Thomas is given the job of transporting a crate containing a very special statue called The Lion of Sodor. However, he thinks his cargo is a real lion, so he decides to take extra care of it. Throughout his journey to Knapford, Thomas decides to make sure that the lion is well fed and comfortable, so he collects syrup from Henry, fish from Edward, and straw from Toby, which are all placed inside the crate. When Thomas arrives at Knapford station, the crate is opened up and everyone is shocked to see the Lion of Sodor in a terrible mess.