Winnie the Pooh - Milne Alan Alexander. Страница 17

5. Like Roo.

6. But Kanga would have to be looking the other way first, so as not to see

Piglet jumping in.

7. See 2.

8. Another Thought. But if Pooh was talking to her very excitedly, she might

look the other way for a moment.
9. And then I could run away with Roo.

IO. Quickly.

II. And Kanga wouldn't discover the difference until Afterwards

Well, Rabbit read this out proudly, and for a little while after he had read it nobody said anything And then Piglet, who had been opening and shutting his mouth without making any noise, managed to say very huskily:

"And-Afterwards?"
"How do you mean?"
"When Kanga does Discover the Difference?"
"Then we all say 'Aha!'"
"All three of us?"
"Yes."
"Oh!"
"Why, what's the trouble, Piglet?"

"Nothing," said Piglet, "as long as we all three say it. As long as we all three say it," said Piglet, "I don't mind," he said, "but I shouldn't care to say

'Aha!' by myself. It wouldn't sound nearly so well. By the way," he said, "you are quite sure about what you said about the winter months?"

"The winter months?"

"Yes, only being Fierce in the Winter Months."

"Oh, yes, yes, that's all right. Well, Pooh You see what you have to do?"

"No," said Pooh Bear. "Not yet," he said? "What do I do?"

"Well, you just have to talk very hard to Kanga? so as she doesn't notice

anything."
"Oh! What about?"
"Anything you like."

"You mean like telling her a little bit of poetry or something?"

"That's it," said Rabbit. "Splendid Now come along."

So they all went out to look for Kanga.

Kanga and Roo were spending a quiet afternoon in a sandy part of the Forest.

Baby Roo was practising very small jumps in the sand, and falling down mouse-holes and climbing out of them, and Kanga was fidgeting about and saying

"Just one more jump, dear, and then we must go home." And at that moment who

should come stumping up the hill but Pooh.

"Good afternoon, Kanga."

"Good afternoon, Pooh."

"Look at me jumping," squeaked Roo, and fell into another mouse-hole.

"Hallo, Roo, my little fellow!"

"We were just going home," said Kanga. "Good afternoon, Rabbit. Good afternoon,

Piglet."

Rabbit and Piglet, who had now come up from the other side of the hill, said

"Good afternoon," and "Hallo, Roo," and Roo asked them to look at him jumping,

so they stayed and looked.
And Kanga looked too...

"Oh, Kanga," said Pooh, after Rabbit had winked at him twice, "I don't know if

you are interested in Poetry at all?"

"Hardly at all," said Kanga.

"Oh!" said Pooh.
"Roo, dear, just one more jump and then we must go home."

There was a short silence while Roo fell down another mouse-hole.

"Go on," said Rabbit in a loud whisper behind his paw.

"Talking of Poetry," said Pooh, "I made up a little piece as I was coming along.

It went like this. Er-now let me see-"

"Fancy!" said Kanga. "Now Roo, dear-"

"You'll like this piece of poetry," said Rabbit.

"You'll love it," said Piglet.

"You must listen very carefully," said Rabbit.

"So as not to miss any of it," said Piglet.

"Oh, yes," said Kanga, but she still looked at Baby Roo.

"How did it go, Pooh?" said Rabbit.

Pooh gave a little cough and began.
LINES WRITTEN BY A BEAR OF VERY LITTLE BRAIN
On Monday, when the sun is hot
I wonder to myself a lot:
"Now is it true, or is it not,"
"That what is which and which is what?"
On Tuesday, when it hails and snows,
The feeling on me grows and grows
That hardly anybody knows