Gloria's Bath

"Take a bath Gloria," said her father.

"OK," said Gloria.

But she never did.

And she grew dirtier... and dirtier... and dirtier.

She began to leave footprints everywhere she went. When her relatives came to visit, she gave them dirty kisses and muddy hugs. And her friends always found her when playing hide and go seek.

"Take a bath Gloria," said her family.

"Take a bath Gloria," said her friends.

"OK," said Gloria.

But still she wouldn't.

Tiny flowers began to sprout through the dirt in her skin. But Gloria didn't mind.

Finally all her relatives and her family and her mother and father and her pet dog, Bubbles, walked up to Gloria's room, opened the door and said, "TAKE A BATH!"

"OK," said Gloria. "You don't have to shout."

So she took her bear and her book and hopped into the tub.

And scrubbed...and scrubbed...and scrubbed.

She scrubbed her knees and her elbows.

She scrubbed her teeth and her toes.

She scrubbed underneath her armpits and behind her ears.

Until she was completely and totally clean.

But still she kept scrubbing.

And she became lighter...and lighter...and lighter.

Until she was completely invisible.

And then finally she stopped and called to her parents.

"I'm clean!" she yelled, 'Come and see!"

But they couldn't.

"Where are you Gloria?" said her mother.

"Where are you Gloria?" said her father.

"Right here," called Gloria.

But they couldn't find her. She had completely disappeared.

For the next few days, Gloria always won at hide and go seek.

But her relatives couldn't find her to give her hugs and kisses.

And worst of all, neither could her father or mother.

Her parents cried... and cried... and cried.

"It's our fault," said her mother.

"We should have never made you take that bath," said her father.

"It's hopeless," everyone said. "We'll never see Gloria again."

But Gloria knew just what to do.

She went outside and lay down in the dirtiest, wettest, muddiest patch of ground she could find.

She rolled...and rolled...and rolled.

Until she was dirtier than she'd ever been.

And then she walked back into her house.

She looked just like the old Gloria. Happy, smiling, and very dirty.

Her mother gave her a giant hug. Her father gave her a giant kiss.

"Don't ever take a bath again!" said her mother.

"We forbid it," said her father.

"OK," said Gloria.

And she never did.