INTRODUCTION
IfyouhappentohavereadanotherbookaboutChristopherRobin,youmayrememberthatheoncehadaswan(ortheswanhadChristopherRobin,Idon'tknowwhich)andthatheusedtocallthisswanPooh.
Thatwasalongtimeago,andwhenwesaidgood-bye,wetookthenamewithus,aswedidn'tthinktheswanwouldwantitanymore.
Well,whenEdward
Medvjed
Bearsaidthathewouldlikeanexcitingnamealltohimself,ChristopherRobinsaidatonce,withoutstoppingtothink,thathewasWinnie-the-Pooh.Andhewas.
So,asIhaveexplainedthePoohpart,Iwillnow
objasniti
explaintherestofit.Youcan'tbeinLondonforlongwithoutgoingtotheZoo.
TherearesomepeoplewhobegintheZooatthebeginning,calledWAYIN,andwalkasquicklyastheycanpasteverycageuntiltheygettotheonecalledWAYOUT,butthenicestpeoplego
ravno
straighttotheanimaltheylovethemost,andstaythere.SowhenChristopherRobingoestotheZoo,hegoestowherethePolarBearsare,andhewhisperssomethingtothethirdkeeperfromtheleft,anddoorsareunlocked,andwewanderthrough
tamne
darkpassagesandupsteepstairs,untilatlastwecometothespecialcage,andthecageisopened,andouttrotssomethingbrownandfurry,andwithahappycryof"Oh,Bear!"ChristopherRobinrushesintoitsarms.
Nowthisbear'snameisWinnie,whichshowswhatagoodnameforbearsitis,butthefunnythingisthatwecan'tremember
li
whetherWinnieiscalledafterPooh,orPoohafterWinnie.Wedidknowonce,butwehaveforgotten....
IhadwrittenasfarasthiswhenPigletlookedupandsaidinhissqueakyvoice,"WhataboutMe?"
"MydearPiglet,"Isaid,"thewholebookisaboutyou."
"SoitisaboutPooh,"hesqueaked.
Youseewhatitis.
HeisjealousbecausehethinksPoohishavingaGrandIntroductionalltohimself.
Poohisthefavourite,ofcourse,there'snodenyingit,butPigletcomesinforagoodmanythingswhichPoohmisses;
becauseyoucan'ttakePoohtoschoolwithouteverybodyknowingit,butPigletissosmallthatheslipsintoapocket,whereitisverycomfortingtofeelhimwhenyouarenotquitesure
li
whethertwicesevenistwelveortwenty-two.Sometimesheslipsoutandhasagoodlookintheink-pot,andinthiswayhehasgotmoreeducationthanPooh,butPoohdoesn'tmind.
Somehavebrains,andsomehaven't,hesays,andthereitis.
Andnowalltheothersaresaying,"WhataboutUs?"
SoperhapsthebestthingtodoistostopwritingIntroductionsandgetonwiththebook.
CHAPTERI
INWHICHWEAREINTRODUCEDTOWINNIE-THE-POOHANDSOMEBEES,ANDTHESTORIES
Počinju
BEGINHereisEdwardBear,comingdownstairsnow,bump,bump,bump,onthebackofhishead,behindChristopherRobin.
Itis,asfarasheknows,theonlywayofcomingdownstairs,butsometimeshefeelsthattherereallyisanotherway,ifonlyhecouldstopbumpingforamomentandthinkofit.
Andthenhefeelsthatperhapsthereisn't.
Anyhow,hereheisatthebottom,andreadytobeintroducedtoyou.
Winnie-the-Pooh.
WhenIfirstheardhisname,Isaid,justasyouaregoingtosay,"ButIthoughthewasaboy?"
SodidI,"saidChristopherRobin.
Thenyoucan'tcallhimWinnie?"
Idon't."
Butyousaid——".
He'sWinnie-ther-Pooh.
Don'tyouknowwhat'ther'means?"
Ah,yes,nowIdo,"Isaid
brzo
quickly;andIhopeyoudotoo,becauseitisalltheexplanationyouaregoingtoget.
SometimesWinnie-the-Poohlikesagameofsomesortwhenhecomesdownstairs,andsometimeshelikestositquietlyinfrontofthefireandlistentoastory.
Thisevening——.
Whataboutastory?"
saidChristopherRobin.
Whataboutastory?"
Isaid.
CouldyouverysweetlytellWinnie-the-Poohone?"
IsupposeIcould,"Isaid.
"Whatsortofstoriesdoeshelike?"
Abouthimself.
Becausehe'sthatsortofBear."
Oh,Isee."
Socouldyouverysweetly?"
I'lltry,"Isaid.
SoItried.
Onceuponatime,averylongtimeagonow,aboutlastFriday,Winnie-the-PoohlivedinaforestallbyhimselfunderthenameofSanders.
