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- "Get on board. Take your time. Get on board. It will be fine."
- ― Nia singing to the elephant
Nia and the Unfriendly Elephant is a magazine story released as part of the "Classic Thomas Story Collection" series and illustrated using images from the television series.
Plot[]
Nia is given the very special job of taking a new elephant to the animal park. The only problem is, the elephant doesn't like steam engines. Nia is confident she can win the elephant over. To start with, Nia tries singing to the elephant. The elephant seems calmed by the elephant, but still she refuses to board Nia's truck.
Nia isn't going to give up. Her next idea is to lay a trail of apples towards her truck. The elephant starts to eat the apples, but when she sees where the trail is leading, she sits down with a bump. Nia is disappointed, but decides to try using water. Nia rushes off to fetch Belle from the Search and Rescue Centre. Belle uses her water cannons to squirt water near the elephant. As the elephant moves towards the jets of water, Belle directs it slowly towards Nia's truck. But just as the elephant reaches the ramp to the truck, Gordon speeds past blasting his whistle and shouting. The elephant turns and runs away from the truck into the woods. The elephant's carer hurries after the animal. Belle tries to console Nia by telling her that everything must seem very strange to the elephant. This gives Nia a bright idea.
Nia rushes to the Animal Park and collects another elephant. When the elephant Nia has fetched trumpets, the lost elephant quickly trundles out of the woods and gets straight into the truck. Nia explains that she realised the elephant needed something familiar to it - and what could be more familiar than another elephant!
Finally, Nia gets the new elephant safely to the Animal Park. Sir Topham Hatt is waiting and is full of praise for clever Nia.
Characters[]
Locations[]
Trivia[]
- This story is based on the twenty-fourth series episode of the same name.
- Unlike the episode, Percy, Rebecca and Daisy do not appear.
Gallery[]
2023[]
2024[]
