INTRODUCTION
IfyouhappentohavereadanotherbookaboutChristopherRobin,youmayrememberthatheoncehada
joutsen
swan(ortheswanhadChristopherRobin,Idon'tknowwhich)andthatheusedtocallthisjoutsen
swanPooh.Thatwasalongtimeago,andwhenwesaidgood-bye,wetookthenamewithus,aswedidn'tthinkthe
joutsen
swanwouldwantitanymore.Well,whenEdwardBearsaidthathewouldlikeanexcitingnamealltohimself,ChristopherRobinsaidatonce,withoutstoppingtothink,thathewasWinnie-the-Pooh.
Andhewas.
So,asIhaveexplainedthePoohpart,Iwillnowexplaintherestofit.
Youcan'tbeinLondonforlongwithoutgoingtotheZoo.
TherearesomepeoplewhobegintheZooatthebeginning,calledWAYIN,andwalkasquicklyastheycanpastevery
häkin
cageuntiltheygettotheonecalledWAYOUT,butthenicestpeoplegostraighttotheanimaltheylovethemost,andstaythere.SowhenChristopherRobingoestotheZoo,hegoestowherethePolarBearsare,andhe
kuiskaa
whisperssomethingtothethirdkeeperfromtheleft,anddoorsareavataan
unlocked,andwewanderthroughdarkpassagesandupsteepstairs,untilatlastwecometothespecialhäkki
cage,andthecageisopened,andouttrotssomethingbrownandfurry,andwithahappycryof"Oh,Bear!"ChristopherRobinrushesintoitsarms.
Nowthisbear'snameisWinnie,whichshowswhatagoodnameforbearsitis,butthefunnythingisthatwecan'trememberwhetherWinnieiscalledafterPooh,orPoohafterWinnie.
Wedidknowonce,butwehaveforgotten....
IhadwrittenasfarasthiswhenPigletlookedupandsaidinhissqueakyvoice,"WhataboutMe?"
"MydearPiglet,"Isaid,"thewholebookisaboutyou."
"SoitisaboutPooh,"hesqueaked.
Youseewhatitis.
HeisjealousbecausehethinksPoohishavingaGrand
Esittely
Introductionalltohimself.Poohisthe
suosikki
favourite,ofcourse,there'snodenyingit,butPigletcomesinforagoodmanythingswhichPoohmisses;becauseyoucan'ttakePoohtoschoolwithouteverybodyknowingit,butPigletissosmallthatheslipsintoapocket,whereitisverycomfortingtofeelhimwhenyouarenotquitesurewhethertwicesevenistwelveortwenty-two.
Sometimesheslipsoutandhasagoodlookintheink-pot,andinthiswayhehasgotmoreeducationthanPooh,butPoohdoesn'tmind.
Somehavebrains,andsomehaven't,hesays,andthereitis.
Andnowalltheothersaresaying,"WhataboutUs?"
SoperhapsthebestthingtodoistostopwritingIntroductionsandgetonwiththebook.
CHAPTERI
INWHICHWEAREINTRODUCEDTOWINNIE-THE-POOHANDSOMEBEES,ANDTHESTORIESBEGIN
HereisEdwardBear,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,"Isaidquickly;
andIhopeyoudotoo,becauseitisallthe
selitys
explanationyouaregoingtoget.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,"saidagrowlyvoice.
ThenIwillgoon,"saidI.)
Onedaywhenhewasoutwalking,hecametoanopenplaceinthemiddleoftheforest,andinthemiddleofthisplacewasalargeoak-tree,and,fromthetopofthetree,therecamealoudbuzzing-noise.
Winnie-the-Poohsatdownatthefootofthetree,puthisheadbetweenhispawsandbegantothink.
Firstofallhesaidtohimself:
"Thatbuzzing-noisemeanssomething.
Youdon'tgetabuzzing-noiselikethat,justbuzzingandbuzzing,withoutitsmeaningsomething.
Ifthere'sabuzzing-noise,somebody'smakingabuzzing-noise,andtheonlyreasonformakingabuzzing-noisethatIknowofisbecauseyou'reabee."
