The Mitten

The snow-covered forest glowed softly under the pale moonlight, casting long shadows over a small, cozy cottage. In the cottage’s warm living room, a little boy named Nicki sat by the fire, watching the snowflakes dance outside the window. His grandmother, Baba, was knitting a pair of bright white mittens. "Baba," Nicki asked, holding his new mittens, "can I go play in the snow?" "Of course, Nicki," Baba smiled, "but be careful not to lose your mittens in the snow." Nicki nodded eagerly and bundled up in his warmest coat, pulling the knitted mittens over his tiny hands. With a wave to Baba, he dashed outside, leaving a trail of footprints in the fresh snow. Enchanted by the wintry wonderland, Nicki bounded through the forest, his laughter echoing through the trees. Boundless excitement soon led to a lost mitten, hidden among the snowy drifts. Unbeknownst to Nicki, a curious mole was the first to notice the mitten. He wiggled his nose and, seeing the warm promise of shelter, burrowed inside. Soon after, a rabbit with long ears came hopping by. She saw the glowing mitten and said, "Do you have room for one more?" The mole, snug in his new home, replied, "Come in, come in! The more, the merrier!" One by one, other creatures arrived: a chilly hedgehog, a sleek fox, a sleepy owl, and even a roaring bear who squeezed in, much to everyone’s surprise. The mitten stretched and stretched, accommodating each new friend. Finally, a tiny mouse scurried up, her whiskers trembling with cold. Determined to join the warm cocoon of animals, she wriggled her way inside. Nicki, unaware of the forest gathering in his lost mitten, continued his snowy adventure. But after a while, he felt a sudden urge to check his pockets. Realizing one mitten was missing, he retraced his steps through the forest. Following the trail, Nicki finally spotted his mitten. Just as he reached out, a curious thing happened—a delicate sneeze from the mouse sent the mitten flying, freeing all the animals. They darted in every direction, leaving Nicki puzzled but relieved to have found his mitten. With the mitten safely back on his hand, Nicki returned home to Baba, who hugged him tight, her old, knowing eyes twinkling. "Did you have a good adventure?" she asked. Nicki nodded with a mysterious smile. "Yes, Baba, the best one ever. And I saw so many new friends!" Together, they returned to the warm glow of the cottage, leaving the moonlit forest, where a once-lost mitten had woven an unexpected tale of camaraderie and adventure.