List of Winnie the Pooh characters | Winniepedia | Fandom powered by Wikia List of Winnie the Pooh characters 600pages on This is a list of characters appearing in the Winnie-the-Pooh books and the Disney adaptations of the series. Contents Main article: Winnie the Pooh (character) Winnie-the-Pooh, or Pooh for short, is a anthropomorphic teddy bear. Despite being naïve and slow-witted, he is a friendly, thoughtful, smart and sometimes insightful character who is always willing to help his friends and try his best. A prime motivation is his love for honey (sometimes sodas and chocolates), which quite often leads to trouble. He is now Kanga's love interest and Piglet's best friend. In the books, Pooh is a talented poet, and the stories are frequently punctuated by his poems and "hums". He is humble about his slow-wittedness, but comfortable with his creative gifts. Pooh had an heart attack who look close-ups of many insects and marine animals. In the Disney adaptations, Pooh is just the titular protagonist of the franchise. His catchphrases are "Oh, bother!" and "Think, think, think".

He has been voiced by Sterling Holloway since 1966 until 1977, Hal Smith (1981-1983) and currently Jim Cummings . Christopher Robin Main article: Christopher Robin Christopher Robin is the sole human character in the story books, he has a cheerful and compassionate personality and is someone that Pooh and the others look up to. Despite being a child, he is much wiser and more mature than many of the other characters. Pooh considers both Christopher Robin and Piglet to be his best friends. Christopher crush on Anne in Now We Are Six . Christopher Robin matures considerably over the course of the books. Several chapters in The House at Pooh Corner are concerned with Christopher Robin beginning to go to school and his increasing book-learning. In the final chapter, Christopher Robin leaves his stuffed animals behind and asks Pooh to understand and to always remember him.

In the Disney adaptations, he has been voiced by Bruce Reitherman (1966), Timothy Turner (1974), Jon Walmsley (1968), Kim Christianson (1983), Tim Hoskins (1988-1991), Edan Gross (1991), Brady Bluhm (1997-1999), Tom Attenborough (2000), Tom Wheatley (2003), William Green (2002), Bradley Michael Pierce, Paul Tiesler (2001-2003), Struan Erlenborn (2007-2010) and Jack Boulter (2011–present). Piglet Main article: Piglet Piglet is a timid pig and Pooh's best friend besides Christopher Robin. In the books he is a timorous small animal, who often takes his lead from Pooh unless overcome by fear. But increasingly through the stories he shows himself to be very brave when faced with a crisis and given sufficient encouragement (usually by Pooh). His favorite food acorns.

In the Disney series he is kind, gentle and ordinarily quite shy, but with Pooh by his side, he often overcomes his fears. His catchphrase is "Oh, d-d-dear!". Piglet lives in a beech tree that he likes to keep neat and tidy, and can sing very well. He has been voiced by John Fiedler (1966-2005), Phil Baron (1983-1986) and Travis Oates (2005–current). Tigger Main article: Tigger Tigger is an energetic, springy tiger who introduced in 1928 storybook The House at Pooh Corner . He is Pooh's exuberant, happy, less-than-responsible and sometimes trouble-making friend. He loves to bounce, especially bouncing on others. He is full of energy, outgoing, and likes to have fun and is so overconfident that he thinks that any task is "what tiggers do best". He becomes Roo's best friend. He already loved malt extract.

In the Disney films, Tigger commonly mispronounces words, like 'ridickerus' (ridiculous) or 'vill-i-an' (villain) and often causes chaos rather than good. However, Tigger is also shown to be tough, fearless, optimistic and resourceful. His main catchphrase is "Hoo hoo hoo hoo!" when he is happy. He starts to annoy Rabbit in his garden. He has been voiced by Paul Winchell since 1968 until 1997, Will Ryan (1983-1986) and currently Jim Cummings . Eeyore Main article: Eeyore Eeyore is a depressed donkey who is Pooh's ever-glum, sarcastic and pessimistic donkey friend who has trouble keeping his tail attached to his rear. Eeyore has a house made of sticks, which falls apart (many times in the Disney films) and has to be rebuilt. In the Disney cartoons, Eeyore is slow-talking and more cautious than some of the other animals, and is often reluctant to go along with their actions, but usually does not bother trying to oppose anyone because he believes it to be futile to try.

His catchphrase is "Thanks for noticing" as indicated to himself. He has been voiced by Ralph Wright (1966-1983), Ron Feinberg (1981), Ron Gans (1983-1986), Peter Cullen (1988-2010) and Bud Luckey (2011–present). Rabbit Main article: Rabbit Rabbit is friendly, but irritable. He fancies himself the smartest bunny animal in the Hundred Acre Wood. He insists on doing things his way and is obsessed with rules, planning and order. He often loses his temper to others and bosses them around, but deep down, he cares a lot about his friends. In the Walt Disney films, he takes pride in his garden and hates when anyone (mainly Tigger, but also Gopher) messes it up. Rabbit is one of the characters not based on a toy once owned by Christopher Robin Milne.

Voiced in the Disney films by Junius Matthews (1966-1977), Ray Erlenborn (1983), Will Ryan (1983-1986), Ken Sansom (1988-2010) and Tom Kenny (2011-present). Owl Main article: Owl Owl is a owl who presents himself as a mentor and teacher to the others. He was not based on a stuffed toy, so in the illustrations, he looks more like a live animal. Owl and most of his friends believe that he is the most intelligent animal in the wood, but he is really quite scatterbrained. He often rambles on into long-winded speeches and uses words that his friends do not understand. Though Owl likes to present himself as very knowledgeable, like most of the other characters he does not spell very well—he even spells his own name "Wol".

When Pooh comes to him for help in writing a birthday greeting for Eeyore, Owl tells Pooh that he is writing, "A very happy birthday with love from Pooh," but in fact writes "HIPY PAPY BTHUTHDTH THUTHDA BTHUTHDY." Pooh, who cannot read or write himself, goes on his way happy with Owl's work and grateful for his help. When Rabbit (who is quite literate) comes to Owl to discuss a notice that Christopher Robin has left, Owl cannot read the notice. But rather than admit this, Owl anxiously bluffs his way through the conversation until he finally tricks Rabbit into reading the notice out loud, at which point Owl resumes his wise demeanor as if he had known all along what it said. In the books, Owl has a superior but kindly manner towards the others. He can be cross and easily annoyed, especially when his friends ignore or interrupt his long-winded speeches. He sometimes wears reading glasses and he uses his talons for hands, not his wings like in the Disney version. He lives in a tree known as The Chestnuts, described as an "old world residence of great charm".

That house is blown down by a storm in the eighth chapter of The House at Pooh Corner. Eeyore eventually discovers what he believes is the perfect new house for Owl, apparently without noticing that it is actually Piglet's house. Nonetheless, Piglet offers the house to Owl. Owl calls his new home "The Wolery". In the Disney adaptations, Owl is much more jovial and friendly. He speaks with a strong Southern English accent. He enjoys telling stories about his relatives, including his cousin, Dexter, whenever something reminds him of one, but many of his stories are pointless or absurd. His house blows down and he moves into Piglet's house in Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day , but these events are disregarded from Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore onward. In Return to Pooh Corner, Owl always wears glasses and loves to cook. He does not appear in My Friends Tigger and Pooh . He has been voiced by Hal Smith (1966-1991), Andre Stojka (1997-2003) and Craig Ferguson (2011–present).

