Plot
As the episode begins, Mr. Conductor is in an outdoor park struggling to keep a cookie from being snatched by a bird. The cookie is intended to be a gift to his neighbors, the squirrels. He berates the wild animals' bad manners as being comparable to those of coaches, and proceeds to tell the story of how some coaches caused trouble for Sir Handel in "Four Little Engines."
The animals continue to pester Mr. Conductor for his cookie. He comments that freight cars are even more badly behaved than coaches, and remembers when Thomas was new and encountered some very naughty freight cars, as in the tale of "Trouble for Thomas."
Back at the park, Mr. Conductor sits on a bench and waits for the squirrels to arrive. He complains that they are late as usual and aren't dependable creatures. He goes on to say that these particular squirrels are cheekier than most. They chatter so much that they remind him of S.C. Ruffey and the dreadful time he once gave to Oliver, in the story, "Toad Stands By."
Next, Mr. Conductor has to fend off a mouse's attempt to take the cookie. He calls mice, birds and squirrels pests who are nothing but trouble, just like the freight cars in the story, "Thomas Saves the Day."
A robin chirps at Mr. Conductor, who insists that the squirrels are indeed coming. Annoyed at their tardiness, Mr. Conductor ponders whether to instead give the cookie to Mr. Robin. He states that these squirrels are as thoughtless as freight cars, such as those who caused serious trouble in the story, "Rusty Helps Peter Sam."
The final scene finds Mr. Conductor saying goodbye to the squirrels after successfully delivering the cookie. He's very sorry to have called them pests, but still compares them to railroad cars - they're best once they've been trained, and laughs at the "train" pun he just made. The episode ends with Mr. Conductor introducing the musical finale: a song about Toby the tram engine.
Thomas Stories
Song
Characters
- Thomas
- Edward
- Henry
- Gordon
- James
- Percy
- Duck
- Oliver
- Douglas
- S. C. Ruffey
- Harold
- Skarloey
- Rheneas
- Sir Handel
- Peter Sam
- Rusty
Trivia
- Mr. Conductor does not appear inside Shining Time Station at all in this episode.
- Therefore, there are no interior scenes of Shining Time Station in this episode either.
- The first Thomas story that Mr. Conductor tells the animals is about troublesome coaches, and the next four stories he tells them are about troublesome freight cars. After telling the last story, he says that railroad cars are best once they've been trained, and then introduces the musical finale, a song about Toby the Tram Engine. In the Thomas story that he was introduced, Toby was shown pulling one coach, Henrietta, and four freight cars.
