Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends™

Based on The Railway Series by The Reverend W Awdry.

© 2009 Gullane (Thomas) LLC.

Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends and Thomas & Friends are trademarks of Gullane (Thomas) Limited. HIT and the HIT Entertainment logo are trademarks of HIT Entertainment Limited.

All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc., New York, and in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto.

Bright and Early Books and colophon and Random House and colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

Visit us on the Web!

www.thomasandfriends.com

www.randomhouse.com/kids/thomas

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Stubbs, Tommy. Fast train, slow train / illustrated by Tommy Stubbs. — 1st ed. p. cm. — (Bright and early books)

“Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends created by Britt Allcroft, based on The Railway Series by The Reverend W Awdry.”

Summary: In this version of the “Tortoise and the Hare” fable, two train engines compete in a race.

eISBN: 978-0-375-98620-8

[1. Stories in rhyme. 2. Railroad trains—Fiction. 3. Racing—Fiction. 4. Pride and vanity—Fiction.] I. Awdry, W. Railway series. II. Title. PZ8.3.S9223Fas 2009      [E]—dc22      2008016717

Random House Children’s Books supports the First Amendment and celebrates the right to read.

v3.1

Contents

Title Page

Copyright

First Page

Other Thomas & Friends e-books

James is off to Ballahoo.

Edward has to go there, too.

James thinks that he’s so fine—

the fastest racer on the line.

James says he wants to race.

Edward makes a funny face.

James sets off.

Go, go, go!

Edward follows—

so, so slow.

James races. Clickety-clack.

Edward chugs on down the track.

Look! A cow! James races past.

He’s a racer, racing fast.

Edward slows down for the cow.

Does she need his help somehow?

Look! A calf is on the track.

Edward stops to get it back.

James races. Clickety-clack.

Edward chugs on down the track.

Look! It’s Percy!

Stuck on the track.

James races on.

Edward holds back!

Edward helps a friend in need.

Racing James keeps the lead.

Bertie is stuck.

He is out of gas.

He needs help.

James races past.

Edward slows and

then he stops.

He takes some shoppers

to the shops.

James thinks he is the best.

He’s way ahead. He can rest.

He sees that he is bright and clean

in his reflection in the stream.

James thinks he is the better train.

Isn’t he a little vain?

James does not see

Edward chug past.

But now it is James

who is the last.

Edward gets to Ballahoo.

He is slow and Really Useful, too.

James the racer lost the race.

Vanity won him second place.

Christmas in Wellsworth

Easter in Harwick

Halloween in Anopha

James and the Red Balloon

Misty Island Rescue

The Special Delivery

Steam Engine Stories

Stuck in the Mud*

Thomas and the Shooting Star

Thomas’ Christmas Delivery

Thomas-saurus Rex

Track Stars!

Trouble in the Tunnel*

*A STEP INTO READING® leveled reader