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How to fold an origami mule

Fold a kite body and swing long legs into a stride. Fold a split strip up into two long ears, crimp the neck up, the long head down and the tail down.

You need: 1 brown square (15 cm or bigger), scissors and a black pen. Hard, 24 steps, about 35 minutes.

Steps

  1. Crease the middle. White side up, turned like a diamond, fold the top corner down to the bottom corner, crease and unfold.
  2. Kite. Fold the edges at the left point in on creases from the point to 6.4 cm above and below the middle crease. That end is the mule's neck and head.
  3. Narrow the other end. Fold the edges at the right point in on creases from the point to 6 cm above and below the middle crease. That end is the tail.
  4. Tummy corners. Fold the top and bottom corners in on creases 3.5 cm above and below the middle crease. They will be hidden inside.
  5. Fold in half. Fold the top half down onto the bottom half along the middle crease. The long fold on top is the back, the flat bottom is the tummy.
  6. Crease two strips. Fold the bottom edge up 0.8 cm and the top edge down 0.5 cm, all layers, and crease both hard. These strips give the legs and the ears.
  7. Open it. Unfold both strips again.
  8. Slit the legs. Cut along the strip crease from the front end in 4.7 cm, and from the back end in 4.8 cm.
  9. Free the ears. Cut along the top crease from the front end in 3 cm. Then cut the top fold open from the front point for 3.8 cm.
  10. Front legs. Swing the front strip down on slanted creases from its inner end, the front layers one way and the back ones behind, a little apart.
  11. Back legs. Swing the back strip down the same way, the front layers forward and the back ones behind.
  12. Hooves. Fold the pointed tip of each leg back on a crease straight across it, the front legs forward and the back ones behind, so the hooves are blunt.
  13. Ears up. Fold the free strip up behind on a slanted crease from the end of its cut, both layers together, so it points up and forward.
  14. Ears apart. Fold the back layer of the strip behind on a crease from the same point, so it swings forward and the two long ears open in a V.
  15. Slim the neck. Fold the bottom edge of the neck end in on a slant from the chest to near the tip, front layers forward and back ones behind.
  16. Neck: crease. Fold the left end over on an upright crease 7.8 cm from its tip, all layers together.
  17. Neck: crimp up. Fold it back on a crease slanting from the same bottom point, so the neck reaches up and forward.
  18. Head: crease. Fold the top of the neck over on a crease straight across it, at the bottom of the ears. Leave the ears up.
  19. Head: crimp down. Fold it back on a crease slanting from the same back point, so the long head nods down.
  20. Blunt nose. Fold the sharp tip of the head behind, 1.2 cm from the tip, all layers together, so the mule has a big soft nose.
  21. Tail: crease. Fold the tail point over on an upright crease 2.7 cm from its tip, all layers together.
  22. Tail: crimp down. Fold it back on a crease slanting from the same top point, so the tail hangs down.
  23. Pleat the rump. Fold the rump over to the front on an upright crease just behind the back legs, all layers together.
  24. Pleat: fold back. Fold it back again on an upright crease 0.8 cm further forward, so the body is shorter and sturdier.

Stubborn and strong!

Draw a shiny eye, a nostril and a dark tuft at the end of the tail.

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