Ukrainian folk tale
The Mitten
The Mitten — a Ukrainian winter folk tale where little animals find a warm place inside a lost mitten. Read the full text for free.
On a white path lay a red mitten. Soft, woollen, with a little yellow thread.
Along scampered a little mouse: pit-pat over the snow. She peeked inside and said: “Oh, a house!” In she climbed and warmed her paws.
In the mitten it’s warm, so warm — there’s room for more and more!
Up hopped a little frog: hop-hop over a lump of snow. “Who lives in the mitten?” — “I do, the mouse. Come in!” And the frog climbed in and folded her green legs.
Up ran a little hare: skip-skip past a raspberry bush. “May I come too?” — “You may!”
In the mitten it’s warm, so warm — there’s room for more and more!
Up came a little bear: tromp-tromp, carefully. “I’m big, and the mitten is small.” The animals shuffled over: the mouse this way, the frog that way, the hare sideways.
Everyone settled in. The red mitten grew round, like a warm little ball. And above it the white snow fell softly.
Listen to this tale narrated
Professional audio narration and many more tales for children aged 0–6 — in the Tale Tails app. Read or listen, even offline.
Get it on Google PlayQuestions & answers
What age is the tale “The Mitten” for?
“The Mitten” is best for children aged 1 to 3, though it is loved at any age.
Is there an audio narration of “The Mitten”?
Yes. A professional audio narration of “The Mitten” is available in the free Tale Tails app for Android.
Is “The Mitten” free to read?
Yes, the full text of “The Mitten” is free to read on this page, with no sign-up.
What is the moral of “The Mitten”?
For friends there’s always room — like warmth in a mitten.
