Winnie-the-Pooh (Winnie-the-Pooh, #1) (Hunnypot library)

by A. A. Milne

Charming bunch of stories for children with some amusement for the adults reading as well. The narrator nails the questions and logic of a child and manages to inject a silly humour they'll love. Although I was surprised by the gun. I mean Christopher Robin's what 4 years? What on earth made Milne think of adding that detail? Shows how times have changed, that's for sure. My favourite part was the "deception which we are practising on these bees". 4 stars.


“It’s like this,” he said. “When you go after honey with a balloon, the great thing is not to let the bees know you’re coming. Now, if you have a green balloon, they might think you were only part of the tree, and not notice you, and if you have a blue balloon, they might think you were only part of the sky, and not notice you, and the question is: Which is most likely?” “Wouldn’t they notice you underneath the balloon?” you asked. “They might or they might not,” said Winnie-the-Pooh. “You never can tell with bees.” He thought for a moment and said: “I shall try to look like a small black cloud. That will deceive them.” “Then you had better have the blue balloon,” you said; and so it was decided.

Milne, A. A.. Winnie-the-Pooh (AmazonClassics Edition) (pp. 10-11). AmazonClassics. Kindle Edition.


“Isn’t that fine?” shouted Winnie-the-Pooh down to you. “What do I look like?” “You look like a Bear holding on to a balloon,” you said. “Not,” said Pooh anxiously, “—not like a small black cloud in a blue sky?” “Not very much.” “Ah, well, perhaps from up here it looks different. And, as I say, you never can tell with bees.”

Milne, A. A.. Winnie-the-Pooh (AmazonClassics Edition) (p. 11). AmazonClassics. Kindle Edition.


“Christopher Robin!” “Yes?” “Have you an umbrella in your house?” “I think so.” “I wish you would bring it out here, and walk up and down with it, and look up at me every now and then, and say ‘Tut-tut, it looks like rain.’ I think, if you did that, it would help the deception which we are practising on these bees.”

Milne, A. A.. Winnie-the-Pooh (AmazonClassics Edition) (pp. 12-13). AmazonClassics. Kindle Edition.


“Christopher Robin, you must shoot the balloon with your gun. Have you got your gun?” “Of course I have,” you said. “But if I do that, it will spoil the balloon,” you said. “But if you don’t,” said Pooh, “I shall have to let go, and that would spoil me.” When he put it like this, you saw how it was, and you aimed very carefully at the balloon, and fired. “Ow!” said Pooh. “Did I miss?” you asked. “You didn’t exactly miss,” said Pooh, “but you missed the balloon.”

Milne, A. A.. Winnie-the-Pooh (AmazonClassics Edition) (pp. 15-16). AmazonClassics. Kindle Edition.