Quotes by A.A. Milne

Sometimes, if you stand on the bottom rail of a bridge and lean over to watch the river slipping slowly away beneath you, you will suddenly know everything there is to be known.

By the time it came to the edge of the Forest, the stream had grown up, so that it was almost a river, and, being grown-up, it did not run and jump and sparkle along as it used to do when it was younger, but moved more slowly. For it knew now where it was going, and it said to itself, “There is no hurry. We shall get there some day.” But all the little streams higher up in the Forest went this way and that, quickly, eagerly, having so much to find out before it was too late.

How does one become butterfly? Pooh asked pensively.You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar, Piglet replied.You mean to die? asked Pooh.Yes and no, he answered. What looks like you will die, but whats really you will live on.

[A] quotation is a handy thing to have about, saving one the trouble of thinking for oneself, always a laborious business.)

Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. Pooh! he whispered.Yes, Piglet?Nothing, said Piglet, taking Poohs paw. I just wanted to be sure of you.

It is more fun to talk with someone who doesnt use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like What about lunch?

I don’t feel very much like Pooh today, said Pooh.There there, said Piglet. I’ll bring you tea and honey until you do.

Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.

I wonder what Piglet is doing, thought Pooh. I wish I were there to be doing it, too.

Well be Friends Forever, wont we, Pooh? asked Piglet.Even longer, Pooh answered.” Winnie-the-Pooh

Then, suddenly again, Christopher Robin, who was still looking at the world, with his chin in his hand, called out Pooh! Yes? said Pooh. When Im--when--Pooh! Yes, Christopher Robin? Im not going to do Nothing any more. Never again? Well, not so much. They dont let you. Pooh waited for him to go on, but he was silent again. Yes, Christopher Robin? said Pooh helpfully. Pooh, when Im--you know--when Im not doing Nothing, will you come up here sometimes? Just me? Yes, Pooh. Will you be here too? Yes Pooh, I will be really. I promise I will be Pooh. Thats good, said Pooh. Pooh, promise you wont forget about me, ever. Not even when Im a hundred. Pooh thought for a little. How old shall I be then? Ninety-nine. Pooh nodded. I promise, he said. Still with his eyes on the world Christopher Robin put out a hand and felt Poohs paw. Pooh, said Christopher Robin earnestly, if I--if Im not quite-- he stopped and tried again-- Pooh, whatever happens, you will understand, wont you? Understand what? Oh, nothing. He laughed and jumped to his feet. Come on! Where? said Pooh. Anywhere. said Christopher Robin.So, they went off together. But wherever they go, and whatever happens to them on the way, in that enchanted place on the top of the Forest, a little boy and his Bear will always be playing.

Wherever I am, theres always Pooh,Theres always Pooh and Me.Whatever I do, he wants to do,Where are you going today? says Pooh:Well, thats very odd cos I was too.Lets go together, says Pooh, says he.Lets go together, says Pooh.

Thats right. Youll like Owl. He flew past a day or two ago and noticed me. He didnt actually say anything, mind you, but he knew it was me. Very friendly of him. Encouraging.Pooh and Piglet shuffled about a little and said, Well, good-bye, Eeyore as lingeringly as they could, but they had a long way to go, and wanted to be getting on.Good-bye, said Eeyore. Mind you dont get blown away, little Piglet. Youd be missed. People would say `Wheres little Piglet been blown to? -- really wanting to know. Well, good-bye. And thank you for happening to pass me.

How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.

I think we dream so we don’t have to be apart for so long. If we’re in each other’s dreams, we can be together all the time.

Whatever his weight in pounds and ounces, he always seems bigger because of his bounces.

Pooh hasnt much Brain, but he never comes to any harm. He does silly things and they turn out right. Theres Owl. Owl hasnt exactly got Brain, but he Knows Things. He would know the Right Thing to Do when Surrounded by Water. Theres Rabbit. He hasnt Learnt in Books, but he can always Think of a Clever Plan. Theres Kanga. She isnt Clever, Kanga isnt, but she would be so anxious about Roo that she would do a Good Thing to Do without thinking about it. And then theres Eeyore. And Eeyore is so miserable anyhow that he wouldnt mind about this.

If you were a bird, and lived on high,Youd lean on the wind when the wind came by,Youd say to the wind when it took you away:Thats where I wanted to go today!

If you were a cloud, and sailed up there,Youd sail on the water as blue as air.And youd see me here in the fields and say:Doesnt the sky look green today?

It is hard to be brave, when youre only a Very Small Animal.