INTRODUCTION
IfyouhappentohavereadanotherbookaboutChristopherRobin,youmayrememberthatheoncehadaswan(ortheswanhadChristopherRobin,Idon'tknowwhich)andthatheusedtocallthisswanPooh.
Thatwasalongtimeago,andwhenwesaidgood-bye,wetookthenamewithus,aswedidn'tthinktheswanwouldwantitanymore.
Well,whenEdwardBearsaidthathewouldlikeanexcitingnamealltohimself,ChristopherRobinsaidatonce,withoutstoppingtothink,thathewasWinnie-the-Pooh.
Andhewas.
So,asIhaveexplainedthePoohpart,Iwillnowexplaintherestofit.
Youcan'tbeinLondonforlongwithoutgoingtotheZoo.
Therearesomepeoplewho
iniziano
begintheZooatthebeginning,calledWAYIN,andwalkasvelocemente
quicklyastheycanpasteverycageuntiltheygettotheonecalledWAYOUT,butthenicestpeoplegostraighttotheanimaltheylovethemost,andstaythere.SowhenChristopherRobingoestotheZoo,hegoestowherethePolarBearsare,andhewhisperssomethingtothe
terzo
thirdkeeperfromtheleft,anddoorsareunlocked,andwewanderthroughdarkpassagesandupsteepstairs,untilatlastwecometothespecialcage,andthecageisopened,andouttrotssomethingbrownandfurry,andwithahappygrido
cryof"Oh,Bear!"ChristopherRobinrushesintoitsarms.
Nowthisbear'snameisWinnie,whichshowswhatagoodnameforbearsitis,butthefunnythingisthatwecan'tremember
se
whetherWinnieiscalledafterPooh,orPoohafterWinnie.Wedidknowonce,butwehaveforgotten....
IhadwrittenasfarasthiswhenPigletlookedupandsaidinhissqueaky
voce
voice,"WhataboutMe?""MydearPiglet,"Isaid,"thewholebookisaboutyou."
"SoitisaboutPooh,"hesqueaked.
Youseewhatitis.
HeisjealousbecausehethinksPoohishavinga
Grande
GrandIntroductionalltohimself.Poohisthefavourite,ofcourse,there'snodenyingit,butPigletcomesinforagoodmanythingswhichPoohmisses;
becauseyoucan'ttakePoohtoschoolwithouteverybodyknowingit,butPigletissosmallthatheslipsintoapocket,whereitisverycomfortingtofeelhimwhenyouarenotquitesure
se
whethertwicesevenistwelveortwenty-two.Sometimesheslipsoutandhasagoodlookintheink-pot,andinthiswayhehasgotmoreeducationthanPooh,butPoohdoesn'tmind.
Somehavebrains,andsomehaven't,hesays,andthereitis.
Andnowalltheothersaresaying,"WhataboutUs?"
SoperhapsthebestthingtodoistostopwritingIntroductionsandgetonwiththebook.
CHAPTERI
INWHICHWEAREINTRODUCEDTOWINNIE-THE-POOHANDSOMEBEES,ANDTHESTORIES
Iniziano
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
rapidamente
quickly;andIhopeyoudotoo,becauseitisalltheexplanationyouaregoingtoget.
SometimesWinnie-the-Poohlikesagameofsomesortwhenhecomesdownstairs,andsometimeshelikestositquietlyinfrontofthefireandlistentoastory.
Thisevening——.
Whataboutastory?"
saidChristopherRobin.
Whataboutastory?"
Isaid.
CouldyouverysweetlytellWinnie-the-Poohone?"
I
suppongo
supposeIcould,"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
voce
voice.ThenIwillgoon,"saidI.)
Onedaywhenhewasoutwalking,hecametoanopenplaceinthe
mezzo
middleoftheforest,andinthemezzo
middleofthisplacewasagrande
largeoak-tree,and,fromthetopofthetree,therecamealoudbuzzing-noise.Winnie-the-Poohsatdownatthefootofthetree,puthisheadbetweenhispawsand
cominciò
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
cominciò
begantoclimbthetree.Heclimbedandheclimbedandheclimbed,andasheclimbedhesangalittle
canzone
songtohimself.Itwentlikethis:.
Thenheclimbedalittlefurther...
andalittlefurther...
andthenjustalittlefurther.
Bythattimehehadthoughtofanother
canzone
song.Hewasgettingrather
stanco
tiredbythistime,sothatiswhyhesangaComplainingCanzone
Song.Hewasnearlytherenow,andifhejuststoodonthatbranch...
Crack!
Oh,help!"
saidPooh,ashe
cadeva
droppedtenfeetonthebranchbelowhim.IfonlyIhadn't——"
hesaid,ashebouncedtwentyfeetontothenextbranch.
Yousee,whatImeanttodo,"he
spiegò
explained,asheturnedhead-over-heels,andcrashedontoanotherbranchthirtyfeetbelow,"whatImeanttodo——".Ofcourse,itwasrather——"
headmitted,asheslitheredvery
velocemente
quicklythroughthenextsixbranches.Itallcomes,Isuppose,"he
deciso
decided,ashesaidgood-byetothelastbranch,spunroundthreetimes,andvolò
flewgracefullyintoagorse-bush,"itallcomesoflikinghoneysomuch.Oh,help!"
