Winnie the Pooh

'Oh, there you are.'

'Did you see me swimming?'

Eeyore took his tail out of the water, and swished it from side to side.

'As I expected,' he said. 'Lost all feeling. Numbed it. That's what it's done.

Numbed it. Well, as long as nobody minds, I suppose it's all right.'

'Poor old Eeyore! I'll dry it for you,' said Christopher Robin, and he took out

his handkerchief and rubbed it up.

'Thank you, Christopher Robin. You're the only one who seems to understand about tails. They don't think-that's what's the matter with some of these others.

They've no imagination. A tail isn't a tail to them, it's just a Little Bit

Extra at the back.'

'Never mind, Eeyore,' said Christopher Robin, rubbing his hardest. 'Is that

better?'

'It's feeling more like a tail perhaps. It Belongs again, if you know what I

mean.'

'Hullo, Eeyore,' said Pooh, coming up to them with his pole.

'Hullo, Pooh. Thank you for asking, but I shall be able to use it again in a day

or two.'

'Use what?' said Pooh.

'What we are talking about.'

'I wasn't talking about anything,' said Pooh, looking puzzled.

'My mistake again. I thought you were saying how sorry you were about my tail,

being all numb, and could you do anything to help?'

'No,' said Pooh. 'That wasn't me,' he said. He thought for a little and then

suggested helpfully: 'Perhaps it was somebody else.'

'Well, thank him for me when you see him.'

Pooh looked anxiously at Christopher Robin.

'Pooh's found the North Pole,' said Christopher Robin. 'Isn't that lovely?'

Pooh looked modestly down.

'Is that it?' said Eeyore.

'Yes,' said Christopher Robin.

'Is that what we were looking for?'

'Yes,' said Pooh.

'Oh!' said Eeyore. 'Well, anyhow-it didn't rain,' he said.

They stuck the pole in the ground, and Christopher Robin tied a message on to it: