The Project Gutenberg eBook of Now we are six

This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

Title: Now we are six

Author: A. A. Milne

Illustrator: Ernest H. Shepard

Release date: April 9, 2023 [eBook #70516]

Most recently updated: May 5, 2024

Language: English

Original publication: United States: E.P. Dutton & Co., Inc

Credits: Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NOW WE ARE SIX ***

NOW WE ARE SIX

BY A.A. MILNE WITH

DECORATIONS BY ERNEST H. SHEPARD

NEW YORK E. P. DUTTON & CO., INC.

NOW WE ARE SIX, COPYRIGHT, 1927,

BY E. P. DUTTON & CO., INC.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

PRINTED IN U.S.A.

First Printing

Sept., 1927

Tenth Printing

Sept., 1927

Twentieth Printing

Sept., 1927

Thirtieth Printing

Sept., 1927

Thirty-third Printing

Sept., 1927

Thirty-fifth Printing

Nov., 1927

Fortieth Printing

Nov., 1927

Forty-fifth Printing

Nov., 1927

Fiftieth Printing

Nov., 1927

Fifty-fifth Printing

Dec., 1927

Sixtieth Printing

Dec., 1927

Sixty-fifth Printing

Dec., 1927

Seventieth Printing

Dec., 1927

Seventy-fourth Printing

Dec., 1928

Seventy-eighth Printing

Sept., 1929

Eightieth Printing

May, 1930

Eighty-fourth Printing

May, 1931

Eighty-sixth Printing

July, 1932

Eighty-ninth Printing

July, 1933

New Edition

Aug., 1935

Ninety-first Printing

Aug., 1935

Ninety-fourth Printing

Aug., 1935

TO

ANNE DARLINGTON

NOW SHE IS SEVEN

AND

BECAUSE SHE IS

SO

SPESHAL

NOW WE ARE SIX

INTRODUCTION

When you are reciting poetry, which is a thing we never do, you find sometimes, just as you are beginning, that Uncle John is still telling Aunt Rose that if he can't find his spectacles he won't be able to hear properly, and does she know where they are; and by the time everybody has stopped looking for them, you are at the last verse, and in another minute they will be saying, "Thank-you, thank-you," without really knowing what it was all about. So, next time, you are more careful; and, just before you begin you say, "Er-h'r'm!" very loudly, which means, "Now then, here we are"; and everybody stops talking and looks at you: which is what you want. So then you get in the way of saying it whenever you are asked to recite ... and sometimes it is just as well, and sometimes it isn't.... And by and by you find yourself saying it without thinking. Well, this bit which I am writing now, called Introduction, is really the er-h'r'm of the book, and I have put it in, partly so as not to take you by surprise, and partly because I can't do without it now. There are some very clever writers who say that it is quite easy not to have an er-h'r'm, but I don't agree with them. I think it is much easier not to have all the rest of the book.

What I want to explain in the Introduction is this. We have been nearly three years writing this book. We began it when we were very young ... and now we are six. So, of course, bits of it seem rather baby-ish to us, almost as if they had slipped out of some other book by mistake. On page whatever-it-is there is a thing which is simply three-ish, and when we read it to ourselves just now we said, "Well, well, well," and turned over rather quickly. So we want you to know that the name of the book doesn't mean that this is us being six all the time, but that it is about as far as we've got at present, and we half think of stopping there.

A. A. M.

P.S.—Pooh wants us to say that he thought it was a different book; and he hopes you won't mind, but he walked through it one day, looking for his friend Piglet, and sat down on some of the pages by mistake.

