The Mitten

On a frosty winter evening, the world outside was painted white with freshly fallen snow. Inside a cozy log cabin at the edge of the woods, young Nikki bundled up for a new adventure. On her little hands, she pulled a pair of warm woolen mittens that her grandmother had knitted, one for each hand. “Remember, Nikki, don't lose those mittens in the snow,” Grandma warned gently. “I won’t, Grandma!” Nikki promised, before dashing out the door, her breath forming little clouds in the crisp air. As Nikki explored the snow-covered woods, she became fascinated by a funny-shaped track in the snow. She crouched down for a closer look and, without realizing it, one of her mittens slipped off and fell into the snow. Her adventure continued without a hitch until a curious mole poked his tiny nose out of his burrow, shivering in the cold. He spotted the warm, inviting mitten. “Ah, a cozy new home!” the mole exclaimed and wriggled inside the mitten, which stretched to fit him comfortably. Soon after, a freezing rabbit hopped by. He saw the mitten and nudged the mole aside to squeeze in. “Room for one more?” asked the rabbit. “Sure, why not!” the mole replied, making space. Then a prickly hedgehog waddled out of the underbrush. Seeing the snug mitten, he sniffed. “May I join you? I'm shivery cold,” said the hedgehog. The rabbit and mole agreed, and though it was a tight fit, the mitten stretched even more. A worried fox came trotting along next, his breath fogging the air around him. He eyed the expanding mitten with interest. “I could use some warmth,” said the fox, peering inside. “I guess we can stretch it a bit more,” the hedgehog sighed. The mitten stretched and stretched until the fox squished in, too. Along came a capable raccoon. “That mitten looks like it’s just about full, but I’m so cold,” she said. “Well,” said the fox, “it'll be a squeeze, but come on in.” They all shuffled around, and the raccoon got in. Then a mighty bear lumbered into view, his huge paws sinking deep into the snow. He saw the tight-knit party in the mitten and let out a rumbling chuckle. “Spotted myself the coziest nook in all the woods,” he said. Everyone inside the mitten gasped, but there was no denying a bear. They huffed, puffed, strained, and groaned, but soon the bear was in, and the mitten was stretched to its limit. Just as everyone was snug and warm, a tiny mouse scampered up using the bear's back as a ramp. She twitched her small whiskers and asked politely, “May I come in?” The mitten occupants nearly laughed. “Where would you fit?” asked the raccoon. “I'm ever so small,” the mouse squeaked. The bear, feeling charitable in the warmth, said, “She can sit on my nose.” The mouse snugly perched herself on the bear’s nose. But almost instantly, the gentle tickling of her whiskers made the bear sneeze—a tremendous ‘ACHOO!’ The sneeze sent everyone tumbling out, flipping through the air like snowflakes, and the mitten sailed off into the sky. All the animals landed safely in the soft snow, giggling despite the cold. Meanwhile, Nikki realized she had lost a mitten. Turning back, she found it hanging on a low tree branch, miraculously untouched and stretched to an extraordinary size. She grabbed it, grateful that it wasn't lost forever, and hurried back home. “Did you have fun?” Grandma asked as Nikki stepped back into the warm cabin. Nikki held up the strangely stretched mitten and giggled, “You wouldn’t believe how many creatures wanted to share its warmth!” Grandma chuckled, “Well, at least you didn't lose it.” And as Nikki sipped her cocoa by the fire, she felt a special kind of warmth, remembering the mitten’s moment of adventure in the snowy woods.