Thomas the Trackmaster Adventures Episode 56: Oliver Gets the Bird

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Next Episode: Episode 57

Episode 56: Oliver Gets the Bird

Oliver’s guard is cross when he starts without him blowing the whistle. Oliver is surprised because he thinks he heard the whistle. It turns out it was Cocky the parrot! He has learned to copy the sound of the guard’s whistle.

Characters:
 * Duck
 * Oliver
 * Percy (sing-along segment only)
 * Emily (sing-along segment only)
 * Gordon (cameo)
 * Donald and Douglas (cameos)
 * The small red engine (cameo)
 * Dilly (mentioned)

Transcript
[edit]Main Story Narrator: Duck and Oliver's branchline runs from Knapford, along the coast where a small railway has it's terminus. One day while he was waiting there, Oliver noticed a cage hanging outside the stationmaster's house. In it fluttered an unusually brightly colored creature. Oliver: It's blue and green with red stripes. It's got a yellow point-ed nose, and a sort of thing on top. They say that it talks. Duck: Talks? Why don't you ask for it to come it's cage, then? Oliver's driver: It's a parrot. Some parrots can talk, you know. He belongs to the stationmaster's father. The old man was a sailor, and brought him back from foreign parts. Narrator: The parrot's name was Cocky. He was only outside on fine days, of course, but he quickly became a favorite with the station men. Duck and Oliver listened carefully whenever they could, but they never heard him speak. One night, Oliver had been teasing Duck about Dilly, Donald's duck, and he was cross. Duck: I don't believe it. All it does is shriek and flap about. Dilly doesn't talk, but at least she's friendly. Narrator: One day, Oliver was waiting for the last train on the small railway. The small red engine was late, and when he arrived, the passengers got quickly into Oliver's train. A guard's whistle sounded. Oliver's driver looked back, but the platform was empty, save for Cocky in his cage. Oliver's driver: They're all in. Come on, Oliver, let's try and make up some of the lost time. Narrator: They had a good run, but when they reached Knapford, the guard came up. Guard: {angrily} What are you up to, Oliver? Next time, wait for my whistle! You might have caused an accident! Oliver: {puzzled} I'm sorry, Mr. Guard, but there was a whistle. Oliver's driver: That's right! We all heard it. Guard: But I was in my van, stacking some boxes. {pause} Oliver's fireman: {grinning} Cocky! He must have learned to copy the sound of your whistle. Narrator: The fireman was right. {Later that night...} Duck: Well, well. Fancy being fooled by a bird, eh, Oliver? I reckon that makes us quits, don't you? [edit]Sing-a-Long Segment {Cut to Percy and Emily at Tidmouth Sheds} Percy: Now, everyone ready for the sing-along? This is the part of the show in which all you people at home join in and sing along with us. Now this first song starts off with a real bang! Emily: Hold everything, Percy! Did I just hear you say this song starts off with a bang? Percy: My very words. Emily: Well if you really expect the people at home to join in, you first ought to put them in the right mood. Percy: The right mood? Emily: Certainly! You got to create the proper atmosphere! Here, I'll show you! {Emily quickly assembles a tent, a cannon, and dresses herself as a soldier, and blows on the trumpet.} Emily: Well, what do you think? Percy: I think you've flipped your blinking smokebox! Emily: Well you said this next song starts off with a... {tries to stop the cannon from firing, but cannon shoots out a flag saying "BANG!"} ...bang! {laughs} {BANG! The cannon explodes, and Percy and Emily are black as soot.} Emily: You sure you wouldn't rather do smoke gets into your eyes? {laughs again} Percy: Sing people... The Beatles: In Penny Lane there is a barber showing photographs Of every head he's had the pleasure to know And all the people that come and go Stop and say hello On the corner is a banker with a motorcar The little children laugh at him behind his back And the banker never wears a mac In the pouring rain... Very strange Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes There beneath the blue suburban skies I sit, and meanwhile back In Penny Lane there is a fireman with an hourglass And in his pocket is a portrait of the Queen. He likes to keep his fire engine clean It's a clean machine In Penny Lane the barber shaves another customer We see the banker sitting waiting for a trim Then the fireman rushes in From the pouring rain... Very strange Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes There beneath the blue suburban skies I sit, and meanwhile back Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes There beneath the blue suburban skies... Penny Lane. {Cut back to Percy at Tidmouth Sheds.} Percy: Well, that was pretty good, but I expect you to do even better on this next number. Just stand right up and shout out the lyrics. Are you ready? Emily: Hold it Percy! Ain't you forgetting something? Percy: Forgetting something? Emily: The setting! I keep telling you got to put the audience in the proper mood first! Percy: For the last time I listened to your suggestion, we were nearly blown to smitheroons! Emily: So, now you're exaggerating! Smithereens is a good ten miles from here. What do you say: give us one more chance? Percy: Well, all right. This next song is one that really takes off. Emily: Take-off you say, I think I just got the right thing! {quickly assembles a biplane} Contact! {Emily flies into the sky, and crashes into Tidmouth Sheds wall, creating a hole.} Emily: Well, what do you think? {laughs} Percy: Let's save it for when we do: "The flighter the bumblebrain!" Sing, children. The Beatles: Ah, look at all the lonely people Eleanor Rigby picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been Lives in a dream Waits at the window, wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door Who is it for? All the lonely people Where do they all come from? All the lonely people Where do they all belong? Father McKenzie writing the words of a sermon that no one will hear No one comes near. Look at him working, darning his socks in the night when there's nobody there What does he care? All the lonely people Where do they all come from? All the lonely people Where do they all belong? Ah, look at all the lonely people Ah, look at all the lonely people Eleanor Rigby died in the church and was buried along with her name Nobody came Father McKenzie wiping the dirt from his hands as he walks from the grave No one was saved All the lonely people Where do they all come from? All the lonely people Where do they all belong? THE END

[edit]Fun Facts

Oliver mentions point-ed. This is a Homestar Runner reference. Last episode to feature sing-along segments Sing-a-Longs: Penny Lane by The Beatles; Eleanor Rigby by The Beatles