The Mitten

Every Monday morning at work we have a short meeting of the department, since yesterday was a holiday we had the meeting today.  For this short meeting I like to call in to listen and take a quick walk around the block, weather permitting, as both usually take about 10 minutes.  This morning during this short walk I noticed some signs, a story placed along our section of the bike path.  It seemed to begin here, but I did see signs across the road on the bike path, too, so not a completed story on this walk.

Today is a bit above freezing, and the next several days will be much colder, so after work I set out for the rest of the walk to get to the end of the story.  At this time I also noticed the very first sign, a title card, that I had missed before at the end of the street by the canoe slide.  A neighbor from up the street soon caught up to me and I let her know what I was doing and she was very helpful righting signs in the melting snow so I could take a picture of them.  You can enlarge the pictures here, but the print is small so provided below the pictures, 16 in all.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present:  The Mitten

Once there was a boy named Nicki who wanted his new mittens made from wool as white as the snow.

Continued after the break!

At first, his grandmother, Baba, did not want to knit white mittens.

"If you drop one in the snow," she warned, "you'll never find it."

But Nicki wanted snow-white mittens and finally Baba made them.

After she finished she said, "When you come home, first I will look to see if you are safe and sound, but then I will look to see if you still have your snow-white mittens."

So off Nicki went.  And it wasn't long until one of his new mittens dropped in the snow and was left behind.

A mole, tired from tunneling along, discovered the mitten and burrowed inside.  It was cozy and warm and just the right size, so he decided to stay.

A snowshoe rabbit came hopping by.  He stopped for a moment to admire his winter coat.  It was then that he saw the mitten, and he wiggled in, feet first.  The mole didn't think there was room for both of them, but when he saw the rabbit's big kickers he moved over.

Next a hedgehog came snuffling along.  Having spent the day looking under wet leaves for things to eat, he decided to move into the mitten and warm himself.  The mole and the rabbit were bumped and jostled, but not being ones to argue with someone covered with prickles, they made room.

As soon as the hedgehog disappeared into the mitten, a big owl, attracted by the commotion, swooped down.  When he decided to move in also, the mole, the rabbit, and the hedgehog grumpled.  But when they saw the owl's glinty talons, they quickly let him in.

Up through the snow appeared a badger.  He eyed the mitten and began to climb in.  The mole, the rabbit, the hedgehog, and the owl were not pleased.  There was no room left, but when they saw his diggers, they gave him the thumb.

It started snowing, but the animals were snug in the mitten.  A waft of warm steam rose in the air, and a fox trotting by stopped to investigate.  Just the sight of the cozy mitten made him feel drowsy.  The fox poked his muzzle in.  When the mole, the rabbit, the hedgehog, the owl, and the badger saw his shiny teeth they gave the fox lots of room.

A great bear lumbered by.  He spied the mitten all plumped up.  Not being one to be left out in the cold, he began to nose his way in.  The animals were packed in as tightly as could be.  But what animal would argue with a bear?

The mitten swelled and stretched.  It was pulled and bulged to many times its size.  But Baba's good knitting held fast.

Along came a meadow mouse, no bigger than an acorn.  She wriggled into the one space left, and made herself comfortable on top of the great bear's nose.

The bear, tickled by the mouse's whiskers, gave an enormous sneeze.

Aaaaa-aaaaa-aaaaa-ca-chew!

The force of the sneeze shot the mitten up into the sky, and scattered the animals in all directions.

On his way home, Nicki saw a white shape in the distance.  It was the lost mitten silhouetted against the blue sky.

As he ran to catch his snow-white mitten, he saw Baba's face in the window.  First she looked to see if he was safe and sound, and then she saw that he still had his new mittens.

The end.

Reason number 867,530 why I like where we live.  Happy winter, everyone.