IX

In Which Piglet Is Entirely Surrounded by Water

It rained and it rained and it rained. Piglet told himself that never in all his life, and he was goodness knows how oldтБатАФthree, was it, or four?тБатАФnever had he seen so much rain. Days and days and days.

тАЬIf only,тАЭ he thought, as he looked out of the window, тАЬI had been in PoohтАЩs house, or Christopher RobinтАЩs house, or RabbitтАЩs house when it began to rain, then I should have had Company all this time, instead of being here all alone, with nothing to do except wonder when it will stop.тАЭ And he imagined himself with Pooh, saying, тАЬDid you ever see such rain, Pooh?тАЭ and Pooh saying, тАЬIsnтАЩt it awful , Piglet?тАЭ and Piglet saying, тАЬI wonder how it is over Christopher RobinтАЩs wayтАЭ and Pooh saying, тАЬI should think poor old Rabbit is about flooded out by this time.тАЭ It would have been jolly to talk like this, and really, it wasnтАЩt much good having anything exciting like floods, if you couldnтАЩt share them with somebody.

For it was rather exciting. The little dry ditches in which Piglet had nosed about so often had become streams, the little streams across which he had splashed were rivers, and the river, between whose steep banks they had played so happily, had sprawled out of its own bed and was taking up so much room everywhere, that Piglet was beginning to wonder whether it would be coming into his bed soon.

тАЬItтАЩs a little Anxious,тАЭ he said to himself, тАЬto be a Very Small Animal Entirely Surrounded by Water. Christopher Robin and Pooh could escape by Climbing Trees, and Kanga could escape by Jumping, and Rabbit could escape by Burrowing, and Owl could escape by Flying, and Eeyore could escape byтБатАФby Making a Loud Noise Until Rescued, and here am I, surrounded by water and I canтАЩt do anything .тАЭ

It went on raining, and every day the water got a little higher, until now it was nearly up to PigletтАЩs windowтБатАКтБатАж and still he hadnтАЩt done anything.

тАЬThereтАЩs Pooh,тАЭ he thought to himself. тАЬPooh hasnтАЩt much Brain, but he never comes to any harm. He does silly things and they turn out right. ThereтАЩs Owl. Owl hasnтАЩt exactly got Brain, but he Knows Things. He would know the Right Thing to Do when Surrounded by Water. ThereтАЩs Rabbit. He hasnтАЩt Learnt in Books, but he can always Think of a Clever Plan. ThereтАЩs Kanga. She isnтАЩt Clever, Kanga isnтАЩt, but she would be so anxious about Roo that she would do a Good Thing to Do without thinking about It. And