Bulls Eyes

"Bulls always run away if you toot and look at them in the eye, eh, Daisy?"

- Toby teasing Daisy

Bulls Eyes is the twenty-first episode of the fourth series. It is based on the story of the same name from the Railway Series book Branch Line Engines.

Plot
Toby's cowcatchers and side plates are designed to prevent animals from getting hurt if they stray onto the line, but Daisy thinks they look ridiculous and believes that Toby is simply afraid of getting hurt himself. She tells Toby that any animal - even something as big as a bull - will always run away if she toots her horn and looks them in the eye, despite Toby's insistence that they will not. Later that day, Daisy is asked by a policeman to guide a stray bull back to his farmer. She sets off, eager to prove to Toby that she can handle bulls, despite the fact she has never actually encountered one before.

Although not usually very fierce, the bull, named Champion, had been cross that morning, which resulted in him crashing through the fence and sliding down the valley onto the line. Just as he begins to eat the nearby grass, Daisy arrives and toots for him to move. Despite several attempts, Champion ignores her and continues eating. Eventually, he notices Daisy and advances curiously towards her. Daisy becomes unnerved, as the bull is not running away as she expected him to. Her driver assures her that Champion is harmless, but Daisy is worried that she might be hurt (though she tries to hide this). Champion then sniffs at Daisy, which proves to be the last straw as Daisy retreats back to the station.

Toby soon learns about what happened and goes to shoo Champion away himself, although not without reminding a now silent and embarrassed Daisy that a bull should always run away if they look one in the eye. Although Toby's bell and whistle prove ineffective against the still-grazing bull, he eventually retreats after Toby blows steam at him and reunites with the farmer further down the line. Later that evening, Daisy feels exhausted but glad that her day's work is over. Some boys at the platform then tease her with some "Bull's Eyes" sweets. Annoyed, Daisy shrugs off the joke and leaves to rest in her shed.

Characters

 * Toby
 * Daisy
 * Champion
 * The Dryaw Policeman
 * The Little Boys
 * James
 * Percy
 * Stephen Hatt
 * Jem Cole

Locations

 * Elsbridge
 * Hackenbeck
 * Hackenbeck Shed
 * Hackenbeck Tunnel

Trivia

 * Going by production order, this is the twenty-second episode of the fourth series and the 100th episode of the show.
 * Despite its placement in the fourth series, this episode takes place between the second series episodes, Daisy and Percy's Predicament, which is where it was set in the Railway Series, as the narrator said Daisy had never met a bull.
 * Although the US dub was never released on DVD, a clip from the episode was shown on Sir Topham Hatt's Scrapbook bonus feature on Salty's Secret, New Friends for Thomas, Thomas and the Special Letter, Henry and the Elephant, and Engine Friends DVDs. The full episode was finally released for digital download on Amazon in 2016.
 * A photograph from this episode was released as a Royal Mail stamp in 2011 to mark the Reverend Awdry's Centenary.
 * Bulls-Eyes are a popular candy treat from Baltimore Maryland; they are caramel round with a vanilla center.
 * The sweets appear to be black and white beads.
 * This episode aired alongside the second series episode, Percy's Predicament on Storytime with Thomas.
 * This episode marks a few things for Daisy:
 * Her first speaking role since the second series episode, Percy's Predicament.
 * Her last appearance until the special Calling All Engines!
 * Her last speaking role until the special Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure.
 * Her last appearance in an episode until the nineteenth series episode, Thomas the Babysitter.
 * Her last episode as a main character, leading role, and speaking role in an episode until the twentieth series episode, Ryan and Daisy.
 * Her last speaking role in the model series.
 * This marks the first time Toby's whistle is heard. It is Percy's, but two steps lower-pitched.
 * Daisy has BoCo's original horn sound. It is Diesel's, but in a lower pitch. BoCo would regain it in the next episode until his last appearance.
 * This is the last episode to reuse music from the Clearwater Features era with the Roland Jupiter 6 synthesizer. This only happens during Daisy's theme.
 * This episode marks the only episode of two things:
 * Daisy's only speaking role in the fourth series.
 * The only Daisy centric episode featured on Shining Time Station albeit on the spinoff Mr. Conductor's Thomas Tales as Rick Siggelkow had no involvement in the spinoff.
 * The horse and cart rider are based on an illustration from The Little Old Engine. A large scale figure was also made but went unused in the episode. The large scale body was reused for the Mid Sodor Manager in Bye George! and The Photographer's seated figure from the seventh to tenth series.

