Winnie-the-Pooh

"Winnie-the-Pooh" is a delightful children's book written by A. A. Milne. Set in the Hundred Acre Wood, the story follows the adventures of a lovable bear named Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends, including Christopher Robin, Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger, Rabbit, and Owl. Each chapter brings a new escapade, often involving honey, Pooh's favorite treat. From searching for the North Pole to getting stuck in Rabbit's front door, the characters embark on whimsical journeys full of humor, friendship, and simple joys. The book's charm lies in its gentle lessons about kindness, imagination, and the importance of treasuring the little things in life.

• Children

								
TO HER

    HAND IN HAND WE COME
      CHRISTOPHER ROBIN AND I
    TO LAY THIS BOOK IN YOUR LAP.
        SAY YOU'RE SURPRISED?
        SAY YOU LIKE IT?
        SAY IT'S JUST WHAT YOU WANTED?
          BECAUSE IT'S YOURS----
          BECAUSE WE LOVE YOU.




                              INTRODUCTION

If you happen to have read another book about Christopher Robin, you may
remember that he once had a swan (or the swan had Christopher Robin, I
don't know which) and that he used to call this swan Pooh. That was a
long time ago, and when we said good-bye, we took the name with us, as
we didn't think the swan would want it any more. Well, when Edward Bear
said that he would like an exciting name all to himself, Christopher
Robin said at once, without stopping to think, that he was
Winnie-the-Pooh. And he was. So, as I have explained the Pooh part, I
will now explain the rest of it.

You can't be in London for long without going to the Zoo. There are some
people who begin the Zoo at the beginning, called WAYIN, and walk as
quickly as they can past every cage until they get to the one called
WAYOUT, but the nicest people go straight to the animal they love the
most, and stay there. So when Christopher Robin goes to the Zoo, he goes
to where the Polar Bears are, and he whispers something to the third
keeper from the left, and doors are unlocked, and we wander through dark
passages and up steep stairs, until at last we come to the special cage,
and the cage is opened, and out trots something brown and furry, and
with a happy cry of "Oh, Bear!" Christopher Robin rushes into its arms.
Now this bear's name is Winnie, which shows what a good name for bears
it is, but the funny thing is that we can't remember whether Winnie is
called after Pooh, or Pooh after Winnie. We did know once, but we have
forgotten....

I had written as far as this when Piglet looked up and said in his
squeaky voice, "What about Me?" "My dear Piglet," I said, "the whole
book is about you." "So it is about Pooh," he squeaked. You see what it
is. He is jealous because he thinks Pooh is having a Grand Introduction
all to himself. Pooh is the favourite, of course, there's no denying it,
but Piglet comes in for a good many things which Pooh misses; because
you can't take Pooh to school without everybody knowing it, but Piglet
is so small that he slips into a pocket, where it is very comforting to
feel him when you are not quite sure whether twice seven is twelve or
twenty-two. Sometimes he slips out and has a good look in the ink-pot,
and in this way he has got more education than Pooh, but Pooh doesn't
mind. Some have brains, and some haven't, he says, and there it is.

And now all the others are saying, "What about Us?" So perhaps the
best thing to do is to stop writing Introductions and get on with the
book.

                                                                A. A. M.




                                CONTENTS


        I. IN WHICH WE ARE INTRODUCED TO WINNIE-THE-POOH AND SOME
           BEES, AND THE STORIES BEGIN

       II. IN WHICH POOH GOES VISITING AND GETS INTO A TIGHT PLACE

      III. IN WHICH POOH AND PIGLET GO HUNTING AND NEARLY CATCH A
           WOOZLE

       IV. IN WHICH EEYORE LOSES A TAIL AND POOH FINDS ONE

        V. IN WHICH PIGLET MEETS A HEFFALUMP

       VI. IN WHICH EEYORE HAS A BIRTHDAY AND GETS TWO PRESENTS

      VII. IN WHICH KANGA AND BABY ROO COME TO THE FOREST, AND
           PIGLET HAS A BATH

     VIII. IN WHICH CHRISTOPHER ROBIN LEADS AN EXPOTITION TO THE
           NORTH POLE

       IX. IN WHICH PIGLET IS ENTIRELY SURROUNDED BY WATER

        X. IN WHICH CHRISTOPHER ROBIN GIVES A POOH PARTY, AND WE SAY
           GOOD-BYE




                            WINNIE-THE-POOH




                               CHAPTER I

                      IN WHICH WE ARE INTRODUCED TO
                     WINNIE-THE-POOH AND SOME BEES,
                          AND THE STORIES BEGIN


Here is Edward Bear, coming downstairs now, bump, bump, bump, on the
back of his head, behind Christopher Robin. It is, as far as he knows,
the only way of coming downstairs, but sometimes he feels that there
really is another way, if only he could stop bumping for a moment and
think of it. And then he feels that perhaps there isn't. Anyhow, here he
is at the bottom, and ready to be introduced to you. Winnie-the-Pooh.

When I first heard his name, I said, just as you are going to say, "But
I thought he was a boy?"

"So did I," said Christopher Robin.

"Then you can't call him Winnie?"

"I don't."

"But you said----"

"He's Winnie-ther-Pooh. Don't you know what 'ther' means?"

"Ah, yes, now I do," I said quickly; and I hope you do too, because it
is all the explanation you are going to get.

Sometimes Winnie-the-Pooh likes a game of some sort when he comes
downstairs, and sometimes he likes to sit quietly in front of the fire
and listen to a story. This evening----

"What about a story?" said Christopher Robin.

"What about a story?" I said.

"Could you very sweetly tell Winnie-the-Pooh one?"

"I suppose I could," I said. "What sort of stories does he like?"

"About himself. Because he's that sort of Bear."

"Oh, I see."

"So could you very sweetly?"

"I'll try," I said.

So I tried.

                 *        *        *        *        *

Once upon a time, a very long time ago now, about last Friday,
Winnie-the-Pooh lived in a forest all by himself under the name of
Sanders.

("What does 'under the name' mean?" asked Christopher Robin.

"It means he had the name over the door in gold letters, and lived
under it."

"Winnie-the-Pooh wasn't quite sure," said Christopher Robin.

"Now I am," said a growly voice.

"Then I will go on," said I.)

One day when he was out walking, he came to an open place in the middle
of the forest, and in the middle of this place was a large oak-tree,
and, from the top of the tree, there came a loud buzzing-noise.

Winnie-the-Pooh sat down at the foot of the tree, put his head between
his paws and began to think.

First of all he said to himself: "That buzzing-noise means something.
You don't get a buzzing-noise like that, just buzzing and buzzing,
without its meaning something. If there's a buzzing-noise, somebody's
making a buzzing-noise, and the only reason for making a buzzing-noise
that I know of is because you're a bee."

Then he thought another long time, and said: "And the only reason for
being a bee that I know of is making honey."

And then he got up, and said: "And the only reason for making honey is
so as I can eat it." So he began to climb the tree.

He climbed and he climbed and he climbed, and as he climbed he sang a
little song to himself. It went like this:

    Isn't it funny
    How a bear likes honey?
    Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
    I wonder why he does?

Then he climbed a little further ... and a little further ... and
then just a little further. By that time he had thought of another song.

    It's a very funny thought that, if Bears were Bees,

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