Thenhethoughtanotherlongtime,andsaid:
"Andtheonlyreasonforbeinga
mehiläinen
beethatIknowofismakinghoney."Andthenhegotup,andsaid:
"AndtheonlyreasonformakinghoneyissoasIcaneatit."
Sohebegantoclimbthetree.
Heclimbedandheclimbedandheclimbed,andasheclimbedhesangalittlesongtohimself.
Itwentlikethis:.
Thenheclimbedalittlefurther...
andalittlefurther...
andthenjustalittlefurther.
Bythattimehehadthoughtofanothersong.
Hewasgettingrathertiredbythistime,sothatiswhyhesangaComplainingSong.
Hewasnearlytherenow,andifhejuststoodonthatbranch...
Crack!
Oh,help!"
saidPooh,ashedroppedtenfeetonthebranchbelowhim.
IfonlyIhadn't——"
hesaid,ashebouncedtwentyfeetontothenextbranch.
Yousee,whatImeanttodo,"heexplained,asheturnedhead-over-heels,andcrashedontoanotherbranchthirtyfeetbelow,"whatImeanttodo——".
Ofcourse,itwasrather——"
headmitted,asheslitheredveryquicklythroughthenextsixbranches.
Itallcomes,Isuppose,"hedecided,ashesaidgood-byetothelastbranch,spunroundthreetimes,andflewgracefullyintoagorse-bush,"itallcomesoflikinghoneysomuch.
Oh,help!"
He
ryömi
crawledoutofthegorse-bush,harjasi
brushedthepricklesfromhisnose,andbegantothinkagain.AndthefirstpersonhethoughtofwasChristopherRobin.
("Wasthatme?"
saidChristopherRobininanawedvoice,hardlydaringtobelieveit.
Thatwasyou."
ChristopherRobinsaidnothing,buthiseyesgotlargerandlarger,andhisfacegotpinkerandpinker.)
SoWinnie-the-PoohwentroundtohisfriendChristopherRobin,wholivedbehindagreendoorinanotherpartoftheforest.
Goodmorning,ChristopherRobin,"hesaid.
Goodmorning,Winnie-ther-Pooh,"saidyou.
Iwonderifyou'vegotsuchathingasa
ilmapallo
balloonaboutyou?"Aballoon?"
Yes,Ijustsaidtomyselfcomingalong:
'IwonderifChristopherRobinhassuchathingasa
ilmapallo
balloonabouthim?'Ijustsaidittomyself,thinkingofballoons,andwondering."
Whatdoyouwantaballoonfor?"
yousaid.
Winnie-the-Poohlookedroundtoseethatnobodywaslistening,puthispawtohismouth,andsaidinadeepwhisper:
"Honey!"
Butyoudon'tgethoneywithballoons!"
Ido,"saidPooh.
Well,itjusthappenedthatyouhadbeentoapartythedaybeforeatthehouseofyourfriendPiglet,andyouhadballoonsattheparty.
Youhadhadabiggreen
ilmapallo
balloon;andoneofRabbit'srelationshadhadabigblueone,andhadleftitbehind,beingreallytooyoungtogotoapartyatall;
andsoyouhadbroughtthegreenoneandtheblueonehomewithyou.
Whichonewouldyoulike?"
youaskedPooh.
Heputhisheadbetweenhispawsandthoughtverycarefully.
It'slikethis,"hesaid.
"Whenyougoafterhoneywithaballoon,thegreatthingisnottoletthebeesknowyou'recoming.
Now,ifyouhaveagreen
ilmapallo
balloon,theymightthinkyouwereonlypartofthetree,andnotnoticeyou,and,ifyouhaveablueilmapallo
balloon,theymightthinkyouwereonlypartofthesky,andnotnoticeyou,andthequestionis:Whichismostlikely?"
Wouldn'ttheynoticeyou
alla
underneaththeballoon?"youasked.
Theymightortheymightnot,"saidWinnie-the-Pooh.
