“Choo choo?” I suggest to calm the Boy as he bubbles and fusses over seeing everyone leave without him. He calms down immediately as we head into the living room to watch a bit of Thomas and Friends while K, L, and Babcia head to the cinema to watch Frozen.

The intro finishes and Mr. Perkins walks into the engine drivers’ common room at Knapford Station.

“Pan!” cries E.

Ben Forster as Mr. Perkins

Even if I hadn’t known this previously, it would be obvious now that the Boy has been watching this with Babcia. I can see it now, Babcia watching Thomas with the Boy as Mr. Perkins enters.

“O, jest pan!” she would exclaim, “pan” being a general term in Polish for an unknown adult.

And so for the Boy, Mr. Perkins has become simply pan. He’s likely to generalize, though, and while this often results in humorous naming (all small animals are “Bida,” the name of our cat), this time it will actually work out just about right.