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The sun was still in bed when Pooh finished his morning Stoutness Exercise. Pooh loved beating the sun awake - he loved watching it get out of bed and seeing the beginning of a Grand Day! His Stoutness Exercise always seemed to bring about a certain craving. This craving involved something sweet! Of course Pooh seemed to have this craving no matter what he did or where he was!
When he went to his cupboard to get a smackerel - or maybe two, he was greeted with a sight that Pooh's don't ever want to see - his Hunny was nowhere to be found! Not even a taste! Now, if you were a Winnie-the-Pooh, you'd understand just what this meant! "Oh Bother! What will I do?", Pooh said to himself. The thought of Christopher Robin entered his mind - Pooh just knew that he could solve his very distressing problem! Pooh stumped off, although he stumped quite slowly, as a Bear without his Hunny can't seem to move very quickly. "Oh Bother and Help, Christopher Robin! By any chance you haven't seen a Hunny Pot lying around have you? I seem to have misplaced mine." Christopher had not, but he was ready to lend a hand to Pooh, as all friends should be willing to do. He knew how important Hunny was to his Silly Old Bear. "Christopher, until we find my Hunny, you wouldn't happen to have a smackerel or two for a Bear who is needing some Sustaining, would you?" Unfortunately, Christopher had none, as Pooh had eaten it all up the last time he paid a visit. This was very distressing news to a Bear who was in dire need of a smackerel. |
Pooh had an idea to go to his friend Owl. "Owl is wise", thought Pooh - "he will know what to do." Owl was excited to be able to put his great wisdom to work. He was never one to pass up an opportunity to show he had a Very Clever Brain. "Pooh, we must have a plan if we are to find your Hunny", said Owl. Of course Pooh was hoping that this plan would involve being offered a mouthful of Hunny before they got down to the actual business of planning. Poohs have a difficult time planning anything when Hunny is on their minds. "Owl, by any chance do you...." "Pooh, I have no Hunny! You took care of that matter yesterday! You must think of our search plan instead of thinking of your most unfortunate plight." "Oh dear!", thought Pooh, "I don't know if this is possible!" In not being a Bear - especially a Bear who was quite fond of Hunny, Owl didn't understand what an impossible task he had asked of Pooh.
Owl was going on about a plan, but all Pooh could hear were words in the back of his mind that said "Rumbly, and Hunny, and Tumbly, and Smackerel." Words that drowned out Owl's plan making.
"Owl, you come up with a plan - I shall stump off through the Wood to hunt some more."
As Pooh stumped along in a thoughful way - thinking as he walked with Piglet, that if he only had a Very Clever Brain instead of being a Bear of Very Little Brain, he wouldn't find himself in this predicament. He also thought that this might be a good time to get thin - without Hunny that should be easy. That thought lasted a few minutes - Pooh decided eating Hunny would be much more fun than getting thin could be.
As he was thinking this, he heard a bouncing noise - this could only mean one thing - a Tigger! "Hallo up there!" Pooh calls out. "Can you see a Hunny Pot from way up there?" Tigger and Roo hadn't seen any - although they hadn't been looking for one - they had been playing a Bouncing Game all morning. It's always difficult to find Hunny or anything else for that matter when you're having fun bouncing.
Eeyore came to Pooh quite excited. He'd found Pooh's Hunny Pot and wanted to lead the way.
"Eeyore, this is an Empty Hunny Pot!" Eeyore hung his head. "You can thank me later for making a Dismal Day into a Very Dismal Day", he said.
By this time, Piglet's main concern was that a Woozle had somehow gotten ahold of Pooh's Hunny. If this was the case, Piglet wasn't so sure that he should be out in the Wood. It was Piglet's view that a Piglet and a Woozle should never meet, as the Woozle would be quite frightened. Piglet didn't want to be responsible for scaring a Woozle!
By this time, word had spread throughout the Wood about Pooh's missing Hunny. Rabbit had gathered some friends around to discuss Pooh's dilema. Pooh sat there wondering if by any chance someone had brought a Smidgen of Hunny to the meeting - after all, he'd been long enough without it. "If I could just have a Lick!", thought Pooh. When no one mentioned a Little Something for Pooh as the meeting went on, he guessed that it would be a little longer before this Bear who was so fond of Hunny, would be able to have a little smackerel. "Maybe they don't realize just how fond of Hunny Pooh's are", thought Pooh. Pooh didn't know that no one could have brought Hunny to the meeting, for he had paid a visit to each and everyone the day prior and sat until they offered him Hunny - which he proceeded to eat until he was satisfied.....and of course this wasn't until he'd finished it off!
