“Well,” said Christopher Robin, not quite sure what it was all about, “I think–” We can all hear ourselves in Christopher Robin’s words when he finally intervenes: But it was certainly an enlightening read for me at the age of thirty to see how timeless the breakdown and subsequent mending of friendships can be. Whether all this sinks in when a child reads these books, I’m unsure. Therein we can all learn the art of compromise. In reality, they are probably both at fault, because Eeyore ought to be less of a miserable loner and Tigger should improve his spatial awareness to be more considerate. (How many times have we heard a child say, “I didn’t push them, I just touched them”?). In the same churlish semantics used by young children in the playground, Tigger disputes Eeyore’s use of the word ‘bounce’ and says crossly, “I didn’t bounce, I coughed”. This complaint from Eeyore is as relevant to children as ever, despite it being a disagreement from near to ninety years ago between a donkey and a tiger (or rather tigger). But I don’t see why he should come into my little corner of it, and bounce there.” I don’t mind Tigger being in the Forest,” Eeyore went on, “because it’s a large Forest, and there’s plenty of room to bounce in it.

Indeed, quite a good chance, and we’d be sensible to pay closer attention to these old stories in helping our children resolve problems:

Keeping this in mind, it begs the question: what chance does such a group, with broad social and academic needs, have of solving problems and getting along? Without broad stroking these characters too much with a stereotyping paintbrush, you’d be within reason to match them to the following conditions: Winnie the Pooh – developmental delay Tigger – hyperactive attention deficit disorder Owl – autism Christopher Robin – dyslexia Rabbit – egocentricity Eeyore – depression etc. As an educator, it struck me how this bunch of misfits negotiate the difficulties of social interaction and friendship. In my usual obsessive fashion, I began reading through the two books of the titular character. I’d merely encountered his bear through promotional toys that accompanied fast-food burger meals, a bombardment of plush Poohs in my sister’s possession, and the sheet music for the theme music of the Disney film version, despite not having seen the film either to know how the tune sounded.Īs a sucker for seeing notable inspirations for authors, I was at first taken by the cosiness of Hartfield and the surrounds where A.A.Milne had raised his young family. Until visiting the Ashdown Forest (the original woods), I’d not paid any close attention to A.A.Milne’s masterpiece. Further they are an idiot’s guide to friendship (‘idiot’ being the operative word, as Winnie never attends school, because, unlike Piglet, he does not fit in Christopher Robin’s pocket), which even a few adults could refer to for guidance. The stories of Winnie the Pooh and his menagerie of cotton-filled friends are still a valuable tool in connecting children with the value of independent play and imagination.

Throw some “pooh” sticks off the bridge, check if anyone’s home at Mr Sanders’ home (Winnie the Pooh’s house – he never changed the signage from the previous tenant) and cautiously go searching for a Heffalump. The “actual” Hundred Acre Wood, in Hartfield, where Christopher Robin plays, is a valuable playground for children, as much now as it ever was.

A lost masterpiece by a a milne