Story Summary

One Christmas night, as snowflakes gently cover everything in sight, four squirrels busily prepare for the holiday in their little house beneath a forest tree. As they make cookies out of acorns, trees, and leaves, a tiny mouse hides, afraid that he will sneeze. If the squirrels find him, they will surely send him out into the snow!

With his little fingers, the mouse holds onto his nose and prays. But his urge to sneeze is too strong, and soon the squirrels find him next to a wooden shoe. Horrified, the mouse hides his eyes, fearing the worst. But it is what happens next that surprises the little mouse the most.

About the Poem

A Christmas poem first recorded in 1952 by Jack DiNola for his two children, Two Squirrels and a Mouse, shares a timeless tale of compassion and acceptance as a squirrel family and a lonely mouse discover an unlikely friendship the night before Christmas.