Pooh's Neighbourhood

"I say, it's a splendid day in the neighbourhood!" cried Owl. "It's a nice day here too," said Winnie the Pooh. "That's exactly what I'm saying," said Owl. "A perfectly splendid day in the Neighbourhood." "Which neighbour wood are we talking about?" asked Pooh. "Neighbourhood," said Owl. "Our neighbourhood - the place where we live and where all our neighbours live and are neighbourly." "Oh, " said Pooh, "it is a splendid day in it, isn't it?"

"Quite," said Owl. "Now I'm off for an owl's-eye view!" He flew up and circled once around Pooh's house. "What does it look like from up there?" called Pooh. "I can see the Hundred-Acre Wood spread out below me," said Owl. "And it's a fine place, indeed."

As Owl flew off, Pooh began to think about what it means to live in a neighbourhood, and he thought perhaps he would bring a neighbourly present to his closest neighbour, Piglet. Pooh went inside his house and took a honey pot out of his cupboard. He tied a nice blue ribbon round it.

Then he tucked it comfortably under his arm and started down the path towards Piglet's house. But when he reached his Thoughtful Spot, which is halfway between his house and Piglet's, Pooh suddenly had a thought: I could take this path straight to Piglet's house. Or - I could go up the path and around the whole neighbourhood. And sooner or later the path would take me to Piglet's house, anyway. And that's what he did.

After he had walked for a time, he came to the house where Kanga and Roo lived. "Hello, Kanga," said Pooh. "I'm just on my way to deliver this neighbourly present to Piglet." "But, Pooh dear, Piglet lives that way," said Kanga, pointing down the very path by which Pooh had just come. "Yes," said Pooh, "but today I'm going the long way." "Oh I see," said Kanga. "In that case, perhaps you should join us for a snack." "Come on, Pooh!" cried Roo. "We're going to the picnic spot."

Pooh said he was feeling a bit rumbly in his tumbly, so they all went together, past the Sandy Pit where Roo Plays, up to the picnic spot to share a little something. Half an hour - and one picnic basket - later, Pooh thanked Kanga and Roo, tucked Piglet's honey pot back under his arm and walked down the path towards Rabbit's house.

"Hello, Rabbit!" called Pooh. "I'm on my way to Piglet's to give him this neighbourly present." "If you're going to Piglet's house, what are you doing here?" asked Rabbit. I'm going the long way," said Pooh. "More like the wrong way, if you ask me," said Rabbit. "But since you're here, would you mind taking these carrots to Christopher Robin? I promised he'd have them in time for lunch." Well, at the mention of the word "lunch", Pooh noticed that his tummy was feeling just the tiniest bit rumbly again. "I'd be happy to." he said.

With the carrots under one arm and the honey pot under the other, Pooh walked along until he came to the place where the stepping-stones crossed the stream. "One, two, three, four," he counted as he teetered from stone to stone. Eight or nine of Rabbit's friends and family heard Pooh and peeked out their windows and doors. Pooh shouted, "Halloo!" Rabbit's friends and family waved.

Pooh marched across open slopes of heather and up steep banks of sandstones until at last, tired and hungry, he arrived at Christopher Robin's door. "Oh, my carrots!" cried Christopher Robin happily. "Thanks you for delivering them." "It seemed the neighbourly thing to do," said Pooh proudly. "Would you like to join me for lunch?" Christopher Robin asked. And Pooh said, "Well, I really am on my way to Piglet's house to bring him this present. But I don't see why I couldn't stop, just for a little while." After lunch, and a longish snooze, Pooh was back on his way.

He walked down the path through the little pine wood and climbed over the gate into Eeyore's Gloomy Place, which was where Eeyore lived. "Hello, Eeyore," said Pooh. "I was just on my way to Piglet's house with this neighbourly present - " "Not coming to visit me," said Eeyore. "I didn't think so. It's been such a busy week already. Why, only four days ago Tigger bounced me on his way to the swimming hole. How many visitors can one  expect, really?"

Pooh had almost arrived at the Place Where the Woozle Wasn't and was deciding to take the long path around it, just in case the woozle was, when he saw Owl flying over. "I've seen our whole neighbourhood today," Pooh told him. "But now I have no neighbourly present left for Piglet." "The bees have been quite busy at the old bee tree lately," said Owl. "Perhaps you can get a fill-up there." "That's a good idea, Owl, but it's such along way," said Pooh with a sigh. "Come along," said Owl. "We'll take the shortcut through the woods."

So they walked together until they came to an open place in the middle of the forest, and in the middle of this place was an old bee tree. Pooh could hear a loud buzzing near the top. Up, up, up he climbed. "Go, up higher!" called Owl. "past the bees. To the very top of the tree. Now, look all around you. What do you see?"

The Hundred-Acre Wood was spread out below him. "Our neighbourhood!" cried Pooh. "Our beautiful home!" "That's the owl's-eye view," said Owl grandly. "Oh, I can see poor Piglet out sweeping his path," said Pooh. "Looks like he could do with some company."

So Pooh filled the honey pot once more, and he en Owl went to Piglet's house for supper.

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