CONTENTS

SOLITUDE

KING JOHN'S CHRISTMAS

BUSY

SNEEZLES

BINKER

CHERRY STONES

THE KNIGHT WHOSE ARMOUR DIDN'T SQUEAK

BUTTERCUP DAYS

THE CHARCOAL-BURNER

US TWO

THE OLD SAILOR

THE ENGINEER

JOURNEY'S END

FURRY BEAR

FORGIVEN

THE EMPEROR'S RHYME

KNIGHT-IN-ARMOUR

COME OUT WITH ME

DOWN BY THE POND

THE LITTLE BLACK HEN

THE FRIEND

THE GOOD LITTLE GIRL

A THOUGHT

KING HILARY AND THE BEGGERMAN

SWING SONG

EXPLAINED

TWICE TIMES

THE MORNING WALK

CRADLE SONG

WAITING AT THE WINDOW

PINKLE PURR

WIND ON THE HILL

FORGOTTEN

IN THE DARK

THE END

NOW WE ARE SIX

SOLITUDE

I have a house where I go

When there's too many people,

I have a house where I go

Where no one can be;

I have a house where I go,

Where nobody ever says "No";

Where no one says anything—so

There is no one but me.

KING JOHN'S CHRISTMAS

King John was not a good man—

He had his little ways.

And sometimes no one spoke to him

For days and days and days.

And men who came across him,

When walking in the town,

Gave him a supercilious stare,

Or passed with noses in the air—

And bad King John stood dumbly there,

Blushing beneath his crown.

King John was not a good man,

And no good friends had he.

He stayed in every afternoon...

But no one came to tea.

And, round about December,

The cards upon his shelf

Which wished him lots of Christmas cheer,

And fortune in the coming year,

Were never from his near and dear,

But only from himself.

King John was not a good man,

Yet had his hopes and fears.

They'd given him no present now

For years and years and years.

But every year at Christmas,

While minstrels stood about,

Collecting tribute from the young

For all the songs they might have sung,

He stole away upstairs and hung

A hopeful stocking out.

King John was not a good man,

He lived his life aloof;

Alone he thought a message out

While climbing up the roof.

He wrote it down and propped it

Against the chimney stack:

"TO ALL AND SUNDRY—NEAR AND FAR—

F. CHRISTMAS IN PARTICULAR."

And signed it not "Johannes R."

But very humbly, "JACK."

"I want some crackers,

And I want some candy;

I think a box of chocolates

Would come in handy;

I don't mind oranges,

I do like nuts!

And I SHOULD like a pocket-knife

That really cuts.

And, oh! Father Christmas, if you love me at all,

Bring me a big, red india-rubber ball!"

King John was not a good man—

He wrote this message out,

And gat him to his room again,

Descending by the spout.

And all that night he lay there,

A prey to hopes and fears.

"I think that's him a-coming now,"

(Anxiety bedewed his brow.)

"He'll bring one present, anyhow—

The first I've had for years."

"Forget about the crackers,

And forget about the candy;

I'm sure a box of chocolates

Would never come in handy;

I don't like oranges,

I don't want nuts,

And I HAVE got a pocket-knife

That almost cuts.

But, oh! Father Christmas, if you love me at all,

Bring me a big, red india-rubber ball!"

King John was not a good man—

Next morning when the sun

Rose up to tell a waiting world

That Christmas had begun,

And people seized their stockings,

And opened them with glee,

And crackers, toys and games appeared,

And lips with sticky sweets were smeared,

King John said grimly: "As I feared,

Nothing again for me!"

"I did want crackers,

And I did want candy;

I know a box of chocolates

Would come in handy;

I do love oranges,

I did want nuts.

I haven't got a pocket-knife—

Not one that cuts.

And, oh! if Father Christmas had loved me at all,

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...

When through the window big and red

There hurtled by his royal head,

And bounced and fell upon the bed,

An india-rubber ball!

AND OH, FATHER CHRISTMAS,

MY BLESSINGS ON YOU FALL

FOR BRINGING HIM

A BIG, RED,

INDIA-RUBBER

BALL!

BUSY

I think I am a Muffin Man. I haven't got a bell,

I haven't got the muffin things that muffin people sell.

Perhaps I am a Postman. No, I think I am a Tram.

