| For other uses, see Henry's Forest (disambiguation). |
- “Listen. Can you hear a strange whistling sound?"
"It's the wind blowing outside our shed but I've never heard it like this before."
"Do you know, if Gordon wasn't here now, I'd say it was him thundering by with the express!” - ― Thomas, Toby and James talking about the wind
Henry's Forest is the ninth episode of the third series. It is based on the magazine stories Clearing Up and the story of the same name written by Andrew Brenner.
Plot
Henry has lived on the Island of Sodor for many years and would not want to live anywhere else. He likes every part of it from the flowery fields to the beaches with white sand but there is one place that he enjoys visiting more than any other: the forest. Henry remembers the day long ago when he and Toby had brought some new trees to be planted and Terence and Trevor had helped to haul them into place.
One night, everything changes as a storm rages across the island. All the engines in the sheds are talking about the wind blowing outside, except for Henry, who hopes that it will not harm the forest. By morning, the winds have gone but severe damage has been done to the forest. Henry is sent to help Donald clear the line of trees. The big green engine feels very devastated by all the damage done in his forest and now wonders what will happen to all the animals who have lived there.
Henry's trucks are loaded with logs to be taken to the timber mill, where they are recycled to become furniture and other things. Henry is pleased that the wood will be put to good use but he is still sad to lose a section of the place that meant so much to him. Thomas and Toby feel sorry for Henry and wish there is something they could do to make things better again. Later, at the yards, Toby meets the Fat Controller, who notices that the tram engine looks glum. Toby tells him that he and Henry are very sad about the trees, explaining that the forest was a special place to Henry and now whatever is left of it has been destroyed. The Fat Controller tells Toby that he will soon put things right and sends him to collect some trucks, loaded with small trees all ready for planting.
When Henry returns to the forest, he is surprised to see Terence and Trevor, busily helping workmen to plant the trees. Terence tells Henry that they are beginning again and that the hillside will look better than ever before. Now when Henry stops by his forest, not only can he see the new trees growing tall and strong but the animals are returning to their home. Whatever sounds these woods bring, he is always happy to be here.
Characters
- Thomas
- Henry
- James
- Toby
- Terence
- Sir Topham Hatt
- Gordon (does not speak)
- Donald (does not speak)
- Trevor (does not speak)
- Douglas (cameo)
- Farmer Finney (cameo)
- Jem Cole (cameo)
- Farmer Trotter (cameo)
Locations
- Dryaw Canal Runby
- The Country Line
- The Watermill
- Henry's Forest
- Tidmouth Sheds
- The Lumber Mill
- Tidmouth Beach (stock footage)
- Tidmouth Lighthouse (stock footage)
- Wellsworth (deleted scene)
Controversy
Wilbert Awdry is known for criticising this episode for its lack of realism. The major flaws he found were Henry's driver letting him stop in the forest without alerting a signalman (Rule 55), paving the way for a severe crash with an unaware locomotive and the number of trees so close to the line that could catch fire from a spark from an engine's funnel. Britt Allcroft, who adapted the episode along with David Mitton, countered the second flaw by claiming to have seen many other railways do the same thing. Despite Allcroft countering what Awdry had said, his criticism may have inspired Henry's statement in the fifth series episode, James and the Trouble with Trees, about the Fat Controller having trees too close to the line removed in fear that they might cause trouble.
Trivia
- The first draft of the dialogue script was completed on 19 March 1991.
- According to the script and concept art, this was originally going to be the tenth episode in the series.
- Extended stock footage from Donald's Duck is used.
- From this episode onwards, Trevor is equipped with an eye mechanism.
- This episode was shown alongside Percy's Promise in an airing of Storytime with Thomas.
- The models of a bulldozer and the three berth garage from Tugs appear.
- This episode marks the first appearance of Henry's surprised face since the first series episode, The Flying Kipper, as well as the only appearance of his sad face in the third series.
- This episode marks the last of a few things:
- Terence's last episode with a leading role until the twenty-first series episode, Terence Breaks the Ice.
- The last appearance of The Country Line, not counting a deleted scene in No Joke for James.
- Despite Henry being the titular character, he only has two lines throughout the whole episode.
- This is one of the few episodes in the third series to be restored with all the 35mm film footage; most of the episodes have shots where colour corrected 1-inch tapes from the original master were used to replace scenes where the original negatives were missing.
- In the restored version:
- The close-up shots of Thomas and Henry in the sheds have different eye movements compared to the original version.
- Henry's eye movements in the final shot of the episode are different compared to the original version.
- On the week this episode and the previous episode made their television debut, TV Times held a competition with the deadline of 1 May 1992. Fans had to write the correct names of three engines as pictured in a scene from Woolly Bear and send in their answers. Seven winners would receive an array of various assorted Thomas goods as their prize.
- A photograph from this episode was released as a Royal Mail stamp in 2011 to mark the Reverend Awdry's Centenary.
- In Canada, this episode was released before Donald and Douglas and Saved from Scrap, meaning the Canadian audience would not know who Trevor and the Scottish twins are.
- This episode was never released on home video in South Korea.
Goofs
- In the close-up of Henry's driver leaning out the cab, there are holes in his right shoulder.
- In the sheds:
- A nail is seen hanging on the ceiling in the first shot.
- Thomas has a gap between his face plate and left eye.
- Henry is missing his tender.
- The engines have wonky eyes.
- In the close up of Thomas at the timber mill, his lamp is slightly crooked.
- Toby's face is crooked in two scenes:
- In the side view of Tidmouth Sheds.
- When he sets off to collect the the trees.
- In several scenes, Henry's firebox, and brake pipe are crooked.
Quotes
- Toby: [after the forest is damaged] Oh, dear. I wish there was something we could do to make things better again.
- Thomas: Yes, indeed. But what? We can't mend broken trees.
- Narrator: Now whenever Henry stops by the forest, he can see the new trees growing strong and tall, and the animals are coming back. Sometimes, everywhere is quiet, and at other times Henry can hear leaves rustling, or a bird's wing brushing the air. Often, he can hear the distant sound of children laughing, and always, he is happy here.
In Other Languages
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Merchandise
- Books - Henry Helps Out
- Buzz Books - Henry's Forest
- Magazine stories - Henry's Forest, Henry's Forest (2004)
- Royal Mail Stamp
Home Video Releases
Episode
References
| #01 A Scarf for Percy | #10 The Trouble with Mud | #19 One Good Turn |
| #02 Percy's Promise | #11 No Joke for James | #20 Tender Engines |
| #03 Time for Trouble | #12 Thomas, Percy and the Post Train | #21 Escape |
| #04 Gordon and the Famous Visitor | #13 Trust Thomas | #22 Oliver Owns Up |
| #05 Donald's Duck | #14 Mavis | #23 Bulgy |
| #06 Thomas Gets Bumped | #15 Toby's Tightrope | #24 Heroes |
| #07 Thomas, Percy and the Dragon | #16 Edward, Trevor and the Really Useful Party | #25 Percy, James and the Fruitful Day |
| #08 Diesel Does It Again | #17 Buzz, Buzz | #26 Thomas and Percy's Christmas Adventure |
| #09 Henry's Forest | #18 All at Sea | |