Hello there! I’m so glad you’re here. Today, we’re going to have a fun time together. I’m going to tell you a story about a dog named Harry. Harry is a very special dog who loves to play and have adventures. Are you ready to hear about Harry the Dirty Dog? Let’s go!
Harry is a white dog with black spots. He loves to do many things, but there’s one thing he doesn’t like at all—taking a bath! One day, when Harry heard the water running for his bath, he decided to hide the scrubbing brush in the backyard and run away to have some fun.
Harry ran and played all day long. He played where people were fixing the street and got very dirty. He played at the railroad and got even dirtier. He played tag with other dogs and got dirtier still. Then, he slid down a coal chute and became the dirtiest of all! Harry was so dirty that he looked like a black dog with white spots instead of a white dog with black spots!
After all that playing, Harry started to feel tired and hungry. He missed his family and wondered if they missed him too. So, he decided to go back home. When he got there, he sat by the back door, hoping his family would recognize him.
Harry tried to show his family that he was their Harry by doing all his best tricks. He flip-flopped, rolled over, danced, and sang. But his family didn’t recognize him because he was so dirty! They thought he was a strange dog.
Just when Harry was about to give up, he remembered the scrubbing brush he had hidden. He dug it up and ran into the house with it in his mouth. He jumped into the bathtub and begged for a bath. The children were so excited and gave Harry the soapiest bath ever!
As soon as Harry was clean, his family shouted with joy, “It’s Harry! It’s Harry!” Harry wagged his tail happily. He was so glad to be home and clean again. After dinner, Harry fell asleep in his favorite spot, dreaming of all the fun he had.
Did you enjoy Harry’s story? I hope you did! Just like Harry, my friend Ringo, a shelter puppy, found a happy home too. It’s always nice to have a happy ending. Thank you for listening to Harry’s adventure!
Spot the Difference: Create a simple drawing activity where children can color two pictures of Harry—one when he is clean and one when he is dirty. Encourage them to notice and discuss the differences between the two pictures. Ask them questions like, “What do you see that’s different about Harry when he’s dirty?” and “How do you think Harry feels when he’s clean versus when he’s dirty?” This will help them understand the concept of cleanliness and transformation.
Harry’s Adventure Map: Provide children with a blank map and some stickers or stamps. Ask them to create a map of Harry’s adventure, marking all the places he visited, like the street, the railroad, and the coal chute. Encourage them to use their imagination to add other places Harry might have visited. Discuss with them why Harry got dirty in each place and what he might have learned from his adventure.
Bath Time Experiment: Set up a small water play station with toy animals or dolls. Let the children pretend to give them a bath using sponges and soap. Ask them to observe what happens to the toys when they are washed. Discuss questions like, “Why do we need to take baths?” and “How does being clean make us feel?” This hands-on activity will help them connect the story to real-life experiences.
Welcome to Storyline Online, brought to you by the Screen Actors Guild Foundation. I’m Betty White, and I think we’re going to have a good time today! I’m going to be reading you a book. I love animals, especially dogs, so today, I’m going to read you a story about Harry the Dirty Dog, written by Gene Zion, with pictures by Margaret Bloy Graham.
Harry was a white dog with black spots who liked everything except getting a bath. One day, when he heard the water running in the tub, he took the scrubbing brush and buried it in the backyard, then ran away from home. He played where they were fixing the street and got very dirty. He played at the railroad and got even dirtier. He played tag with other dogs and became dirtier still. He slid down a coal chute and got the dirtiest of all. In fact, he changed from a white dog with black spots to a black dog with white spots.
Although there were many other things to do, Harry began to wonder if his family thought he had really run away. He felt tired and hungry too, so without stopping on the way, he ran back home. When Harry got to his house, he crawled through the fence and sat looking at the back door. One of the family looked out and said, “There’s a strange dog in the backyard. By the way, has anyone seen Harry?” When Harry heard this, he tried very hard to show them he was Harry. He started to do all his old, clever tricks. He flip-flopped and rolled over. He danced and sang. He did these tricks over and over again, but everyone shook their heads and said, “Oh no, it couldn’t be Harry.”
Harry gave up and walked slowly toward the gate, but suddenly he stopped. He ran to a corner of the garden and started to dig furiously. Soon he jumped away from the hole, barking short, happy barks. He’d found the scrubbing brush! Carrying it in his mouth, he ran into the house. Up the stairs he dashed, with the family following close behind. He jumped into the bathtub and sat up begging, with the scrubbing brush in his mouth, a trick he certainly had never done before. “This little doggy wants a bath!” cried the little girl, and her father said, “Why don’t you and your brother give him one?”
Harry’s bath was the soapiest one he’d ever had. It worked like magic. As soon as the children started to scrub, they began shouting, “Mummy! Daddy! Look, look! Come quick! It’s Harry! It’s Harry! It’s Harry!” Harry wagged his tail and was very, very happy. His family combed and brushed him lovingly, and he became once again a white dog with black spots. It was wonderful to be home.
After dinner, Harry fell asleep in his favorite place, happily dreaming of how much fun it had been getting dirty. He slept so soundly that he didn’t even feel the scrubbing brush he’d hidden under his pillow.
Did you like that? Well, you’re going to like this even better. This is my friend Ringo. I just met him, but he’s a shelter puppy who found a wonderful forever home, so he has a happy ending just as Harry the Dirty Dog had a happy ending. Thank you.