Kanga Main article: Kanga Kanga is a female kangaroo and the doting mother of Roo. She had crush on Pooh Bear. The two live in a house near the Sandy Pit in the northwestern part of the forest. Kanga is the only female character to appear in the books. She was based on a stuffed toy that belonged to Christopher Robin Milne. When Kanga and Roo first come to the forest in chapter seven of Winnie-the-Pooh, everyone thinks Kanga is a fierce animal, but discover this to be untrue and become friends with her. In the books, when Tigger comes to the forest, she welcomes him into her home, attempts to find him food he likes and allows him to live with her and Roo. After this, Kanga treats him much the way she does her own son. Kanga is kind-hearted, calm, patient and docile. She likes to keep things clean and organized, and offers motherly advice and food to anyone who asks her. She is protective over Roo, almost obsessively, and treats him with kind words and gentle discipline.

She also has a sense of humor, as revealed in chapter seven of Winnie-the-Pooh when Rabbit connives to kidnap Roo, leaving Piglet in his place; Kanga pretends not to notice that Piglet is not Roo and proceeds to give him Roo's usual bath, much to Piglet's dismay. In the Disney adaptations, Kanga's personality is unchanged (though she is a little more sensible and does give Roo some level of independence), but she plays a slightly lesser role and does not appear as often as Roo does. Additionally, Tigger lives in his own house instead of with Kanga (Although he is seen frequently visiting her house). Kanga also has a love for carrots. She has been voiced by Barbara Luddy (1966-1977), Julie McWhirter (1983), Patricia Parris (1988-1990), Tress MacNeille (1999), Kath Soucie (2000-2010) and Kristen Anderson-Lopez (2011–present).

Roo Main article: Roo Roo is Kanga's cheerful, playful, cuddly and energetic joey , who moved to the Hundred Acre Wood with her. His best friend is Tigger, whom he looks up to like an older brother. Roo is the youngest of the main characters. Voiced in the Disney films by Clint Howard (1966-1977), Dori Whitaker (1974), Dick Billingsley (1983), Kim Christianson (1983-1986), Nicholas Melody (1988-1990), Nikita Hopkins (1999-2005), Jimmy Bennett (2004-2005), Max Burkholder (2007-2010) and Wyatt Hall (2011–present). Minor characters in the books Bees A swarm of honeybees makes their debut in the very first chapter. They live in the hive where Pooh tries to get his honey. They frequently appear in virtually every version of the Disney adaptations. There appear to be several different beehives in the Hundred Acre Wood.

Whenever Pooh and his friends encounter the bees, trouble usually occurs with the bees going after them. Rabbit's Friends and Relations Many small mammals and insects in the books are collectively known as Rabbit's Friends and Relations. They do not generally do much or have much character development, and only a few of them are named. Alexander Beetle is briefly mentioned on page 119 of Winnie-the-Pooh, and he appears to have become upset and hidden himself in a crack for two days, then went to live with his aunt. He is also the subject of a poem in Now We Are Six. Small (short for Very Small Beetle) is the subject of a search that Rabbit organizes to find him. Making his debut in My Friends Tigger & Pooh, he is the first new Milne character to appear in the Disney adaptations since the debut of Tigger in Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day . Henry Rush is a beetle. He had a brief mention in The House at Pooh Corner, and has been expanded in Return to the Hundred Acre Wood. He attended the Spelling Bee, kept score at the cricket game, and danced at the Harvest Festival.

Late and Early are two friends mentioned briefly at the end of The House at Pooh Corner and expanded in Return to the Hundred Acre Wood. They attended Christopher Robin's coming home party and received sugar mice. They also attended the Spelling Bee. Although it is never mentioned what species they are, illustrations point to them being mice. Smallest-of-All, or S. of A. for short, is mentioned near the end of The House at Pooh Corner and near the beginning of Return to the Hundred Acre Wood. He has a tendency to be unsure of what he sees. His species is never revealed. Rabbit's family appears alongside Rabbit in the books. Many relatives appear in The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh episode " Party Poohper " and he occasionally mentions them at other times in the Disney adaptations. Heffalumps Main article: Heffalump Heffalumps are elephant -like creatures first mentioned in the fifth chapter of the first book, and later in the third chapter of the second. In the books, Piglet twice has a run-in with a Heffalump that is only a figment of his imagination. The Disney version establishes them as real creatures.

Like Pooh imagined in the books, Heffalumps are fond of honey and like to take it for themselves. There have been several real Heffalump characters in the Disney version. Some Heffalumps are villainous creatures and some are genuinely good. Lumpy the Heffalump is Roo's good friend, appearing in Pooh's Heffalump Movie and also, My Friends Tigger and Pooh. Woozles Main article: Woozle A Woozle is a weasel -like creature imagined by the characters in the third and ninth chapters of Winnie-the-Pooh. No Woozles actually appear in A. A. Milne's original stories, but the book depicts them as living in cold, snowy places. They are first mentioned when Pooh and Piglet attempt to capture one, which they assume made the tracks in the snow going around a larch spinney. The more they follow them, the more sets of tracks they find, but Christopher Robin shows them that the tracks around the spinney are their own.

Woozles appear in the song " Heffalumps and Woozles " in Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day , which establishes their fondness for stealing honey and their association with Heffalumps. In The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh , Woozles are real creatures. A Woozle named Stan and his sidekick Heff the Heffalump are recurring villains. They once recruited a giant Woozle named Wooster (also voiced by Jim Cummings ) who turned against them when Pooh and his friends taught him the value of friendship. Woozles do not appear in the Disney adaptations nearly as often as Heffalumps do and, unlike Heffalumps, always attempt to act as villains, with Wooster being the only one to change his mind on this. Jagulars Main article: Jagular Jagulars are imagined jaguar -like fierce creatures that are only mentioned in the fourth chapter of The House at Pooh Corner where Pooh and Piglet mistake Tigger for one.

According to Pooh, they always yell "Help" (or "Halloo" in Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too ), hang in trees and when you look up they drop on you. Jagulars have yet to actually appear in any Disney adaptations, so it is still unknown whether they are real. Their most prominent role to date is in The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh where they are mentioned more often and are the main antagonists in a couple of episodes. The Backson Main article: The Backson The Backson is a creature imagined by the characters after misunderstanding Christopher Robin's note, which meant he would be "back soon" from school. He is mentioned but not seen in The House at Pooh Corner as "the Spotted or Herbaceous Backson". He is the main antagonist in Winnie the Pooh where the animals think he has captured Christopher Robin. Owl describes him as a large, ugly, mean and scary purple and blue creature who ruins or destroys many everyday items, such as books, socks and crayons.

