Showtime! (magazine story)

This article is about 'one of the 2001 magazine stories'. You may be looking for 'the 2001 short rhyming magazine story or the 2011 magazine story'.

“Now do you believe me, Diesel?”

― Daisy

Showtime! is a magazine story.

Plot

A circus has arrived to begin a tour of the island. All of the engines are extremely excited to see circus folk. Daisy is the first engine to see the big top towering above a common and is thrilled to see all sorts of performers going in and out. Daisy has to stop at a nearby signal and her driver calls hello to a waving clown. Daisy then spots three people in bright costumes and watches two of them lock arms while the third springs lightly onto their shoulders and balances upside down. Daisy's driver tells his engine that they are acrobats practising for the show. Daisy is amazed and rushes off to the main station as soon as the signal changes.

Later, in the engine shed, Daisy tells the others about what she had seen. Diesel doesn't believe her, but Thomas does and wishes he could have been there.

The next day, all the engines are still talking about the acrobats as Bertie arrives with them. They have come to the main station to give the Fat Controller some circus posters to hang at his stations. Suddenly, a burst of steam from Gordon blows his guard's scarf up into the air and it lands on the station roof. The guard says he will fetch some ladders, but the acrobats carefully stand on each other's shoulders and are able to retrieve the guard's scarf. The engines are amazed and Daisy asks Diesel if he believes her now.