When a little boy loses a mitten in the snow, a passing squirrel finds it’s the perfect place to warm his icy toes. So he sqeezes inside. But he’s not the only animal with that idea. How many animals can fit inside a little boy’s mitten?
The Mitten
Folklore and Fairy Tales
Baba Yaga and the Little Girl
When she is sent by her cruel stepmother to the fearsome Baba Yaga, a clever young girl uses kindness to make her escape.
Stretch, Swallow & Stare
Stretch was not like other people. She could stretch her body taller than the tallest tree. People didn’t trust her because she was different. That’s why she lived in the forest. Swallow could eat more food than anyone. The villagers made fun of her because she was short and fat. That’s why she left town. Stare’s eyes were so strong they could burn through anything she looked at. Everyone was afraid of her. That’s why she stayed alone. And then there was Ira – small, skinny, and short-sighted – with nobody in the world to help him search for his missing sister. Somehow these four unlikely characters come together and overcome all obstacles – even the most evil magic in the land.
The Golden Bracelet
In order to win the hand of his love, indolent Prince Haig learns to weave beautiful golden cloth, a craft that later saves his life.
A Wagonload of Fish
Trying to satisfy his nagging wife, a peasant catches a wagonload of fish, only to be relieved of them by a hungry fox.
Baba Yaga
The witch Baba Yaga uses a trick to capture a young man, but he cleverly avoids being eaten.
Dragon Feathers
This spirited folktale from Austria’s Ziller Valley tells the story of a poor woodcutter’s son who learns that he must pluck three feathers from the wings of a terrible dragon in order to win the hand of his beloved.
Baba Yaga: A Russian Folktale
When a terrible witch vows to eat her for supper, a little girl escapes with the help of a towel and comb given to her by the witch’s cat.
The Castle of the Cats
When a farmer sends his sons on three quests to determine who will inherit the farm, Ivan, who is small and simple, finds good luck and wonderful treasures in a castle filled only with cats in fancy costumes and wigs.
Bearhead: A Russian Folktale
Bearhead succeeds in outwitting the witch Madame Hexaba and a frog-headed goblin. Half-bear and half-man, he outwits an evil witch by being totally honest.