Tales of a Silly Old Bear

"A 'children's book' must be written, not for children, but for the author himself."

Once upon a time a little girl with long blonde pigtails lay on her mother's lap and listened, enthralled, to the stories and songs of the Hundred Acre Wood. Time after time she would beg for just one more.

Time passed, as it tends to do, and the little girl grew up. The love for the silly old bear remained, though she was much less likely to admit it. After awhile the girl's interests turned to other things and Pooh Bear sat, half forgotten, forlorn on the shelf.

Pooh Bear is eternal though, and after the girl was granted a son of her own she sang the songs of the Hundred Acre Wood once more. As he grew she dug out the old and well loved copy of Winnie-the-Pooh and read to her little son, reliving scenes from her own childhood with each scene of the book.

Since then, several years have passed and two more sons have arrived. Each has been spellbound by the tales just as their mother was, and one day they will read the same stories to their children. A legacy goes on.

The Enduring Magic of Pooh
Alan Alexander Milne created a masterpiece for children when he began writing stories for his son, Christoper Robin. The 10 love and laughter filled stories collected in Winnie the Pooh have delighted children for generations. Set in the Hundred Acre Wood (originally known as Ashdown Forest), the stuffed toys that began on Christopher Robin's shelf come to life and enchant readers with their adventures. The stories range from motivational, where even the smallest animal can be brave as Piglet proves in Piglet is Entirely Surrounded by Water, to amusing, shown by the confusion created as Pooh and Piglet chase a Woozle around a tree in Pooh and Piglet Go Hunting.

The Winnie the Pooh stories are written with much appeal for children, accompanied by beautiful illustrations by Ernest Shepherd. The author has a way of drawing you in so you feel a part of the story, as he did in Pooh Goes Visiting when Christopher Robin, and Rabbit, and all of Rabbit's friends-and-relations laboured to remove Pooh from a Tight Place. Though humor is emphasized in some stories, important values are not neglected, they are spoken of most obviously in Kanga and Baby Roo Come to the Forest. In this selection the Hundred Acre Wood animals learn the importance of accepting those who are different.

My favourite story is Christopher Robin Leads an Expotition, where I can be reminded once more of the youthful joys of adventuring and discovering whatever you choose. It brings back numerous memories of the excitement of unexpected discoveries of my own.

The Bear's Tale
Pooh is the star, he is as the simple child who always enjoys life, no matter what it throws at him. As Piglet says in Piglet is Entirely Surrounded by Water, "Pooh hasn't much Brain, but he never comes to any harm. He does silly things and they turn out right." The model for Winnie the Pooh, Winnie bear, was born in Ontario, Canada. After making her way throughout the United States and Europe she eventually ended up in the London Zoo, which is where she made the acquaintance of Alan and Christopher Robin Milne.

Pooh Bear's closest friend is Piglet, Piglet is a timid and nervous creature. In Kanga and Baby Roo Come to the Forest he commented on himself "It
is hard to be brave when you're only a very small animal." Owl is the learned character who doesn't know near as much about life as he may think. He loves to tell ongoing stories, but don't ask him to write them down because his spelling is atrocious. Eeyore, the grey donkey, lives to complain. He thrives on sarcasm and a depressive outlook, as he shows in Eeyore Has a Birthday, "As I thought, no better from this side. But nobody minds. Nobody cares. Pathetic, that's what it is." Rabbit's middle name is clever. He is self important and always organizing something, like the plot he develops to rid the forest of the newcomers in Kanga and Baby Roo Come to the Forest.

Winnie the Pooh is a very special bear to have stood the test of time as well as he has. He and his friends are beloved, as they should be, and will continue to live in the hearts of children and the pages of Winnie the Pooh for many years to come. And if you listen, very closely, you may still hear the sound of a little boy going upstairs for his bath, and his bear-bump, bump, bump-going up the stairs behind him.