because he thinks he heard the whistle. It turns out it was Cocky the parrot! He has learned to copy the sound of the guard’s whistle.

Characters:

• Duck
• Donald and Douglas
• Oliver
• Percy (sing-along segment only)
• Emily (sing-along segment only)
• Gordon (cameo)
• Skarloey (cameo)
• Dilly (mentioned)

Transcript

Main Story

Narrator: Duck and Oliver's branchline runs from Knapford, along the coast where a small railway has it's terminus. One day while he was waiting there, Oliver noticed a cage hanging outside the stationmaster's house. In it fluttered an unusually brightly colored creature.

Oliver: It's blue and green with red stripes. It's got a yellow pointed nose, and a sort of thing on top. They say that it talks.

Duck: Talks? Why don't you ask for it to come it's cage, then?

Oliver's driver: It's a parrot. Some parrots can talk, you know. He belongs to the stationmaster's father. The old man was a sailor, and brought him back from foreign parts.

Douglas: Och, it's probably some ol' cock-and-bull story Ollie's makin' uup.

Oliver: I think it does talk, but I'm not sure.

Narrator: The parrot's name was Cocky. He was only outside on fine days, of course, but he quickly became a favorite with the station men. Duck and Oliver listened carefully whenever they could, but they never heard him speak. One night, Oliver had been teasing Duck about Dilly, Donald's duck, and he was cross.

Duck: I don't believe it. All it does is shriek and flap about. Dilly doesn't talk, but at least she's friendly.

Donald: Aye, and she's a good friend of mine.

Narrator: One day, Oliver was waiting for the last train on the small railway. Skarloey was late, because of sheep blocking the track, and when he arrived, the passengers got quickly into Oliver's train. A guard's whistle sounded. Oliver's driver looked back, but the platform was empty, save for Cocky in his cage.

Oliver's driver: They're all in. Come on, Oliver, let's try and make up some of the lost time.

Oliver: I don't think the guard was outside of his van, maybe it was something else.

Narrator: They had a good run, but when they reached Knapford, the guard came up.

Guard: {angrily} What are you up to, Oliver? Next time, wait for my whistle! You might have caused an accident!

Oliver: {puzzled} I'm sorry, Mr. Guard, but there was a whistle.

Oliver's driver: That's right! We all heard it.

Guard: But I was in my van, stacking some boxes. It must have been a naughty boy or something.

{pause}

Oliver's fireman: {grinning} Cocky! He must have learned to copy the sound of your whistle.

{Later that night...}

Duck: Well, well. Fancy being fooled by a bird, eh, Oliver? I reckon that makes us quits, don't you?

Oliver: I think so. I didn't mean to make fun of Dilly, Donald.

Donald: Och it's all right, Ollie. I know ye like to joke aroond.

Douglas: Though I dinna know if the story is true, and may be a cock-and-bull story.

{All four engines suddenly laugh for no apparent reason.}

Sing-a-Long Segment

{Cut to Percy and Emily at Tidmouth Sheds}

Percy: Now, everyone ready for the sing-along? This is the part of the show in which all you people at home join in and sing along with us. Now this first song starts off with a real bang!

Emily: Hold everything, Percy! Did I just hear you say this song starts off with a bang?

Percy: My very words.

Emily: Well if you really expect the people at home to join in, you first ought to put them in the right mood.

Percy: The right mood?

Emily: Certainly! You got to create the proper atmosphere! Here, I'll show you!

{Emily quickly assembles a tent, a cannon, and dresses herself as a soldier, and blows on the trumpet.}

Emily: Well, what do you think?

Percy: I think you've flipped your blinking smokebox!

Emily: Well you said this next song starts off with a... {tries to stop the cannon from firing, but cannon shoots out a flag saying "BANG!"} ...bang! {laughs}

{BANG! The cannon explodes, and Percy and Emily are black as soot.}

Emily: You sure you wouldn't rather do smoke gets into your eyes? {laughs again}

Percy: Sing people...

The Beatles:
In Penny Lane there is a barber showing photographs
Of every head he's had the pleasure to know
And all the people that come and go
Stop and say hello

On the corner is a banker with a motorcar
The little children laugh at him behind his back
And the banker never wears a mac
In the pouring rain...
Very strange

Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes
There beneath the blue suburban skies
I sit, and meanwhile back

In Penny Lane there is a fireman with an hourglass
And in his pocket is a portrait of the Queen.
He likes to keep his fire engine clean
It's a clean machine

In Penny Lane the barber shaves another customer
We see the banker sitting waiting for a trim
Then the fireman rushes in
From the pouring rain...
Very strange

Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes
There beneath the blue suburban skies
I sit, and meanwhile back
Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes
There beneath the blue suburban skies...
Penny Lane.

{Cut back to Percy at Tidmouth Sheds.}

Percy: Well, that was pretty good, but I expect you to do even better on this next number. Just stand right up and shout out the lyrics. Are you ready?

Emily: Hold it Percy! Ain't you forgetting something?

Percy: Forgetting something?

Emily: The setting! I keep telling you got to put the audience in the proper mood first!

Percy: For the last time I listened to your suggestion, we were nearly blown to smitheroons!

Emily: So, now you're exaggerating! Smithereens is a good ten miles from here. What do you say: give us one more chance?

Percy: Well, all right. This next song is one that really takes off.

Emily: Take-off you say, I think I just got the right thing! {quickly assembles a biplane} Contact!

{Emily flies into the sky, and crashes into Tidmouth Sheds wall, creating a hole.}

Emily: Well, what do you think? {laughs}

Percy: Let's save it for when we do: "The flighter the bumblebrain!" Sing, children.

The Beatles:
Ah, look at all the lonely people

Eleanor Rigby picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been
Lives in a dream
Waits at the window, wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door
Who is it for?

All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?

Father McKenzie writing the words of a sermon that no one will hear
No one comes near.
Look at him working, darning his socks in the night when there's nobody there
What does he care?

All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?

Ah, look at all the lonely people
Ah, look at all the lonely people

Eleanor Rigby died in the church and was buried along with her name
Nobody came
Father McKenzie wiping the dirt from his hands as he walks from the grave
No one was saved

All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?

THE END

Fun Facts

• Oliver mentions point-ed. This is a Homestar Runner reference.
• Sing-a-Longs: Penny Lane by The Beatles; Eleanor Rigby by The Beatles
• The sing-a-longs were reused from episode 50.
• Including reused sing-alongs, this is the last episode to feature sing-along segments.