Speaker 1: Chapter six of Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milney.
This liveryvox recording is in the public domain. Chapter six,
in which Eor has a birthday and gets two presents.
Eor the old gray donkey stood by the side of
the stream and looked at himself in the water. P'thetic,
he said, that's what it is. Pathetic. He turned and
walked slowly down the stream for twenty yards, splashed across it,
then walked slowly back on the other side. Then he
looked at himself in the water again. Has I thought?
He said, no better from this side. But nobody minds,
nobody cares. Pothetic, That's what it is. There was a
crackling noise in the bracken behind him, and out came Pooh.
Good morning, Yore said Pooh, good morning. Pooh Bear, said
Eore gloomily. If it is a good morning, he said,
which I doubt, said he. Why, what's the matter, gnahing
Pooh Bear. Nothing. We can't all and some of us don't.
That's all there is to it. Can't all want, said Pooh,
rubbing his nose. Oh, gaiety, song and dance. Here we
go round the bulberry bush, Oh, said Pooh. He thought
for a long time, and then he asked what mulberry
bush is that? Bon hommie went on ere gloomily French
word meaning bon homie. He explained, Oh, I'm not complaining,
but there it is. Pooh sat down on a large
stone and tried to think this out. It sounded to
him like a riddle, and he was never much good
at riddles, being a bear of very little brain, so
he sang Cardleston Pie instead, Cardleston, Cardleston, Cardleston Pie. A
fly can't bird, and a bird can't fly, Ask me
a riddle, and I reply, Cardleston Carlstun, Cardleston Pie. That
was the first verse. When he had finished it, or
didn't actually say that he didn't like it, so Pooh
very kindly sang the second verse to him Cardleston, Cardlestun,
Cardleston Pie. A fish can't whistle, and neither can And
I ask me a riddle, and I reply, Cardleston, Cardleston,
Cardleston Pie. You're still said nothing at all, So Pooh
hummed the third verse quietly to himself. Cardleston, Cardleston, Carleston Pie.
Why does the chicken? I don't know? Why? Ask me
a riddle? And I reply, Cardleston, Cardleston, Cardleston pie. That's right,
said Eoron, saying umptyly empty too. Here we go gathering
nuts and may enjoy yourself, I am, said Pooh. Some can,
said Eoron. Why what's the matter, If anything the matter?
You seem so sad. You're sad. Why should I be sad?
It's my birthday, the happiest day of the year. Your birthday,
said Pooh in great surprise. Of course it is. Can't
you see? Look at all the presents I have had.
He waved a foot from side to side. Look at
the birthday cake, candles, hand pink sugar. Pooh looked first
to the right, then to the left. Presence, said Pooh.
Birthday cake, said Pooh. Where can't you see them? No,
said Pooh, neither can, and I said, ere joke, he explained,
ha ha. Pooh scratched his head, being a little puzzled
by all this. But is it really your birthday? He asked?
Here it is?
Speaker 2: Oh, well, many happy returns of the day, ere, and
many happy returns to you.
Speaker 1: Pooh bear. But it isn't my birthday, No, it's mine,
But you said many happy returns? Well, why not you
don't always want to be miserable on my birthday, do you?
Speaker 2: Oh?
Speaker 1: I see, said Pooh. It's bad enough, said ere, almost
breaking down. Be miserable myself, what with no presents and
no cake and no candles and no proper notice taking
of me at all. But if everybody else is going
to be miserable too, this was too much for Pooh.
Stay here, he called to Eore as he turned and
hurried back home as quick as he could, for he
felt that he must get poor Eore a present of
some sort at once, and he could always think of
a proper one. Afterwards. Outside his house, he found Picklet
jumping up and down trying to reach the knocker. Hello, Piglet,
he said. Hello Pooh, said Picklet, What are you trying
to do? I was trying to reach the knocker, said Picklet.
I just came round. Let me do it for you,
said Pooh kindly. So he reached up and knocked at
the door. I have just seen Eyore, he began, And
poor eoorre is in a very sad condition because it's
his birthday and nobody has taken any notice of it,
and he's very gloomy. You know what Eore is and
there he was, and what a long time? Whoever lives
here is answering this door? And he knocked again, but
Pooh said, Picklet, it's your own house. Oh said Pooh,
So it is. He said, well, let's go in, so
in they went. The first thing Poo did was to
go to the cupboard to see if he had quite
a small jar of honey left, and he had, so
he took it down. I'm giving this to Eyore, he explained,
as a present. What are you going to give? Couldn't
I give it too, said Piglet. From both of us, No,
said Pooh, that would not be a good plan. All right,
then I'll give him a balloon. I've got one left
from my party. I'll go and get it now, shall I?
