Once upon a time, nestled in a cozy burrow beneath a giant oak tree, lived a little field mouse named Mush Mittens. Mush Mittens wasn't named after the yummy, warm cereal. Oh no, she earned her name because she loved mittens! Big mittens, small mittens, stripy mittens, spotty mittens – she adored them all. She even made tiny mittens for her tiny paws from soft dandelion fluff.
One evening, a blizzard howled outside. The wind whistled and snow piled high against Mush Mittens' door. Safe and warm inside, she sipped chamomile tea and knitted a pair of bright red mittens. Suddenly, a frantic tapping came at her door. Mush Mittens peeked outside and saw a shivering squirrel, his fur covered in snow.
“Oh, you poor thing!” cried Mush Mittens, pulling the squirrel inside. “You must be freezing! Come by the fire.” The squirrel, whose name was Nutsy, chattered his thanks. He explained that the wind had blown his nest out of the tree and he had nowhere to go.
Mush Mittens knew just what to do. She fetched a warm blanket and offered Nutsy some hot berry soup. Then, she noticed Nutsy's paws were bare and blue. “Wait just a moment!” she squeaked, scurrying to her mitten collection. She found a pair of perfectly sized acorn-brown mittens and offered them to Nutsy.
Nutsy’s eyes widened. “For me?” he whispered. “But these are your precious mittens!”
Mush Mittens smiled. “Sharing keeps us warm, both inside and out,” she said. Nutsy gratefully slipped on the mittens, his paws tingling with warmth.
As the blizzard raged outside, Mush Mittens and Nutsy sat by the fire, sharing stories and laughter. Mush Mittens even taught Nutsy how to knit. He wasn't very good, but he had fun trying. The warmth of the fire and their newfound friendship made them forget all about the storm.
By morning, the blizzard had passed, leaving behind a world covered in sparkling white snow. Nutsy, wearing his new mittens, helped Mush Mittens rebuild his nest high in the oak tree, stronger than before. From that day on, Mush Mittens and Nutsy remained the best of friends. They learned that even the coldest winter days could be warmed with kindness, sharing, and a good pair of mittens.