0:13:50 > 0:13:57.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09Now tap-dance!
0:14:10 > 0:14:14Oh. Erm, I know. Sing!
0:14:17 > 0:14:20Oh, hello. I'm Lee.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23I was just trying to teach my dog some new tricks.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27Mind you, I don't think I've ever seen a dog tap-dance or sing.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29Have you?
0:14:29 > 0:14:34But the dog in tonight's story can do lots of things.
0:14:34 > 0:14:39The story is by GN Hargreaves, and it's called Douglas.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45Now, this is a story about a dog,
0:14:45 > 0:14:49not just any old run-of-the-mill, everyday, ordinary dog,
0:14:49 > 0:14:53but an extraordinary dog, a dog in a billion,
0:14:53 > 0:14:57a dog called Douglas.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59When other dogs chased balls,
0:14:59 > 0:15:03Douglas would sit inside and sort through his stamp collection.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06When other dogs lapped up water and chewed on a bone,
0:15:06 > 0:15:09Douglas would have tea and cucumber sandwiches.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13He didn't go for walkies. He would sooner go out
0:15:13 > 0:15:14in his shiny red car.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16And that's not all.
0:15:16 > 0:15:21Douglas could play the tuba. He could cycle up the tallest mountain.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23And he could ski down the steepest slope.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26Douglas could do anything. What a dog!
0:15:28 > 0:15:32But I'll let you into a secret. There was one thing he couldn't do,
0:15:32 > 0:15:36one thing he desperately wanted to do.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38He couldn't wag his tail.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41You see, to wag your tail, you need to know how to have fun.
0:15:41 > 0:15:46But Douglas didn't know how to have fun. Not at all. Not one bit.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48Wherever he went, people would jeer.
0:15:48 > 0:15:54"What a bore! What a drag! He's no fun! His tail won't wag!"
0:15:54 > 0:15:58Poor Douglas. This made him feel very glum. Very glum indeed.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01One day, he began to cry.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05Two big tears rolled down his cheeks and splashed on the ground.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08Plop! Plop!
0:16:08 > 0:16:12"Oh, I wish I knew how to wag my tail," he sobbed.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15Suddenly, he heard a voice,
0:16:15 > 0:16:17a peculiar, squeaky sort of voice.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21"Cheer up, fella!" said a bird in a tree.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24"I'm Basil. Who are you?"
0:16:25 > 0:16:28"Douglas," the gloomy dog sniffed.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32"Here, borrow my hanky," said Basil,
0:16:32 > 0:16:35"and tell me why you're so down in the dumps."
0:16:35 > 0:16:38Douglas told Basil all about his problem.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42"That's serious," said Basil.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46"A dog who can't wag his tail? We'll have to do something."
0:16:46 > 0:16:49"But what?" asked Douglas.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52"You could try having some fun," suggested Basil.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56"Proper tail-wagging, ball-chasing, tummy-tickling,
0:16:56 > 0:16:58"giggly-wiggly-squiggly fun."
0:16:58 > 0:17:01So Basil tried to persuade Douglas to chase a bouncy ball.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03"Fetch," cried Basil.
0:17:03 > 0:17:08"I'd rather have a game of golf," replied Douglas.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12Next, Basil tried to take him for a walk. "Walkies!"
0:17:12 > 0:17:17"Fiddlesticks. Where's the fun in that? I've never walked anywhere."
0:17:17 > 0:17:20"How about chasing cats?" asked Basil.
0:17:20 > 0:17:25"Boring!" said Douglas. "Let's play chess."
0:17:25 > 0:17:29"You just don't know how to have fun," said Basil.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33"But I can do everything else," boasted Douglas.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36"I can read, I can swim, I can ski.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40"Why, I'm sure I could even fly if I put my mind to it."
0:17:40 > 0:17:44"A flying dog?!" spluttered Basil.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48"That's as ridiculous as a barking bird."