Pooh and his friends build a trap to try to capture him (a pit with a trail of books, socks, dishes, toys and other items leading to it), but Christopher Robin reveals that he was never captured, just away at school. At the end of the film, the Backson turns out to be real, but he is a kind and helpful creature who wants to return people's things to them. However, the trap does capture him, as he picks up all the items and then falls into the pit. The Backson is voiced by Huell Howser . Lottie Main article: Lottie Lottie is an otter and the only new major character in Return to the Hundred Acre Wood. Lottie is a "feisty" character who is also good at cricket and insists on proper etiquette. She wears a pearl necklace and can play the mouth organ, but is a little snide and snobby in her remarks. She makes her home in a wooden trunk filled with water that she calls Fortitude Hall.

According to Benedictus, "Lottie the Otter truly embodies Winnie-the-Pooh's values of friendship and adventure seen throughout Milne's work, thus making the perfect companion for everyone's favourite bear." Grandad Buck Main article: Grandad Buck Grandad Buck is Rabbit's grandfather. He wears glasses and is described as "Very Ancient and the Head of the Rabbit Family". He does not entirely approve of Rabbit, but gives him advice anyway. He knew Owl's late Uncle Robert, who sent him letters. Characters in Disney Main article: Gopher Gopher is a bucktoothed gopher with a habit of whistling out his sibilant consonants. He is based on the beaver in Lady and the Tramp. He often accidentally falls into one of the many holes he makes in the forest ground by forgetting to watch where he is going. Gopher first appears in Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree and regularly breaks the fourth wall by pointing out that he is "not in the book", though this could simply mean that he is 'not in the Phone Book', and the purpose of his statement being to get better business. Originally, he was intended to replace Piglet, but he later became his own character.

He also appears in Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day with a smaller role, warning Pooh about the "Windsday". Gopher is a much more prominent character in The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh . The series depicts him as a hard worker who takes pride in building tunnels and doing other work, and enjoys blowing things up with dynamite. Gopher and Rabbit often disagree with and complain at each other. In the episode " Lights Out ", he is afraid of the dark (mostly instigated by Tigger's claims of dangerous creatures down there). His grandfather also appears. Gopher's most recent appearances were in A Winnie the Pooh Thanksgiving , Winnie the Pooh: A Valentine for You and Boo to You Too! Winnie the Pooh . The latter was included as part of Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie. Gopher was notably absent from the 2011 film. Voiced by Howard Morris (1966-1977) and most recently Michael Gough (1988-2002). Darby Main article: Darby Darby is a six-year-old tomboyish red-headed girl who stars in My Friends Tigger & Pooh .

She is the leader of the problem-solving Super Sleuths along with Tigger, Pooh and Buster. They are the only four characters to appear in every episode. Darby is brave, inquisitive, clever and imaginative. Her catchphrases are "Time to slap my cap" and "Good sleuthin', everyone!" For the most part, she replaced Christopher Robin, who rarely appears in the My Friends Tigger and Pooh, but the episode " Christopher Froggin' " reveals that she is best friends with Christopher Robin. After the cancellation of the series, she and other new characters from the series stopped appearing. Darby has been voiced by Chloë Grace Moretz. Buster Main article: Buster Buster is Darby's beloved, happy, dumb, and curious pet puppy in My Friends Tigger & Pooh. He is white and wears a red collar with a gold tag. He does not appear to be any recognizable breed of dog. He appears in every episode and is a member of the Super Sleuths. Though he often seems to be only tagging along with the group, he is often a valuable asset in their work. Buster likes to yap loudly when he is excited or on the scent of something.

Lumpy the Heffalump Main article: Lumpy Heffridge Trumpler Brompet "Lumpy" Heffalump, IV is a young lavender Heffalump with a tuft of purple hair on his head, a furry bobble-tail and a British accent. He lives in a part of the forest called Heffalump Hollow with his mother . He has a stuffed alligator named Alvin and enjoys a snack called rumpledoodles. Lumpy debuts in the 2005 feature film Pooh's Heffalump Movie . The characters were initially afraid of Heffalumps and set out to capture one. Likewise, Lumpy's mother told him not to leave Heffalump Hollow because of scary creatures outside of it. After Roo "captured" Lumpy, they became good friends and no one was afraid of each other anymore. Lumpy also features in Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie and also My Friends Tigger & Pooh, making his final appearance in the episode "Darby Gets Lemons, Makes Lemonade". Kessie Main article: Kessie Kessie is a kestrel with a white belly.

She debuted as a baby bird and later grew up in The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh episode "Find Her, Keep Her". Kessie is cheerful, brave and eager to prove herself. Rabbit saved her from a snowstorm and she came to live with him. As a baby, she nicknamed him "Rabbie". Rabbit was very protective of her and initially didn't want her flying. After she finally learned to fly, she migrated south for the winter, despite a reluctant Rabbit, but returned in "A Bird in the Hand" as an adult. She is Pooh's happy, responsible, ironic bird. In later appearances, she has reverted to being a young bird. After appearing in Seasons of Giving, Kessie was relaunched as a main character in The Book of Pooh, her first regular role, though after the series, Kessie is never seen or mentioned again. The kestrel bird was voiced by Laura Mooney, Stephanie D'Abruzzo and most recently Amanda Maddock and Tara Strong. David Main article: David Red Kermit is the main protagnist of The New Adventure of Tigger .

He is a living human and a red Toy with many interesting abilities such as eating sandwiches the size of basketballs and eating a watermelon with a straw, and he comes with ninja weapons, such as ninja swords and a small cannon. In fact, Red Kermit was born with his ninja sword in his pocket. Red Kermit was created by Tigger and Roo and then came to life. Red Kermit is a extreme, crazy, loud, and daredevilish human. Red Kermit, apparently becomes Tigger's adoptive brother. Red Kermit also bathes in the toilet because he doesn't like going in public pools because of what kids do in there. Red Kermit "faceslams" people that he loves, especially Tigger as it is when Red Kermit slams his head into the other people's head. Red Kermit uses himself as a basketball. Red Kermit can't spell, milkshakes go right through him. His eyes were the inspiration for ping pong balls, as said in a promo. Red Kermit watches a lot of television and wrestling. Once when he was struck by lightning, which caused him to gain multiple pesonalites, like Cat , Caveman , Southern Millionaire , Gladiator , and The Chef .

He has been in every episode along with Tigger and Roo . Winnie-the-Pooh (Literature) - TV Tropes Eeyore is good at this, much more so than in the Disney version. Rabbit has a couple of moments as well. Distressed Dude : Piglet, in the chapter in which he's Entirely Surrounded by Water A Dog Named "Dog" : Piglet, Owl, and Rabbit. Played with for Kanga, Roo, and Tigger. Even Pooh is sometimes referred to as "Bear". It's pointed out in the book that his real name is Edward Bear, and Winnie-the-Pooh is just his nickname. (Christopher Robin Milne actually called his stuffed bear Edward. His father got the name "Winnie" from a popular bear at the London Zoo.) Dumb Is Good : Winnie-the-Pooh, a bear of "Very Little Brain", and the sweetest, gentlest creature you'll ever meet. The Eeyore : Trope Namer . Eeyore is perpetually sad, although he can be cheered up sometimes, like when Pooh gives him a pot for his birthday. Exactly What It Says on the Tin : All chapter titles.

