Thomas and Friends Storytime.
A quiet delivery.
A podcast story for kids.
Starring Thomas, Percy and Annie and Clarabelle.
Based on the Railway series by the Reverend W. Audrey.
Created by Brit Allcroft.
Read by me, Rachel Louise Miller.
This episode is brought to you by Random House Children's Books.
And Thomas and the Rocket.
Each title sold separately and subject to availability.
And now it's story time.
Over the hill and round the bend you'll find a large roundhouse called Tidmouth Sheds, where five little engines sleep soundly at night and wake in the morning as the sun shines its light.
They all have work to do and cargo to tow.
For this happy crew, it's all engines go!
Today's bedtime story is about being quiet.
Very, very quiet.
It's called a quiet delivery.
It was late in the afternoon and Annie and Clarabel, the passenger coaches, were waiting for Thomas at Knapford Station when they heard the sound of a noisy engine approaching.
Can you guess who it is?
It's Thomas!
He raced into the station and blew his whistle.
Beep, beep, beep!
Thomas was super excited.
Hey, Annie!
Hey, Clarabelle!
He shouted noisily.
Are you ready for me to take you to Brendam Docks?
I love the bells on all the boats there.
Ding, ding, ding!
Oh, and the tugboats tooting!
Toot, toot, toot!
That Thomas is noisy, isn't he?
Shh, Thomas, calm down, called Annie.
Clarabel was worried.
Are we sure he can do it, she asked Annie.
Do what, said Thomas.
Get you to the docks in time to pick up your passengers tonight.
Oh, you know I can.
Annie and Clarabel knew Thomas would get them to the docks on time, but they were worried he couldn't get them there quietly.
That's going to be hard for Thomas.
You see, once we pick up our passengers at Brendam Docks, we will be carrying them all night.
Annie explained, which means we need to sleep for the entire ride to the docks, added Clarabel, so that we arrive well-rested.
Thomas thought for a moment.
I can do it.
I can be super quiet.
I, Thomas, promise you won't wake up and I never break a Thomas promise.
Please, please, please, please.
All right, Thomas, agreed Annie.
You may take us to Brendam Docks.
But remember, Clarabel reminded him, the key word is quietly.
So Annie and Clarabelle were hooked up to Thomas and wrapped in their warmest, snuggliest blanket.
They fell fast asleep.
Toot toot!
Full steam ahead!
Thomas yelled as he headed out of the station.
Told you he'd find it hard to be quiet.
All Thomas' noise woke up Annie and Clarabel.
Oh my, they said crossly.
Whoops, sorry, said Thomas.
From now on I'll be super extra quiet.
Thomas puffed along as super extra quietly as he could, and soon Annie and Clarabel went back to sleep.
Thomas hadn't gone very far when he heard a rattling sound.
Then Diesel pulled up alongside Thomas.
Diesel was carrying a cargo of metal pipes.
Hey Diesel, whispered Thomas, those rattling pipes are kind of loud.
What did you say, shouted Diesel, I can't hear you over these rattling pipes.
Thomas was afraid the noisy pipes would wake up Annie and Clarabel, so he began to pull away from Diesel.
But Diesel thought Thomas wanted to race, so he chased after him.
Can't get away from me, Thomas! shouted Diesel.
But Thomas had seen a turning off the main track.
We'll see about that.
Thomas laughed as he crossed onto the other track, leaving Diesel and his noisy pipes behind.
So quiet, so peaceful, said Thomas to himself.
Then Thomas reached a steep hill and began to go faster and faster.
He put on his brakes as hard as he could.
Squeal Thomas's brakes.
That's noisy!
Annie and Clarabel mumbled in their sleep, but they didn't wake up.
Well, giggled Thomas, if all that didn't wake them up, I bet nothing will!
Suddenly there was a distant rumble of thunder, then a flash of lightning and a loud pitter-patter of heavy rain.
Annie and Clarabel began to wake up.
Spoke too soon, said Thomas.
I've got to get them out of this rain.
Then Thomas saw something that gave him an idea.
Hey, there's a tunnel.
Yes.
So Thomas hurried inside the tunnel out of the rain.
It was dark and very quiet.
Thomas heard an engine in the distance.
It was Percy!
Percy was ringing his lucky bell and blowing his whistle.
What?
Grumbled Annie and Clarabel.
No!
Shh! whispered Thomas.
But Percy was too far away to hear him.
Rusty rail spikes! wondered Thomas.
How do I signal back without making a peep?
Thomas could see Percy's lamp getting closer and he knew what to do.
Light, said Thomas.
Light is quiet.
And he began to flash his lamp on and off.
Percy pulled to a stop next to Thomas.
Hey, Percy, Thomas whispered.
Why are we whispering?
Percy asked.
Thomas explained that he was taking Annie and Clarabel to the docks, but they needed to sleep on the way, and being quiet was harder than Thomas thought.
Maybe you could use some help from me and my lucky bell, suggested Percy.
Absolutely, smiled Thomas.
But don't forget, we have to be super extra quiet.
Finally, the rain came to a stop, so they made their way out of the tunnel.
Annie and Clarabel were still sleeping peacefully, but now it was getting dark.
Now I'm super late, said Thomas.
Good thing I know a quiet cut to Brendam Docs, said Percy.
Thomas was puzzled.
What's a quiet cut?
It's like a shortcut, but quieter, Percy giggled.
The two friends puffed happily along Percy's quiet cut by the seashore.
It was very, very quiet, so there was nothing to wake up Annie and Clarabel.
Until... Oh no!
The lighthouse foghorn, said Thomas.
No way Annie and Clarabel slept through that!
But Annie and Clarabelle had slept through the noise.
How did we get so lucky? wondered Thomas.
I told you, Percy giggled, my lucky bell.
Together, Thomas and Percy puffed through the dark as quickly and quietly as they could.
It wasn't long before Thomas Percy, Annie and Clarabelle arrived at Brendam Docks just as a big ship pulled up alongside them.
What's going on?
Why have you woken us up? grumbled Annie and Clarabelle.
Sorry, said Thomas.
There was this big ship coming alongside the dock and our passengers are on that ship, said Annie.
Well done, Thomas, added Clarabel, smiling.
You were quiet and on time, just as you Thomas promised.
Yay!
You did it, Thomas, cheered Percy.
The long, quiet journey had made Thomas happy.
Very, very tired.
He yawned.
Thomas tried to stay awake, but slowly his eyes closed.
And then he fell fast asleep.
Sleep soundly, little Thomas.
You did very well.
It was a quiet delivery for Annie and Clara.
Tell your friends too.
Thomas and Friends is a registered trademark of Galane Thomas Ltd.
