Once upon a time, a little Wolf Cub got his furry paws all dirty.
Mum Wolf saw this and said to him:
Sweetheart, wash your paws.
Don't want to, they're fine as they are.
Wolf Cub replied.
Wolf Cub went off for a walk through the bush, and he saw Little Fox sitting in a clearing playing with a ball, reciting a rhyme:
"My bouncy ball so bright and round,
Where are you off to with that bound?
Yellow, red and blue so true,
I can't keep up with you!"
Little Fox, Little Fox, let's play together!
Said Wolf Cub.
Of course, it's more fun with two!
Little Fox was delighted.
But what's this? As soon as Wolf Cub touched the ball, it was covered with marks from his dirty paws.
No, I won't play with you. Your paws are so dirty, you've made my favourite ball all mucky.
Said Little Fox.
Wolf Cub walked on until he reached the creek, where Turtle was floating a white boat on the water and reciting a poem:
"Sailor's cap and rope in hand,
I pull my boat along the sand.
Frogs are hopping at my feet,
Asking me: 'Captain, give us a treat!'"
Seeing Wolf Cub by the creek, Turtle called out to him:
Hey, Wolf Cub, come and play with me!
But as soon as little Wolf Cub picked up the white boat, he got it all dirty because his paws were filthy. He had to give the boat back to Turtle. Wolf Cub felt sad and trudged home with his head down.
Mum, nobody wants to play with me. Why not?
Wolf Cub said, barely holding back tears.
Come here, little one. I'll tell you all about water and soap, and then you'll understand.
And Mum Wolf began to explain.
Why does water wash away dirt? Maybe it just carries it away, like a creek carries a twig? Let's test it. Hold your dirty paws under the tap. Did they get clean?
I'm afraid not. That's because nobody washes like that. When we wash, we always rub one paw against the other. Why? To scrub and scrape off the dirt. Once the dirt is loosened, it's easy for the water to carry it away. But we've forgotten one thing that makes washing much easier. What is it?
Soap!
Wolf Cub answered.
If we washed without soap, we'd always have dirty paws. Soap is dirt's greatest enemy. How does it work? Let's think about it. Which soap cleans better—one that makes lots of bubbles or one that hardly bubbles at all?
Mum Wolf continued.
Probably the one that makes more bubbles.
Wolf Cub replied.
That's right, sweetheart. So it's all about the bubbles! What are bubbles? Look at them carefully. They're made up of tiny soap bubbles that shimmer in the sun—little air balloons with a coating made of water. These bubbles grab and carry away the dirt. The particles stick to the bubbles, and then the bubbles are easy to rinse away.
So soap bubbles aren't just for fun. They really help paws and faces get clean again.
That's right, darling. Now go and wash your paws, and then nobody will call you a mucky pup and everyone will want to play with you.
Mum Wolf told her little one.
Wolf Cub was thrilled:
I get it now! Nobody wants to be mates with someone who's dirty.
And he ran off to wash his furry paws.
Read stories and you'll always know how to stay not only clean but tidy too.
