Skarloey doesn't like the Wharf. It's a big noisy place and he doesn't know anybody's name. The troublesome trucks make Skarloey jump and James teases him for being a 'scaredy engine'. Skarloey leaves and worries that he is a scaredy engine. On his way to collect a prize pig, he helps Rusty cross a rickety old bridge. Then he helps Duncan cross some flooded tracks. And finally saves Rheneas from being hit by a falling log. Rheneas is surprised that Skarloey still feels scaredy and points out all the brave things that he has just done. Skarloey realizes that Rheneas is right. He returns to the Wharf, and this time he's not scaredy at all! Even James is impressed! It is winter and Thomas is collecting timber for Farmer McColl's roof. At the docks Thomas and Percy see a group of children playing with a large snowman balloon. A gust of wind attaches the balloon to Thomas's buffers. The balloon follows Thomas all over the Island of Sodor, but Thomas doesn't know why. Everywhere he goes, people try to tell Thomas about the balloon, but he's too worried to listen. He's also too worried to do his work properly and only collects one load of timber for Farmer McColl. When Thomas realizes that the balloon was attached to his buffers he feels very silly, but relieved to have got to the bottom of the balloon mystery!
