The Expotition to the North Pole

One fine morning, Winnie-the-Pooh walked to the very top of the Forest.

He had just had breakfast, a little something on a honeycomb or two, and he was making up a song as he went.

He started with the first line.

Sing Ho! for the life of a Bear!

Then he stopped. He scratched his head. What came next? He tried singing "Ho" again. He tried "Hi" instead.

"I know," thought Pooh. "I'll sing that first line twice, very fast, and maybe the rest will pop out all by itself!"

And it did.

Sing Ho! for the life of a Bear! Sing Ho! for the life of a Bear! I don't much mind if it rains or snows, 'Cos I've got a lot of honey on my nice new nose, I don't much care if it snows or thaws, 'Cos I've got a lot of honey on my nice clean paws! Sing Ho! for a Bear! Sing Ho! for a Pooh! And I'll have a little something in an hour or two!

Pooh was so pleased with this song that he hummed it all the way to the top of the Forest.

Christopher Robin was sitting outside his door, tugging on his Big Boots.

As soon as Pooh saw the Big Boots, he knew an Adventure was about to happen. He wiped a bit of honey off his nose and stood up tall.

"Good morning, Christopher Robin!"

"Hallo, Pooh Bear. I can't get this boot on. Could you lean against me so I don't fall over?"

So Pooh sat down behind him.

Push, push, pull, pull — pop!

The boot was on.

"What do we do now?" asked Pooh.

"We are all going on an Expedition," said Christopher Robin. "We are going to discover the North Pole!"

"Oh!" said Pooh. "What is the North Pole?"

"It's just a thing you discover," said Christopher Robin, who wasn't quite sure himself.

"Are bears good at discovering it?"

"Of course they are. Now go and tell the others. And we must all bring things to eat."

"Oh, good!" said Pooh.

And off he went.

He found Rabbit first. "We're all going on an Expotition with Christopher Robin! We're going to discover a Pole. Or maybe a Mole. Anyhow, we're going to discover it. Bring things to eat!"

Then he hurried to Piglet's house.

Piglet was sitting on the ground, blowing at a dandelion. Fwoo.

"Piglet! We're going on an Expotition! To discover something!"

"N-nothing fierce?" asked Piglet, feeling a little fluttery.

"Christopher Robin just said it had an x in it."

"Well," said Piglet bravely, "if Christopher Robin is coming, I don't mind anything."

And so, in a little while, they were all ready.

First came Christopher Robin and Rabbit. Then Piglet and Pooh. Then Kanga, with little Roo in her pouch, and Owl. Then Eeyore.

And at the very end, in a long wiggly line, all of Rabbit's many, many friends and relations.

"I didn't invite them," said Rabbit. "They just came. They always do."

"Trailing behind," mumbled Eeyore, plodding along at the back. "As usual. Not that anyone minds."

Off they all went.

And as they walked, Pooh made up a new song.

They all went off to discover the Pole, Owl and Piglet and Rabbit and all; It's a Thing you Discover, as I've been told, By Owl and Piglet and Rabbit and all. Eeyore, Christopher Robin and Pooh And Rabbit's relations all went too — And where the Pole was none of them knew. Sing Hey! for Owl and Rabbit and all!

"Hush!" said Christopher Robin. "We're coming to a Dangerous Place."

"Hush!" whispered Pooh to Piglet.

"Hush!" whispered Piglet to Kanga.

"Hush!" whispered Kanga to Owl.

"Hush!" hooted Owl to Eeyore.

"HUSH!" grumbled Eeyore to all of Rabbit's friends and relations.

And "Hush, hush, hush!" they all whispered, all the way down the line.

They had come to a stream. It tumbled and splashed between big rocks.

Christopher Robin called out, "Halt! Let's sit down and eat all our food so we don't have to carry it."

"A very good idea," said Pooh, and he got to work right away.

"Has everyone got something?" asked Christopher Robin, his mouth full.

"All except me," said Eeyore. "As usual. I don't suppose any of you are sitting on a thistle?"

"Ow!" said Pooh, jumping up. "I was!"

"Thank you, Pooh," said Eeyore, and he shuffled over and started to munch. Crunch, crunch, crunch.

After lunch, Christopher Robin whispered to Rabbit. "What does the North Pole look like, do you think?"

"It must be a pole," said Rabbit, "because of it being called a pole. And it must be stuck in the ground, because where else would you stick it?"

"The only question is where," said Christopher Robin.

They all gathered by the stream again. Little Roo was washing his face in the cool water. Splish, splash.

And then — ker-plosh! — Roo slipped right in!

"Roo's fallen in!" cried Rabbit.

"Look at me swimming!" squeaked Roo, bobbing along. Splash, splash, splash!

He tumbled over a little waterfall into the next pool.

"Are you all right, Roo dear?" called Kanga, racing along the bank.

"Look at me sw—" Splosh!

Over another little waterfall he went.

Everyone hurried to help. Piglet jumped up and down on the bank. Owl hooted very long words about the importance of buoyancy in a sudden immersion. Kanga ran and called.

Eeyore drooped his tail into the first pool. "You could try hanging on to this," he said quietly. "If you like."

But Pooh was already doing something.

He stood two pools down with a long pole in his paws.

Kanga hurried to grab the other end.

They held it across the water and — bump — little Roo floated right up against it.

He climbed out, all wet and happy. Drip, drip, drip.

"Did you see me swimming?" squeaked Roo. "Pooh, did you see? Piglet, did you see? That's called swimming!"

But Christopher Robin wasn't listening to Roo.

He was looking at Pooh.

And he was looking at the pole in Pooh's paws.

"Pooh," he said, very slowly and happily. "Where did you find that pole?"

"I just found it," said Pooh. "I thought it might be useful."

Christopher Robin smiled. "Silly old Bear," he said, very fondly.

"The Expedition is over. You have found the North Pole!"

"Oh!" said Pooh.

They went back to Eeyore, who was still sitting with his tail in the cold water.

"My tail has gone all numb," said Eeyore. "I don't wish to complain, but there it is."

Christopher Robin took out his handkerchief and rubbed Eeyore's tail until it was dry and warm again.

"Thank you, Christopher Robin," said Eeyore. "Thanks for noticin' me."

They stuck the pole in the ground.

Christopher Robin tied a message to it that said NORTH POLE. DISCOVERED BY POOH. POOH FOUND IT.

Then they all went home through the quiet Wood. Winnie-the-Pooh, the Discoverer of the North Pole, went back to his own house, feeling very proud indeed.

He had a little something to eat, of course. And he decided his morning song needed a new line at the very end: "And I'll have a little something, 'cos I've earned it or two!"