Time Force: The Great Christmas Caper

Chapter 17: Hiro Takes a Dip and Down the Mine

Hiro was resting on a siding. Sometimes, he thought, It's really tiring to be such a large and splendid human being, one does have to keep up appearances is so. "Peep, peep, peep, peep! Hello, lazybones!" whistled Antonio. "What cheek!" spluttered Hiro. "That Antonio is too big for his legs. Fancy speaking to me like that. Me who has never had an accident." "Aren't jammed whistles and bursted-out safety valves accidents?" asked Penny, innocently.

"No, indeed! High spirits, might happen to every human being," said Hiro. "But to come off the roads like Antonio did. Well, I ask you. Is that right? Is it decent?" Then, it was Antonio's turn to take the express. Hiro watched him getting ready. "Be careful, Antonio," said Hiro. "You're not pulling the Flying Kipper, now. Mind you keep on the rails today." Antonio went off in a huff, and Hiro yawned and went to sleep. But not for long.

"Wake up, Hiro," said Baymax. "A special trolley's coming and we're going to pull it." "Is it trolleys or minecarts?" asked Hiro. "Minecarts," said Baymax. "Minecarts!" said Hiro. "Puh-huh!" Hiro's fire was slow to start, so Luca and Mei had to push Hiro to the turntable to get him facing the right way. "I won't go! I won't go!" grumbled Hiro. "Don't be silly, don't be silly," said Luca and Mei. At last, Hiro was on the turntable. The movement had shaken his fire. It was now burning nicely and making steam. Hiro was cross and didn't care what he did. He waited till the turntable was halfway round.

"I'll show them, I'll show them," he hissed. He moved slowly forward to jam the turntable, but he couldn't stop himself and slithered into the ditch. "Ooosh!" he hissed. "Get me out! Get me out!" "Not a hope," said Luca. "You're stuck, you silly, great human being, don't you understand that?" added Mei. Then, Luca and Mei telephoned Riley Andersen. "So Hiro didn't want to take the special train and ran into a ditch? What's that you say? The special's waiting? Tell Sherman to take it, please. And Hiro? Leave him where he is. We'll get him out, later," she said.

On the other side of the ditch, Mei's besties were chattering. "Oh, doesn't he look silly?" asked Miriam. "They'll never get him out," replied Priya. They began to sing. "Silly old Hiro fell in a ditch, fell in a ditch, fell in a ditch all in the way Monday morning!" Hiro laid in the ditch all day. Oh, dear, he thought. I shall never get out. But that evening, they lifted Hiro and made a rope of sleepers under his feet to keep him from the mud. Strong ropes were fastened onto his hips, and Margo and Sherman, pulling him hard, managed to bring him to safety.

Hiro was finally pulled to safety, and we saw a closeup of his feet, and finally a shot of him on the turntable. Later that night, Hiro crawled back to the Time Force Headquarters, a sadder and wiser human being. Hiro wished now that he hadn't been so silly after falling into that ditch from not long ago.

One day, Sherman was at the junction when Hiro shuffled in with some minecarts. "Pheeeew!" remarked Sherman. "What a funny smell! Can you smell a smell?" "I can't smell a smell," said Margo. "A funny, musty, sort of, smell," said Sherman. "No one noticed it till you did," grunted Hiro. "It must be yours." Not long ago, he had fallen into a dirty ditch. Sherman enjoyed teasing him about it. "Margo, Edith, Agnes, Penny, do you know what I think it is? It's ditchwater."

Before Hiro could answer, Sherman walked away. Margo, Edith, Agnes, and Penny could hardly believe their ears. "He's dreadfully rude, I feel quite ashamed." "I feel quite ashamed, he's dreadfully rude." "He's dreadfully rude, I feel quite ashamed." "I feel quite ashamed, he's dreadfully rude." And to Sherman, they said, "You mustn't be rude, you make us ashamed!" But Sherman didn't care a bit. "That was funny, that was funny," he chuckled. He felt very pleased with himself. Margo, Edith, Agnes, and Penny were deeply shocked. They had great respect for Hiro Hamada, the big human being.

Sherman left the girls at the station and went off to a mine for some minecarts. Long ago, miners digging for lead had made tunnels under the ground. Their roofs are strong enough to hold up minecarts, but not the weight of humans. A large notice warns them not to enter the area. Danger: Humans must not pass this board! Sherman stopped by the board to look at it.

Silly old board, thought Sherman. He had often tried to pass it but had never succeeded, but this morning, he had made a plan. Antonio went to throw the switch. Now for my plan, thought Sherman. Bumping the minecarts fiercely, he jerked Antonio off the footplate and followed them into the siding. "Come back!" yelled Antonio. A loud splash was heard as Sherman fell into the mine. "Fire and smoke!" said Sherman. "I'm sunk!" And he was. "Oh, dear," he said, "I am a silly human." "And a very naughty one, too. I saw you!" said Mr. Peabody. "Please get me out, I won't do it again," begged Sherman. "I'm not sure," said Mr. Peabody. "We can't lift you out with a crane. The ground's not firm enough. Hmmm, let me see. I wonder if Hiro can pull you out." "Yes, Mr. Peabody," said Sherman. But he didn't want to meet Hiro just yet.

"Down the mine, is he? Ha! Ha! Ha!" laughed Hiro. "What a joke! Peep, peep! Little Sherman, we'll have you out in no time at all!" Strong ropes were fastened onto Sherman's hips. Then, Mr. Peabody gave the order. "Are you ready? Heave!" Hiro started getting his strength to pull Sherman out of the mine. It was a lot harder than they all thought, at last, Sherman was free.

"I'm sorry I was cheeky," said Sherman. "That's alright, Sherman, you made me laugh," replied Hiro. "I'm in disgrace." "So am I," said Sherman. "Why, so you are, Sherman," said Hiro. "Shall we form an alliance, you help me and I'll help you?" "Sounds good," agreed Sherman. "Good, that's settled," grumbled Hiro. And hand-in-hand, the allies walked back to the Time Force Headquarters.