Here is Edward Bear, coming downstairs now,
bump, bump, bump, on the back of his head,
behind Christopher Robin. It is, as far a he knows,
the only way of coming downstairs, but sometimes
he feels that there really is another way, if only he
could stop bumping for a moment and think of it.
And then he feels that perhaps there isn't. Anyhow,
here he is at the bottom, and ready to be introduced
to you. Winnie-the-Pooh.
When I first heard his name, I said, just as you
are going to say, "But I thought he was a boy?"
"So did I," said Christopher Robin.
"Then you can't call him Winnie?"
"I don't"
"But you said--"
"He's Winnie-ther-Pooh. Don't you know what
'ther' means?"
Our introduction to the Bear,
from Winnie the Pooh
by A. A. Milne
(Nobody ever does explain what 'ther' means.)
| In The Fashion
|
|---|
A lion has a tail and a very fine tail,
And so has an elephant, and so has a whale,
And so has a crocodile, and so has a quail
They've all got tails but me. |
|
|
If I had a sixpence I would buy one;
I'd say to the shopman, "Let me try one,"
I'd say to the elephant, "This is my one."
They'd all come round to see.
|
Then I'd say to the lion, "Why, you've got a tail!
And so has the elephant, and so has the whale!
And look! There's a crocodile! He's got a tail!
You've all got tails like me!" |
|
from When We Were Very Young
by A. A. Milne
|
Sing Ho! for the life of a Bear!
Sing Ho! for the life of a Bear!
I don't much mind if it rains or snows,
'Cos I've got a lot of honey on my nice new nose,
I don't much care if it snows or thaws,
'Cos I've got a lot of honey on my nice clean paws!
Sing Ho! for a Bear!
Sing Ho! for a Pooh!
And I'll have a little something in an hour or two!
|
|
|
Pooh's song, from Winnie-the-Pooh
Chapter VIII (that's 8)
In Which
Christopher Robin Leads an Expotition
to the North Pole
|
Pooh sang this song on Eeyore's birthday.
He thought Eeyore had asked him a riddle,
and he was never much good at riddles,
being a Bear of Very Little Brain.
So he sat down on a large stone, and sang
Cottleston Pie
Cottleston, Cottleston, Cottleston Pie,
A fly can't bird, but a bird can fly.
Ask me a riddle and I reply:
"Cottleston, Cottleston, Cottleston Pie."
Cottleston, Cottleston, Cottleston Pie,
A fish can't whistle and neither can I.
Ask me a riddle and I reply:
"Cottleston, Cottleston, Cottleston Pie."
Cottleston, Cottleston, Cottleston Pie,
Why does a chicken, I don't know why.
Ask me a riddle and I reply:
"Cottleston, Cottleston, Cottleston Pie."
There are lots more good songs and stories,
I can't type them all.
So go to the library and get some of
A. A. Milne's books.
He wrote several books of Pooh stories.
I'll leave you with one last poem from
When We Were Very Young
|
John had great big waterproof Boots on;
John had a great big waterproof Hat;
John had a great big waterproof Macintosh
And that (said John) Is That.
|