The first one of the first book was called "In Which We Are Introduced to Winnie-the-Pooh and Some Bees and the Stories Begin", for crying out loud. Fearless Fool : Piglet confesses to being afraid when carrying out the escape from Owl's fallen home, and is assured that makes him even more courageous. Feigning Intelligence : Both Rabbit and Owl tend to act smart, but are actually just as scatterbrained as the other characters. The others still treat them as if they were the smartest. Fish out of Water : Tigger in the beginning has a hard time fitting in with the rest of the animals, but eventually finds his place and the others (except for Rabbit) grow fond of him. Framing Device : The Narrator (A.A. Milne himself) telling his son Christopher Robin bedtime stories, set in the real world where Pooh is a toy. A Friend in Need Functional Addict : Man, Pooh really likes honey. In one story Pooh decides to give Eeyore a pot of honey when finding out that it's Eeyore's birthday. Pooh winds up eating all the honey on the way, and giving Eeyore a Very Useful Pot instead.

Ghibli Hills : The Forest in which all the characters live. Going in Circles : In one story Pooh thinks he is tracking the footprints of a monster, when he is actually following his own footprints in the snow. Growing Up Sucks : The end of The House at Pooh Corner, when Christopher Robin has to say goodbye to his toys, since he's not allowed to do "nothing" anymore. Hates Baths : Piglet. When he gets washed by Kanga, the first thing he does is look for a puddle to roll around in. Have a Gay Old Time : It's somewhat impressive that a character named "Pooh" has managed to endure as long as it has with the same name, since the connotations of the word have changed a lot since the original book was printed. Probably because the toilet humor version is spelled differently. The News Quiz, however, was highly amused with a branding magazine talking about kids having "Pooh on their pyjamas, and Pooh on their facecloths". "Pooh" as an expression of contempt or annoyance still exists in the English language, even if it's not as commonly used as it once was.

In France, "Pooh" is how the word "Pou", meaning "Louse" is pronounced. Now, nowadays, this is inconsequential, since he's mostly known under the alias of "Winnie l'ourson", but there was a time where some "Winnie the Pooh" merchandise (mostly toys) were branded under the name "Winnie LE Pooh" (Not even "Winnie the Pooh" mind you, it really was "le pooh"). Who wouldn't want a cute plushie of Winnie the Louse? Heterosexual Life-Partners : Pooh and Piglet. (Although, seeing as the book contains nothing even vaguely resembling sexuality or romance, it's more like Asexual Life Partners.) Hufflepuff House : Rabbit's friends-and-relations, who often get mentioned but don't get much characterization. Iconic Sequel Character : Tigger wasn't introduced until the second Winnie-the-Pooh book and is now one of the most popular and recognizable characters from the franchise. Know-Nothing Know-It-All : Owl (making him thereby a subversion of The Owl-Knowing One ) and Rabbit.

Literal-Minded and Malaproper : Everything, being based on children's logic. For example, the idea that Pooh living "under the name of Sanders" means that he has the word written above his door. Living Toys : All of the main cast, with the exception of Christopher Robin (who is a child who owns the toys) and possibly Rabbit and Owl (who are implied to be actual animals rather than toys). Mad Libs Catch Phrase : Pooh has "You never can tell with [plural noun]." Man Child : Tigger, despite being one of the largest members of the gang, is playful and irresponsible. Old Windbag : Owl will often go into lengthy, boring rants about pretty much anything. Once Upon a Time : "...a very long time ago, about last Friday, Winnie-the-Pooh lived in a forest all by himself under the name of Sanders." Paper-Thin Disguise : Pooh, pretending to be a cloud. In his defense, he's trying to fool insects. They aren't fooled, though. Parental Bonus / Genius Bonus : Many of the jokes will go straight over your average five-year-old's head—while the adult reading the book aloud has a hard time keeping a straight face.

Picky Eater : Tigger doesn't like honey, haycorns, thistles, or pretty much anything Pooh and his friends offer to him. He finally settles with extract of malt, which was meant to be a strengthening medicine for Roo. The Power of Friendship : A major theme. The friendship between Christopher Robin, Pooh, Piglet and the rest of the gang is what drives the story. Primal Fear : Piglet has all sorts of phobias. Rouge Angles of Satin : Many of the jokes in the books are fueled by these. Second-Person Narration : Thanks to the Framing Device of Milne making up stories for Christopher Robin, the first chapter is told from the "you" point of view with Christopher Robin as a character. Afterward, this is abandoned. Signs of Disrepair : The sign over Piglet's door, reading "Trespassers W", which he claims is short for the name of his grandfather, Trespassers William, or Trespassers Will for short.

It's likely that the sign actually read "Trespassers will be shot", or, in modern times: "Trespassers will be prosecuted." Stock Animal Diet : Honey for Pooh. Many of the other animals also eat one food almost exclusively - "haycorns" for Piglet, thistles for Eeyore, Roo's extract of malt for Tigger, etc, although they don't match the normal foods for their species. Surrounded by Idiots : This was A.A. Milne's explanation for why Eeyore is depressed. Sweet Tooth : Pooh has a big appetite for honey. Think Nothing of It : In the last chapter of the first book, Christopher Robin starts his speech at the party, and Eeyore starts this ï¿½ before Christopher Robin manages to get it in that it's for Pooh. You Say Tomato : Being based on the playacting of a little boy, this is rather common.

Notable examples include Woozles (weasels), Heffalumps (elephants), Jagulars (jaguars), Eeyore (Onomatopoeia for the braying of a donkey), Tigger (tiger) and Winnie the Pooh himself (based on Winnipeg, a bear at the London Zoo). Zany Scheme : Several, including Pooh's plans to steal honey and catch a "Heffalump", and Rabbit's plans to kidnap Roo and "unbounce" Tigger. :: Indexes :: * "Winnie The Pooh" Books & Movies Page at Spirit of America Bookstore credits for character 'Winnie the Pooh' [since 1952] at Internet Movie Database The Original Books The 'Winnie-the-Pooh' character first appeared in a poem by A.A.

Milne published in 1924; the original book about Winnie-the-Pooh was published in October 1926; Milne published another book of poems in 1927, with several about Pooh; the fourth book of the Winnie-the-Pooh 'canon' was published in 1928; all four volumes were illustrated by Ernest H. Shepard. The total Winnie-the-Pooh ouevre is 12 short poems and 20 short stories.