That Piglet is a very good idea. It is just
what Eore wants to cheer him up. Nobody can be
i'n cheered with a balloon. So off Piglet trotted, and
in the other direction went Pooh with his jar of honey.
It was a warm day and he had a long
way to go. He hadn't gone more than halfway when
a sort of funny feeling began to creep all over him.
It began at the tip of his nose and trickled
all through him and out at the soles of his feet.
It was just as if somebody inside him were saying, now, then, pooh,
time for a little something. Dear, dear, said pooh. I
didn't know it was as late as that. So he
sat down and took the top off his jar of honey.
Luckily I brought this with me, he thought. Many a
bear going out on a warm day like this would
never have thought of bringing a little something with him,
and he began to eat. Now, let me see, he thought,
as he took his last lick of the inside of
the jar, Where was I going? Ah? Yes, eyore. He
got up slowly, and then suddenly he remembered he had
eaten Ere's birthday present. Bother said, pooh, what shall I do?
I must give him something For a little while. He
couldn't think of anything. Then he thought, well, it's a
very nice pot, even if there's no honey in it.
And if I washed it clean and got somebody to
write a happy birthday on it, yor could keep things
in it which might be useful. So, as he was
just passing the hundred acre wood. He went inside to
call on Owl, who lived there. Good morning, Owl, he said,
Good morning, Pooh, said Owl. Many happy returns of Eyre's birthday,
said Pooh. Oh, is that what it is? What are
you giving him? Owl? What are you giving him? Pooh?
I'm giving him a useful pot to keep things in.
And I want to ask you. Is this it? Said Owl,
taking it out of Pooh's paw. Yes, And I wanted
to ask you. Somebody has been keeping honey in it,
said Owl. You can keep anything in it, said Pooh, earnestly.
It's very useful like that. And I wanted to ask you.
You ought to write a happy birthday on it? That
was what I wanted to ask you, said Pooh, because
my spelling is wobbly. It's good spelling, but it wobbles
and the letters to get in the wrong places. Would
you write a happy birthday on it for me? It's
a nice pot, said Owl, looking at it all round.
Couldn't I give it too from both of us? No,
said Pooh. That would not be a good plan. Now,
I'll just wash it first and then you can write
on it. Well. He washed the pot out and dried it,
while Owl licked the end of his pencil and wondered
how to spell birthday. Can you read, Pooh? He asked,
a little anxiously. There's a notice about knocking and ringing
outside my door, which Christopher Robin wrote, Could you read it?
Christopher Robin told me what it said, and then I could. Well,
I'll tell you what this says, and then you'll be
able to. So Owl wrote, and this is what he wrote, Hippie, Pappy,
birthum dy, third day, birth and day. Pooh looked on admiringly.
It's just saying a happy birthday, said Owl carelessly. It's
a nice long one, said Pooh, very much impressed by Well, actually,
of course, I'm saying a very happy birthday, with love
from Pooh. Naturally, it took a good deal of pencil
to say a long thing like that. Oh, I see,
said Pooh. While all this was happening, Piglet had gone
back to his own house to get Eor's balloon. He
held it very tightly against himself so that it shouldn't
blow away, and he ran as fast as he could
so as to get to or before Pooh did, For
he thought that he would like to be the first
one to give a present just as if he had
thought of it without being told by anybody, and running
along and thinking how pleased or would be. He didn't
look where he was going, and suddenly he put his
foot in a rabbit hole and fell down flat on
his face.
Speaker 2: Bang.
Speaker 1: Piglet lay there, wondering what had happened. At first he
thought that the whole world had blown up, and then
he thought that perhaps only the forest part of it
had and then he thought that perhaps only he had,
and he was now alone in the moon somewhere and
would never see Christopher, Robin or Pooh or e or again.
And then he thought, well, even if I'm in the moon,
I needn't be faced downward all the time. So he
got cautiously up and looked about him. He was still
in the forest. Well that's funny, he thought, I wonder
what that bang was. I couldn't have made such a
noise just falling down. And where's my balloon? And what's
that small piece of damp rag doing? It was the balloon, oh, dear,
said picklets. Oh dear, oh deary, deary dear. Well it's
too late now I can't go back, and I haven't
another balloon, and perhaps Eore doesn't like balloons so very much.
