“Ah, that’s why nobody’s bothered, I suppose. I thought perhaps they’d forgotten.”
“Well, we’re very glad to see you, Eeyore, and now we’re going on to see Owl.”
“That’s right. You’ll like Owl. He flew past a day or two ago and noticed me. He didn’t actually say anything, mind you, but he knew it was me. Very friendly of him, I thought. Encouraging.”
Pooh and Piglet shuffled about a little and said, “Well, goodbye, Eeyore” as lingeringly as they could, but they had a long way to go, and wanted to be getting on.
“Goodbye,” said Eeyore. “Mind you don’t get blown away, little Piglet. You’d be missed. People would say ‘Where’s little Piglet been blown to?’—really wanting to know. Well, goodbye. And thank you for happening to pass me.”
“Goodbye,” said Pooh and Piglet for the last time, and they pushed on to Owl’s house.
The wind was against them now, and Piglet’s ears streamed behind him like banners as he fought his way along, and it seemed hours before he got them into the shelter of the Hundred Acre Wood and they stood up straight again, to listen, a little nervously, to the roaring of the gale among the treetops.
“Supposing a tree fell down, Pooh, when we were underneath it?”
“Supposing it didn’t,” said Pooh after careful thought.
Piglet was comforted by this, and in a little while they were knocking and ringing very cheerfully at Owl’s door.
“Hallo, Owl,” said Pooh. “I hope we’re not too late for—I mean, how are you, Owl? Piglet and I just came to see how you were, because it’s Thursday.”
“Sit down, Pooh, sit down, Piglet,” said Owl kindly. “Make yourselves comfortable.”
They thanked him, and made themselves as comfortable as they could.
“Because, you see, Owl,” said Pooh, “we’ve been hurrying, so as to be in time for—so as to see you before we went away again.”
Owl nodded solemnly.