Percy Takes the Plunge

Percy Takes the Plunge
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Railway Series Book	The Eight Famous Engines
Release Date	January 22 2014
Previous Episode	Leaves
Next Episode	Cows

Percy Takes the Plunge is the seventh episode of the eleventh season.

Plot[]

Percy normally takes stone trucks to the harbour. One day, Henry felt so tired after working very hard and wanted to rest in the sheds, but Percy was there, talking to Bill and Ben about the time he kept his promise and helped Thomas to take the children home as he was travelling through the terrible storm. Percy is embellishing the tale, as he speaks about how he braved through flood waters using the phrase "Water's nothing to an engine with determination." Bill and Ben shower Percy with praise, and Henry angrily tells them to leave, as the sheds are only for engines belonging to the Fat Controller. Percy gets very angry at Henry for sending Bill and Ben away and calling them silly.

Henry just tells Percy that his line about water and determination is very silly. As Percy was leaving the harbour, he reminded Henry about the time that he has refused to leave the tunnel, because of the rain. Later on, Percy met Thomas at the quayside, as he saw the board saying "DANGER! ENGINES MUST NOT PASS THIS BOARD!" Thomas reminded Percy not to go past it and also told him about the time he has passed the board and fell down the mine. Percy couldn't see the mine and he does not realise that the foundations of the quay have sunk and the track now slopes downward into the sea. As a result Percy, who is now feeling very cheeky, decides that the board is stupid and makes a plan to pass it.

As Percy was taking trucks to the harbour, Percy asks them whether he could give them a bump when they get to the quay. The trucks have never been asked to bump an engine before, but they giggled and chattered about it As Percy approaches the harbour, his plan was to pretend to stop at the quay, before the trucks pushes him pass the board. However, Percy, in his foolishness, has forgotten that no one can trust trucks at all. Suddenly, the trucks has jerked the driver and fireman off Percy's cab, and pushed Percy past the board. Percy felt so frantic as he tells the trucks he has had enough foolishness. He tries to stop, but the trucks didn't listen, and so after they past the board, they pushed Percy, who slid down the slope and plunged into the sea, and then he was sunk.

The Fat Controller came up to Percy by the boat and scolds him severley for being a very disobedient engine for his carelessness. Percy feels sorry and wanted to get out of the sea, but The Fat Controller explains to Percy that he must wait until high tide, until he learns his lesson. Percy felt very cold as he was still in the water and fishes were playing hide and seek beneath his wheels. When night time came, the floating cranes have been brought to the harbour to lift Percy from the sea, who was too cold, weak, filthy, grimy and stiff to move by himself.

The next morning, Percy is taken to the works to be cleaned and mended along with Henry's goods train, who finds the incident very amusing after Percy's earlier boasts. Henry teases Percy, telling him he needs more determination and that perhaps he will like it better next time. Percy, however, hopes there will be no "next time".