Hecrawledoutofthegorse-bush,brushedthepricklesfromhis
naso
nose,andbegantothinkagain.AndthefirstpersonhethoughtofwasChristopherRobin.
("Wasthatme?"
saidChristopherRobininanawed
voce
voice,hardlydaringtobelieveit.Thatwasyou."
ChristopherRobinsaidnothing,buthiseyesgotlargerandlarger,andhisfacegotpinkerandpinker.)
SoWinnie-the-PoohwentroundtohisfriendChristopherRobin,wholivedbehinda
verde
greendoorinanotherpartoftheforest.Goodmorning,ChristopherRobin,"hesaid.
Goodmorning,Winnie-ther-Pooh,"saidyou.
I
chiedo
wonderifyou'vegotsuchathingasaballoonaboutyou?"Aballoon?"
Yes,Ijustsaidtomyselfcomingalong:
'I
chiedo
wonderifChristopherRobinhassuchathingasaballoonabouthim?'Ijustsaidittomyself,thinkingofballoons,andwondering."
Whatdoyouwantaballoonfor?"
yousaid.
Winnie-the-Poohlookedroundtoseethatnobodywaslistening,puthispawtohis
bocca
mouth,andsaidinaprofondo
deepwhisper:"Honey!"
Butyoudon'tgethoneywithballoons!"
Ido,"saidPooh.
Well,itjusthappenedthatyouhadbeentoapartythedaybeforeatthehouseofyourfriendPiglet,andyouhadballoonsattheparty.
Youhadhadabig
verde
greenballoon;andoneofRabbit'srelationshadhadabig
blu
blueone,andhadleftitbehind,beingreallytooyoungtogotoapartyatall;andsoyouhadbroughtthe
verde
greenoneandtheblueonehomewithyou.Whichonewouldyoulike?"
youaskedPooh.
Heputhisheadbetweenhispawsandthoughtverycarefully.
It'slikethis,"hesaid.
"Whenyougoafterhoneywithaballoon,thegreatthingisnottoletthebeesknowyou'recoming.
Now,ifyouhavea
verde
greenballoon,theymightthinkyouwereonlypartofthetree,andnotnoticeyou,and,ifyouhaveablu
blueballoon,theymightthinkyouwereonlypartofthecielo
sky,andnotnoticeyou,andthequestionis:Whichismostlikely?"
Wouldn'tthey
notato
noticeyouunderneaththeballoon?"youasked.
Theymightortheymightnot,"saidWinnie-the-Pooh.
"Younevercantellwithbees."
Hethoughtforamomentandsaid:
"Ishalltrytolooklikeasmallblackcloud.
Thatwilldeceivethem."
Thenyouhadbetterhavetheblueballoon,"yousaid;
andsoitwas
deciso
decided.Well,youbothwentoutwiththe
blu
blueballoon,andyoutookyourgunwithyou,justincase,asyoualwaysdid,andWinnie-the-Poohwenttoaverymuddyplacethatheknewof,androtolato
rolledandrolleduntilhewasblackallover;andthen,whentheballoonwasblownupasbigasbig,andyouandPoohwerebothholdingontothestring,youletgo
improvvisamente
suddenly,andPoohBearfloatedgracefullyupintothecielo
sky,andstayedthere—levelwiththetopofthetreeandabouttwentyfeetawayfromit.Hooray!"
youshouted.
Isn'tthatfine?"
shoutedWinnie-the-Poohdowntoyou.
"WhatdoIlooklike?"
Youlooklikea
Orso
Bearholdingontoaballoon,"yousaid.Not,"saidPoohanxiously,"—notlikeasmallblackcloudinabluesky?"
Notverymuch."
Ah,well,perhapsfromuphereitlooksdifferent.
And,asIsay,younevercantellwithbees."
Therewasno
vento
windtoblowhimnearertothetree,sotherehestayed.Hecouldseethehoney,hecouldsmellthehoney,buthecouldn'tquite
raggiungere
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
riso
laughedtoyourself,"SillyoldBear!"butyoudidn'tsayitaloudbecauseyouweresofondofhim,andyouwenthomeforyourumbrella.
Oh,thereyouare!"
calleddownWinnie-the-Pooh,assoonasyougotbacktothetree.
"Iwasbeginningtogetanxious.
Ihavediscoveredthatthebeesarenow
decisamente
definitelySuspicious."ShallIputmyumbrellaup?"
yousaid.
Yes,butwaitamoment.
Wemustbepractical.
Theimportantbeetodeceiveisthe
Regina
QueenBee.Canyouseewhichisthe
Regina
QueenBeefromdownthere?"No."
Apity.
Well,now,ifyouwalkupanddownwithyourumbrella,saying,'Tut-tut,itlookslikerain,'IshalldowhatIcanbysingingalittleCloud
Canzone
Song,suchasacloudmightsing....Go!"
So,whileyouwalkedupanddownand
chiedevi
wonderedifitwouldrain,Winnie-the-Poohsangthiscanzone
song:.Thebeeswerestillbuzzingassuspiciouslyasever.
Someofthem,indeed,lefttheirnestsand
volarono
flewallroundthecloudasitiniziò
beganthesecondverseofthiscanzone
song,andonebeesatdownonthenaso
noseofthecloudforamoment,andthengotupagain.Christopher—ow!—Robin,"calledoutthecloud.
Yes?"
Ihavejustbeenthinking,andIhavecometoaveryimportant
decisione
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.