Percy and the Magic Carpet

"Do you know a magic word?" "You mean like "please"?"

- Salty and Percy

Percy and the Magic Carpet is the twenty-sixth episode of the eighth season.

Plot
It is a very windy day and preparations are underway for the opening of the flower show at Maithwaite. The Fat Controller announces that a special must be taken their before Alicia Botti opens the show and chooses Percy to take it, much to the annoyance of Gordon and James.

Percy arrives at Brendam Docks with a flatbed, only to discover that his special is just a roll of red carpet. Salty tells Percy that it might be magic, as he had heard tales of carpets that can fly. Salty goes on to talk about magic words: "Hey Presto", "Hocus Pocus", and "Abracadabra". Percy is in doubt, but once he moves, the carpet unrolls itself just like magic.

Stopping at a signal, Percy sees Gordon, who is not surprised that Percy was told to collect a carpet as he is just a small engine. Suddenly, the wind lifts up underneath the carpet, taking it into the air. Percy is now convinced that it is a magic carpet, but Gordon knows that it is just the wind and he departs to collect a coach for Alicia Botti. Then Murdoch passes Percy and the red carpet lands onto a flatbed in Murdoch's train. Percy gives chase to Murdoch, calling for him to wait. But Murdoch is too far ahead to hear Percy and carries on through Maron station. Percy, speeding through Maron, tells James that Murdoch has his magic carpet, but James tells him that magic carpets do not exist.

Soon the wind takes the carpet off of Murdoch's train and onto Toby's roof. Percy follows Toby to Kellsthorpe, where he meets Gordon again. The carpet flies off of Toby's roof and lands down onto the tracks. Percy is very upset. Gordon is not impressed; he thinks that Percy is trying to make his "little job" important. Suddenly, they hear Thomas approaching the station; he was heading straight for the carpet. Gordon and Percy blow their whistles to alert Thomas, but to no avail. Percy decides to say a magic word, but none of the suggestions Salty gave him work. So, Percy says "please" and just as Thomas is about to run over the carpet, the wind blows the carpet away from Thomas and lands onto Percy's flatbed. Now Gordon is convinced that the carpet is magic.

Once his driver ties the carpet down to the flatbed, Percy sets off, worried that he is running late. Soon Percy reaches Maithwaite and tells the Fat Controller about all of the trouble the carpet caused. However, though he explains that magic carpets do not exist, the Fat Controller tells Percy that he is right on time whilst the carpet is unloaded and placed onto the platform.

Later, Alicia Botti arrives aboard Gordon's coach and opens the flower show. However, the wind blows underneath the red carpet again whilst it is on the platform, leaving Percy and Gordon unsure whether the carpet is magic or not.

Characters

 * Gordon
 * James
 * Percy
 * Salty
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Thomas (does not speak)
 * Toby (does not speak)
 * Murdoch (does not speak)
 * Cranky (does not speak)
 * Alicia Botti (does not speak)
 * Edward (cameo)
 * Henry (cameo)
 * Emily (cameo)
 * 'Arry and Bert (cameo)
 * Caroline (cameo)
 * Lady Hatt (cameo)
 * The Storyteller (cameo)

Locations

 * Maron
 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * Brendam Docks
 * Sodor Shipping Company
 * Kellsthorpe
 * Maithwaite
 * The Windmill

Trivia

 * This episode marked the last of several things:
 * The last episode to feature the old Tidmouth Sheds.
 * The last episode narrated by Leo Morimoto in Japan.
 * The last episode with the original cast for the Japanese narration.
 * Murdoch's last appearance until the eleventh season.
 * Going by production order, this is the thirteenth episode of the eighth season.
 * The events of this episode were mentioned by Gordon in Emily Saves the World.

Goofs

 * When Salty says the magic words, his right buffer is missing.
 * The leaves on the trees are green, but when they fall they are orange and red.
 * The position of the carpet changes when Murdoch passes through Maron.
 * When Percy chases Toby, the flatbed's back wheel is crooked.
 * The position of the carpet changes in every shot when it was on Toby.
 * In widescreen, when the narrator says, "Then, there was trouble", the carpet is still seen on Toby's roof, even though it flew off earlier, to add to that the footage appears to be played backwards this is because the steam looks to be going back towards the engines.

UK

 * It's Great to be an Engine (DVD)
 * The Complete Eighth Series

DVD Packs

 * Classic Collection
 * 5 Adventurous DVDs

US

 * It's Great to be an Engine
 * Springtime Fun!

DVD Boxsets

 * Let's Explore with Thomas
 * Fun Pack

AUS

 * The Complete Eighth Series
 * The Best of Thomas and Friends - Volume 2

DVD Packs

 * Complete Series 1-10
 * The Essential Collection (5 DVD Boxset)

CHN

 * Holiday Express

MYS

 * Best of Thomas Collection
 * Magical Collection
 * Percy and the Magic Carpet and Other Adventures
 * Spic and Span and Other Adventures

IDN

 * You Can Do It, Toby! and other stories

GER

 * The Best Engines of Sodor