("Whatdoes'underthename'mean?"
askedChristopherRobin.
Itmeanshehadthenameoverthedooringoldletters,andlivedunderit."
Winnie-the-Poohwasn'tquitesure,"saidChristopherRobin.
NowIam,"saidagrowly
glas
voice.ThenIwillgoon,"saidI.)
Onedaywhenhewasoutwalking,hecametoanopenplaceinthemiddleoftheforest,andinthemiddleofthisplacewasa
veliki
largeoak-tree,and,fromthetopofthedrveta
tree,therecamealoudbuzzing-noise.Winnie-the-Poohsatdownatthefootofthe
drveta
tree,puthisheadbetweenhispawsandbegantothink.Firstofallhesaidtohimself:
"Thatbuzzing-noisemeanssomething.
Youdon'tgetabuzzing-noiselikethat,justbuzzingandbuzzing,withoutitsmeaningsomething.
Ifthere'sabuzzing-noise,somebody'smakingabuzzing-noise,andtheonlyreasonformakingabuzzing-noisethatIknowofisbecauseyou'reabee."
Thenhethoughtanotherlongtime,andsaid:
"AndtheonlyreasonforbeingabeethatIknowofismakinghoney."
Andthenhegotup,andsaid:
"AndtheonlyreasonformakinghoneyissoasIcaneatit."
Sohebegantoclimbthe
drvo
tree.Heclimbedandheclimbedandheclimbed,andasheclimbedhesangalittle
pjesmu
songtohimself.Itwentlikethis:.
Thenheclimbedalittle
dalje
further...andalittle
dalje
further...andthenjustalittle
dalje
further.Bythattimehehadthoughtofanother
pjesmu
song.Hewasgettingrather
umoran
tiredbythistime,sothatiswhyhesangaComplainingPjesmu
Song.Hewasnearlytherenow,andifhejuststoodonthatbranch...
Crack!
Oh,help!"
saidPooh,ashedroppedtenfeetonthebranchbelowhim.
IfonlyIhadn't——"
hesaid,ashebouncedtwenty
metara
feetontothenextbranch.Yousee,whatImeanttodo,"heexplained,asheturnedhead-over-heels,andcrashedontoanotherbranchthirty
metara
feetbelow,"whatImeanttodo——".Ofcourse,itwasrather——"
headmitted,asheslitheredvery
brzo
quicklythroughthenextsixbranches.Itallcomes,Isuppose,"hedecided,ashesaidgood-byetothelastbranch,spunroundthreetimes,andflewgracefullyintoagorse-bush,"itallcomesoflikinghoneysomuch.
Oh,help!"
Hecrawledoutofthegorse-bush,brushedthepricklesfromhis
nosa
nose,andbegantothinkagain.AndthefirstpersonhethoughtofwasChristopherRobin.
("Wasthatme?"
saidChristopherRobininanawed
glas
voice,hardlydaringtobelieveit.Thatwasyou."
ChristopherRobinsaidnothing,buthiseyesgotlargerandlarger,andhisfacegotpinkerandpinker.)
SoWinnie-the-PoohwentroundtohisfriendChristopherRobin,wholivedbehindagreendoorinanotherpartoftheforest.
Goodmorning,ChristopherRobin,"hesaid.
Goodmorning,Winnie-ther-Pooh,"saidyou.
I
pitam
wonderifyou'vegotsuchathingasaballoonaboutyou?"Aballoon?"
Yes,Ijustsaidtomyselfcomingalong:
'IwonderifChristopherRobinhassuchathingasaballoonabouthim?'
Ijustsaidittomyself,thinkingofballoons,andwondering."
Whatdoyouwantaballoonfor?"
yousaid.
Winnie-the-Poohlookedroundtoseethatnobodywaslistening,puthispawtohis
usta
mouth,andsaidinadeepwhisper:"Honey!"
Butyoudon'tgethoneywithballoons!"
Ido,"saidPooh.
Well,itjusthappenedthatyouhadbeentoapartythedaybeforeatthehouseofyourfriendPiglet,andyouhadballoonsattheparty.
Youhadhadabiggreenballoon;
andoneofRabbit'srelationshadhadabigblueone,andhadleftitbehind,beingreallytooyoungtogotoapartyatall;
andsoyouhadbroughtthegreenoneandtheblueonehomewithyou.
Whichonewouldyoulike?"
youaskedPooh.
Heputhisheadbetweenhispawsandthoughtverycarefully.
It'slikethis,"hesaid.
"Whenyougoafterhoneywithaballoon,thegreatthingisnottoletthebeesknowyou'recoming.
