A Dirty Story brings together the inhabitants of the towns of Neat and Grot. As their names suggest, the inhabitants of Neat take pride in their appearance and keep tidy, well ordered houses. In contrast, the town of Grot is untidy, dirty and inhabited by scruffy people. On the eve of the annual Cleanest Town Competition, the Neats and the Grots take what they consider to be necessary measures to secure success. The outcome is both amusing and educational for children.