"Younevercantellwithbees."
Hethoughtforamomentandsaid:
"Ishalltrytolooklikeasmallblackcloud.
Thatwill
pettää
deceivethem."Thenyouhadbetterhavetheblueballoon,"yousaid;
andsoitwasdecided.
Well,youbothwentoutwiththeblueballoon,andyoutookyourgunwithyou,justincase,asyoualwaysdid,andWinnie-the-Poohwenttoaverymuddyplacethatheknewof,androlledandrolleduntilhewasblackallover;
andthen,whenthe
ilmapallo
balloonwasblownupasbigasbig,andyouandPoohwerebothholdingontothestring,youletgosuddenly,andPoohBearfloatedgracefullyupintothesky,andstayedthere—levelwiththetopofthetreeandabouttwentyfeetawayfromit.Hooray!"
youshouted.
Isn'tthatfine?"
shoutedWinnie-the-Poohdowntoyou.
"WhatdoIlooklike?"
YoulooklikeaBearholdingontoaballoon,"yousaid.
Not,"saidPoohanxiously,"—notlikeasmallblack
pilvi
cloudinabluesky?"Notverymuch."
Ah,well,perhapsfromuphereitlooksdifferent.
And,asIsay,younevercantellwithbees."
Therewasnowindtoblowhimnearertothetree,sotherehestayed.
Hecouldseethehoney,hecouldsmellthehoney,buthecouldn'tquitereachthehoney.
Afteralittlewhilehecalleddowntoyou.
ChristopherRobin!"
hesaidinaloud
kuiskaten
whisper.Hallo!"
Ithinkthebeessuspectsomething!"
Whatsortofthing?"
Idon'tknow.
Butsomethingtellsmethatthey'resuspicious!"
Perhapstheythinkthatyou'reaftertheirhoney."
Itmaybethat.
Younevercantellwithbees."
Therewasanotherlittlesilence,andthenhecalleddowntoyouagain.
ChristopherRobin!"
Yes?"
Haveyouan
sateenvarjo
umbrellainyourhouse?"Ithinkso."
Iwishyouwouldbringitouthere,andwalkupanddownwithit,andlookupatmeeverynowandthen,andsay'Tut-tut,itlookslikerain.'
Ithink,ifyoudidthat,itwouldhelpthedeceptionwhichweare
harjoitamme
practisingonthesebees."Well,youlaughedtoyourself,"SillyoldBear!"
butyoudidn'tsayit
ääneen
aloudbecauseyouweresofondofhim,andyouwenthomeforyourumbrella.Oh,thereyouare!"
calleddownWinnie-the-Pooh,assoonasyougotbacktothetree.
"Iwasbeginningtogetanxious.
IhavediscoveredthatthebeesarenowdefinitelySuspicious."
ShallIputmyumbrellaup?"
yousaid.
Yes,butwaitamoment.
Wemustbepractical.
Theimportant
mehiläinen
beetodeceiveistheQueenMehiläinen
Bee.CanyouseewhichistheQueen
Mehiläinen
Beefromdownthere?"No."
Apity.
Well,now,ifyouwalkupanddownwithyourumbrella,saying,'Tut-tut,itlookslikerain,'IshalldowhatIcanbysingingalittle
Pilvi
CloudSong,suchasapilvi
cloudmightsing....Go!"
So,whileyouwalkedupanddownandwonderedifitwouldrain,Winnie-the-Poohsangthissong:.
Thebeeswerestillbuzzingassuspiciouslyasever.
Someofthem,indeed,lefttheirnestsandflewallroundthecloudasitbeganthesecond
säkeistö
verseofthissong,andonemehiläinen
beesatdownonthenoseofthecloudforamoment,andthengotupagain.Christopher—ow!—Robin,"calledoutthe
pilvi
cloud.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,youmustshootthe
ilmapallo
balloonwithyourgun.Haveyougotyourgun?"
OfcourseIhave,"yousaid.
"ButifIdothat,itwill
pilaa
spoiltheballoon,"yousaid.