INTRODUCTION
IfyouhappentohavereadanotherbookaboutChristopherRobin,youmayrememberthatheoncehadaswan(ortheswanhadChristopherRobin,Idon'tknowwhich)andthatheusedtocallthisswanPooh.
Thatwasalongtimeago,andwhenwesaidgood-bye,wetookthenamewithus,aswedidn'tthinktheswanwouldwantitanymore.
Well,whenEdwardBearsaidthathewouldlikeanexcitingnamealltohimself,ChristopherRobinsaidatonce,withoutstoppingtothink,thathewasWinnie-the-Pooh.
Andhewas.
So,asIhaveexplainedthePoohpart,Iwillnow
uitleggen
explaintherestofit.Youcan'tbeinLondonforlongwithoutgoingtotheZoo.
TherearesomepeoplewhobegintheZooatthebeginning,calledWAYIN,andwalkas
snel
quicklyastheycanpasteverycageuntiltheygettotheonecalledWAYOUT,butthenicestpeoplegostraighttothedier
animaltheylovethemost,andstaythere.SowhenChristopherRobingoestotheZoo,hegoestowherethePolarBearsare,andhewhisperssomethingtothe
derde
thirdkeeperfromtheleft,anddoorsareunlocked,andwewanderthroughdonkere
darkpassagesandupsteepstairs,untilatlastwecometothespecialcage,andthecageisopened,andouttrotssomethingbrownandfurry,andwithahappykreet
cryof"Oh,Bear!"ChristopherRobinrushesintoitsarms.
Nowthisbear'snameisWinnie,whichshowswhatagoodnameforbearsitis,butthefunnythingisthatwecan'trememberwhetherWinnieiscalledafterPooh,orPoohafterWinnie.
Wedidknowonce,butwehaveforgotten....
IhadwrittenasfarasthiswhenPigletlookedupandsaidinhissqueaky
stem
voice,"WhataboutMe?""MydearPiglet,"Isaid,"thewholebookisaboutyou."
"SoitisaboutPooh,"hesqueaked.
Youseewhatitis.
HeisjealousbecausehethinksPoohishavinga
Grote
GrandIntroductionalltohimself.Poohisthefavourite,ofcourse,there'snodenyingit,butPigletcomesinforagoodmanythingswhichPoohmisses;
becauseyoucan'ttakePoohtoschoolwithouteverybodyknowingit,butPigletissosmallthatheslipsintoapocket,whereitisverycomfortingtofeelhimwhenyouarenotquitesurewhether
twee keer
twicesevenistwelveortwenty-two.Sometimesheslipsoutandhasagoodlookintheink-pot,andinthiswayhehasgotmoreeducationthanPooh,butPoohdoesn'tmind.
Somehavebrains,andsomehaven't,hesays,andthereitis.
Andnowalltheothersaresaying,"WhataboutUs?"
SoperhapsthebestthingtodoistostopwritingIntroductionsandgetonwiththebook.
CHAPTERI
INWHICHWEAREINTRODUCEDTOWINNIE-THE-POOHANDSOMEBEES,ANDTHESTORIES
Beginnen
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
snel
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.
Itmeanshehadthenameoverthedoorin
gouden
goldletters,andlivedunderit."Winnie-the-Poohwasn'tquitesure,"saidChristopherRobin.
NowIam,"saidagrowly
stem
voice.ThenIwillgoon,"saidI.)
Onedaywhenhewasoutwalking,hecametoanopenplaceinthe
midden
middleoftheforest,andinthemidden
middleofthisplacewasagrote
largeoak-tree,and,fromthetopoftheboom
tree,therecamealoudbuzzing-noise.Winnie-the-Poohsatdownatthe
voet
footofthetree,puthisheadbetweenhispawsandbegon
begantothink.Firstofallhesaidtohimself:
"Thatbuzzing-noisemeanssomething.
Youdon'tgetabuzzing-noiselikethat,justbuzzingandbuzzing,withoutitsmeaningsomething.
Ifthere'sabuzzing-noise,somebody'smakingabuzzing-noise,andtheonlyreasonformakingabuzzing-noisethatIknowofisbecauseyou'reabee."
Thenhethoughtanotherlongtime,andsaid:
"AndtheonlyreasonforbeingabeethatIknowofismakinghoney."
Andthenhegotup,andsaid:
"AndtheonlyreasonformakinghoneyissoasIcaneatit."
Sohe
begon
begantoclimbthetree.Heclimbedandheclimbedandheclimbed,andasheclimbedhesangalittlesongtohimself.
Itwentlikethis:.
Thenheclimbedalittlefurther...
andalittlefurther...
andthenjustalittlefurther.
Bythattimehehadthoughtofanother
lied
song.Hewasgettingrather
moe
tiredbythistime,sothatiswhyhesangaComplainingSong.Hewasnearlytherenow,andifhejuststoodonthatbranch...
Crack!
Oh,help!"
saidPooh,ashe
viel
droppedtenfeetonthebranchbelowhim.IfonlyIhadn't——"
hesaid,ashebouncedtwenty
voet
feetontothenextbranch.Yousee,whatImeanttodo,"heexplained,asheturnedhead-over-heels,andcrashedontoanotherbranchthirty
voet
feetbelow,"whatImeanttodo——".Ofcourse,itwasrather——"
headmitted,asheslitheredvery
snel
quicklythroughthenextsixbranches.Itallcomes,Isuppose,"he
besloot
decided,ashesaidgood-byetothelastbranch,spunrond
roundthreetimes,andflewgracefullyintoagorse-bush,"itallcomesoflikinghoneysomuch.Oh,help!"
