Winnie-the-Pooh Page #4

"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

								

Rabbit, "that one of us was eating too much," said Rabbit, "and I knew
it wasn't me," he said. "Well, well, I shall go and fetch Christopher
Robin."

Christopher Robin lived at the other end of the Forest, and when he came
back with Rabbit, and saw the front half of Pooh, he said, "Silly old
Bear," in such a loving voice that everybody felt quite hopeful again.

"I was just beginning to think," said Bear, sniffing slightly, "that
Rabbit might never be able to use his front door again. And I should
hate that," he said.

"So should I," said Rabbit.

"Use his front door again?" said Christopher Robin. "Of course he'll use
his front door again."

"Good," said Rabbit.

"If we can't pull you out, Pooh, we might push you back."

Rabbit scratched his whiskers thoughtfully, and pointed out that, when
once Pooh was pushed back, he was back, and of course nobody was more
glad to see Pooh than he was, still there it was, some lived in trees
and some lived underground, and----

"You mean I'd never get out?" said Pooh.

"I mean," said Rabbit, "that having got so far, it seems a pity to
waste it."

Christopher Robin nodded.

"Then there's only one thing to be done," he said. "We shall have to
wait for you to get thin again."

"How long does getting thin take?" asked Pooh anxiously.

"About a week, I should think."

"But I can't stay here for a week!"

"You can stay here all right, silly old Bear. It's getting you out
which is so difficult."

"We'll read to you," said Rabbit cheerfully. "And I hope it won't snow,"
he added. "And I say, old fellow, you're taking up a good deal of room
in my house--do you mind if I use your back legs as a towel-horse?
Because, I mean, there they are--doing nothing--and it would be very
convenient just to hang the towels on them."

"A week!" said Pooh gloomily. "What about meals?"

"I'm afraid no meals," said Christopher Robin, "because of getting thin
quicker. But we will read to you."

Bear began to sigh, and then found he couldn't because he was so tightly
stuck; and a tear rolled down his eye, as he said:

"Then would you read a Sustaining Book, such as would help and comfort a
Wedged Bear in Great Tightness?"

So for a week Christopher Robin read that sort of book at the North end
of Pooh, and Rabbit hung his washing on the South end ... and in
between Bear felt himself getting slenderer and slenderer. And at the
end of the week Christopher Robin said, "Now!"

So he took hold of Pooh's front paws and Rabbit took hold of Christopher
Robin, and all Rabbit's friends and relations took hold of Rabbit, and
they all pulled together....

And for a long time Pooh only said "Ow!" ...

And "Oh!" ...

And then, all of a sudden, he said "Pop!" just as if a cork were
coming out of a bottle.

And Christopher Robin and Rabbit and all Rabbit's friends and relations
went head-over-heels backwards ... and on the top of them came
Winnie-the-Pooh--free!

So, with a nod of thanks to his friends, he went on with his walk
through the forest, humming proudly to himself. But, Christopher Robin
looked after him lovingly, and said to himself, "Silly old Bear!"




                              CHAPTER III

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


The Piglet lived in a very grand house in the middle of a beech-tree,
and the beech-tree was in the middle of the forest, and the Piglet lived
in the middle of the house. Next to his house was a piece of broken
board which had: "TRESPASSERS W" on it. When Christopher Robin asked the
Piglet what it meant, he said it was his grandfather's name, and had
been in the family for a long time, Christopher Robin said you
couldn't be called Trespassers W, and Piglet said yes, you could,
because his grandfather was, and it was short for Trespassers Will,
which was short for Trespassers William. And his grandfather had had two
names in case he lost one--Trespassers after an uncle, and William after
Trespassers.

"I've got two names," said Christopher Robin carelessly.

"Well, there you are, that proves it," said Piglet.

One fine winter's day when Piglet was brushing away the snow in front of
his house, he happened to look up, and there was Winnie-the-Pooh. Pooh
was walking round and round in a circle, thinking of something else, and
when Piglet called to him, he just went on walking.

"Hallo!" said Piglet, "what are you doing?"

"Hunting," said Pooh.

"Hunting what?"

"Tracking something," said Winnie-the-Pooh very mysteriously.

"Tracking what?" said Piglet, coming closer.

"That's just what I ask myself. I ask myself, What?"

"What do you think you'll answer?"

"I shall have to wait until I catch up with it," said Winnie-the-Pooh.
"Now, look there." He pointed to the ground in front of him. "What do
you see there?"

"Tracks," said Piglet. "Paw-marks." He gave a little squeak of
excitement. "Oh, Pooh! Do you think it's a--a--a Woozle?"

"It may be," said Pooh. "Sometimes it is, and sometimes it isn't. You
never can tell with paw-marks."

With these few words he went on tracking, and Piglet, after watching him
for a minute or two, ran after him. Winnie-the-Pooh had come to a sudden
stop, and was bending over the tracks in a puzzled sort of way.

"What's the matter?" asked Piglet.

"It's a very funny thing," said Bear, "but there seem to be
two animals now. This--whatever-it-was--has been joined by
another--whatever-it-is--and the two of them are now proceeding
in company. Would you mind coming with me, Piglet, in case they
turn out to be Hostile Animals?"

Piglet scratched his ear in a nice sort of way, and said that he had
nothing to do until Friday, and would be delighted to come, in case it
really was a Woozle.

"You mean, in case it really is two Woozles," said Winnie-the-Pooh, and
Piglet said that anyhow he had nothing to do until Friday. So off they
went together.

There was a small spinney of larch trees just here, and it seemed as if
the two Woozles, if that is what they were, had been going round this
spinney; so round this spinney went Pooh and Piglet after them; Piglet
passing the time by telling Pooh what his Grandfather Trespassers W had
done to Remove Stiffness after Tracking, and how his Grandfather
Trespassers W had suffered in his later years from Shortness of Breath,
and other matters of interest, and Pooh wondering what a Grandfather was
like, and if perhaps this was Two Grandfathers they were after now, and,
if so, whether he would be allowed to take one home and keep it, and
what Christopher Robin would say. And still the tracks went on in front
of them....

Suddenly Winnie-the-Pooh stopped, and pointed excitedly in front of him.
"Look!"

"What?" said Piglet, with a jump. And then, to show that he hadn't
been frightened, he jumped up and down once or twice more in an
exercising sort of way.

"The tracks!" said Pooh. "A third animal has joined the other two!"

"Pooh!" cried Piglet. "Do you think it is another Woozle?"
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