Once upon a time, on a chilly winter morning, a little boy was ready for a snowy adventure. He wore a warm hat, cozy boots, and two soft mittens that hung from his sleeves on a string so he wouldn’t lose them. He was excited to go sledding on his favorite hill!
As he raced through the trees, one of his mittens got caught on a branch. The boy was going so fast that he didn’t notice it fall off. The mitten landed softly in the snow, all alone.
Soon, a tiny shivering mouse came out from a stone wall. He saw the mitten and thought it looked like a perfect cozy spot. So, he snuggled right in! Not long after, a curious bunny hopped by. He saw the mitten and decided to join the mouse inside.
Then, a clever fox wandered by. “What a snug place!” she thought, and she squeezed in too. The mouse and bunny made room for her. The mitten was getting quite full!
The wind blew through the trees, and a lynx came padding out of the forest. She saw the mitten and thought it looked charming. She nuzzled her way in, and all the animals cuddled together, keeping warm.
Next, a wolf and a bear came along. They both wanted to get inside the mitten. “You first,” said the bear. “No, you,” said the wolf. They both squeezed in, making the mitten stretch even more!
The mitten was now very full, and the little mouse was at the bottom. He wiggled his whiskers, which tickled the bunny. The bunny giggled and twitched, tickling the fox. The fox snickered and shifted, tickling the lynx. The lynx chuckled, making the wolf’s nose twitch. The wolf howled with laughter, and soon everyone was giggling!
All the wiggling and giggling was too much for the mitten. With a big POP, out tumbled the bear, the wolf, the lynx, the fox, and the bunny! They all ran back to their homes, laughing all the way.
Later, as the sun was setting, the boy came back up the hill. He saw something red in the snow. “My mitten!” he exclaimed. It looked bigger than he remembered. Curious, he picked it up and peeked inside.
To his surprise, a little mouse with velvety ears and quivering whiskers peeked out. “Oh!” said the boy. “Hello, little fellow! Have you found a new home in my mitten?”
The mouse groomed his whiskers happily and snuggled back into the mitten. The boy smiled and said, “I will take you home, and you can live in my mitten as long as you’d like and be my friend.”
With the mouse safe in his mitten, the boy headed home, dragging his sled behind him. It was a wonderful snowy day!
If you love stories like this, there are so many more to explore! Ask a grown-up to help you find more fun books and stories. You’ll be glad you did! Happy reading!
Mitten Animal Parade: Gather some stuffed animals or small toys that represent the animals from the story: a mouse, bunny, fox, lynx, wolf, and bear. Find a mitten or a small bag to represent the mitten from the story. Take turns with a friend or family member to see how many animals can fit into the mitten. Discuss why the mitten might have stretched and what might happen if more animals tried to fit inside. This activity helps you understand the concept of space and sharing.
Winter Adventure Drawing: Imagine you are the little boy from the story. Draw a picture of your own snowy adventure. Include the mitten and some of the animal friends you might meet along the way. Think about what other animals might want to join in the mitten and why. Share your drawing with your class or family and explain your adventure. This activity encourages creativity and helps you think about how different animals might interact in a shared space.
Mitten Weather Watch: Keep an eye on the weather for a week. Each day, note if it’s cold enough to wear mittens. Draw a picture of what you see outside, like snow, rain, or sunshine. Talk with a grown-up about how animals in your area might keep warm during different weather conditions. This activity helps you connect the story to real-life weather and understand how animals adapt to their environment.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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[Music] It was a cold and windy winter morning, and a little boy hustled up the path, dragging his sled behind him. He was dressed for snowy adventures, from his knit cap to his warm boots and his two soft mittens, which hung from his sleeves on a piece of string so he wouldn’t lose them. The boy headed to his favorite spot, a stupendous hill perfect for sledding. He dashed through the trees, eager for his first long slide across the snow.
But as he jumped over the stone wall at the top of the hill, one of his mittens caught on a low branch. The boy was going so fast he barely felt the small tug of the mitten before the string gave way. He was out of sight and down the hill before his mitten even hit the snow.
All was quiet, then a tiny shivering mouse darted out from the stone wall, saw the cozy mitten, and crept right in. Soon, a bunny hopped along; the mitten caught his eye, and being a curious fellow, he jumped in right next to the mouse. Next, a fox wandered by. “What a snug place this is,” she thought when she discovered the mitten and crawled inside. The mouse and bunny moved over to make room.
The wind blew through the treetops and swirled down the lane. A lynx padded out of the forest and saw the mitten. “What’s this?” she thought. “How charming!” She nuzzled the mitten open and squeezed herself in. All the animals cuddled together in a warm ball of fur.
The wind was still for a moment, then a wolf came loping up the hill. Up the other side trudged a bear. “You first,” said the bear. “No, you,” said the wolf, and they ended up jostling and cramming their way into the mitten together.
Now the mitten’s knitting was strong and true, but even so, it was stretched to its limit. Poor mouse was at the bottom of the pile. “I need more room,” he thought, and found a nice soft spot right on the bunny’s belly. He wiggled his whiskers happily, which tickled the bunny’s tummy. The bunny started to giggle and twitch, and his ears tickled the fox’s chin. The fox snickered and shifted her tail, which brushed against the lynx’s paws. The lynx chuckled and rolled onto her back, her fluffy tufted ears making the wolf’s muzzle twitch. The wolf howled with laughter, and all that wiggling and shifting and giggling made the bear laugh too.
Well, it was too much for the mitten to take. With a giant pop, out tumbled the bear, the wolf, the lynx, the fox, and the bunny, and off they ran back to their homes, laughing themselves silly the whole way.
It was the time of year when the sun set early, so it wasn’t long before the boy made his way back up the hill. He was just about to step over the stone wall when a flash of red in the snow caught his eye. “My mitten!” he said and picked it up. It was bigger than he remembered. Puzzled, he turned it over in his hands. Deep inside the mitten, something was moving. Suddenly, a wee head with velvety ears and quivering whiskers peeked out over the cuff. It was the mouse!
“Oh!” cried the boy. “Hello, little fellow! Have you found yourself a new home in my mitten?” The mouse groomed his whiskers contentedly and crawled back down into his cozy new nest.
“I will take you home,” the boy said, “and you may live in my mitten as long as you’d like and be my friend.” The boy put on his mitten, cupped his hand gently around the mouse, and dragging his sled behind him, headed to his own warm home across the snow.
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