After such a trying morning, Pooh needed a nap. "If I can't eat Hunny", Pooh thought, "at least I can dream of Hunny!" Pooh thought maybe that would be the next best thing. "After all," he thought, "maybe dreaming of Hunny will fill my tumbly just as well as eating Hunny would!" With this thought, Pooh was rather anxious to fall asleep to test his new theory. 
Pooh wished he would have stayed awake - he dreamed a Heffalump stole his Hunny. It was a Frightful dream, and he was glad to wake up. That's the nice thing about Frightful dreams, you can wake up! "That doesn't make it any better" thought Pooh, "cause a Frightful dream seems real while you are having it!"
Pooh was a Sad Bear when he realized his tumbly was just as empty now as when he went to bed - he thought his Clever Idea wasn't so clever after all. "Of course" thought Pooh, "how can I feel full when the Heffalump ate all my Hunny?" with this thought, Pooh was a little more happier - maybe his theory would work if you could keep Hunny eating Heffalumps out of your dreams!
Pooh wished he would have stayed awake - he dreamed a Heffalump stole his Hunny. It was a Frightful dream, and he was glad to wake up. That's the nice thing about Frightful dreams, you can wake up! "That doesn't make it any better" thought Pooh, "cause a Frightful dream seems real while you are having it!"
Pooh was a Sad Bear when he realized his tumbly was just as empty now as when he went to bed - he thought his Clever Idea wasn't so clever after all. "Of course" thought Pooh, "how can I feel full when the Heffalump ate all my Hunny?" with this thought, Pooh was a little more happier - maybe his theory would work if you could keep Hunny eating Heffalumps out of your dreams!
Little did Pooh know, that while he was busy napping and dreaming his most Frightful dream, his friends had come up with a Grand Idea! "If we can't find Pooh's Hunny, we shall get him another pot filled to the brim!"
"Open it Pooh! Open it!" Piglet could barely contain himself. Friends get very excited when they know that their Sad friend is going to be a Happy friend soon!
Pooh couldn't quite understand - "It's not my Happy Birthday Day - unless I forgot." Pooh thought it would be easy for a Bear of Very Little Brain to forget - especially a Bear who was needing a little something to revive himself.
Pooh ripped open his gift quite nicely for a Bear who had been without Hunny for the whole day - as anyone knows, this is quite a feat!
When Pooh could manage to talk - for he was a very excited and touched Bear when he saw what his friends had gotten him - he growled a "Thank you." He couldn't seem to think of any other words. "Sometimes you can't get the words that are in your heart to come out of your mouth when your heart is so full of happiness", Pooh thought to himself.
"You are the Best Bear in the world Pooh!", his friends all cried. Of course Pooh had been thinking his friends were the best in the world.
Content with how things turned out, (because any time you have Hunny is a very Contenting time), Pooh was enjoying his smackerel, when he came up with a Grand Idea! He packed a Hunny picnic lunch to share with all his friends. They were such Loyal friends, and who better to know Loyal friends, than a Loyal Bear!
With this thought, a hum came to Pooh:
No matter the problem, they always care!
This Pooh didn't know what to do!
My Hunny was lost, but my friends came through!"
With that, Pooh stumped off to meet his friends for a Thank You For Your Help Celebration! Suddenly it looked like a Grand Day! "Of course, any day that you can spend with friends is a Grand Day!" thought Pooh - "Especially when Hunny is involved in the celebration!"
Authored by me, Judy L. Evans © 2000 My work is not Public Domain, and should NOT be taken from this site. Thank you.
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The characters, images, and text from The Complete Tales of Winnie-the-Pooh are copyright by one or more of the following: Dutton Children's Books, Disney, and Trustees of the Pooh Properties. My site is in no way connected to or affiliated with the aforementioned. My goal with this site to to pay tribute to that Silly Ole Bear that has brought so much love and joy to millions throughout the world.