Now,ifyouhaveagreenballoon,theymightthinkyouwereonlypartofthe
drveta
tree,andnotnoticeyou,and,ifyouhaveablueballoon,theymightthinkyouwereonlypartoftheneba
sky,andnotnoticeyou,andthequestionis:Whichismostlikely?"
Wouldn'ttheynoticeyouunderneaththeballoon?"
youasked.
Theymightortheymightnot,"saidWinnie-the-Pooh.
"Younevercantellwithbees."
Hethoughtforamomentandsaid:
"Ishalltrytolooklikeasmallblackcloud.
Thatwilldeceivethem."
Thenyouhadbetterhavetheblueballoon,"yousaid;
andsoitwasdecided.
Well,youbothwentoutwiththeblueballoon,andyoutookyourgunwithyou,justincase,asyoualwaysdid,andWinnie-the-Poohwenttoaverymuddyplacethatheknewof,androlledandrolleduntilhewasblackallover;
andthen,whentheballoonwasblownupasbigasbig,andyouandPoohwerebothholdingontothestring,youletgo
odjednom
suddenly,andPoohBearfloatedgracefullyupintothenebo
sky,andstayedthere—levelwiththetopofthedrveta
treeandabouttwentyfeetawayfromit.Hooray!"
youshouted.
Isn'tthatfine?"
shoutedWinnie-the-Poohdowntoyou.
"WhatdoIlooklike?"
Youlooklikea
Medvjed
Bearholdingontoaballoon,"yousaid.Not,"saidPoohanxiously,"—notlikeasmallblackcloudinabluesky?"
Notverymuch."
Ah,well,perhapsfromuphereitlooksdifferent.
And,asIsay,younevercantellwithbees."
Therewasno
vjetra
windtoblowhimnearertothetree,sotherehestayed.Hecouldseethehoney,hecould
namirisati
smellthehoney,buthecouldn'tquitereachthehoney.Afteralittlewhilehecalleddowntoyou.
ChristopherRobin!"
hesaidinaloudwhisper.
Hallo!"
Ithinkthebeessuspectsomething!"
Whatsortofthing?"
Idon'tknow.
Butsomethingtellsmethatthey'resuspicious!"
Perhapstheythinkthatyou'reaftertheirhoney."
Itmaybethat.
Younevercantellwithbees."
Therewasanotherlittlesilence,andthenhecalleddowntoyouagain.
ChristopherRobin!"
Yes?"
Haveyouanumbrellainyourhouse?"
Ithinkso."
Iwishyouwouldbringitouthere,andwalkupanddownwithit,andlookupatmeeverynowandthen,andsay'Tut-tut,itlookslikerain.'
Ithink,ifyoudidthat,itwouldhelpthedeceptionwhichwearepractisingonthesebees."
Well,youlaughedtoyourself,"SillyoldBear!"
butyoudidn'tsayitaloudbecauseyouweresofondofhim,andyouwenthomeforyourumbrella.
Oh,thereyouare!"
calleddownWinnie-the-Pooh,assoonasyougotbacktothe
drvo
tree."Iwasbeginningtogetanxious.
Ihavediscoveredthatthebeesarenow
definitivno
definitelySuspicious."ShallIputmyumbrellaup?"
yousaid.
Yes,butwaitamoment.
Wemustbepractical.
Theimportantbeetodeceiveisthe
Kraljica
QueenBee.Canyouseewhichisthe
Kraljica
QueenBeefromdownthere?"No."
Apity.
Well,now,ifyouwalkupanddownwithyourumbrella,saying,'Tut-tut,itlookslikerain,'IshalldowhatIcanbysingingalittleCloudSong,suchasacloudmightsing....
Go!"
So,whileyouwalkedupanddownandwonderedifitwouldrain,Winnie-the-Poohsangthis
pjesmu
song:.Thebeeswerestillbuzzingassuspiciouslyasever.
Someofthem,indeed,lefttheirnestsandflewallroundthecloudasitbeganthesecondverseofthissong,andonebeesatdownonthenoseofthecloudforamoment,andthengotupagain.
Christopher—ow!—Robin,"calledoutthecloud.
Yes?"
Ihavejustbeenthinking,andIhavecometoaveryimportantdecision.
Thesearethewrongsortofbees."
Arethey?"
Quitethewrongsort.
SoIshouldthinktheywouldmakethewrongsortofhoney,shouldn'tyou?"
Wouldthey?"
Yes.
SoIthinkIshallcomedown."
How?"
askedyou.
Winnie-the-Poohhadn'tthoughtaboutthis.
Ifheletgoofthestring,hewouldfall—bump—andhedidn'tliketheideaofthat.
Sohethoughtforalongtime,andthenhesaid:.
ChristopherRobin,youmustshoottheballoonwithyourgun.
Haveyougotyourgun?"
OfcourseIhave,"yousaid.
"ButifIdothat,itwillspoiltheballoon,"yousaid.