Alan Alexander Milne

“ Binker’s brave as elephants. He never, never cries . . .
Except (like other people) when the soap gets in his eyes.
Oh, Daddy is Daddy, he’s a Daddy sort of man,
And Mummy is as Mummy as anybody can,
And Nanny is Nanny, and I call her Nan . . . ”

“ I play to myself,
And nobody knows what I say to myself;
Here I am in the dark alone,
What is it going to be?
I can think whatever I like to think,
I can play whatever I like to play,
I can laugh whatever I like to laugh,
There’s nobody here but me.
I’m talking to a rabbit . . . ”

“ Their still watch keep . . .
They hear from the sheep-fold
The rustle of sheep.
A young bird twitters
And hides its head;
A little wind suddenly
Breathes, and is dead.
Slowly and slowly
Dawns the new day . . . ”

“ But Bad Bear’s knicketies were terrible tore.
And then quite suddenly (just like Us)
One got Better and the other got Wuss.
Good Bear muddled his Twice Times Three—
But Bad Bear coughed in his hand-ker-chee!
Good Bear muddled his Twice Times Two—
But Bad Bear’s thingummies looked like new.
Good Bear muddled his Twice Times One—
But Bad Bear never left his buttons undone.
There may be a Moral, though some say not;
I think there’s a moral, though I don’t know what.
But if one gets better, as the other gets wuss,
These Two Little Bears are just like Us. ”

“ One is John and one is James.
All the best and all the worst
Comes from which of them is first.
James has just begun to ooze.
He’s the one I want to lose.
John is waiting to begin.
He’s the one I want to win. ”

“ So wherever I am, there’s always Pooh,
There’s always Pooh and Me.
“What would I do?” I said to Pooh,
“If it wasn’t for you,” and Pooh said: “True,
It isn’t much fun for One, but Two
Can stick together,” says Pooh, says he. ”

“ Of Hilary the Good and Great
Old wives at Christmas time relate
This tale, which points, at any rate,
Two morals on the way.
The first: “Whatever Fortune brings,
Don’t be afraid of doing things.” ”

“ What has Head above the buttercups,
What has Walking by the stream,
What has Down among the buttercups.
What has Where is Anne?
What has Walking with her man,
What has Lost in a dream,
What has Lost among the buttercups. ”

“ But a boat means a sail, which means needles and thread;
So I’d better sit down and make needles instead.”
He began on a needle, but thought as he worked,
That, if this was an island where savages lurked,
Sitting safe in his hut he’d have nothing to fear,
Whereas now they might suddenly breathe in his ear!
So he thought of his hut . . . and he thought of his boat,
And his hat and his breeks, and his chickens and goat,
And the hooks (for his food) and the spring (for his thirst) . . . ”

“ And Old Farmer Middleton
Are five big men.
All of them are wanting
An egg for their tea,
But the Little Black Hen is much too busy,
The Little Black Hen is much too busy,
The Little Black Hen is MUCH too busy . . . ”

“ And the man who takes the pennies for the round-abouts and swings,
Or the man who plays the organ, and the other man who sings?
What about a Conjuror with rabbits in his pockets?
What about a Rocket Man who’s always making rockets? ”

“ Perhaps I’m just a Nanny who is walking with a pram
I’m feeling rather funny and I don’t know what I am—
Round ab BUT
Round about
And round about
And round about I go—
All around the table,
The table in the nursery—
Round about
And round about
And round about I go:
I think I am a Puppy, so I’m hanging out my tongue;
I think I am a Camel who
Is looking for a Camel who
Is looking for a Camel who is looking for its Young. . . . ”

“ And see who is knocking.
It may be a rich man,
Sea-borne from Araby,
Bringing me peacocks,
Emeralds and ivory;
It may be a poor man,
Travel-worn and weary,
Bringing me oranges
To put in my stocking. ”

“ It wasn’t that he did not care
For blips and buffetings and such,
But felt that it was hardly fair
To risk, by frequent injuries,
A brain as delicate as his.
His castle (Castle Tom) was set
Conveniently on a hill ”

“ And laughed him three times three;
And he turned that beggarman round about:
“Your thews are strong, and your arm is stout;
Come, throw me a Lord High Chancellor out,
And take his place,” quoth he. ”

“ Eight eights are sixty-four;
Multiply by seven.
When it’s done,
Carry one,
And take away eleven.
Nine nines are eighty-one;
Multiply by three.
If it’s more,
Carry four,
And then it’s time for tea. ”

“ So “See you later,” says Pinkle Purr.
Tattoo is the mother of Pinkle Purr,
An enormous leopard with coal-black fur.
A little brown kitten that’s nearly new
Is now playing games with its big Tattoo . . . ”

“ He would have brought a big, red india-rubber ball!”
King John stood by the window,
And frowned to see below
The happy bands of boys and girls
All playing in the snow.
A while he stood there watching,
And envying them all . . . ”

“ ThIf I’m a little darling, why don’t they run with me?
There’s wind on the river and wind on the hill . . .
There’s a dark dead water-wheel under the mill!
I saw a fly which had just been drowned—
And I know where a rabbit goes into the ground!
ThAll of tBut every one says, “Run along!”
ThAll of the (Run along, run along!)
ThAll of them say, “Yes, dear,” and never notice me.
ThAll of theEvery one says, “Run along,
ThAll of theThere’s a little darling!”
ThIf I’m a little darling, why won’t they come and see? ”

“ Any small noise makes a newt feel shy.
He thinks I’m a bush, or a new sort of tree;
He thinks it’s somebody, but doesn’t think it’s Me,
He thAnd he doesn’t know I’m newting—
He thNo, he doesn’t know I’m newting. ”

“ They asked if he suffered from thirst;
They asked if the sneezles
Came after the wheezles,
Or if the first sneezle
Came first.
They said, “If you teazle
A sneezle
Or wheezle,
A measle
May easily grow. ”

“ And Nurse took pins from her mouth, and said,
“Now then, darling, it’s time for bed.”
Elizabeth Ann
Had a wonderful plan:
She would run round the world till she found a man
Who knew exactly how God began.
She got up early, she dressed, and ran
Trying to find an Important Man. ”