In Which Pooh Goes Visiting and Gets Into a Tight Place
Edward Bear, known to his friends as Winnie-the-Pooh, or Pooh for short, was walking through the forest one day, humming proudly to himself. He had made up a little hum that very morning, as he was doing his Stoutness Exercises in front of the glass: Tra-la-la, tra-la-la , as he stretched up as high as he could go, and then Tra-la-la, tra-laтБатАФoh, help!тБатАФla , as he tried to reach his toes. After breakfast he had said it over and over to himself until he had learnt it off by heart, and now he was humming it right through, properly. It went like this:
Tra-la-la, tra-la-la, Tra-la-la, tra-la-la, Rum-tum-tiddle-um-tum. Tiddle-iddle, tiddle-iddle, Tiddle-iddle, tiddle-iddle, Rum-tum-tum-tiddle-um.
Well, he was humming this hum to himself, and walking along gaily, wondering what everybody else was doing, and what it felt like, being somebody else, when suddenly he came to a sandy bank, and in the bank was a large hole.
тАЬAha!тАЭ said Pooh. ( Rum-tum-tiddle-um-tum. ) тАЬIf I know anything about anything, that hole means Rabbit,тАЭ he said, тАЬand Rabbit means Company,тАЭ he said, тАЬand Company means Food and Listening-to-Me-Humming and suchlike. Rum-tum-tum-tiddle-um. тАЭ
So he bent down, put his head into the hole, and called out:
тАЬIs anybody at home?тАЭ
There was a sudden scuffling noise from inside the hole, and then silence.
тАЬWhat I said was, тАШIs anybody at home?тАЩтАКтАЭ called out Pooh very loudly.
тАЬNo!тАЭ said a voice; and then added, тАЬYou neednтАЩt shout so loud. I heard you quite well the first time.тАЭ
тАЬBother!тАЭ said Pooh. тАЬIsnтАЩt there anybody here at all?тАЭ
тАЬNobody.тАЭ