Nine of the best book quotes from Thomas the Tank Engine
01
“Thomas was a cheeky little engine, too. He thought no engine worked as hard as he did. So he used to play tricks on them. He liked best of all to come quietly beside a big engine dozing on the siding and make him jump.”
“Then, you’ve got a lot to learn about freight cars, Thomas. They are silly things and must be kept in their place. After pushing them about here for a few weeks, you’ll know almost as much about them as Edward. Then you’ll be a Really Useful Engine.”
“Now Thomas is as happy as can be. He has a branch line all to himself, and puffs proudly backward and forward with two coaches all day. He is never lonely because there is always some engine to talk to at the junction.”
“Now, freight cars are silly and noisy. They talk a lot and don’t attend to what they are doing. They don’t listen to their engine, and when he stops, they bump into each other, screaming, ‘Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Whatever is happening?’ And, I’m sorry to say, they play tricks on an engine who is not used to them.”
“Poor Thomas couldn’t answer. He had no breath. He just puffed slowly away to rest and had a long, long drink. He went home very slowly and was careful afterward never to be cheeky to Gordon again.”
“Thomas used to grumble in the shed at night. ‘I’m tired of pushing coaches. I want to see the world.’ The others didn’t take much notice, for Thomas was a little engine who talked big,”
“He worked hard - he knew now that he wasn’t as clever as he had thought. Besides, Sir Topham Hatt had been kind to him, and he wanted to learn all about freight cars so he could be a Really Useful Engine.”
“Poor Thomas was going faster than he had ever gone before. He was out of breath and his wheels hurt him, but he had to go on. ‘I shall never be the same again,’ he thought sadly. ‘My wheels will be quite worn out.’ ”
“Edward and Henry stop quite often and tell him the news. Gordon is always in a hurry and does not stop, but he never forgets to say, ‘poop poop’ to little Thomas, and Thomas always whistles. ‘Peep peep’ in return.”