So he trotted on rather sadly. Now and down. He
came to the side of the stream where Or was
and called out to him good morning, orre shouted Picklet.
Good morning, little Piglet, said Eor, If it is a
good morning, he said, which I doubt, said he not,
that it matters, he said, Many happy returns of the day,
said Picklet, having now got closer, Or stopped looking at
himself in the stream and turned to stare at Picklet.
Just say that again, he said, many happy Wait a moment.
Balancing on three legs, he began to bring his fourth
leg very cautiously up to his ear. I did this yesterday,
he explained, as he fell down for the third time.
This it's quite easy. It's so I can hear better.
Speaker 2: There.
Speaker 1: That's done it. Now, then what were you saying? He
pushed his ear forward with his hoof. Many happy returns
of the day, said Picklet again, meaning me, of course,
ere my birthday, Yes, me having a real birthday. Yes, Or,
And I brought you a present. Or took down his
right hoof from his right ear, turned round, and with
great difficulty put up his left hoof, I must have
that in the other ear, he said. Now then a present,
said Picklet, very loudly, meaning me again. Yes, my birthday.
Still of course you are me going on having a
real birthday. Yes, your and I brought you a balloon, Balloon,
said Ere. You did say, balloon, one of those big
colored things you blow up, guyety song and dance. Here
we are and there we are. Yes, but I'm afraid
I'm very sorry, ire. But when I was running along
to bring it to you, I fell down. Dear, dear,
how unlucky you ran too fast. I expect you didn't
hurt yourself, little piglic No, but I I oh your eye.
I burst the balloon. There was a very long silence.
My balloon, said Or. At last Piglet nodded my birthday balloon. Yes, Eyore,
said Piglet, sniffling a little. Here it is with many
happy returns of the day. And he gave Eore the
small piece of damp rag. Is this it? Said Ere,
a little surprised. Piglet nodded my present. Piglet nodded again
the balloon. Yes, thank you, Piglet said Eor. You don't
mind my asking. He went on, but what color was
this balloon? When it when it was a balloon? Red,
I just wondered Red, he murmured to himself, my favorite coller.
How big was it? About as big as me? I
just wondered about his big as Piglet, he said to himself, sadly,
my favorite size. Well, well, Piglet felt very miserable and
didn't know what to say. He was still opening his
mouth to begin something and then deciding that it wasn't
any good saying that when he heard a shout from
the other side of the river, and there was Pooh.
Many happy returns of the day, called out Pooh forgetting
that he had said it already. Thank you, Pooh, I'm
having them, said e yor gloomily. I've brought you a
little present, said Pooh excitedly. I've had it, said Eore.
Pooh had now splashed across the stream to Eore, and
Piglett was sitting a little way off his head in
his paws, sniffling to himself. It's a useful pot, said Pooh.
Here it is, and it's got a very happy birthday
with love from Pooh written on it. That's what all
that writing is, and it's for putting things in there.
When Orre saw the pot, he became quite excited. Why
he said, I believe my balloon will just go into
that pot. Oh, no, Eore said, Pooh, balloons are much
too big to go into pots. What you do with
a balloon is you hold the balloon, not mine, said Eore, proudly,
look Piglet, And as Piglet looked sorrowfully, round Or picked
the balloon up with his teeth and placed it carefully
in the pot, picked it out and put it on
the ground, and then picked it up again and put
it carefully back. So it does, said Pooh. It goes in,
So it does, said Piglet. And it comes out, doesn't it,
said ere. It goes in and out like anything. I'm
very glad, said Pooh happily that I thought of giving
you a useful pot to put things in. I'm very glad,
said Piglet happily that I thought of giving you something
to put in a useful pot. But Yor wasn't listening.
He was taking the balloon out and putting it back again,
as happy as could be. And didn't I him anything,
asked Christopher Robin sadly. Of course you did. I said,
you gave him, don't you remember? A little? A little?
I gave him a box of paints to paint things with.
That was it. Why didn't I give it to him
in the morning? You were so busy getting his party
ready for him. He had a cake with icing on
the top, and three candles and his name in pink sugar.
And yes, I remember, said Christopher Robin end of Chapter six.