Goofs

 * In the Hindi dub, Michael Angelis is credited as the narrator, even though it was re-dubbed.
 * After James puffs past Toby with coaches, the camera cuts to Daisy for about five seconds and then cuts back to Toby, but James is nowhere to be seen.
 * Daisy's left eye is slightly off after she passes the level crossing.
 * When the policeman warns Daisy about Champion, the guard does not have a mouth.
 * When Champion looks around, a small box can be seen at the entrance of the tunnel.
 * Daisy's eye-mechanism is visible in several shots:
 * After the policeman tells Daisy about Champion.
 * When Champion sniffs at her.
 * After Daisy says, "Keep your old bull's eyes!" she turns at the points, but in the shot after that, she is turning again.
 * During the opening scenes at Elsbridge, Daisy has a Co-Bo wheel arrangement (thought to be BoCo's chassis).
 * When Toby meets Daisy in her shed, her face is falling off.
 * When Toby comes out of the tunnel, his eyes are wonky.

Quotes

 * Daisy: You're afraid of getting hurt yourself.
 * Toby: I'm not!
 * Daisy: Y(es, y)ou are. I don't have stupid cowcatchers, but I'm not frightened. I'd just toot, and they'd all go away.
 * Toby: But they don't.
 * Daisy: They would with me. Animals run if they toot and look them in the eye.
 * Toby: Even bulls?
 * Daisy: Even bulls.
 * Narrator: Daisy had never met a bull. But she purred away quite unconcerned.




 * Daisy: Pooh! It's easy. I just toot and they all stand aside. Poor little Toby. I'm sorry he's frightened.




 * Policeman: There's a bull on the line. Please persuade it to return to the farmer.
 * Daisy: [excitedly] Now, I'll show Toby how to manage bulls.




 * Champion: [after having escaped his field and saw grass] Now for my breakfast.
 * Daisy: Ooooo! Go on. [Champion is too busy eating but tries again] Ooooo!
 * [again, it doesn't work]
 * Daisy: This is all wrong. How can I look him in the eye if he won't turn around?
 * Champion: [turns around, moves] Moo!
 * Daisy: Ooh, oh! Why doesn't he run away?
 * Daisy's Driver: Go on, Daisy. He's harmless.
 * Daisy: Yes. You know he's harmless and I know he's harmless. But does he know. Look at his horns. If I bump into him, he might hurt, me, them. The farmer wouldn't like that.
 * (Champion sniffs at Daisy in the face; proving to be the final straw, Daisy reverses)
 * Daisy: Oooofh!
 * Narrator: And that was that. Daisy did no more.




 * Toby: Bulls always run if you toot and look them in the eye. Eh, Daisy?
 * Narrator: Daisy stayed silent.
 * Toby: Ah, well. We can live and learn. I better chase him away for you I suppose.




 * Boy: Look, Daisy. I got some sweets, they're called "Bull's Eyes"! I like them. Do you?
 * Daisy: Aw, keep your old "Bull's Eyes"! [leaves to rest in her shed]
 * Narrator: And she/Daisy scuttled to her shed.

Merchandise

 * My Thomas Story Library - Daisy
 * Magazine Stories - Daisy and the Bull
 * Royal Mail Stamp

Home Media Releases
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UK

 * Story and Song Collection
 * The Complete Series 4

DVD Boxsets

 * Classic Collection

AUS

 * Thomas and the Special Letter and other stories (Australian VHS)
 * Story and Song Collection
 * The Complete Series 4

DVD Packs

 * Complete Series 1-10
 * Classic Collection
 * Series Three and Series Four Double Pack

NZ

 * Thomas and the Special Letter and other stories
 * Story and Song Collection

US

 * Thomas Meets the Queen and Other Stories
 * Thomas & Friends Classic Volume 4

CAN

 * Thomas Meets the Queen and Other Stories

WAL

 * Help and 15 other stories

JPN

 * New Thomas the Tank Engine Vol.2
 * The Complete Works of Thomas the Tank Engine 2 Vol.3
 * I Will Not Loose to the Diesel

KOR

 * Thomas and Friends Volume 6
 * For the Story of Determination

PHL

 * Thomas and Friends Collection
 * Thomas and the Special Letter

NOR

 * On New Adventures

DK

 * The Brave Engine and Other Stories

GER

 * No Game Without A Ball and 4 Other Adventures
 * Thomas and His Friends Vol. 9
 * Thomas Animal Adventures
 * Who Brings the Post?

SVN

 * James and the Trouble with Trees

SWE

 * The Engine and the Gremlins

UKR

 * A Train Thomas and Friends
 * Thomas and Friends - Series 4

NL

 * The Greatest Stories: The Adventures of Edward, Toby and the Diesels
 * Thomas and the Special Letter

ITA

 * Here Comes the Queen

GRC

 * A Day at the Station

DVD Boxsets

 * 3 DVD Boxset 2

CHN

 * Thomas and Friends Season 1-4

MYS

 * Thomas and the Special Letter and Other Thomas Adventures
 * Thomas and the Special Letter and Other Adventures

THA

 * Thomas and Friends - Volume 15

HK

 * Thomas and Friends Volume 10
 * Thomas and Friends Volume 9

TWN
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 * Thomas and Friends Volume 2

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