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'tbeinLondonforlongwithoutgoingtothe
Dyrehagen
Zoo.Therearesomepeoplewhobeginthe
Dyrehagen
Zooatthebeginning,calledWAYIN,andwalkasquicklyastheycanpasteverybur
cageuntiltheygettotheonecalledWAYOUT,butthefineste
nicestpeoplegostraighttotheanimaltheylovethemost,andstaythere.SowhenChristopherRobingoestothe
Dyrehagen
Zoo,hegoestowherethePolarBearsare,andhewhisperssomethingtothethirdkeeperfromtheleft,anddoorsareunlocked,andwevandrer
wanderthroughdarkpassagesandupsteepstairs,untilatlastwecometothespecialburet
cage,andthecageisopened,andouttrotssomethingbrownandfurry,andwithahappycryof"Oh,Bear!"ChristopherRobinrushesintoitsarms.
Nowthisbear'snameisWinnie,whichshowswhatagoodnameforbearsitis,butthefunnythingisthatwecan'trememberwhetherWinnieiscalledafterPooh,orPoohafterWinnie.
Wedidknowonce,butwehaveforgotten....
Ihadwrittenasfarasthiswhen
Piglet
Pigletlookedupandsaidinhissqueakyvoice,"WhataboutMe?""MydearPiglet,"Isaid,"thewholebookisaboutyou."
"SoitisaboutPooh,"hesqueaked.
Youseewhatitis.
HeisjealousbecausehethinksPoohishavingaGrandIntroductionalltohimself.
Poohisthe
favoritt
favourite,ofcourse,there'snodenyingit,butPiglet
PigletcomesinforagoodmanythingswhichPoohmisses;becauseyoucan'ttakePoohtoschoolwithouteverybodyknowingit,but
Piglet
Pigletissosmallthatheslipsintoapocket,whereitisverycomfortingtofeelhimwhenyouarenotquitesurewhethertwicesevenistwelveortwenty-two.Sometimesheslipsoutandhasagoodlookintheink-pot,andinthiswayhehasgotmoreeducationthanPooh,butPoohdoesn'tmind.
Somehavebrains,andsomehaven't,hesays,andthereitis.
Andnowalltheothersaresaying,"WhataboutUs?"
SoperhapsthebestthingtodoistostopwritingIntroductionsandgetonwiththebook.
Kapittel
CHAPTERIINWHICHWEAREINTRODUCEDTOWINNIE-THE-POOHANDSOMEBEES,ANDTHESTORIESBEGIN
HereisEdwardBear,comingdownstairsnow,
bump
bump,bump,bump,onthebackofhishead,behindChristopherRobin.Itis,asfarasheknows,theonlywayofcomingdownstairs,butsometimeshefeelsthattherereallyisanotherway,ifonlyhecouldstop
støte
bumpingforamomentandthinkofit.Andthenhefeelsthatperhapsthereisn't.
Uansett
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,becauseitisalltheexplanationyouaregoingtoget.
SometimesWinnie-the-Poohlikesagameofsomesortwhenhecomesdownstairs,andsometimeshelikestositquietlyinfrontofthefireandlistentoastory.
Thisevening——.
Whataboutastory?"
saidChristopherRobin.
Whataboutastory?"
Isaid.
Couldyouvery
søtt
sweetlytellWinnie-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:
"AndtheonlyreasonforbeingabeethatIknowofismakinghoney."
Andthenhegotup,andsaid:
"AndtheonlyreasonformakinghoneyissoasIcaneatit."
Sohebegantoclimbthetree.
Heclimbedandheclimbedandheclimbed,andasheclimbedhesangalittlesongtohimself.
Itwentlikethis:.
Thenheclimbedalittlefurther...
andalittlefurther...
andthenjustalittlefurther.
Bythattimehehadthoughtofanothersong.
Hewasgettingrathertiredbythistime,sothatiswhyhesanga
Klage
ComplainingSong.Hewasnearlytherenow,andifhejuststoodonthat
grenen
branch...Crack!
Oh,help!"
saidPooh,ashedroppedtenfeetonthe
grenen
branchbelowhim.IfonlyIhadn't——"
hesaid,ashebouncedtwentyfeetontothenext
gren
branch.Yousee,whatImeanttodo,"heexplained,asheturnedhead-over-heels,andcrashedontoanother
gren
branchthirtyfeetbelow,"whatImeanttodo——".Ofcourse,itwasrather——"
headmitted,asheslitheredveryquicklythroughthenextsixbranches.
Itallcomes,Isuppose,"hedecided,ashesaidgood-byetothelast
grenen
branch,spunroundthreetimes,andflewgracefullyintoagorse-bush,"itallcomesoflikinghoneysomuch.Oh,help!"
He
krøp
crawledoutofthegorse-bush,børstet
brushedthepricklesfromhisnose,andbegantothinkagain.AndthefirstpersonhethoughtofwasChristopherRobin.
("Wasthatme?"
saidChristopherRobininanawedvoice,hardlydaringtobelieveit.
Thatwasyou."
ChristopherRobinsaidnothing,buthiseyesgot
større
largerandlarger,andhisfacegotpinkerandpinker.)SoWinnie-the-PoohwentroundtohisfriendChristopherRobin,wholivedbehindagreendoorinanotherpartoftheforest.
Goodmorning,ChristopherRobin,"hesaid.
Goodmorning,Winnie-ther-Pooh,"saidyou.
Iwonderifyou'vegotsuchathingasa
ballong
balloonaboutyou?"Aballoon?"
