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 тАЬ Cottleston Pie тАЭ instead:
Cottleston, Cottleston, Cottleston Pie, A fly canтАЩt bird, but a bird can fly. Ask me a riddle and I reply: тАЬ Cottleston, Cottleston, Cottleston Pie. тАЭ
That was the first verse. When he had finished it, Eeyore didnтАЩt actually say that he didnтАЩt like it, so Pooh very kindly sang the second verse to him:
Cottleston, Cottleston, Cottleston Pie, A fish canтАЩt whistle and neither can I. Ask me a riddle and I reply: тАЬ Cottleston, Cottleston, Cottleston Pie. тАЭ
Eeyore still said nothing at all, so Pooh hummed the third verse quietly to himself:
Cottleston, Cottleston, Cottleston Pie, Why does a chicken, I donтАЩt know why. Ask me a riddle and I reply: тАЬ Cottleston, Cottleston, Cottleston Pie. тАЭ
тАЬThatтАЩs right,тАЭ said Eeyore. тАЬSing. Umty-tiddly, umty-too. Here we go gathering Nuts and May. Enjoy yourself.тАЭ
тАЬI am,тАЭ said Pooh.
тАЬSome can,тАЭ said Eeyore.
тАЬWhy, whatтАЩs the matter?тАЭ
тАЬ Is anything the matter?тАЭ
тАЬYou seem so sad, Eeyore.тАЭ
тАЬSad? Why should I be sad? ItтАЩs my birthday. The happiest day of the year.тАЭ
тАЬYour birthday?тАЭ said Pooh in great surprise.
тАЬOf course it is. CanтАЩt you see? Look at all the presents I have had.тАЭ He waved a foot from side to side. тАЬLook at the birthday cake. Candles and pink sugar.тАЭ