Winnie-the-Pooh

The Project Gutenberg eBook of Winnie-the-Pooh, by A. A. Milne

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at
www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you
will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before
using this eBook.

Title: Winnie-the-Pooh

Author: A. A. Milne

Illustrator: Ernest H. Shepard

Release Date: January 3, 2022 [eBook #67098]
[Most recently updated: October 12, 2022]

Language: English

Produced by: Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan, Iona Vaughan, David T. Jones and the
             online Distributed Proofreaders Canada team at
             http://www.pgdpcanada.net

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WINNIE-THE-POOH ***





                            WINNIE-THE-POOH

                            _BY A. A. MILNE_




                              _JUVENILES_

                        When We Were Very Young

    "_The best book of verses for children_ _ever written._"--A. EDWARD
    NEWTON in _The Atlantic Monthly_.

              Fourteen Songs from When We Were Very Young

    Words by A. A. Milne. Music by H. Fraser-Simson. Decorations by
    E. H. Shepard.

                         The King's Breakfast

    Words by A. A. Milne. Music by H. Fraser-Simson. Decorations by
    E. H. Shepard


                               _ESSAYS_

                          Not That It Matters
                          The Sunny Side
                          If I May


                            _MYSTERY STORY_

                         The Red House Mystery




                            WINNIE-THE-POOH
                            BY A. A. MILNE

                      McCLELLAND & STEWART, LTD.

                      PUBLISHERS  -  -   TORONTO




                        Copyright, Canada, 1926
                    By McClelland & Stewart, Limited
                          Publishers, Toronto

                    First  Printing, October, 1926
                    Second   "       July, 1927
                     Third   "       December, 1928
                    Fourth   "       December, 1929
                     Fifth   "       March, 1931

                           Printed in Canada




                                 TO HER

    HAND IN HAND WE COME
      CHRISTOPHER ROBIN AND I
    TO LAY THIS BOOK IN YOUR LAP.
        SAY YOU'RE SURPRISED?
        SAY YOU LIKE IT?
        SAY IT'S JUST WHAT YOU WANTED?
          BECAUSE IT'S YOURS----
          BECAUSE WE LOVE YOU.




                              INTRODUCTION

If you happen to have read another book about Christopher Robin, you may
remember that he once had a swan (or the swan had Christopher Robin, I
don't know which) and that he used to call this swan Pooh. That was a
long time ago, and when we said good-bye, we took the name with us, as
we didn't think the swan would want it any more. Well, when Edward Bear
said that he would like an exciting name all to himself, Christopher
Robin said at once, without stopping to think, that he was
Winnie-the-Pooh. And he was. So, as I have explained the Pooh part, I
will now explain the rest of it.

You can't be in London for long without going to the Zoo. There are some
people who begin the Zoo at the beginning, called WAYIN, and walk as
quickly as they can past every cage until they get to the one called
WAYOUT, but the nicest people go straight to the animal they love the
most, and stay there. So when Christopher Robin goes to the Zoo, he goes
to where the Polar Bears are, and he whispers something to the third
keeper from the left, and doors are unlocked, and we wander through dark
passages and up steep stairs, until at last we come to the special cage,
and the cage is opened, and out trots something brown and furry, and
with a happy cry of "Oh, Bear!" Christopher Robin rushes into its arms.
Now this bear's name is Winnie, which shows what a good name for bears
it is, but the funny thing is that we can't remember whether Winnie is
called after Pooh, or Pooh after Winnie. We did know once, but we have
forgotten....

I had written as far as this when Piglet looked up and said in his
squeaky voice, "What about _Me_?" "My dear Piglet," I said, "the whole
book is about you." "So it is about Pooh," he squeaked. You see what it
is. He is jealous because he thinks Pooh is having a Grand Introduction
all to himself. Pooh is the favourite, of course, there's no denying it,
but Piglet comes in for a good many things which Pooh misses; because
you can't take Pooh to school without everybody knowing it, but Piglet
is so small that he slips into a pocket, where it is very comforting to
feel him when you are not quite sure whether twice seven is twelve or
twenty-two. Sometimes he slips out and has a good look in the ink-pot,
and in this way he has got more education than Pooh, but Pooh doesn't
mind.