A long-lost short film starring Walt Disney's first animated character, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, will be screened next month for the first time in 87 years.

The six-minute "Sleigh Bells" hasn't been seen since its original release in 1928, and was feared lost forever. However, a print of the film was rediscovered by a researcher browsing the online catalog of the British Film Institute's National Archive and restored by Walt Disney Animation Studios.

According to The Guardian, the "Sleigh Bells" print entered the vast archives 34 years ago, but there was nothing to indicate its importance; it's the only known copy in the world.

“What a joyful treat to discover a long-lost Walt Disney film in the BFI National Archive and to be able to show 'Sleigh Bells' to a whole new audience 87 years after it was made," Robin Baker, the BFI National Archives' head curators, said in a statement. "The restoration of this film will introduce many audiences to Disney’s work in the silent period – it clearly demonstrates the vitality and imagination of his animation at a key point in his early career."

A precursor to Mickey Mouse, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit was created in 1927 by Ub Iwerks and Disney for a series of animated shorts from Universal Pictures. Following a contractual dispute, Disney and Iwerks went on to create Mickey.

"Sleigh Bells," which depicts Oswald and other animal characters ice skating and playing hockey, will be screened Dec. 12 in London as part of BFI's "It's a Disney Christmas: Seasonal Shorts" program.