0:17:48 > 0:17:51"I don't see why," said Douglas.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55"Look, I can even beat you at chess. Checkmate."
0:17:55 > 0:18:01Basil thought about it for a moment, and then he smiled.
0:18:01 > 0:18:07With a twinkle in his eye, he said, "Do you really think you could fly?"
0:18:07 > 0:18:10"Of course," replied Douglas.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13"Well, that might be fun. Certainly funny,
0:18:13 > 0:18:17"in which case, we'll have to find you a tree, somewhere high."
0:18:17 > 0:18:20So they searched for a tree - not just any tree,
0:18:20 > 0:18:23but the tallest tree in the wood.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27"Now, that is what I call a whopper!" said Basil,
0:18:27 > 0:18:29pointing to a huge tree
0:18:29 > 0:18:33that appeared to soar into the sky and touch the clouds.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35Douglas began to climb up it.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38He climbed and climbed, up and up and up,
0:18:38 > 0:18:42higher and higher and higher.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45And then he climbed some more, until he reached the top.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49Douglas crept along the branch
0:18:49 > 0:18:51and looked down at the tiny houses below.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54The fur on the back of his neck stood up.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57His heart went thump-thump-thump.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01Douglas drew a deep breath, closed his eyes
0:19:01 > 0:19:04and took one giant step forward.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07He flapped his paws up and down.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10But nothing happened.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13And then Douglas fell.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16And he fell. And then he fell some more.
0:19:16 > 0:19:17Thump!
0:19:17 > 0:19:22Douglas landed on a sheep and bounced - boing! - into a bush.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25"Are you all right?" cried Basil.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28"No!" snapped Douglas, picking a twig from his fur.
0:19:28 > 0:19:33"Your paws were flapping all over the place!" chuckled the bird.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37"Well, I suppose it was rather silly," said Douglas.
0:19:37 > 0:19:44"Silly?!" hooted Basil. "I thought it was ridiculously preposterous."
0:19:44 > 0:19:47And then the most amazing thing happened.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50Douglas smiled.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52And then the smile became a grin.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56And the grin became a chuckle, and the chuckle became a laugh,
0:19:56 > 0:20:01a big, booming, hilarious ha-ha-ha-hee!
0:20:01 > 0:20:04And can you guess what happened next?
0:20:04 > 0:20:08That's right. His tail began to wag.
0:20:08 > 0:20:13"My, oh, my!" cheeped Basil. "Your tail! It's wagging!"
0:20:13 > 0:20:18"Gosh!" Douglas laughed. "Oh-ho, it does look funny."
0:20:18 > 0:20:20That wasn't all.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24Douglas's tail started to wag faster and faster and faster still.
0:20:24 > 0:20:29It was going so fast, it looked just like a speeding, whirling propeller.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31And then, suddenly, incredibly,
0:20:31 > 0:20:34Douglas began to lift up into the air.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38Up and up he went, higher and higher.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40And higher still!
0:20:40 > 0:20:46"Look! Look!" squawked Basil. "You're flying! A flying dog!
0:20:46 > 0:20:51"Whoever heard of such a thing? This is as ridiculous as...as..."
0:20:52 > 0:20:56"A barking bird?" suggested Douglas.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59"Woof! Woof!" said Basil.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03And that story was called Douglas.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06Who would have thought, a flying dog?
0:21:06 > 0:21:10- I'm certain my dog can't fly. - Woof! Woof!
0:21:10 > 0:21:13But he says he can bark and wag his tail.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16And he's very good at walkies. Speaking of which,
0:21:16 > 0:21:20it's time for me to take him for a walk before he goes to bed.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23Are you ready to go to bed?
0:21:23 > 0:21:28Well, sweet dreams. And maybe you'll dream about flying dogs.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30I'll see you soon for another story.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33Night-night.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36Now, where did I put that lead?
0:21:40 > 0:21:42Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd