In Which Christopher Robin Leads an Expotition to the North Pole
One fine day Pooh had stumped up to the top of the Forest to see if his friend Christopher Robin was interested in Bears at all. At breakfast that morning (a simple meal of marmalade spread lightly over a honeycomb or two) he had suddenly thought of a new song. It began like this:
тАЬ Sing Ho! for the life of a Bear! тАЭ
When he had got as far as this, he scratched his head, and thought to himself тАЬThatтАЩs a very good start for a song, but what about the second line?тАЭ He tried singing тАЬHo,тАЭ two or three times, but it didnтАЩt seem to help. тАЬPerhaps it would be better,тАЭ he thought, тАЬif I sang Hi for the life of a Bear.тАЭ So he sang itтБатАКтБатАж but it wasnтАЩt. тАЬVery well, then,тАЭ he said, тАЬI shall sing that first line twice, and perhaps if I sing it very quickly, I shall find myself singing the third and fourth lines before I have time to think of them, and that will be a Good Song. Now then:тАЭ
Sing Ho! for the life of a Bear! Sing Ho! for the life of a Bear! I donтАЩt much mind if it rains or snows, тАЩCos IтАЩve got a lot of honey on my nice new nose, I donтАЩt much care if it snows or thaws, тАЩCos IтАЩve got a lot of honey on my nice clean paws! Sing Ho! for a Bear! Sing Ho! for a Pooh! And IтАЩll have a little something in an hour or two!
He was so pleased with this song that he sang it all the way to the top of the Forest, тАЬand if I go on singing it much longer,тАЭ he thought, тАЬit will be time for the little something, and then the last line wonтАЩt be true.тАЭ So he turned it into a hum instead.
Christopher Robin was sitting outside his door, putting on his Big Boots. As soon as he saw the Big Boots, Pooh knew that an Adventure was going to happen, and he brushed the honey off his nose with the back of his paw, and spruced himself up as well as he could, so as to look Ready for Anything.
тАЬGood morning, Christopher Robin,тАЭ he called out.
тАЬHallo, Pooh Bear. I canтАЩt get this boot on.тАЭ
тАЬThatтАЩs bad,тАЭ said Pooh.