Yes,Ijustsaidtomyselfcomingalong:
'IwonderifChristopherRobinhassuchathingasa
ballong
balloonabouthim?'Ijustsaidittomyself,thinkingofballoons,andwondering."
Whatdoyouwanta
ballong
balloonfor?"yousaid.
Winnie-the-Poohlookedroundtoseethatnobodywaslistening,puthis
pote
pawtohismouth,andsaidinadeepwhisper:"Honey!"
Butyoudon'tgethoneywithballoons!"
Ido,"saidPooh.
Well,itjusthappenedthatyouhadbeentoapartythedaybeforeatthehouseofyourfriend
Piglet
Piglet,andyouhadballoonsattheparty.Youhadhadabiggreen
ballong
balloon;andoneofRabbit'srelationshadhadabigblueone,andhadleftitbehind,beingreallytooyoungtogotoapartyatall;
andsoyouhadbroughtthegreenoneandtheblueonehomewithyou.
Whichonewouldyoulike?"
youaskedPooh.
Heputhisheadbetweenhispawsandthoughtverycarefully.
It'slikethis,"hesaid.
"Whenyougoafterhoneywitha
ballong
balloon,thegreatthingisnottoletthebeesknowyou'recoming.Now,ifyouhaveagreen
ballong
balloon,theymightthinkyouwereonlypartofthetree,andnotnoticeyou,and,ifyouhaveablueballong
balloon,theymightthinkyouwereonlypartofthesky,andnotnoticeyou,andthequestionis:Whichismostlikely?"
Wouldn'ttheynoticeyou
under
underneaththeballoon?"youasked.
Theymightortheymightnot,"saidWinnie-the-Pooh.
"Younevercantellwithbees."
Hethoughtforamomentandsaid:
"Ishalltrytolooklikeasmallblack
sky
cloud.Thatwilldeceivethem."
Thenyouhadbetterhavetheblueballoon,"yousaid;
andsoitwasdecided.
Well,youbothwentoutwiththeblueballoon,andyoutookyourgunwithyou,justincase,asyoualwaysdid,andWinnie-the-Poohwenttoaverymuddyplacethatheknewof,androlledandrolleduntilhewasblackallover;
andthen,whentheballoonwasblownupasbigasbig,andyouandPoohwerebothholdingontothestring,youletgosuddenly,andPoohBearfloatedgracefullyupintothesky,andstayedthere—levelwiththetopofthetreeandabouttwentyfeetawayfromit.
Hooray!"
youshouted.
Isn'tthatfine?"
shoutedWinnie-the-Poohdowntoyou.
"WhatdoIlooklike?"
YoulooklikeaBearholdingontoaballoon,"yousaid.
Not,"saidPoohanxiously,"—notlikeasmallblack
sky
cloudinabluesky?"Notverymuch."
Ah,well,perhapsfromuphereitlooksdifferent.
And,asIsay,younevercantellwithbees."
Therewasnowindtoblowhim
nærmere
nearertothetree,sotherehestayed.Hecouldseethehoney,hecouldsmellthehoney,buthecouldn'tquitereachthehoney.
Afteralittlewhilehecalleddowntoyou.
ChristopherRobin!"
hesaidinaloudwhisper.
Hallo!"
Ithinkthebeessuspectsomething!"
Whatsortofthing?"
Idon'tknow.
Butsomethingtellsmethatthey'resuspicious!"
Perhapstheythinkthatyou'reaftertheirhoney."
Itmaybethat.
Younevercantellwithbees."
Therewasanotherlittlesilence,andthenhecalleddowntoyouagain.
ChristopherRobin!"
Yes?"
Haveyouan
paraply
umbrellainyourhouse?"Ithinkso."
Iwishyouwouldbringitouthere,andwalkupanddownwithit,andlookupatmeeverynowandthen,andsay'Tut-tut,itlookslikerain.'
Ithink,ifyoudidthat,itwouldhelpthedeceptionwhichweare
praktiserer
practisingonthesebees."Well,youlaughedtoyourself,"SillyoldBear!"
butyoudidn'tsayit
høyt
aloudbecauseyouweresoglad
fondofhim,andyouwenthomeforyourumbrella.Oh,thereyouare!"
calleddownWinnie-the-Pooh,assoonasyougotbacktothetree.
"Iwasbeginningtoget
engstelig
anxious.IhavediscoveredthatthebeesarenowdefinitelySuspicious."
ShallIputmyumbrellaup?"
yousaid.
Yes,butwaitamoment.
Wemustbepractical.
Theimportantbeeto
lure
deceiveistheQueenBee.CanyouseewhichistheQueenBeefromdownthere?"
No."
Apity.
Well,now,ifyouwalkupanddownwithyourumbrella,saying,'Tut-tut,itlookslikerain,'IshalldowhatIcanbysingingalittle
Sky
CloudSong,suchasasky
cloudmightsing....Go!"
So,whileyouwalkedupanddownandwonderedifitwouldrain,Winnie-the-Poohsangthissong:.
Thebeeswerestillbuzzingassuspiciouslyasever.
Someofthem,indeed,lefttheirnestsandflewallroundthe
skyen
cloudasitbeganthesecondverset
verseofthissong,andonebeesatdownonthenoseoftheskyen
cloudforamoment,andthengotupagain.Christopher—ow!—Robin,"calledoutthe
skyen
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,youmustshoottheballoonwithyourgun.
Haveyougotyourgun?"
OfcourseIhave,"yousaid.
"ButifIdothat,itwill
ødelegge
spoiltheballoon,"yousaid.