"When We Were Very Young" [1924] book of children's verse: 44 poems, only 'Teddy Bear' is about Pooh � entry at Wikipedia "Winnie the Pooh" [1926] "Now We Are Six" [1927] book of children's verse: 35 poems, 11 featuring Pooh � entry at Wikipedia Winnie, The Live Bear [1914-34] A young veterinarian named Harry Colebourn enlisted in the Canadian Army in 1914; on his way to the training camp, he saw a black bear cub for sale at the White River, Ontario train station; he purchased the cub for $20 and named her 'Winnie' for his home town of Winnipeg. The Fort Garry Horse Brigade soon adopted the bear as mascot, and smuggled the animal to their next posting, in England. When orders arrived for a move to the frontlines in France, Lt. Colebourn arranged for the bear to be cared for by the London Zoo. The bear became very popular with the public, so Colebourn left the bear at the zoo when the war ended.

Young Christopher Robin was also a fan of the bear, and renamed Edward Bear, his scruffy teddy bear, in honor of Winnie. The rest, as they say is history. Winnie lived a long and happy life at the London Zoo until she died in 1934. "A Bear Named Winnie" [CBC-TV Dec 2004] The tale of the orphaned Canadian black bear cub, fleshed out for family television. Co-written & co-produced by Simon Vaughan; co-written & directed by John Kent Harrison; co-written by John Goldsmith; starring Michael Fassbender {as Lt. Colebourn}, Gil Bellows, David Suchet, Stephen Fry, Jonathon Young, Aaron Ashmore, Ted Atherton, Robert Gauvin, Joshua J.

Ballard, Miriam Smith, Arne MacPherson, Nathan Valente, Stan Lesk, Chris Sigurdson, Carson Nattrass, Jon Ted Wynne, Robert Huculak, Mark Burgess, Samson Weiss Willis, Glen Thompson, Michal Grajewski, Emma Campbell, Chrislyn Austin, Stephen Eric McIntyre, Dave Leader, Larry Martineau & Geordie Cheeseman – with Charlie & Chester as young Winnie, and Bonkers as the adult bear; won 2 Directors Guild of Canada Awards, won Crystal Heart Award at the Heartland Film Festival "Winnie-the-Pooh" TV series [BBC-TV Jan-March 1952] Six 15-minute b&w episodes, with titles: "In Which A House Is Built At Pooh Corner For Eeyore"; "Tigger Comes To The Forest and Has Breakfast"; "Piglet Meets A Heffalump"; "In Which Eeyore Loses A Tail and Pooh Finds One"; "In Which Rabbit Has A Busy Day"; and "In Which Eeyore Has A Birthday" Hosted by Pamela Brown; narrated by Deryck Guyler; featuring The Commedia Puppets and voices

 of Cameron Hall, Dorothy Gordon, Anthony Woodruff, Kenneth Connor, David Jacobs & Barbara Trevor VHS/DVD/Blu-ray not available � credits at IMDb "Winnie-the-Pooh" [NBC-TV Oct 1960] episode of "Shirley Temple's Storybook" [1959-61] hour-long color episode featuring the Bil & Cora Baird Marionettes Directed by Burt Shevelove; teleplay by A.J.

Russell; hosted by & starring Shirley Temple; featuring puppetmasters Bil & Cora Baird, Ted Eccles {as Christopher Robin}, and voices of Faz Fazakas, Fania Sullivan, Bil Baird, Cora Baird, Frank Sullivan & Carl Harms A.S.T.M.

Russian-language hardcover [2008] out of print/used "Winnie-Pooh Goes Visiting" [Soyuzmultfilm 1971] Russian title "Vinni-Pukh Idyot v Gosti"; 10-minute Russian-language animated film; co-written & directed by Fyodor Khitruk; co-written by Boris Zakhoder; narrated by Vladimir Osenev; voices of Evgeniy Leonov, Iya Savvina & Anatoliy Shchukin � credits at IMDb watch cartoon with English subtitles [9:56] online at YouTube "Winnie-Pooh and A Busy Day" (1972) Russian title "Vinni-Pukh i den Zabot"; 21-minute Russian-language animated film; co-written & co-directed by Fyodor Khitruk; co-directed by Gennadiy Sokolskiy; co-written by Boris Zakhoder; narrated by Vladimir Osenev; voices of Evgeniy Leonov, Iya Savvina, Erast Garin & Zinaida Naryshkina � credits at IMDb Both of these online videos are Russian-language only, with no subtitles.

Long version one includes honey tree, visiting [at 10:21], and busy day [at 20:19] full credits at IMDb "Winnie the Pooh: The Movie" spoof trailer [2009] trailer cobbled from clips from "The Wicker Man" [2006] offering "Winnie the Pooh" live action movie coming in Summer 2009 � � "Disney on Parade" live stage show [circa 1970] 1971 show in Adelaide, South Australia was filmed and then broadcast on "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color" as "Disney on Parade" TV episode [Dec 1971] Directed by Stan Harris; narrated by Dick Wesson; starring Joe A.

Giamalva {as Mowgli}; and the voices of Hal Smith {as Winnie the Pooh}, Hans Conried, Scatman Crothers, June Foray, Clarence Nash, Thurl Ravenscroft & Michael Rye � VHS/DVD/Blu-ray not available � episode credits at IMDb A Ton of Other Pooh Books "The Pooh Perplex: A Freshman Casebook" [1963] by Frederick C. Crews In Which It Is Discovered That The True Meaning of The Pooh Stories Is Not As Simple As Is Usually Believed, But For Proper Elucidation Requires The Combined Efforts of Several Academicians of Varying Critical Perspectives If there is such a thing as scholarly satire, this book qualifies.

"Winnie the Pooh and The Honey Tree" [Disney/Buena Vista Feb 1966] Played by Sterling Holloway G | 25 min Short, "Winnie the Pooh and The Blustery Day" [Disney/Buena Vista Dec 1968] Played by Sterling Holloway G | 25 min won Oscar for Best Cartoon Short "Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too" (1974) Played by Sterling Holloway "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" (1977) Played by Sterling Holloway "Winnie the Pooh Discovers the Seasons" (1981) Played by Hal Smith "Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore" (1983) Played by Hal Smith "Welcome To Pooh Corner" TV series [Disney Channel April 1983 to May 1986] The half-hour show was hosted by a middle-aged gentleman narrating and-or reading from a book; the live actors performed in front of blue/green-screens wearing character costumes (except Baby Roo was a puppet) to perform the story, with voice-overs of actors added later; the first 20

 minutes or so of each show was the main story, then a music video (nine songs in rotation), then a crafts/hobby segment described by one of the costumed characters; shows aired from the launch of Disney Channel in 1983 to May 1986, then continued in reruns until 1997; there were a total of 120 episodes and five holiday specials Hosted by British Laurie Main (by actor Jean Rochefort in France); voices of Ron Gans {as Eeyore}, Diana Hale {as Kanga}, Phil Baron {as Piglet}, Hal Smith {as Pooh & Owl}, Will Ryan {as Rabbit & Tigger}, and Kim Christianson {as Roo} Volume 6: Disney Home Video color VHS [1980s] out of prodn/sold out!

