The Mitten (folk tale)

The Mitten (Ukrainian: Рукавичка) is a Ukrainian fairy tale. It remains popular in modern Ukraine and has been translated into other languages.

A Ukrainian stamp (2001), featuring The Mitten characters.

Some of the written records of The Mitten date back to the 19th century and include the folklore collections of Pavlo Chubynsky.[1] and Ivan Rudchenko.[2]

Plot

There are numerous variations of this Ukrainian folk tale. In the general story, a person loses their mitten in a forest in the snow during a cold winter. One by one, various animals come and settle inside the mitten planning to stay warm. Eventually, the mitten can no longer hold all who want to warm themselves inside. The mitten then splits open and spills out all the animals into the cold.

Variations

The individual losing the mitten varies - some versions feature a child who loses their mitten. The animals included varies in different versions but often includes a mouse, a frog, a hare, a fox, a wolf, a boar and a bear. The animals fitting into the mitten get progressively larger. In some retellings, each of the animals have adjectives or nicknames. In many retellings, prior to settling in, the new-comer asks permission from the animals already inside. When the mitten can hold no more, sometimes a sneeze causes the animals to no longer fit inside. In some retellings, the person who lost the mitten finds it after the animals have left.[3][4][5]

Interpretation

The story illustrates the Tragedy of the Commons.

Translations

The Mitten was translated into various languages, including English, Japanese, Azerbaijani, French, German and Russian.[6]

One of the most popular versions of The Mitten retold in English is by Jan Brett.[7] [8]

In 1996 a Ukrainian Animated Film Studio Ukranimafilm released a cartoon The Mitten (N. Marchenkova, а scriptwriter and director).[9][10]

In 2001, Ukrposhta, the postal service of Ukraine, released a Ukrainian Fairy Tale series of stamps, including The Mitten.[11]

References
  1. Chubynsky, Pavlo (1872–78). Trudy Etnografichesko-Statisticheskoy Ekspeditsii v Zapadno-Russkiy kray [Works of the Ethnographic-Statistical Expedition to the Western Rus Lands], (in 7 vols.). Saint Petersburg: Maikov. pp. 109–110 (vol. 2).
  2. Rudchenko, Ivan (1869–70). Narodnye Yuzhnorusskie Skazki [South-Russian Folk Tales] (in 2 vols.). Fedorov, Kyiv. pp. 1–2 (vol. 2).
  3. Sharma, Shreya (2016-12-04). "The Mitten Story". Bedtimeshortstories. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  4. "The Mitten: Ukrainian Folktale". Tales from the Enchanted Forest: Star Boy and the Sun Dance. 2022-04-30. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  5. "The magic mitten ᐈ Ukrainian Folk Tale ᐈ Read online on Fairy Tales Tree". Fairy Tale Tree. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  6. La Mitaine, conte ukrainien (in french)
  7. "About the Mitten".
  8. The Mitten
  9. "The Little Mitten (Рукавичка, 1996) by Natalya Marchenkova". www.animatsiya.net. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  10. The Little Mitten (1996), retrieved 2023-04-25
  11. "Ukraine - Postage stamps (2000 - 2009)". www.stampworld.com. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
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