"...would you read a Sustaining Book, such as would
help and comfort a Wedged Bear in Great Tightness?"
This edition celebrated the 75th anniversary of the beloved "silly old bear". THE COMPLETE TALES AND POEMS OF WINNIE-THE-POOH
collects A.A. Milne's classic stories (Winnie-the-Pooh; The House at Pooh Corner; When We Were Very Young; and Now We Are Six) and Ernest H. Shepard's original illustrations in one gorgeous oversize gift edition. And it includes Three Cheers for Pooh: The Best Bear in All the World, by Brian Sibley, which provides readers with a historical reference point, starting with the story of Mrs. Milne's purchase of a stuffed bear at a London department store for their young son, Christopher Robin. Photographs, original manuscript pages and Shepard's sketches and illustrations complete the package.
collects A.A. Milne's classic stories (Winnie-the-Pooh; The House at Pooh Corner; When We Were Very Young; and Now We Are Six) and Ernest H. Shepard's original illustrations in one gorgeous oversize gift edition. And it includes Three Cheers for Pooh: The Best Bear in All the World, by Brian Sibley, which provides readers with a historical reference point, starting with the story of Mrs. Milne's purchase of a stuffed bear at a London department store for their young son, Christopher Robin. Photographs, original manuscript pages and Shepard's sketches and illustrations complete the package.
from WINNIE-THE-POOH,
Chapter II ...In Which Pooh Goes Visiting and Gets Into a Tight Place...
hope it won't snow," he added. "And I say, old fellow, you're
taking up a good deal of room in my house -- do you mind if I
use your back legs as a towel-horse? Because, I mean, there
they are -- doing nothing -- and it would be very convenient
just to hang the towels on them."
"A week!" said Pooh gloomily. "What about meals?"
"I'm afraid no meals," said Christopher Robin, "because
of getting thin quicker. But we will read to you."
Bear began to sigh, and then found he couldn't because
he was so tightly stuck; and a tear rolled down his eye, as he
said:
"Then would you read a Sustaining Book, such as would
help and comfort a Wedged Bear in Great Tightness?" So for a
week Christopher Robin read that sort of book at the North end of Pooh,
and Rabbit hung his washing on the South end . . . and in
between Bear felt himself getting slenderer and slenderer. And
at the end of the week Christopher Robin said, "Now!"
So he took hold of Pooh's front paws and Rabbit took
hold of Christopher Robin, and all Rabbit's friends and
relations took hold of Rabbit, and they all pulled together....
And for a long time Pooh only said "Ow!" . . .
And "Oh!" . . .
And then, all of a sudden, he said "Pop!" just as if a
cork were coming out of bottle.
And Christopher Robin and Rabbit and all Rabbit's
friends and relations went head-over-heels backwards . . . and
on the top of them came Winnie-the-Pooh -- free!
So, with a nod of thanks to his friends, he went on
with his walk through the forest, humming proudly to himself.
But, Christopher Robin looked after him lovingly, and said to
himself, "Silly old Bear!"
A.A. Milne always acknowledged that it was his wife, Daphne, and his young son, Christopher Robin, who inspired him to write the poems and stories – the literary journey began in 1924 when the Very Young Christopher Robin was introduced to an American black bear at the London Zoological Gardens. (from PoohCorner.com)
Click on the link PoohCorner.com to read more about the origins of Winnie-the-Pooh.
And you can read my previous post "Making Friends With Pooh" by clicking HERE.