One bright and sunny morning in the Hundred Acre Wood, Winnie the Pooh stirred awake with a very special feeling. He sat up in his cozy bed, gave his tummy a gentle poke, and thought it was time for 'a little something.' In the wonderful world of Winnie the Pooh, this always means one delightful thing: honey. But oh dear, all his pots were empty.
Pooh stood in front of his mirror. He lifted his arms up high to do his morning stretches. 'Up, down, up, down,' he hummed cheerfully. He was a Bear of Very Little Brain, but he understood that exercising made him hungry, and being hungry was the first step to discovering food. So, he decided to take a stroll to visit a friend.
Humming a cheerful little song, Pooh Bear wandered through the forest until he reached a sandy bank with a big hole in it. He recognized this hole very well. It belonged to Rabbit. And where there was Rabbit, there was often lunch. 'Is anyone home?' called Pooh loudly into the hole.
There was a rustling sound from inside, and then all was quiet. 'No,' said a voice that sounded just like Rabbit. 'Nobody is here.' Pooh scratched his head. 'But someone must be here,' he thought, 'because someone said 'nobody is here.' This kind of thinking is what makes bedtime stories for kids with Pooh so charming.
Pooh nudged his head into the hole. 'Hi there, Rabbit!' he exclaimed. Rabbit, knowing he couldn't stay hidden, kindly invited Pooh in. 'Would you care for a nibble of something?' Rabbit inquired. Pooh’s eyes sparkled with delight. This was just what he had wished for.
They gathered around the table. Rabbit brought out bread, honey, and sweetened milk. Pooh was so delighted he didn’t even touch the bread. He devoured the honey. He slurped the milk. He ate until all that remained were sticky jars. It was a celebration fit for the finest stories from the Hundred Acre Wood.
Feeling quite stuffed and a bit sticky, Pooh thought it was time to go. "Goodbye, Rabbit," he said, giving his big, round tummy a gentle pat. He began to wiggle out of the burrow. His head popped through the door. His front paws followed. His shoulders squeezed through.
But then... he stopped. He tried to shuffle forward, but he couldn’t. He tried to shuffle backward, but he couldn’t. 'Oh, bother,' said Pooh. From inside, Rabbit nudged Pooh’s legs. 'You are stuck,' said Rabbit quite reasonably. The bear was wedged in tight like a cork in a bottle.
"It all comes from having front doors that aren't big enough," Pooh grumbled, his voice soft and fuzzy from outside. "It all comes from eating too much," Rabbit answered from inside. This silly situation is one of the most beloved moments in the Winnie the Pooh tales.
Rabbit hopped out his back door to seek help. He came back with Christopher Robin, the only one in the forest who knew how to help. Christopher Robin gazed at Pooh’s gloomy face peeking out from the ground. 'Silly old bear,' he said fondly, giving Pooh a gentle pat on the head.
Christopher Robin thought carefully about what to do. 'There's just one way to solve this,' he said. 'We have to wait until you become thin again.' Pooh's eyes grew big with surprise. 'How long will that take?' 'Around a week,' replied Christopher Robin. 'A week?!' Pooh exclaimed. 'But what about my meals?'
For an entire week, Pooh remained wedged in the doorway. Christopher Robin sat beside his head and read him tales of friendship and exciting adventures to keep him amused. Inside the burrow, Rabbit turned Pooh’s legs into a towel rack, because—as Rabbit put it—'It’s important to be practical.'
It was a long, hungry week. Pooh dreamed of honey pots drifting in the clouds. But he was brave. The animals of the forest came to see him. Kanga brought Roo, and Eeyore came by as well (even though he mostly grumbled about his tail). They lifted his spirits.
At last, the seventh day came. Christopher Robin smiled. 'I believe you wiggled a bit,' he said. He took hold of Pooh’s paws. Rabbit took hold of Christopher Robin. All of Rabbit’s friends and family took hold of Rabbit. 'Heave! Ho! Heave! Ho!' they cheered together.
Suddenly, with a big BANG! like a balloon bursting, Winnie the Pooh soared out of the hole! He spun through the air and landed in a prickly bush. He was free! 'I believe,' said Pooh, dusting himself off, 'it’s time for a little snack.'