Tigger Bounces into the 100 Acre Wood: Tigger's Story begins in England, in a forest known as the 100 Acre Wood. As we walk through the forest, we come to a house, the House at Pooh Corner. In this house, Pooh was sleeping soundly in his bed (dreaming of Hunny, probably!) when he awoke to a strange noise in the middle of the night. Sleepily, he got out of bed to see if anyone was trying to steal his honey, but no-one was, so he got back into bed. He then heard the strange noise again! He called out to see if it were one of his friends - perhaps it was Piglet, or Christopher Robin, or Eeyore - but there was no answer. Then, he heard it again; it sounded like this: "Worraworraworraworraworra." Pooh had heard many noises in the 100 Acre Wood, but none such as this, so he decided to see what it was. He got out of bed and opened his front door. "Hallo!" said Pooh, in case there was anything outside. "Hallo!" said Whatever-it-was. "Oh!" said Pooh. "Hallo!" "Hallo!" "Oh, there you are!" said Pooh. "Hallo!" After this, Pooh invited the Strange Animal into his house and introduced himself. "I'm Pooh," said Pooh. "I'm Tigger," said Tigger. After they had introduced themselves, Pooh invited Tigger to stay the night, which he did. The next morning, Pooh had a rumbly in his tumbly, which is not surprising, and so did Tigger. But Pooh did not know what Tiggers ate for breakfast. He did know, however, that Poohs liked Hunny for breakfast (as well as for dinner and tea) so he offered Tigger some of that. Tigger decided to try it (he wasn't quite sure what Tiggers ate for breakfast either). He took a large mouthful, and put it in his mouth, swirled it around with his tongue, cocked his head first one way, then the other, then concluded: "Tiggers don't like honey." After Pooh had finished his breakfast, he and Tigger set out to find some for Tigger. First, they went to Piglet's house to sample his haycorns. When they got to Piglet's house, and Tigger had been introduced, Piglet offered Tigger some of his haycorns. Tigger grabbed a mouthful of the haycorns and began to munch. After a bit, Tigger remarked: "Ee-ers o i a-ors." But Pooh and Piglet didn't understand what that meant. So Tigger excused himself and went outside. After he had come back, Tigger said firmly: "Tiggers don't like haycorns." Now they were backwhere they started! Then, Piglet suggested that Tigger try thistles, which were Eeyore's favorite. Tigger liked that suggestion, so the three of them set out to Eeyore's House, to see if he was at home. When they got to Eeyore's House, and had introduced Tigger, Eeyore led Tigger to the "most thistly-looking patch of thistles that ever was." "A little patch I was saving for my birthday," Eeyore gloomily explained. Tigger hesitated a bit (he wasn't quite sure that these were really what Tiggers liked for breakfast), then took a large mouthful. "Ow!" said Tigger, crunching down on the thistles. After shaking his head to get the prickles out, Tigger announced that Tiggers do not like thistles. He then proceeded to run around in circles with his tongue hanging out. While he was doing this, Pooh looked at Piglet sadly, and asked Piglet what he thought they should do about Tiggers breakfast. Piglet knew right away that they should go see Christopher Robin. He would know what to do. Eeyore then told them that they could find Christopher Robin at Kanga's House (he was anxious that Tigger might bounce on what was left of his thistles). Piglet, Pooh and Tigger set out then for Kanga's. As the three of them were walking to Kanga's, Pooh composed a little poem about Tigger in his head, and decided to tell it to Piglet. It went something like this: "'What shall we do about poor little Tigger? If he never eats nothing he'll never get bigger. He doesn't like honey and haycorns and thistles Because of the taste and because of the bristles. And all the good things which an animal likes Have the wrong kind of swallow or too many spikes.' 'He's quite big enough anyhow,' said Piglet. 'He isn't really very big.' 'Well he seemsso.' Pooh was thoughtful when he heard this, and then me murmured to himself: 'But whatever his weight in pounds, shillings, and ounces, He always seems bigger because of his bounces.'" When they had found Christopher Robin and asked him what they should do about Tigger's breakfast, Christopher Robin replied that he didn't know what Tiggers ate for breakfast either, but he was sure that Kanga would have something for him to eat. So, they went in to Kanga's, and introduced Tigger to her and Roo, and told her what they wanted. She told them to look in her cupboard for something for Tigger to eat. After Tigger had looked, and found nothing, he spied Kanga and everyone else standing round Roo, watching him have his Extract of Malt, his Strengthening Medicine, which Roo hated. Tigger crept over and asked Piglet what was going on. After Piglet had explained it to him, Tigger crept closer, leaned over the back of Roo's chair, then stuck out his tongue and gulped the spoon in his mouth! Luckily, Kanga, who is a Wise and Watchful mother, reached out and grabbed the spoon just in time to keep Tigger from swallowing it. But, Tigger did have time to get the Extract of Malt from the spoon. Roo sang out happily, thinking it was all a big joke. "Then Tigger looked up at the ceiling, and closed his eyes, and his tongue went round and round his chops, in case he had left any outside, and a peaceful smile came over his face as he said, 'So that's what Tiggers like!' Which explains why he always lived at Kanga's house afterwards, and had Extract of Malt for breakfast, dinner, and tea. And sometimes, when Kanga thought he wanted strengthening, he had a spoonful or two of Roo's breakfast after meals as medicine." - Adapted from The House at Pooh Corner by A. A. Milne, from Chapter 2, "In Which Tigger Comes to the Forest and Has Breakfast." Last Updated 07/17/97 Nora Harris - norby123@hotmail.com