Percy and Harold (magazine story)

""Railways are slow and quite out of date""

- Harold teases Percy

Percy has been working hard at the new harbour, and sometimes he would meet Thomas, who congratulates his friend for helping out to please the Fat Controller. An airfield was close by, and Percy often hears the aeroplanes zooming overhead – the noisiest one of all was a helicopter.

Later he meets the helicopter at the airfield, which introduces himself as “Harold”. Then as Percy tells him that he likes his rails, Harold comments that the railways are slow and quite out of date as he whirls away. Percy is still in a bad mood as he collects his trucks at the quarry, and started off. He soon heard a familiar buzzing noise, which was Harold, who was not far ahead and the race is on!

Percy is gaining on Harold with such speed, until he notices that a distant signal warns them that the harbour wharf was near, as they gradually slows down and stopped. Percy worries that they have lost to Harold, until his fireman noticed that they appeared to have won the race, as Harold was still hovering and looking for a place to land. Then he began to sing a song for Percy’s triumph – which made Percy, feels once more, a happy engine.

Characters

 * Percy
 * Thomas
 * Harold
 * Toby (mentioned)
 * The Fat Controller (mentioned)

Trivia

 * This story is based on the second season episode of the same name.