In Which Eeyore Has a Birthday and Gets Two Presents
Eeyore, the old grey Donkey, stood by the side of the stream, and looked at himself in the water.
тАЬPathetic,тАЭ he said. тАЬThatтАЩs what it is. Pathetic.тАЭ
He turned and walked slowly down the stream for twenty yards, splashed across it, and walked slowly back on the other side. Then he looked at himself in the water again.
тАЬAs I thought,тАЭ he said. тАЬNo better from this side. But nobody minds. Nobody cares. Pathetic, thatтАЩs what it is.тАЭ
There was a crackling noise in the bracken behind him, and out came Pooh.
тАЬGood morning, Eeyore,тАЭ said Pooh.
тАЬGood morning, Pooh Bear,тАЭ said Eeyore gloomily. тАЬIf it is a good morning,тАЭ he said. тАЬWhich I doubt,тАЭ said he.
тАЬWhy, whatтАЩs the matter?тАЭ
тАЬNothing, Pooh Bear, nothing. We canтАЩt all, and some of us donтАЩt. ThatтАЩs all there is to it.тАЭ
тАЬCanтАЩt all what ?тАЭ said Pooh, rubbing his nose.
тАЬGaiety. Song-and-dance. Here we go round the mulberry bush.тАЭ
тАЬOh!тАЭ said Pooh. He thought for a long time, and then asked, тАЬWhat mulberry bush is that?тАЭ
тАЬBon-hommy,тАЭ went on Eeyore gloomily. тАЬFrench word meaning bonhommy,тАЭ he explained. тАЬIтАЩm not complaining, but There It Is.тАЭ