Sally and Scruffy

Sally’s best friend is Scruffy.  He has a thick warm coat, four paws, a curly tail and a smiley face.

Sally and Scruffy love being busy.  Trouble is they always get dirty.

“Stay clean, Sally,” Mum said. “Please.”

Sally said, “Okay. We will do our best.” She went to find Scruffy.

“Today, Scruffy we are going to find Pirates treasure,” Sally said. She began to dig in the middle of the vegetable patch. She used her red shovel. Scruf used his paws.

“Keep going, it is here somewhere.” she panted.   By teatime, they discovered: an old smelly sock, a bone, and a blue glass bottle.

Sally peeped through the glass and said, “You are blue, Scruffy.”

“Woof,” he said. Sally looked at Scruffy.  He was dirty from nose to tail.

“This means a bath, Scruffy,” Sally whispered.  She looked at her arms, she was dirty too.

“Let’s hide.” They ran indoors and hid under Sally’s bed. “Mum won’t find us,” she said.

Mum did.  Scruffy was washed first.  He looked sad and wet when he was clean.

Sally was next. “Wash behind your ears,” Mum said. “Sally, someday…you might stay clean.”

“Tomorrow Scruffy we will surprise Mum. We will be clean all day.” Sally whispered.

Sally decided Gran would help.   Gran was the cleanest person for miles around. Her house shone in the sunlight. Dad said Gran’s garden was squeaky clean.  Sally wondered if the squeaky noise was made by the mice playing in the hedge.

“No chasing mice Scruffy, today we will stay clean.” She said.

They walked next door to Gran’s house. She was in the kitchen baking gingerbread men.

Sally helped. Scruffy sat on a stool and watched. When the gingerbread men were baking in the oven. Gran said, “Ahh Sally you’re wearing a lot of mixture on your face, your clothes and your shoes. Scruffy has it on his fur.”

Sally scowled all the way home.  She looked grumpy during and after her bath. “I hate baths but today is not so bad because we have gingerbread men to eat after our bath.”