The five 'Welcome To Pooh Corner' special holiday programs were not released on VHS, nor are there entries on IMDb; the shows were named "Pooh Corner Thanksgiving" [1983], "Christmas At Pooh Corner" [1983], "Pooh's Funny Valentine's Day" [1984], "Because It's Halloween" [1984], and "Christmas Is For Sharing" [1984] "Micimack�" [Hungary TV Oct 2005] 26-minute TV show; appears to be a Hungarian TV promo for Disney's "Winnie the Pooh" with the listed actors performing Hungarian-language voice-overs {might also be a skeleton listing for half-hour TV series} � Co-written & directed by R�bert Alf�ldi; co-written by R�bert V�r�s; starring R�bert Alf�ldi {as narrator & Christopher Robin}, Ferenc K�llai {as Winnie the Pooh}, Mari T�r�csik, Iv�n Darvas, Dezs� Garas, G�za Tordy, Gyula Bodrogi, N�ra T�bori & Erz

si M�th� VHS/DVD/Blu-ray not available � bare credits at IMDb untitled live-action 'Winnie the Pooh' adaptation Announced 4/2015: Disney Studios hired independent filmmaker Alex Ross Perry to write a live-action film based on 'Winnie the Pooh' � latest info at IMDb Principal Characters Christopher Robin, a human boy Winnie the Pooh, a teddy bear Piglet, a soft toy Eeyore, a depressed donkey soft toy Owl, a live bird living in a tree Rabbit, a live animal living in a burrow Tigger, an aggressive soft toy Kanga and baby Roo, live animals The Woozle new book character Lottie the Otter (2009) Gopher How Taoism Relates To Winnie The Pooh Philosophy Essay How Taoism Relates To Winnie The Pooh Philosophy Essay Published: Last Edited: 23rd March, 2015 This essay has been submitted by a student.

This is not an example of the work written by our professional essay writers. This paper discusses how the book "the Tao Of Pooh" by Benjamin Hoff relates the concept of Taoism to the characters from the Winnie The Pooh by A A Milne and their application to life and therapy. In The Tao of Pooh, Benjamin Hoff utilizes characters from Winnie the Pooh to attempt to explain the fundamentals of Taoism. By observing Eeyore, Piglet, Rabbit, Owl, Tigger, and Pooh, it is easy to see that the actions of the character Pooh best describe Taoism. One of the most important principles of Taoism used in the book is the uncarved block. Hoff uses the characters from A A Milne's Winnie the Pooh books to illustrate and explain the basics of Taoist philosophy, showing how Pooh himself is the epitome of the Taoist thinker, enjoying life with simplicity but not stupidity. The author explains that Taoists try to appreciate, learn from, and work with whatever happens in life, whereas, in contrast, Confucianism attempts to impose order, and Buddhists see life's tribulations as obstacles to be overcome before achieving Nirvana.

He describes how Tao is the Way, which can be understood but not defined, and illustrates key elements of Tao such as P'u, the uncarved block, and Wu wei, going with the flow. In case you should think that this book is altogether too simplistic, I should add that Hoff touches on the writings of Lao-Tzu (author of the Tao Te Ching), Chuang-tse, the poet Li Po, and other Taoist philosophers, giving his own interpretations of the passages. Hoff shows how Pooh best explains the Uncarved Block. The principle of the Uncarved Block is that things that are simple contain their own natural power, power that can be spoiled and lost when overcomplicated. Using the characters he shows how our lives can be sabotaged by errors in thinking and how it can be prevented. Hoff uses Rabbit to show when you are racing through life you can miss out on the valuable things that make up life itself. We seem to jeopardize ourselves by thinking too much of the self. Owl is used to show that when trying to find underlying meaning for everything you overcomplicate it.

Hoff uses Piglet in the sense that Piglet is always scared and as a result scared to try things, if Piglet wouldn't dwell in worry, he would accomplish more, and find happiness .Sometimes staying less in your head is an advantage. Hoff goes on to show that the character of Eeyore is always depressed and dwells in negativity. If he abstained from this life would be completely different. Now finally we come to Pooh. The author exemplifies how Pooh doesn't stay in worry, nor is he over-analytical, he stays in the spontaneous. As a result of staying in "the way" he finds everything goes its own course and works out as a result of his "non-action". Pooh goes with the flow of nature and doesn't interfere. He leads a life of simplicity and one free of worry. This is a perfect reflection of someone who follows the Tao. I think this is more or less a basic explanation of Tao and how to apply it to our lives by modeling out behavior in a likewise manner. There aren't any obscure references here only face value application. The use of the cartoon characters that we all are familiar with is a very useful strategy.

It is a way of explanation that transcends all racial, sexual, gender barriers. For example, we won't try too hard or explain too much, because that would only Confuse things, and because it would leave the impression that it was all only an intellectual idea that could be left on the intellectual level and ignored. (p. 10) He uses each chapter of the book to teach a new principle of the Uncarved Block of Taoism. In each chapter he tells a Winnie the Pooh story and then explains how it relates to Taoism. Hoff writes a chapter teaching how cleverness does not always help, but it sometimes destroys things and is the reason that things do not work out. Hoff teaches that the Taoist believe that if you understand Inner Nature it is far more effective than knowledge or cleverness. He uses a poem called "Cottleston Pie". The poem explains how things just are as they are and how people try to violate these principles with their everyday lives. There is also the story of Tigger and Roo. Tigger tries to be what he is not and as a result everything goes wrong and he always ends up getting stuck in a tree.

Hoff also explains that working with Nature is best in the sense that you do not screw things up with a story about Eeyore getting stuck in the river. Everybody had been trying to think of clever ways to get Eeyore out of the river when Pooh said that if they just dropped a big stone into it, then it would just wash Eeyore ashore. He did it without even thinking, because thinking would complicate things, and of course it worked. Pooh worked with Nature and things worked out for him. As you can see, Hoff uses many different Winnie the Pooh stories to teach the uncomplicated ways of the Taoist. The only argument that Hoff really presents is whether or not the Taoist way is the best way and whether or not it really works. When you look at it from the point of Pooh and the stories he is a part of, you are able to see how easily the Taoist ideology fits snuggly into Pooh and his world. Obviously if you do not believe that cleverness and knowledge are not important, then you will not agree with anything Hoff is saying, but he makes you believe in showing you how it always works out with Pooh.

He argues whether or not cleverness and knowledge really are important. For example, it can be explained in the story when Eeyore gets stuck in the river. Clever ways do not work, but Pooh's simple way always seem to work surprisingly well. Hoff also argues how the Taoist believes that over exhausting ourselves needlessly only works against us. He uses Rabbit to explain this. Quite simply, Rabbit is always in a hurry, he is the very face of stress itself. Hoff explains these so called creatures like a shadow. Shadows are always rushing along. They are also always trying to lose their shadows. They try to run from them not realizing that they cannot, that they are one and the same. Hoff argues that by just sitting down and enjoying a nice sunny day, like Pooh would do, you can complicate things. You do not get the full fulfillment of your life. There is the argument that this is just using examples to match the conclusions that we have already come to. I believe however, that one cannot free himself of the weight of our foolish ways until we have exposed that fallacy and this is a vehicle to do that without feeling condescended by an authority figure that many associate with other comparative theories.

