Togo: Children Were Sick and No Plane Could Fly… So the Dogs Ran
Part of: Animal Heroes & Amazing Trees
In January 1925, children in Nome, Alaska, were getting sick, and the medicine was more than 1,000 km away. About 20 mushers and 150 dogs carried it in a relay — and a 12-year-old husky called Togo ran the longest part. Learn five B1 words and 'while + past continuous' with his true story.
Coming 21 November 2026, 3:00 pm New York time
Transcript
Tap a time to jump to that moment. Highlighted words have a meaning: tap them. Words in bold show today's grammar.
In January 1925, children in a small town in Alaska were getting sick.
The medicine was more than 1,000 kilometres away, and planes could not fly in the cold.
So the dogs ran.
This is the story of Togo.
Welcome to brightlivesenglish.com, where we teach real English using real-life stories.
. A is a medicine made from blood that fights a disease.
The was more than 1,000 kilometres away.
. A is a race or a job where one team takes over from another.
About twenty carried the in a .
. A is a person who drives a team of dogs.
Leonhard Seppala was a champion .
. A is a vehicle that slides over snow, pulled by dogs.
Togo led the dogs that pulled Seppala's .
. A is a storm with strong winds and a lot of snow.
Near Nome, a turned over Gunnar Kaasen's .
Now, one pattern: while plus the past continuous.
We use it for something that was happening when something else happened.
The town was waiting.
The dogs ran.
While the town was waiting, the dogs ran.
Ready? Let's begin.
In January 1925, the only doctor in Nome, Alaska, found , a deadly disease that is most dangerous for children.
His old medicine was almost useless.
While the children were getting sicker, he sent messages asking for help.
Ice had closed the port for the winter.
The was more than 1,000 kilometres away.
The few planes in Alaska had open seats, and it was far too cold to fly.
So the went by railway to a town called Nenana.
About twenty carried the in a .
More than 150 dogs pulled their , night and day.
It was so cold that one 's hands froze to his .
Leonhard Seppala was a champion .
His lead dog was Togo, a 12-year-old .
As a puppy, Togo was so naughty that Seppala gave him away.
But Togo jumped through a window and ran back home.
Togo led the dogs that pulled Seppala's .
They raced about 270 kilometres east from Nome to meet the .
But nobody could tell Seppala that the was going faster than planned.
Near a village called Shaktoolik, he almost raced past another , who shouted, "The ! I have it here!"
To save time, Seppala chose the short way back, straight across the frozen sea.
The ice was rough, and in places it was starting to break.
It was getting dark, and a strong wind was blowing.
On the ice, Seppala could hardly see.
He had to trust Togo to find the way.
For hours, Togo led the team across the cracking ice.
At last, they reached the shore.
While the team was resting at a roadhouse on the shore, the storm broke up the ice behind them.
The next day, they crossed the hills and gave the to the next .
In all, Togo ran about 420 kilometres, the longest part of the .
The last was Gunnar Kaasen.
Near Nome, a turned over Gunnar Kaasen's .
He found the in the snow with his bare hands, and his lead dog, Balto, led the team on.
About five and a half days after it left Nenana, the reached Nome.
While the town was waiting, the dogs ran.
The was frozen, but not one bottle was broken, and by noon it was ready to use.
Balto became famous, and a statue of him went up in New York.
But many people say that Togo did the longest and hardest part.
In 2011, "Time" magazine put him on its list of the most heroic animals.
Let's review. The was more than 1,000 kilometres away.
About twenty carried the in a .
Leonhard Seppala was a champion .
Togo led the dogs that pulled Seppala's .
Near Nome, a turned over Gunnar Kaasen's .
And remember: while the town was waiting, the dogs ran.
Togo's story teaches us: the real hero is not always the famous one.
Want more interesting lessons?
Go to brightlivesenglish.com.
Please subscribe and learn with us.
Step 3
Words from the story
Say the word, guess its meaning, then flip the card. Keep the ones you know, and practise the rest again.
Great work, you know every word in this story. Now try the quiz below.
serum noun
a medicine made from blood that fights a disease
“The serum was more than 1,000 kilometres away.”
relay noun
a race or job where one team takes over from another
“About twenty mushers carried the serum in a relay.”
musher noun
a person who drives a team of dogs
“Leonhard Seppala was a champion musher.”
sled noun
a vehicle that slides over snow, pulled by dogs
“Togo led the dogs that pulled Seppala's sled.”
blizzard noun
a storm with strong winds and a lot of snow
“Near Nome, a blizzard turned over Gunnar Kaasen's sled.”
diphtheria noun
a serious disease of the throat that spreads easily
“In 1925, diphtheria spread in Nome.”
husky noun
a strong dog with thick fur that pulls sleds
“Togo was a Siberian husky.”
telegraph noun
an old way of sending messages along wires
“The doctor sent a telegraph message for help.”
Grammar in the story
while + past continuous, past simple
We use it for: a longer action, and something that happened during it
- While I was cooking, the phone rang.
- While they were sleeping, it snowed.
From the story
- While the town was waiting, the dogs ran.
- While I was walking home, it started to rain.
Find it in the story 5 times
Your turn
While the team on the shore, the ice broke up.
While the town was waiting, the dogs .
I was reading, my brother came home.
Step 4
Story Challenge
9 quick rounds: choose, fill the gap, build the sentence and match the words. Answer in a row to build a streak and earn bonus points.
Well done!
Look at these again
This week's top 10
Resets every MondayNo scores yet this week. Be the first!
Lesson complete!
- 0/4steps
- 0/8words learned
- 0/3stars
Up next
Loading your next story…
Take it further
Before you watch: Have you ever seen a dog sled? Why do you think dogs, not planes, carried medicine in 1925?
After you watch: Write three sentences with while + past continuous. For example: While I was cooking, the phone rang. While we were walking home, it started to rain. While my sister was sleeping, I read a book.
Think about it: Balto became famous, but many people say Togo did the hardest work. Who does important work quietly in your life?
Image credits:
- Leonhard Seppala with his dogs (Togo on the left), c. 1924–25 — Carrie M. McLain Memorial Museum, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Gunnar Kaasen with Balto, 1925 — Brown Brothers, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Balto, 1925 — Cleveland Press Collection, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- View of Nome, Alaska, 1916 — public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Nome buildings behind a snow drift, c. 1920 — Lomen Bros., University of Washington Libraries, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (AL+CA 6491)
- Seppala’s Siberian racers, 1916 — Lomen Bros., University of Washington Libraries, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (AL+CA 6486)
- Balto statue, Central Park — Jim Henderson, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
