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 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)

Locations

 * Maron
 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * Brendam Docks
 * Kellsthorpe
 * Maithwaite
 * The Windmill

Trivia

 * In Japan, this episode is called "Magic Carpet and Percy".

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.
 * Wouldn't Murdoch's guard have heard Percy, and stop the train?
 * The carpet should have been tied down in the first place, especially on a windy day.
 * Why would a small roll of carpet need to be transported alone? The carpet should have been in a van as part of a goods train and dropped off at Maithwaite on the engine's stops.
 * When Percy chases Toby, the flatbed's back wheel is lifted.
 * A brakevan should have been added to Percy's train.