Case and point Hoff's adaption of Winnie the Pooh to Taoist philosophy is brilliant and yet never strays from its humility. Through this I can now see how the field of psychology, is a chaotic discipline much more suited to the Taoist approach of going with the flow-the Wu wei, then against it. In Hoff's description of A A Milne's characters I was able to see myself trying to be like the Owl, while actually being a combination of the Rabbit and the pessimistic Eeyore. Hoff has shown me how the ideal is to be a simple character such as Pooh himself, accepting life, work, and other people as they are rather than trying to impose order on them. I now seek to accept and move with events as they occur, preferring not to try to impose change nor viewing changes it as an obstacle to be overcome. It all comes down to acceptance and will. When you yield to the flow you find that it goes along with the grain of your life instead of against it. This approach spills over into every aspect of life, keeping them simple, letting nature direct the flow as it were. "I am a Bear of Very Little Brain, and long words Bother Me" - A. A.

Milne "I am a Bear of Very Little Brain, and long words Bother Me" A. A. Milne - A speech by Jon Skeet, Fl Adrian House, submitted as an entry for the Hooper Declamation Prize. In writing the phrase, "I am a Bear of Very Little Brain, and long words Bother Me," 1 feel A. A. Milne summed up his whole world view as seen through the ideas of Pooh Bear. However, only in the context of the rest of his slightly paranoid but nonetheless beautiful parody of our world does it achieve its full potency. Many take this to be just a rather sweet little line for Pooh to say whilst visiting Owl - in fact, it bears the weight of Milne's view of the world and its intellectual class struggles. This is by no means the first of his references to this struggle, but it carries the most impact. I shall outline for you what I believe Milne's view of society to be, and hopefully it will become obvious that Pooh's line is at the crux of an intricate web of intellectual one-upmanship. The first glimpse we have of this web happens even before the first chapter of Winnie the Pooh, in the introduction.

Milne says that although "can't take Pooh to school without everybody knowing it", "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." I think this may in fact be accidental, for by putting it under his own name and not as said by a character, he is already taking the attitude at he ridicules and fights against throughout the two Pooh books. However, in the very same paragraph, he states that "[Piglet]... has got more education than Pooh, but Pooh doesn't mind. Some have brains, and some haven't, he says, and there it is," emphasising the lack of importance of intellect to Pooh. So, straight away we have a contradiction between Milne's patronising nature and his wish for an end to intellectual bigotry. Perhaps Milne's aim in writing these books was to confront his own prejudice, as consistently the narrative highlights such behaviour in a discouraging way, but Christopher Robin is almost the most patronising of all the inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Wood.

Milne clearly puts himself in the part of Christopher Robin, at least during the main narrative sections, as the sole human, and often the only character interested in actually learning as opposed to merely demonstrating knowledge. The characters are introduced to us fairly gradually in "Winnie-The-Pooh", possibly so we can fully realise what each is meant to represent before the next is brought onto the stage, as it were. Obviously, the first animal we meet is Pooh himself, who, along with Piglet, is very easy to understand. Pooh and Piglet form a pair, and represent the working class masses who take little or no pleasure from thinking. Indeed, the very phrase "I am a Bear of Very Little Brain" underlines this - and, I believe, Milne's idea of the inferiority complex that he perceives the working class as having. They are constantly confused by any writing, and both Owl and Rabbit (on whom I shall elaborate later) often treat them with disdain. Milne seems to go to any length to display their stupidity : Pooh following his own footprints, and Piglet thinking Pooh is a Heffalump form the basis for two whole chapters.

However, the narrative itself is never unkind, only the characters. Eeyore, Owl, and Rabbit chide Pooh the most, although I personally find no offence in Eeyore's scoldings as firstly he has more justification, due to his greater intelligence, and secondly he is miserable with everyone for most of the time, irrespective of their education. Christopher Robin comes out with variations on "Silly old Bear" any number of times, but usually qualifies it with a statement of how fond he is of Pooh. Indeed, at one stage Pooh becomes quite dejected, proclaiming that "I have been Foolish and Deluded... and I am a Bear of No Brain at All," and Christopher Robin retorts that he is the best bear in all the world. However, I find Christopher Robin's attitude condescending in general, and he never denies Pooh's claims of stupidity. Rabbit, one of the more complicated characters, is introduced in the second chapter, when Pooh visits him and becomes stuck in his entrance after eating too much. This chapter not only shows Rabbit for what he really is, but is an absolute stroke of genius which could have saved millions from misery had they only taken its lesson to heart.

Rabbit is clearly meant to represent the politicians of this world. He is permanently busy, he lies in his very first words to Pooh, and throughout the books he is the natural leader out of the animals - if Christopher Robin isn't involved, but a plan is required, it is Rabbit who is usually in charge. This chapter gives us a gentle introduction to him, but also predicts an event perhaps sixty years ahead of its time. Wells predicted the laser, amongst other things, and Verne's visions have also been uncannily accurate in several cases, but I think it is a mark of Milne's genius that he was able to predict mass overspending on credit and its effects, demonstrating it with a simple homily in the world of the Hundred Acre Wood. To remind you of the chapter, Pooh visited Rabbit, and ate the honey and condensed milk that Rabbit offered him. This is, I believe, the equivalent of the government encouraging increased spending, without considering the possible problems of families living on credit and counting the cost too late. In Pooh's case, "too late" came when he tried to leave, and found he was too plump to get out.

Despite being pushed and pulled, he couldn't budge - just as families in debt find they can't get out of the credit hole they dig for themselves. Pooh just had to stay there without eating, whilst Christopher Robin read stories to him. Rabbit himself was very little help, and ended up using Pooh's legs as a towel-horse, much as the government will still try to squeeze whatever taxes it can out of those living in poverty. Fortunately, this story has a happier end than real life, and after only a week, Pooh manages to extricate himself (with a little help from his friends and Rabbit's relations) and live a normal life again. If only the real world were so kind. We are introduced to both Eeyore and Owl in the next chapter, which is a touching irony when one realises the quite opposite ideas they represent. At the start of the chapter, Pooh comes across Eeyore thinking quietly to himself, as usual. Pooh spots that Eeyore's tail is missing, and decides to do his best to find it.

Here Eeyore reveals his nature in two speeches : when Pooh tells Eeyore of his tail's mysterious absence, Eeyore says, "Someone must have taken it. How Like Them." A couple of paragraphs later, when Pooh has pledged himself to find the tail, he says, "Thank you, Pooh. You're a real friend. Not Like Some." Taken with the other hints given about Eeyore, we now have enough evidence to suppose that Eeyore in fact represents the concept of Truth. He is wise, quiet (for truth rarely if ever advertises itself - to access it, one must be patient, humble, and ready to listen), and, unfortunately, sad. I cannot help but feel that Milne must have taken a fairly dim view of the world. Whether through frustration at his attitudes so hateful to himself, or possibly his ideas about what a grind the world is for everyone both high and low, he comes through as being depressed at the state of living in his time, despite the general gaiety of life in the Hundred Acre Wood. Pooh, in his blissful idealism thinks that if anyone knows where Eeyore's tail is, it'll be Owl.

