The Mitten

Here you can read the story of the mitten, a cozy, child-friendly version of the classic tale. This story is about how more and more animals find room inside a warm mitten in the middle of the winter cold.

The tale of the mitten is an old Ukrainian folktale, but it has also become very well known in Norway through storybooks for children.

The Mitten -- A Classic Animal Tale

Once upon a time there was an old man out walking in the forest with his dog. It was winter, snow was falling, and it was bitterly cold. As he trudged along, he lost one of his mittens without even noticing.

There it lay. One big, warm mitten in the middle of the white snow.

It wasn't long before a little mouse came scurrying by. Her tiny paws were freezing. When she saw the mitten, she stopped.

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"What a fine house!" she thought. "This is where I'll live."

The mouse crept carefully inside the mitten. It was dark in there, but warm and cozy. The thick wool meant her little paws finally stopped feeling cold.

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"I'll call myself Squeaky," she said happily, settling in.

Soon after, a frog came hopping through the snow.

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"Ribbit, ribbit! Is anyone in this warm mitten?" the frog asked.

Squeaky poked her nose out.

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"Yes, it's me, Squeaky. Who are you?"

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"I'm Hopper. May I come in and warm myself up?"

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"Yes, come in," said Squeaky. "Where there's room in the heart, there's room in the house."

Now the two of them were inside the mitten: Squeaky and Hopper.

More Guests Join the Animals in the Mitten

After a while, a hare came bounding up. He had been running fast and was tired. He stopped by the mitten and knocked gently.

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"Hello! Who lives in this mitten?" he asked.

Squeaky and Hopper answered together:

"It's Squeaky and Hopper. Who are you?"

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"I'm Longears. My fur is cold, and my ears are freezing. Is there room for one more in this mitten house?"

"It's starting to get cramped, but we'll make room," said the other two.

Longears hopped in, and now the three friends sat close together, keeping each other warm.

Not long after, a fox came sneaking up. He had a big, red tail and looked very sly.

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"Good day, good folk!" whispered the fox. "Who lives in this cozy little room?"

"It's Squeaky, Hopper, and Longears," the animals answered. "Who are you?"

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"I'm Foxy Mother. May I borrow a little warmth in your mitten?"

Longears was a bit afraid of the fox, but in this story, everyone is friends.

"Come in, then," they said. "But you must sit still!"

The fox squeezed in, and now the mitten was nearly full.

How Many Can Fit?

Just as they thought not even a single fly could fit, they heard heavy footsteps and grunting. It was a wolf!

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"Owooo!" it howled. "Who lives here?"

"Squeaky, Hopper, Longears, and Foxy Mother," they squeaked from inside. "Who are you?"

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"I'm Wolfstrong. And I'm freezing!"

The animals pushed and squeezed, and somehow the wolf found room too. The mitten stretched at the seams.

But it wasn't over yet. Suddenly the ground shook. THUMP. THUMP. It was the bear himself, come tramping along. He crashed through twigs and brush.

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"GRRROWL! Who lives in this mitten?" roared the bear.

"Squeaky, Hopper, Longears, Foxy Mother, and Wolfstrong," they answered in squeezed, muffled voices. "Who are you?"

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"I'm Papa Bear! And I want in too!"

"No, no!" cried the animals. "The mitten will burst! There's no room!"

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"Oh, there is," said the bear. "When you're good friends, anything is possible."

Papa Bear squeezed himself in. First one paw, then another. The mitten creaked and groaned, but it held! Now all the animals sat packed together like sardines in a tin, warm and cozy.

But suddenly they heard something else. Woof! Woof! Woof!

It was the old man's dog, come running back. He barked loudly at the mitten. The animals were terrified! Squeaky darted out, Hopper leapt, Longears ran, and all the others burst out of the mitten and vanished into the forest in a flurry of snow.

Soon after, the old man came along. He picked up his beloved mitten, shook off the snow, and put it back on.

"How strange and warm it is inside," he thought.

And then he and his dog headed home.

✨THE END✨

What Can We Learn From This Story?

Dear parents and children, in the story of the mitten we learn that there's always room for one more friend, even when things feel crowded. The tale of the mitten is about sharing what we have and being kind to one another.

Questions About the Mitten

What is the story of The Mitten about?

The Mitten is about a warm mitten lying in the snow. One by one, more animals come to warm themselves inside it, and they have to work together to make room. The story shows how important friendship and cooperation are.

Which animals are in The Mitten?

In the tale of The Mitten, we meet several animals looking for warmth inside the mitten: the mouse, the frog, the hare, the fox, the wolf, and the bear. Eventually it gets crowded as more and more animals want in.

Where does The Mitten come from?

The Mitten is originally an old Ukrainian folktale. The story has been told in many countries and is today a popular tale for children in kindergartens and schools.

How many animals are in The Mitten?

In most versions of The Mitten, six animals find room inside: a mouse, a frog, a hare, a fox, a wolf, and a bear.

The Animals in the Mitten

In the tale of the mitten, we meet several animals looking for warmth inside the very same mitten. The animals who live in the mitten are:

• The mouse (Squeaky)
• The frog (Hopper)
• The hare (Longears)
• The fox (Foxy Mother)
• The wolf (Wolfstrong)
• The bear (Papa Bear)

Every time a new animal arrives at the mitten, the others have to make a little more room. That's exactly what makes the story of the mitten so much fun for children.

The Mitten is originally an old Ukrainian folktale that has been told in many countries. In Norway, many children know the story through books and tellings inspired by the work of Norwegian author Alf Prøysen.