Air date: February 25th, 1992 (UK), December 24th, 1991 (US)
Adapted from: Henry the Green Engine, "Percy and the Trousers"
It is a very cold winter morning on the Island of Sodor, with Thomas and Percy in the sheds feeling the brunt of it. Thomas complains that their firelighter is late, but Percy tells him that the cold actually woke them up early. As wind and snow make the two engines even colder, the two decide to take their minds off the weather by talking about warm things in hopes that they will feel less cold as a result. Percy lists off some things known for keeping away the cold and his mind soon turns to scarves. Thomas jokes that Percy needs a nice warm scarf around his funnel, but while he is only joking Percy thinks happily about how warm a scarf would be until the firelighter finally arrives.
The Fat Controller is much warmer that morning, as he enjoys hot porridge for breakfast while looking forward to taking some visitors on a tour of the island. He tells his wife that he has pressed his best trousers and will put them in his trunk ready to be changed into when it is time for photographs. He then leaves to catch his train.
Percy is soon hard at work, still thinking about scarves which is not helped by seeing one on everybody. He complains about his cold funnel to Henry, telling him he wants a scarf. Henry tells Percy that engines do not wear scarves, but Percy retorts that Henry cannot because his funnel is too small. Henry is furious at being insulted, but Percy puffs away still fuming over wanting a scarf before he can answer, leaving the bigger engine to scoff it off as he prepares to pull the special train.
At the station, it is nearly time for the photographs and the Fat Controller is waiting impatiently for his trousers which are in a trunk being carried on a baggage trolley across the line. The two porters pulling the trolley walk backwards to ensure nothing falls off, but they are also unable to see what is coming. Percy, still feeling cheeky, arrives at the station and his driver shuts off steam as usual. Percy decides to startle the coaches by coming in as quietly as possible. However, he is so quiet that the porters do not hear him either. Percy does not stop until it is too late, as he crushes the trolley and sends the luggage and a crate of jam flying into the air. The jam ends up splattering across Percy, the passengers and the Fat Controller. Meanwhile the Fat Controller's hat lands on Percy's lamp iron and his best trousers end up wrapping themselves around Percy's funnel. Everyone is very angry, especially the Fat Controller who seizes his top hat before discovering what has become of his trousers making him even angrier. He tells Percy that now they will have to pay the passengers for their ruined clothes and warns him to never play tricks on the coaches again. Percy, still covered with jam and wearing the trousers, feels very silly, embarrassed, and humiliated after being scolded, and quickly leaves to be cleaned.
Percy soon encounters James, who jokes that Percy found a 'scarf' after all and runs off to tell Henry the news. That night, Thomas and a clean Percy prepare to go to sleep happy that the firelighter has agreed to arrive early the next morning. Henry arrives, having enjoyed taking the passengers on their tour and feels sorry for Percy but cannot resist a small joke as he mentions the weather is meant to be warmer the next day so there will not be any need for a scarf. Percy assures his friends that he is now well aware that engines do not need scarves but nice warm boilers instead.
Tropes featured in the episode:
- Adaptation Expansion: Of "Percy and the Trousers" from "Henry the Green Engine". Extra footage is padded onto the opening and closing of the story, explaining Percy's reasoning for wanting a scarf, Henry getting a good-natured last laugh, and of course, giving Thomas his cameo appearance.
- Bittersweet Ending: Despite the accident with the jam and The Fat Controller's trousers, Percy soon cheers up after being cleaned and is informed by Henry that the weather will be warmer the next day, playfully adding that he won't need a scarf anymore.
- Bookends: At the beginning, Thomas and Percy are in the sheds, cold and coated with snow all over. At the end, they're back in the sheds, but the snow has melted off.
- Bread, Eggs, Milk, Squick: Percy suggests he and Thomas talk about warm things like sunshine, steam...and firelighters, Thomas puts.
- Cold Turkeys Are Everywhere: When Percy thinks about scarves, it doesn't help that every person on Sodor is wearing one wherever he goes.
- Deadpan Snarker: James.James: Hello, Percy. So you've found a scarf, eh? But legs go in trousers, not funnels.
- Digital Destruction:
- Two outtake shots are mistakenly added to the restored version:
- As Percy passes the canal, the new shot added is too short, so the viewers can see Percy slow down and begin to stop in the middle of the line.
- When Percy pulls up to Henry in the restored version, the clip used is one where Percy misses his mark and stops slightly further up the line rather than right next to Henry. This causes a
Blooper as Percy and Henry are suddenly side by side in the rest of the scene.
- Another issue with the restored version is that the shot of Percy spinning his eyes after he hits the baggage trolley is no longer Undercranked, meaning that the shot runs too long, cutting out the humourous detail that he looks up just before the crates hit him.
- Two outtake shots are mistakenly added to the restored version:
- Disneyfication: While the story is adapted word for word for the large part, an extra scene is padded on with Percy being cleaned and making up with Henry, giving a more upbeat ending.
- The Freelance Shame Squad: James gets a laugh out of Percy's "scarf". Downplayed for Henry, who is more sympathetic, but playfully adds that Percy won't need a scarf tomorrow.
- Imagine Spot: When Percy first starts thinking of wearing a scarf.
- Laser-Guided Karma: In a deleted scene (which can be seen in the "Accidents Will Happen" music video), a Troublesome Truck laughs at Percy for his incident with the baggage trolley, only to have some of the jam splat onto his own face. Considering the trouble the trucks put the engines through (often for little to no reason), that truck had it coming.
- Undercrank: The shot of Percy spinning his eyes after he hits the baggage trolley is sped up in the original version of the episode so that he looks up just before the shot of the crates falling to the ground. This was altered for the restored version.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: When Percy thinks of scarves, Thomas teasingly says that's what he needs, but Percy actually believes him.
- Wanting Is Better Than Having: After the accident, Percy learns that having a scarf was a bad idea.
- Wearing It All Wrong: After Percy crashes into the baggage trolley, Sir Topham Hatt's trousers get tangled around his funnel, making it look like he's wearing a scarf. When James sees this, he tells Percy that legs go in trousers, not funnels.
