Edward was getting old. His bearings were worn, and he clanked as he puffed along. He was taking empty cattle cars to a market town.

The sun shone, birds sang, but Edward was heading for trouble.

“Come on. Come on,” he puffed.

“Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh!” screamed the cars.

Edward puffed and clanked. The cars rattled and screamed.

Some cows were grazing nearby. They were not used to trains. The noise and smoke disturbed them.

As Edward clanked by, they broke through the fence and ran across the line. A coupling was broken, and some cars were left behind.

Edward felt a jerk but didn’t take much notice. He was used to cattle cars.

“Bother those cars,” he thought. “Why can’t they come quietly!” He was at the next station before either he or his Driver realized what had happened.

When Gordon and Henry heard about the accident, they laughed and boasted. “Fancy allowing cows to break his train. They wouldn’t dare do that to us. We’d show them!”

Old Toby was cross. “You couldn’t help it, Edward. They’ve never met cows. I have, and I know the trouble they are.”

Some days later, Gordon rushed through Edward’s station. “Poop, poop! Mind the cows! Hurry, hurry, hurry,” puffed Gordon.

“Don’t make such a fuss. Don’t make such a fuss,” grumbled his coaches.

A long stretch of line lay ahead. In the distance was a bridge. It seemed to Gordon that there was something on the bridge. His Driver thought so, too.

“Whoa, Gordon!” he said, and shut off steam.

“Pooh!” said Gordon. “It’s only a cow! SHOO! SHOO!”

He moved slowly onto the bridge, but the cow wouldn’t “shoo.”

She had lost her calf and felt lonely. “Moo!” she said sadly.

Everyone tried to send her away, but she wouldn’t go.

Henry arrived. “What’s this? A cow! I’ll soon settle her. Be off! Be off!”

“Moo!” said the cow.

Henry backed away nervously. “I don’t want to hurt her.”

At the next station, Henry’s Conductor told them about the cow and warned the Signalman that the line was blocked.

“That must be Bluebell,” said the Porter. “Her calf is here, looking for her mother. Percy will take her along.”

At the bridge, Bluebell was very pleased to see her calf again, and the Porter led them away.

“Not a word. Keep it dark,” whispered Gordon and Henry to each other. They felt rather silly. But the story soon spread.

“Well, well, well,” chuckled Edward. “Two big engines afraid of a cow.”

“Afraid? Rubbish!” said Gordon. “We didn’t want the poor thing to hurt herself by running up against us. We stopped so as not to excite her. You see what I mean, my dear Edward.”

“Yes, Gordon,” said Edward.

Gordon felt somehow that Edward saw only too well!