Music Welcome to Snewscast, the podcast designed to help you fall asleep. Find us at snoozecast.com and if you enjoy our show, please share us with a friend. If you'd like to receive an email once a week with upcoming sleep stories and other news, subscribe to the snooze letter at snoozecast.com. When you're on the homepage, just scroll down to the very bottom and you'll see an option to subscribe. This episode is brought to you by the Hundred Acre Wood. Tonight, we'll read the next part to Winnie the Pooh, a children's story written by A.A. Milne and published in 1926. This collection of short stories features an anthropomorphic teddy bear, Winnie the Pooh, along with his friends Christopher Robin, Piglet, Eor, Owl, Rabbit, Kanga, and Roo. In the previous episode, we read the second half of chapter 5 in which Piglet met a hephalump, and also the first half of chapter 6 in which Eor had a birthday, and if he is lucky, he may get to presents. Presence.

Let's get cozy. Close your eyes. Relax your body into the softness of your bed. Now take a few deep breaths. It was a warm day and poo had a long way to go. He hadn't gone more than halfway, when a sort of funny feeling began to creep all over him. It began at the tip of his nose, and trickled all through him and out at the soles of his feet. It was just as if somebody inside him were saying, now then poo, time for little something. Dear, dear," said Poo. I didn't know it was as late as that.

So, he sat down and took the top off his jar of honey. Lucky I brought this with me, he thought. Many a bear going out on a warm jay like this would never have thought of bringing a little something with him. And he began to eat. Now, let me see, he thought, as he took his last lick of the inside of the jar. Where was I going? Ah, yes, Eor. He got up slowly. And then suddenly, he remembered, he had eaten Eor's birthday present. "'Bother,' said Poo. "'What shall I do? "'I must give him something. For a little while he couldn't think of anything. Then he thought, well, it's a very nice pot, even if there's no honey in it. And if I washed it clean and got somebody to write a happy birthday on it, E.R. could keep things in it, which might be useful. So as he was just passing the hundred acre wood, he went inside to call on Owl, who lived there. Good morning, Owl. He said. Good morning, Poo. Said Owl. Many happy returns of Ears' birthday. Said Poo. Oh, is that what it is? What are you giving him, Owl? What are you giving him, Pooh? I'm giving him a useful pot to keep things in. And I wanted to ask you, Is this it? Said Owl, Taking it out of Pooh's paw. Yes, and I wanted to ask you, somebody has been keeping honey in it, said Owl. You can keep anything in it, said Poo, earnestly. It's very useful like that, and I wanted to ask you, you ought to write a happy birthday on it. That was what I wanted to ask you," said Pooh. Because my spelling is wobbly. It's good spelling, but it wobbles, and the letters get in the wrong places.

Would you write a happy birthday on it for me?" "'It's a nice pot,' said Owl, looking at it all around. Could I give it to from both of us?' No said poo. That would not be a good plan. Now, I'll just wash it first and then you can write on it. Well, he washed the pot out and dried it while I'll licked the end of his pencil and wondered how to spell birthday. Can you read, Poo? He asked a little anxiously. There's a notice about knocking and ringing outside my door, which Christopher Robin wrote. Could you read it? for Robin told me what it said, and then I could. Well, I'll tell you what this says, and then you'll be able to. So I'll wrote, and this is what he wrote. Be happy with Sitta but the Duh but the Duh

Who looked on admiringly. I'm just saying, a happy birthday, said Owl carelessly. It's a nice long one, said Poo. Very much impressed by it. Well, actually, of course, I'm saying a very happy birthday with love from Poo. Naturally it takes a good deal of pencil to say a long thing like that. Oh, I see," said Poo. While all this was happening, Piglet had gone back to his own house to get Eor's balloon. He held it very tightly against himself so that it shouldn't blow away. And he ran as fast as he could, so as to get to Eor before Poo did. For he thought that he would like to be the first one to give a present, just as if he had thought of it without being told by anybody. And running along and thinking how pleased Eor would be, he didn't look where he was going. And suddenly he put his foot in a rabbit hole and fell down flat on his face. Bang! Piglet lay there, wondering what had happened. At first he thought that the whole world had blown up. And then he thought that perhaps only the forest part of it had. And then he thought that perhaps only he had, and he was now alone in the moon or somewhere, and would never see Christopher Robin or Poo or Eor again. And then he thought, well, even if I'm in the moon, I needn't be faced downwards all the time so he got cautiously up and looked about him. He was still in the forest. Well, that's funny, he thought. I wonder what that bang was. I couldn't have made such a noise just falling down. And where's my balloon? And what's that small piece of damp rag doing? It was the balloon. Oh dear! Said Piglet. Oh dear! Oh dear! Dear! Dear! Dear! Well, it's too late now. I can't go back, and I haven't another balloon, and perhaps a eard doesn't like balloon so very much. So he trotted on. Rather sadly now, and down he came to the side of the stream where eard was and called out to him. Good morning, Eor! Shout it, Piglet. Good morning, little Piglet. Said Eor. If it is a good morning, he said, Which I doubt said he, not that it matters," he said. "'Many happy returns of the day,' said Piglet, having now got closer. Ears stopped looking at himself in the stream and turned to stare at Piglet. Just say that again. He said, many haph? Wait a minute. Balancing on three legs. He began to bring his fourth leg very cautiously up to his ear. I did this yesterday. He explained as he fell down for the third time. It's quite easy. It's so as I can hear better. There, that's done it.

