Big Belle (2012 magazine story)

Big Belle is a magazine story illustrated using images from the television series.

Plot
Belle works at the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre, but when she first arrived on Sodor, she wanted to make new friends. She especially wanted to meet Toby as she had heard he had a bell just like hers. Thomas told Belle that Toby lives at Arlesdale End and she was soon heading there to meet him.

Toby was scared when he first met Belle. Toby told Belle that he would rather stay in his shed and listen to the birds, but Belle would rather race up Gordon's Hill. Toby hid from Belle in an old siding, but Belle soon found him. Toby tells Belle that he is too old to race and he takes her to the farm. Toby was happy at the farm. Belle then remembered that pigs liked mud and squirts water into their patch of earth. Toby was terrified - he had never seen a water-squirting engine before. He runs off and a hides, but Belle finds him again. Belle asked Toby to go to Maithwaite with her. When they arrived, Belle rang her bell very loudly - scaring both Toby and all of the passengers on the platform. Toby runs away again, leaving Belle by herself. Belle felt very sad; she only wanted to make new friends. She was sure that Toby would not want to be her friend after she had scared him so much. Belle decides to give it one more go and heads back to Arlesdale End.

Once there, Belle hears the birds. She now understands why Toby wanted to listen to them and Toby no longer thinks Belle is scary. Toby asks Belle to accompany him back to the pig farm as he never got to say hello to his animal friends. Once there, he introduces Belle to the pigs. Belle wanted to go back to Maithwaite so that Toby could introduce her to all of his friends there, too. As they pulled into the station, both engines ring their bells gently just to let everyone know they had arrived. This time, no one was scared. Toby introduced Belle to all of his friends and Belle was happy to have finally made friends with Toby.

Characters

 * Toby
 * Belle
 * Thomas
 * The Fireman
 * The Bargeman
 * The Knapford Stationmaster
 * Emily

Locations

 * Knapford
 * Maithwaite
 * Arlesdale End
 * Farmer Trotter's Pig Farm
 * Black Loch
 * Sodor Search and Rescue Centre
 * Toby's Shed
 * Gordon's Hill

Trivia

 * This story is based on the fifteenth series episode of the same name.
 * This story is told in the form of a flashback.