Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia
Register
Advertisement
Main Page

“Bulls always run away if you toot and look at them in the eye, eh, Daisy?”
― Toby teasing Daisy

Bulls Eyes is the twenty-first episode of the fourth series. It is based on the story of the same name from the Railway Series book Branch Line Engines.

Plot

Toby's cowcatchers and sideplates are designed to prevent animals from getting hurt if they stray onto the line but Daisy thinks they look ridiculous and believes that Toby is simply afraid of getting hurt himself. She tells Toby that any animals, even bulls, will always run away if she toots her horn and looks them in the eye, despite Toby's insistence that they will not. Later that day, Daisy is asked by a policeman to guide a stray bull back to his farmer. She sets off, eager to prove to Toby that she can handle bulls, despite the fact she has never actually encountered one before.

BullsEyes31

"Now for my breakfast."

Although not usually very fierce, the bull, named Champion, had been cross that morning. He had strayed from his field, crashed through a fence, slid down a slope and become disoriented. Upon regaining composure, he finds himself just next to the railway line and begins to eat the trackside grass. Daisy arrives and toots to get him to move. Despite several attempts, Champion ignores her and continues eating. Eventually, he notices Daisy and advances curiously towards her. Daisy becomes unnerved, as the bull is not running away as she had expected. Her driver assures her that Champion is harmless but Daisy is worried that she might get hurt by his horns, though she tries to hide this. Champion sniffs at Daisy, which proves to be the last straw as Daisy retreats back to the station.

Toby soon learns about the incident and goes to shoo Champion away himself, although not without reminding a now silent and embarrassed Daisy that a bull should always run away if an engine looks him in the eye. When Toby arrives, his bell and whistle prove ineffective against the still grazing bull, but Champion eventually retreats after Toby blows steam at him. The bull and the farmer are soon reunited further down the line.

Later that evening, Daisy feels exhausted but glad that her day's work is over. Some boys at the platform then tease her with some "Bull's Eyes" sweets. An annoyed Daisy shrugs off the joke and leaves to rest in her shed.

Characters

Locations

Trivia

Goofs

  • During the opening scenes at Elsbridge, Daisy has a Co-Bo wheel arrangement due to using the same chassis as BoCo.
  • James puffs past Toby with red express coaches but in his next close up after Daisy's close up for about five seconds, James is suddenly out of sight.
  • Daisy's left eye is slightly off after she passes the level crossing.
  • When the policeman warns Daisy about Champion, the guard does not have a mouth.
  • Daisy's eye mechanism is visible in several shots:
    • After the policeman tells Daisy about Champion.
    • When Champion sniffs at her.
  • When Champion looks around, a small box can be seen at the entrance of the tunnel.
  • Daisy's face is loose when Toby meets her in her shed.
  • When Toby comes out of the tunnel, his eyes are misaligned.
  • Daisy turns at the points twice when she heads to her shed at the end of the episode.

Quotes

Narrator: Daisy thought Toby's fenders were silly.
Daisy: You're afraid of getting hurt yourself.
Toby: I'm not!
Daisy: You are. I don't have stupid cowcatchers but I'm not frightened. I'd just toot and they'd all go away.
Toby: But they don't.
Daisy: They would with me. Animals always run if they toot and look them in the eye.
Toby: Even bulls?
Daisy: Even bulls.
Narrator: Daisy had never met a bull but she purred away quite unconcerned. [Daisy's theme plays] She tooted at a farm crossing and a horse and cart halted while she went by.
Daisy: Pooh! It's easy. I just toot and they all stand aside. Poor little Toby. I'm sorry he's frightened.

Policeman: There's a bull on the line. Please persuade it to return to the farmer.
Daisy: [excitedly] Now, I'll show Toby how to manage bulls.

Champion: [after having escaped his field and saw grass] Now for my breakfast.
Daisy: Ooooo! Go on. [Champion is too busy chomping but Daisy tries again] Ooooo! Ooooo!
[again, it doesn't work]
Daisy: This is all wrong. How can I look him in the eye if he won't turn around?
Champion: [turns around, moves] Mmm!
Daisy: Ah, ooh! Why doesn't he run away?
Daisy's Driver: Go on, Daisy. He's harmless.
Daisy: Yes. You know he's harmless and I know he's harmless but does he know? Look at his horns. If I bump into him, he might hurt me- uh, them. The farmer wouldn't like that.
Narrator: Champion sniffed at Daisy.
Daisy: Oooof! [quickly reverses]
Narrator: And that was that. Daisy did no more.

Toby: Bulls always run if you toot and look them in the eye. Eh, Daisy?
Narrator: Daisy stayed silent.
Toby: Ah, well. We can live and learn. I'd better chase him away for you I suppose.

Boy: Look, Daisy. I got some sweets, they're called "Bull's Eyes"! I like them. Do you?
Daisy: Hmm, keep your old "Bull's Eyes"! [leaves to rest in her shed]
Narrator: And she scuttled to her shed.

In Other Languages

View content
Language Title
Albanian Sytë e demit
Brazilian Portuguese O touro
Chinese Mandarin 公牛的眼睛
Czech Oči býka
Danish Tyreøjne
Dutch Stieren
Finnish Härän silmät
German Ein Stier auf dem Gleis
Greek Το βλέμμα του ταύρου
Hungarian Daisy és a bika
Italian Occhi di bue
Japanese デイジーとおうしのめだま
Korean 황소의 눈
Latin American Spanish Mírame a los ojos
Norwegian Toby og oksen
Polish Oczy byka (TVP3)
Bycze oczy (JimJam)
Romanian Ochi de taur
Russian Глаза быка
Slovenian Bikove oči
Swedish Tjarögat
Ukrainian Бичачi очi
Welsh Helo Hen Darw

Merchandise

Home Video Releases

UK

UK DVD Boxset

WAL

US

CAN

  • Thomas Meets the Queen and Other Stories (Direct-to-VHS)

AUS

AUS DVD Packs

NZ

  • Thomas and the Special Letter and Other Stories
  • Story and Song Collection

MYS

PHL

ITA

NL

GER

NOR

DK

SWE

SVN

GRC

GRC DVD Boxset

THA

JPN

KOR

HK

TWN

Episode

Reference



Advertisement