He goes to visit Owl, and here we catch a glimpse of Owl's character before we even meet him - we learn that Owl "wise though he was in many ways, able to read and write and spell his own name (WOL), [ ... ] somehow went all to pieces over delicate words like MEASLES and BUTTEREDTOAST [sic]". However, it is a good job that we are told that by the narrative, as Owl himself would never deign to admit defeat when it comes to writing. Indeed, in another chapter, he misspells "A Happy Birthday" and lies to Pooh by saying it says "A Very Happy Birthday with love from Pooh". Predictably enough, what he actually writes is garbage... although whether he realises this himself could be argued both ways. When we meet Owl, we find he is an intellectual snob of the first order. He reels off long words (which, one presumes, he knows will Bother Pooh) and our amiable Bear gently nods off. On waking, he is shown Owl's bell-rope, which, unsurprisingly, is Eeyore's long lost tail.

By now we have already, and regrettably, realised Owl's place in Milne's world. Much as it saddens me to say it, I believe Owl is Milne's perception of how his academic superiors were at our very own beloved College. I suspect he thought himself superior to them, as he was still learning whereas he viewed their knowledge as limited, stale, and dwindling. It is not until we reach the climax of the story, however, that we realise quite how bitterly Milne feels about them. Owl explains that he didn't realise it was Eeyore's tail, and that it "came off in his hand". Here we see Milne's idea that teachers take Truth wherever they can find it, in incomplete sections, from possibly immoral sources, and often without realising it. They parade it under false pretences, all for the benefit of their own image. Of course, it is Milne, in the guise of Christopher Robin, who puts Eeyore's tail back. I cannot fully express my sadness at the unfortunate state of Milne's obviously highly gifted mind - had he more willingly accepted the ideas from his mentors how much greater could he have been?

My theory about the subtext within Milne's work was, after the first six chapters of "Winnie-the-Pooh", that the whole book was simply a comment on intellectual prejudice. However, when I carefully read chapter seven, "In which Kanga and Baby Roo come to the Forest, and Piglet has a bath," I discovered that Milne was expanding his initial attacks to any kind of bigotry. From the first line in the chapter, which reads, "Nobody seemed to know where they came from, but there they were in the Forest: Kanga and Baby Roo," it is clear that racial tension is the next issue he is tackling. Rabbit emphasises the point: "[ ... ] we wake up one morning, and what do we find? We find a Strange Animal among us." Of course, to mirror the racism in the real world, the animals of the forest plan to drive Kanga and Roo out as soon as they can, by any means necessary - Rabbit's plan involves the kidnap of Roo. Of course, Kanga turns out not to be a Strange Animal after all - she is a devoted mother, who is intelligent and has a good sense of humour.

As I have already mentioned, the narrative appears to have no prejudices, and attempts to show that this is the correct attitude to have. After the first episode involving Kanga and Roo, Milne seems to lose interest in racial affairs. When Tigger comes to the forest, in "The House at Pooh Corner", Pooh is initially wary but after less than a page is quite happy to sleep in the same room as him. In fact, in this, the second book about Pooh, there are far fewer statements about the way Milne views the world. As most of his insights are fairly pessimistic about life in general, perhaps this is a sign of his having been of a cheerier disposition whilst writing about the further adventures of Pooh. Indeed, as opposed to the plethora of negative, almost angry emotions we feel coming through the subtext of "Winnie-the-Pooh", "The House at Pooh Corner" seems to contain far more humour about life, and where it is sad about the state of things, it feels more like nostalgia than bitterness. Maybe Milne had learnt that although money can't buy you happiness, a best-selling book can bring one satisfaction.

Hopefully he had been able to put behind him the sadness that Trinity seemed to have unfortunately bestowed on him, and was now not so paranoid about the educational ratrace. Only four points come to mind from "The House at Pooh Corner." The first is about the nature of Tigger. When I was considerably younger than I am now, which is to say somewhere between being old enough to listen but too young to read - my old and battered copy of "The House at Pooh Corner" has an inscription on it saying, "One of these days you'll be old enough to read this yourself!" - Tigger was always my favourite animal. He was full of vitality, and seemed more brightly coloured to me than any of the other characters. Perhaps I shouldn't be too surprised to discover that Tigger, to me at least, represents mass entertainment and humour. He is the "Fantasy Football League" of the Forest. Always having silly ideas, he makes a fool not only of himself, but of those around him. When he climbs a tree, he preys on the innocence and ignorance of young Roo, who never appears to realise either the danger of his predicament or his foolishness for trusting Tigger in the first place.

There are any number of ways we can interpret this tale: perhaps it represents gambling, maybe drugs, or possibly the ever more extravagant rumours of the popular press, taking the general public further and further up the tree of scandal. Only Milne knew for sure, but I think the lesson holds, however we may view it. The second event of importance is when we learn of Christopher Robin's education. I think it is best put in Milne's dialogue between Eeyore and Piglet: "Do you know what A means, little Piglet?" "No, Eeyore, I don't." "It means Learning, it means Education, it means all the things that you and Pooh haven't got. That's what A means." And later, from Eeyore... "What does Christopher Robin do in the mornings? He learns. He becomes Educated." This, together with Christopher Robin's improved spelling, demonstrates that Milne believes the hard work involved in real learning, to be the true mark of a healthy mind and not just knowledge without understanding. The third incident involves Tigger, and is of great importance in reinforcing Milne's ideas of how misleading entertainment may be.

A small matter in the Forest's eyes, Tigger's bouncing Eeyore into the river takes on a whole new perspective when we remember Eeyore's place in things as Truth. Clearly it is reflective of our shunning of reality, and needing to escape into a fantasy world for recreation. The final point I draw from "The House at Pooh Corner" always fills me with a certain nostalgia and wistfulness for my real childhood. Again, the first few lines of the final chapter in the book sum up what is to come: "Christopher Robin was going away. Nobody knew why he was going; nobody knew where he was going; indeed nobody even knew why he knew that Christopher Robin was going away." I suspect everyone here has had that feeling - either about their friends, themselves, or possibly their own children, and it is a sad feeling. Childhood can never be recovered, and although the book ends ostensibly cheerily, I always feel the picture on the final page, with Pooh and Christopher Robin skipping into the distance, is a lie, trying to hide the loss of innocence and wonder. I miss my childhood - I miss being able to read charming books such as these without seeing metaphors everywhere, whether intended or not.

I will finish with a short dialogue which I believe to be the most touchingly funny little section of the whole Pooh history. It occurs at the end of the first book, and Pooh and Piglet are walking home together. "When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last, "what's the first thing you say to yourself?" "What's for breakfast?" said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?" "I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet. Pooh nodded thoughtfully. "It's the same thing," he said.

Question: In books by A A Milne, which of the main characters was usually depressed?
Answer: Eeyore