Hecrawledoutofthegorse-bush,brushedthepricklesfromhis
neus
nose,andbegantothinkagain.AndthefirstpersonhethoughtofwasChristopherRobin.
("Wasthatme?"
saidChristopherRobininanawed
stem
voice,hardlydaringtobelieveit.Thatwasyou."
ChristopherRobinsaidnothing,buthiseyesgotlargerandlarger,andhisfacegotpinkerandpinker.)
SoWinnie-the-PoohwentroundtohisfriendChristopherRobin,wholivedbehinda
groene
greendoorinanotherpartoftheforest.Goodmorning,ChristopherRobin,"hesaid.
Goodmorning,Winnie-ther-Pooh,"saidyou.
I
vraag me af
wonderifyou'vegotsuchathingasaballoonaboutyou?"Aballoon?"
Yes,Ijustsaidtomyselfcomingalong:
'I
vraag me af
wonderifChristopherRobinhassuchathingasaballoonabouthim?'Ijustsaidittomyself,thinkingofballoons,andwondering."
Whatdoyouwantaballoonfor?"
yousaid.
Winnie-the-Poohlookedroundtoseethatnobodywaslistening,puthispawtohis
mond
mouth,andsaidinadiep
deepwhisper:"Honey!"
Butyoudon'tgethoneywithballoons!"
Ido,"saidPooh.
Well,itjusthappenedthatyouhadbeentoapartythedaybeforeatthehouseofyourfriendPiglet,andyouhadballoonsattheparty.
Youhadhadabig
groene
greenballoon;andoneofRabbit'srelationshadhadabig
blauwe
blueone,andhadleftitbehind,beingreallytooyoungtogotoapartyatall;andsoyouhadbroughtthe
groene
greenoneandtheblueonehomewithyou.Whichonewouldyoulike?"
youaskedPooh.
Heputhisheadbetweenhispawsandthoughtverycarefully.
It'slikethis,"hesaid.
"Whenyougoafterhoneywithaballoon,thegreatthingisnottoletthebeesknowyou'recoming.
Now,ifyouhavea
groene
greenballoon,theymightthinkyouwereonlypartoftheboom
tree,andnotnoticeyou,and,ifyouhaveablauwe
blueballoon,theymightthinkyouwereonlypartofthelucht
sky,andnotnoticeyou,andthequestionis:Whichismostlikely?"
Wouldn'tthey
opmerken
noticeyouunderneaththeballoon?"youasked.
Theymightortheymightnot,"saidWinnie-the-Pooh.
"Younevercantellwithbees."
Hethoughtforamomentandsaid:
"Ishalltrytolooklikeasmallblackcloud.
Thatwilldeceivethem."
Thenyouhadbetterhavethe
blauwe
blueballoon,"yousaid;andsoitwas
besloten
decided.Well,youbothwentoutwiththe
blauwe
blueballoon,andyoutookyourgunwithyou,justincase,asyoualwaysdid,andWinnie-the-Poohwenttoaverymuddyplacethatheknewof,androlde
rolledandrolleduntilhewasblackallover;andthen,whentheballoonwasblownupasbigasbig,andyouandPoohwerebothholdingontothestring,youletgo
plotseling
suddenly,andPoohBearfloatedgracefullyupintothelucht
sky,andstayedthere—levelwiththetopoftheboom
treeandabouttwentyfeetawayfromit.Hooray!"
youshouted.
Isn'tthatfine?"
shoutedWinnie-the-Poohdowntoyou.
"WhatdoIlooklike?"
Youlooklikea
Beer
Bearholdingontoaballoon,"yousaid.Not,"saidPoohanxiously,"—notlikeasmallblackcloudina
blauwe
bluesky?"Notverymuch."
Ah,well,perhapsfromuphereitlooksdifferent.
And,asIsay,younevercantellwithbees."
Therewasno
wind
windtoblowhimnearertotheboom
tree,sotherehestayed.Hecouldseethehoney,hecould
ruiken
smellthehoney,buthecouldn'tquitebereiken
reachthehoney.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,you
lachte
laughedtoyourself,"SillyoldBear!"butyoudidn'tsayitaloudbecauseyouweresofondofhim,andyouwenthomeforyourumbrella.
Oh,thereyouare!"
calleddownWinnie-the-Pooh,assoonasyougotbacktothe
boom
tree."Iwasbeginningtogetanxious.
Ihavediscoveredthatthebeesarenow
zeker
definitelySuspicious."ShallIputmyumbrellaup?"
yousaid.
Yes,butwaitamoment.
Wemustbepractical.
Theimportantbeetodeceiveisthe
Koningin
QueenBee.Canyouseewhichisthe
Koningin
QueenBeefromdownthere?"No."
Apity.
Well,now,ifyouwalkupanddownwithyourumbrella,saying,'Tut-tut,itlookslikerain,'IshalldowhatIcanbysingingalittleCloudSong,suchasacloudmightsing....
Go!"
So,whileyouwalkedupanddownandwonderedifitwould
regenen
rain,Winnie-the-Poohsangthissong:.Thebeeswerestillbuzzingassuspiciouslyasever.
Someofthem,indeed,lefttheirnestsand
vlogen
flewallroundthecloudasitbegon
beganthesecondverseofthislied
song,andonebeesatdownontheneus
noseofthecloudforamoment,andthengotupagain.Christopher—ow!—Robin,"calledoutthecloud.
Yes?"
Ihavejustbeenthinking,andIhavecometoaveryimportant
beslissing
decision.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.