Now... It's quite easy. It's so as I can hear better. There, that's done it. Now then. What were you saying? He pushed his ear forward with his hoof. Many happy returns of the day said, picklet again. Meaning me? Of course, Eor. My birthday? Yes. Me having a real birthday? Yes, Eor. And I've brought you a present. Eor took down his right hoof from his right ear, turned round, and with great difficulty put up his left hoof. I must have that in the other ear, he said, now then. A present, said Piglet very loudly. Meaning, me again? Yes. My birthday still? Of course, Eor. Me. Going on. Having a real birthday? Yes, Eor. And I brought you a balloon. Balloon? Said Eor. You did say balloon. One of those big colored things you blow up. Gayity, song and dance. Here we are and there we are. Yes, but I'm afraid I'm very sorry Eor, but when I was running along to bring it to you, I fell down. Dear, dear, how unlucky. You ran too fast, I expect. You didn't hurt yourself, little piglet. No, but I, I owe Eor. I burst the balloon. There was a very long silence. My balloon said Eor at last. Piglet nodded. My birthday balloon. Yes, Eor said Piglet, sniffing a little. Here it is, with many happy returns of the day. And he gave Eor the small piece of damp rag. Is this it? Said Eor, a little surprised. Piglet nodded. My present. Piglet nodded again. The balloon. Yes. Thank you, Piglet. Said Eor. You don't mind me asking. He went on. But what color was this balloon when it... when it was a balloon? Red. I just wondered. Red. He murmured to himself. My favorite color. How big was it? About as big as me. I just wondered. About as big as Piglet. He said to himself, sadly. My favorite size. Well, well. felt very miserable and didn't know what to say. He was still opening his mouth to begin something and then decided that it wasn't any good saying that. Many heard a shout from the other side of the river, and there was poo. Many happy returns of the day called out poo, forgetting that he had said it already. Thank you, Pooh. I'm having them. Said Eor, gloomily. "'I've brought you a little present,' said Pooh excitedly. "'I've had it,' said Eor. Pooh had now splashed across the stream to Eor, and Piglet was sitting a little way off, his head in his paws snuffling to himself? It's a useful pot, said Poo. Here it is. And it's got a very happy birthday with love from Poo written on it. That's what all that writing is. And it's for putting things in there. When Eor saw the pot, he became quite excited. Why? he said, I believe my balloon will just go into that pot. Oh no, you're, said poo, balloons are much too big to go into pots. What you do with a balloon is you hold the balloon, not mine, said E.R. proudly. Look, Picklet. And as Picklet looked sorrowfully round, E.R. picked the balloon up with his teeth and placed it carefully in the pot. Pick it out and put it on the ground and then picked it up again and put it carefully back. So it does said who it goes in. So it does, said Peklaid, and it comes out. Doesn't it? Said Eor, it goes in and out like anything. I'm very glad, said Poo happily, that I thought of giving you a useful pot to put things in. Then I'm very glad," said Piglet happily, that I thought of giving you something to put in a useful pot. But Eeyore wasn't listening. He was taking the balloon out and putting it back again as happy as can be. And didn't I give him anything? Ask Christopher Robin sadly. Of course you did, I said.

You gave him. Don't you remember a little, a little, I gave him a box of paints to paint things with. That was it. Why didn't I give it to him in the morning? You were so busy getting his party ready for him. He had a cake with icing on the top and three candles and his name and pink sugar and yes I remember," said Christopher Robin. ChapterTER VII In which Kanga and Baby Roo come to the forest and Piglet has a bath. Nobody seemed to know where they had come from, but there they were in the forest. Kanga and Baby Ru. When Poo asked Christopher Robin, how did they come here? Christopher Robin said, in the usual way, if you know what I mean, Poo, and Poo, who didn't said, oh! Then he nodded his head twice and said, in the usual way, ah! Then he went to call upon his friend, Picklett, to see what he thought about it. And at Piglet's house, he found Rabbit.

So they all talked about it together.

