Bear could not find his mittens. He looked under the stool. He looked beside the door. He even looked inside the teapot, although his paws were much too large to fit.
‘Perhaps you ate them,’ said Mouse.
‘I had toast,’ said Bear. ‘Toast is less woolly.’
Mouse climbed onto the stool to help. From up there, she saw a blue lump on each of Bear’s ears.
‘What are those?’
‘My warm ear things.’
Mouse smiled. ‘Do your warm ear things have thumbs?’
Bear felt the blue lumps. Each one had a thumb.
‘They do!’
He moved the mittens from his ears to his paws. His paws felt wonderful. His ears felt chilly.
Mouse fetched his hat.
‘That goes on top,’ she said.
Bear put it on the teapot.
Mouse waited.
Bear looked at the teapot, then at Mouse.
‘I know,’ he said, grinning. ‘But now our tea will be warm until we get back.’
He found another hat for himself. Mouse wrapped her scarf around her neck, which was exactly where she liked it.
Together they went out to watch the first snow. Bear’s paws were warm, his ears were warm, and inside the house, the teapot wore a very fine hat.
