| For other uses, see Henry and the Elephant (disambiguation). |
- “First the rain, then an elephant. Whatever will you be afraid of next?”
- ― Gordon to Henry
Henry and the Elephant, incorrectly shortened to Henry the Elephant on the back cover of one North American release, is the nineteenth episode of the fourth series. It is based on the story of the same name from The Railway Series book, Troublesome Engines.
Plot
One morning, Thomas arrives at the junction. The Fat Controller is there and, after checking his watch, tells Thomas he is right on time and really reliable, making Thomas and his coaches happy. However, Gordon, Henry and James are in a bad mood; Percy is nowhere to be found and so they must shunt their own coaches, a job they despise. James, moving onto the turntable, decides to take his anger out on Henry and mocks him about his fear of the rain. Henry retorts that James looks silly enough to be a clown and that he belongs in a circus, which leads Percy, who has just arrived, to believe the engines have heard about how the circus has come to town. He explains that he had been helping to shunt the special trucks and coaches on the Fat Controller's request and that the bigger engines are needed too. The big engines soon forget about being tired and cross and eagerly help out. When it is time for the circus to leave, James is given the task of pulling the train away, making Gordon and Henry cross once again.
A little later, the Fat Controller informs Henry that a tunnel is blocked and asks him to take some workmen to investigate. Henry arrives at his tunnel, where he was once bricked up, with some trucks in front of him, grumbling all the way. They stop just outside the tunnel and the workmen enter to examine the blockage. The tunnel is quiet and dark. Upon finding the blockage, the workmen start to dig at it, but the block grunts and moves, frightening them and they quickly run out in horror. One explains to the foreman that the huge "rubbish" blockage is big and alive, and they refuse to go back inside. The foreman does not believe them, but he decides to ride in the front truck and have Henry push it out. Henry, horrified of the idea of being stuck in a tunnel with something big and alive, protests this decision, and his driver is sympathetic to him, but he tells Henry that the line must be cleared.
Henry reluctantly and fearfully, but bravely enters the tunnel with the trucks, only for the very strong blockage to push him and the trucks back out again. Both Henry and the foreman are surprised to discover the "blockage" is actually a large, cross elephant, who had escaped from the circus earlier. The workmen offer the circus elephant some cake and three buckets of water to calm him down. However, just as he is drinking a fourth, Henry accidentally startles the elephant by letting off steam, which results in the elephant spraying Henry with water. The elephant and his keeper are soon reunited with each other, but Henry is most upset and humiliated by the entire incident.
That night, Henry tells the other engines what happened. Although Gordon and James feel sorry for Henry, they still tease him a little bit. However, Thomas praises Henry for his bravery and how well he handled the situation, making Henry feel better.
Characters
- Thomas
- Henry
- Gordon
- James
- Percy
- Annie and Clarabel
- Sir Topham Hatt
- The Elephant Keeper (does not speak)
- Duck (cameo)
- Mrs. Kyndley (cameo)
- One Little Boy (cameo)
- Big Mickey (faceless, cameo)
Locations
- Elsbridge
- Tidmouth Sheds
- Knapford Harbour
- Henry's Tunnel
- The Ruined Castle (deleted scene)
Trivia
- A reference to the first series episode, The Sad Story of Henry, is made.
- Henry's incident with the elephant in the original story was one of the reasons the big engines went on strike, thus leading to Percy's arrival, while in the television series, due to the story being skipped initially, Percy and Duck appear in this adaptation.
- On the PBS Kids Sprout airings and the Greatest Stories DVD, the original opening and end credits are used.
- The models of Big Mickey, Izzy Gomez and S.S. Vienna from Tugs appear.
- This is the first episode of a few things:
- The first time that an engine, in this case, Henry, has a problem with an elephant. The others later being Charlie in the seventeenth series episode, Not Now, Charlie!, Thomas in both the 2018 special, Big World! Big Adventures!, and the twenty-second series episode, Trusty Trunky and Nia in the twenty-fourth series episode, Nia and the Unfriendly Elephant.
- The first appearance of Henry's Tunnel since the first series episode, James and the Coaches, excluding its appearance in a deleted scene from the previous episode and its last appearance until the seventh series premiere.
- Henry's Tunnel replaces Tidmouth Tunnel from the original story.
- In the scenes of the circus train being arranged and James pulling the circus train, a rendition of Entry of the Gladiators by Julius Fučík remixed with the "Busy" theme song is heard.
- George Carlin's line, "Then, there was trouble," is recycled from Steam Roller.
- George the Steamroller's theme plays when the elephant pushes Henry out of the tunnel.
- The Elephant Keeper figure used in this episode was sold on Prop Store, then again on eBay years later.
- The elephant sound effect is sourced from Chewbacca of Star Wars fame.
Goofs
- Throughout the episode:
- The crow's nest of S.S. Roxstar is facing backwards.
- One of the workmen's right eyebrows is missing.
- The Elephant's keeper's mouth is missing.
- At the beginning of the episode, Thomas has Edward's whistle sound.
- At Tidmouth Sheds:
- Gordon's buffers and lamp irons are crooked.
- James' chassis is crooked, and his eyes are misaligned, while he is missing hid cab floors and doors as he rotates on the turntable.
- Percy's cab roof is raised and his eyes are misaligned.
- The 7-plank truck has black tac visible from where it would have worn a face.
- Part of the milk tanker's frame is missing.
- During the harbour scene, James' tender body is not properly assembled to its chassis.
- When Henry leaves for the tunnel, his buffers are crooked.
- Henry's eyes are misaligned after the elephant sprayed him and.
- In the Norwegian dub, James is incorrectly referred to as Henry when the narrator says "Gordon and James felt sorry for Henry".
Quotes
- The Fat Controller: Well done, Thomas. You're right on time and really reliable.
- Thomas: Thank you, sir.
- Annie and Clarabel: Ooh, right on time and really reliable.
- James: What's the matter, Henry? There's no rain today. Stop worrying and do some work instead.
- Henry: I'm not afraid of getting wet anymore. Anyway, you look silly enough to be a clown. You should be in a circus.
- Percy: Oh, so you've heard the news?
- Gordon: What news?
- Percy: About the circus.
- James: Percy, what are you talking about?
- Percy: The circus has arrived. I've been shunting special trucks. The Fat Controller needs your help too.
- Henry: An elephant pushed me, an elephant hooshed me!
- Gordon: First the rain, then an elephant. Whatever will you be afraid of next?
- Thomas: Never mind, Henry. I think you were brave today and really reliable too.
In Other Languages
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Merchandise
- Take Along (discontinued)
- Wooden Railway (discontinued)
- Thomas Engine Collection Series
- Book - Henry and the Elephant
- Step into Reading book - Henry and the Elephant
- Magazine Story - A Jumbo-Sized Surprise
Home Video Releases
Episode
Reference
| #01 Granpuff | #10 Rock 'n' Roll | #19 Henry and the Elephant |
| #02 Sleeping Beauty | #11 Special Funnel | #20 Toad Stands By |
| #03 Bulldog | #12 Steam Roller | #21 Bulls Eyes |
| #04 You Can't Win | #13 Passengers and Polish | #22 Thomas and the Special Letter |
| #05 Four Little Engines | #14 Gallant Old Engine | #23 Paint Pots and Queens |
| #06 A Bad Day for Sir Handel | #15 Rusty to the Rescue | #24 Fish |
| #07 Peter Sam and the Refreshment Lady | #16 Thomas and Stepney | #25 Special Attraction |
| #08 Trucks | #17 Train Stops Play | #26 Mind that Bike |
| #09 Home at Last | #18 Bowled Out | |