A poor peasant woman who has no money for gifts or a special meal for her children gets help from a kindly mother spider on Christmas.

When he finds a pot of gold in his field, a poor farmer works out a plan to keep the gold despite his gossiping wife.

A cat with a reputation for being fierce is invited to dinner by the forest animals, where a chain of accidents ensures the continuation of this erroneous belief.

Katrusya's family cannot afford Christmas, but they cut a small pine tree in the forest, decorate it with buttons, and, when baby spiders hatch in its branches, they especially enjoy the silvery webs that appear.

A little boy loses a mitten in the forest. A mouse finds it and tries to make a home inside but is joined by so many other animals trying to get out of the cold that the mitten explodes.

"When Ku-ku-ri-ku finds some wheat in his yard, he shows it to his friends Twist and Turn. They decide to use it to make some buns. But turning wheat into a delicious bun is a lot of work--and not everyone does their share."--

To honor her father's promise, a beautiful young girl agrees to become the slave of a witch and her two daughters, enduring their cruelty with the help of her talking pet goat.

A dog and a wolf help each other in time of need in this Ukrainian tale explaining why dogs and wolves are forever friends.

"When Nicki drops his white mitten in the snow, he goes on without realizing that it is missing. One by one, woodland animals find it and crawl in; first, a curious mole, then a rabbit, a badger and others, each one larger than the last. Finally, a big brown bear is followed in by a tiny brown mouse and what happens next makes for a wonderfully funny climax. As the story of the animals in the mitten unfolds, the reader can see Nicki in the boarders...