What I don't like about it is this.

Said Rabbit.

Here are we.

You, poo, and you, Piglet, and me, and suddenly, and you're said Pooh, and you're, and then suddenly, and owl said Pooh, and owl, and then all of a sudden, oh, and you're said Poo, I was forgetting him. Here we are, said Rabbit, very slowly and carefully, all of us. And then suddenly, we wake up one morning and what do we find? We find a strange animal among us, an animal of whom we have never even heard before. An animal who carries her family about with her in her pocket. Suppose I carried my family about with me in my pocket. How many pockets should I have?" "'16,' said Piglet. "'17, isn't it?' said Rabbit. And one more for a handkerchief. That's 18. 18 pockets in one suit, I have in time.

There was a long and thoughtful silence. And then Poo, who had been frowning very hard for some minute, said, I make it 15.

What?

said Rabbit.

15. What? said Rabbit. 15. 15 White. Your family. What about them? Who rubbed his nose and said that he thought Rabbit had been talking about his family. Did I? said Rabbit, carelessly. Yes, you said. Never mind Poo, said Piglet impatiently. The question is, what are we to do about Kanga? Oh, I see. Said Pooh. The best way said rabbit would be this. The best way would be to steal baby Roo and hide him. And then when Kanga says, where's baby Roo? We say, ah-ha. Ah-ha said Poo, practicing, ah-ha. Ah-ha. Of course he went on. We could say, ah-ha. Even if we hadn't stolen Baby Roo. Poo said rabbit kindly. You haven't any brain. I know. Said Poo, humbly. We say aha so that Kanga knows that we know where Baby Ru is. Aha means we'll tell you where baby Ru is if you promise to go away from the forest and never come back. Now don't talk while I think. Poo went into a corner and tried saying aha in-ha, in that sort of voice.

Sometimes it seemed to him that it did mean what rabbit said,

and sometimes it seemed to him that it didn't.

I suppose it's just practice, he thought, I wonder if Kango will have to practice too, so as to understand it. "'There's just one thing,' said Picklett, fidgeting a bit. I was talking to Christopher Robin, and he said that a Kango is generally regarded as one of the fiercer animals. I am not frightened of fierce animals in the ordinary way, but it is well known that if one of the fiercer animals is deprived of its young, it becomes as fierce as two of the fiercer animals, in in which case, aha is perhaps a foolish thing to say. Piglet said rabbit, taking out a pencil and licking the end of it. You haven't any pluck. It is hard to be brave," said Piglet, sniffing slightly, when you're only a very small animal. Rabbit, who had begun to write very bizzily, looked up and said, It is because you are a very small animal that you will be useful in the adventure before us. Piglet was so excited at the idea of being useful that he forgot to be frightened anymore. And when rabbit went on to say that kangas were only fierce during the winter months, being at other times of an affectionate disposition, he could hardly sit still. He was so eager to begin being useful at once. What about me?" said Poo, sadly.

I suppose I shouldn't be useful. Never mind Poo," said Piclit, comfortingly. Another time perhaps. Without Poo said Rabbit solemnly as he sharpened his pencil. "'The adventure would be impossible.' "'Oh,' said Piglet, and tried not to look disappointed. "'But poo went into a corner of the room and said proudly to himself, impossible without me, that sort of bear. Now listen all of you," said Rabbit, when he had finished writing, and Poo and Piglet sat listening very eagerly with their mouths open. This was what rabbit read out. Plan to capture baby Roo. One, General remarks, Kanga runs faster than any of us, even me. Two. More general remarks. Kanga never takes her eye off Baby Ru, except when he safely buttoned up in her pocket. Three. Therefore, if we are to capture Baby Ru, we must get a long start, because Kanga runs faster than any of us, even me. C1. 4. A thought. If Roo had jumped out of Kanga's pocket, and Piglet jumped in,'s Kinga's Kinga's Kinga's Kinga's Kinga's Kinga's Kinga's Kinga's Kinga's Kinga's Kinga's Kinga's Kinga's Kinga's Kinga's Kinga's Kinga's Kinga's Kinga's Kinga's Kinga, so as not to see Piglic jumping in. 7. C2. 8. Another thought. But if Poo was talking to her very excitedly, she might look the other way for a moment.

Nine. And then I could run away with Rue. Ten. Quickly. Eleven. And Kanga wouldn't discover the difference until afterwards. Well, Rabbit read this out proudly, and for a little while after, nobody said anything. And then Piglet, who had been opening and shutting his mouth without making any noise,

managed to say very huskily and afterwards, how do you mean? When Kanga does discover the difference, then we all say, ah-ha! All three of us? Yes. Oh. Why? What's the trouble, Piglet? Nothing, said Piglet.

...