Hunting the Woozle

CHAPTER 3

POOH AND PIGLET HUNT A WOOZLE

One fine winter day, the world was white with soft, quiet snow.

Piglet lived in a cozy house in the middle of a big beech-tree. He was outside, brushing the snow from his doorstep, when he looked up and saw Winnie-the-Pooh.

Pooh was walking around and around in a circle. His head was down, and he was thinking very hard.

"Hello!" called Piglet. "What are you doing?"

"Hunting," said Pooh, without looking up.

"Hunting what?" asked Piglet.

"I'm tracking something," Pooh said in a whisper.

Piglet came a little closer. "Tracking what?"

"That's what I'm wondering," said Pooh. "I'm wondering, What?" He pointed a paw down at the snow. "Look. What do you see there?"

"Tracks," said Piglet. "Paw-marks!" He gave a little squeak of excitement. "Oh, Pooh! Do you think it's a… a Woozle?"

"It might be," said Pooh. "You never can tell with paw-marks."

Pooh kept walking, following the tracks, and Piglet scampered after him.

Soon, Pooh stopped. He bent over and looked at the tracks with a puzzled face.

"What's the matter?" asked Piglet.

"A very funny thing," said Pooh. "There are two animals now. Another one has joined in. Will you come with me, Piglet, just in case they are not very friendly?"

Piglet said he would be happy to come along, especially if it was two Woozles. So, off they went together.

The tracks led them around a little group of pine trees. Round and round the trees they went. As they walked, Piglet told Pooh stories about his brave grandfather. Pooh listened as his paws went thump, thump, thump in the soft snow.

Suddenly, Pooh stopped again. He pointed excitedly. "Look!"

"What?" said Piglet with a little jump.

"The tracks!" said Pooh. "A third animal has joined the other two!"

"Pooh!" cried Piglet. "Do you think it's another Woozle?"

"No," said Pooh. "The marks are different. Maybe it is two Woozles and one Wizzle. Let's keep following."

So they went on, feeling a little bit worried now. Piglet wished his brave grandfather was with them. And Pooh thought how nice it would be to see Christopher Robin.

Then, all of a sudden, Pooh stopped again. He was feeling very warm and worried. There were four animals in front of them now!

"Do you see, Piglet? Look at their tracks! Three Woozles and one Wizzle. Another Woozle has joined them!"

And it did look that way. The paw-prints were all mixed up in the snow, crossing over each other. But there were clearly four sets of tracks.

"I think," said Piglet, his voice very small, "I think I have just remembered something. Something very important I forgot to do. I must go home and do it right now."

"I can help you this afternoon," said Pooh.

"Oh, no," said Piglet quickly. "It's a special morning thing. It has to be done in the morning. So, if you'll excuse me… What's that?"

A little whistling sound came from above. Pooh looked up, up, up into the branches of a big oak tree. And there he saw a friend.

"It's Christopher Robin," he said.

"Oh, good!" said Piglet. "You'll be safe with him. Goodbye!" And he trotted off home as fast as he could, very happy to be on his way to his cozy, safe house.

Christopher Robin climbed slowly down the tree.

"Silly old Bear," he said with a smile. "What were you doing? First you walked around the trees by yourself, two times. Then Piglet came, and you both walked around again."

"Wait a moment," said Winnie-the-Pooh, holding up his paw.

He sat down in the snow and thought, in the most thoughtful way he could think. Then he put his own paw into one of the paw-prints. It fit perfectly. He scratched his nose. And then he stood up.

"Yes," said Winnie-the-Pooh.

"I see now," said Winnie-the-Pooh.

"I have been a very silly bear," he said.

"You're the Best Bear in All the World," said Christopher Robin, giving him a hug.

"Am I?" said Pooh hopefully. And then he brightened up.

"Anyway," he said, "it is nearly time for lunch."

So he went home for it.