I'm feeling rather funny and I don't know what I am—

BUT

Round about

And round about

And round about I go—

All round the table,

The table in the nursery—

Round about

And round about

And round about I go;

I think I am a Traveller escaping from a Bear;

I think I am an Elephant,

Behind another Elephant

Behind another Elephant who isn't really there....

SO

Round about

And round about

And round about and round about

And round about

And round about

I go.

I think I am a Ticket Man who's selling tickets—please,

I think I am a Doctor who is visiting a Sneeze;

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—

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....

SO

Round about

And round about

And round about and round about

And round about

And round about

I go.

SNEEZLES

Christopher Robin

Had wheezles

And sneezles,

They bundled him

Into

His bed.

They gave him what goes

With a cold in the nose,

And some more for a cold

In the head.

They wondered

If wheezles

Could turn

Into measles,

If sneezles

Would turn

Into mumps;

They examined his chest

For a rash,

And the rest

Of his body for swellings and lumps.

They sent for some doctors

In sneezles

And wheezles

To tell them what ought

To be done.

All sorts and conditions

Of famous physicians

Came hurrying round

At a run.

They all made a note

Of the state of his throat,

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.

But humour or pleazle

The wheezle

Or sneezle,

The measle

Will certainly go."

They expounded the reazles

For sneezles

And wheezles,

The manner of measles

When new.

They said "If he freezles

In draughts and in breezles,

Then PHTHEEZLES

May even ensue."

*   *   *

Christopher Robin

Got up in the morning,

The sneezles had vanished away.

And the look in his eye

Seemed to say to the sky,

"Now, how to amuse them to-day?"

BINKER

Binker—what I call him—is a secret of my own,

And Binker is the reason why I never feel alone.

Playing in the nursery, sitting on the stair,

Whatever I am busy at, Binker will be there.

Oh, Daddy is clever, he's a clever sort of man,

And Mummy is the best since the world began,

And Nanny is Nanny, and I call her Nan—

But they can't

See

Binker.

Binker's always talking, 'cos I'm teaching him to speak:

He sometimes likes to do it in a funny sort of squeak,

And he sometimes likes to do it in a hoodling sort of roar ...

And I have to do it for him 'cos his throat is rather sore.

Oh, Daddy is clever, he's a clever sort of man,

And Mummy knows all that anybody can,

And Nanny is Nanny, and I call her Nan—

But they don't

Know

Binker.

Binker's brave as lions when we're running in the park;

Binker's brave as tigers when we're lying in the dark;

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 ...

But they're not

Like

Binker.

Binker isn't greedy, but he does like things to eat,

So I have to say to people when they're giving me a sweet,

"Oh, Binker wants a chocolate, so could you give me two?"

And then I eat it for him, 'cos his teeth are rather new.

Well, I'm very fond of Daddy, but he hasn't time to play,

And I'm very fond of Mummy, but she sometimes goes away,

And I'm often cross with Nanny when she wants to brush my hair ...

But Binker's always Binker, and is certain to be there.

CHERRY STONES

Tinker, Tailor,

Soldier, Sailor,

Rich Man, Poor Man,

Ploughboy, Thief—

And what about a Cowboy,

Policeman, Jailer,

Engine-driver,

Or Pirate Chief?

What about a Postman—or a Keeper at the Zoo?

What about the Circus Man who lets the people through?

And the man who takes the pennies for the roundabouts 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?

Oh, there's such a lot of things to do and such a lot to be

That there's always lots of cherries on my little cherry tree!

THE KNIGHT WHOSE ARMOUR DIDN'T SQUEAK

Of all the Knights in Appledore

The wisest was Sir Thomas Tom.

He multiplied as far as four,

And knew what nine was taken from

To make eleven. He could write

A letter to another Knight.

No other Knight in all the land

Could do the things which he could do.

Not only did he understand

The way to polish swords, but knew

What remedy a Knight should seek

Whose armour had begun to squeak.

And, if he didn't fight too much,

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 daily, when it wasn't wet,

He paced the battlements until

Some smaller Knight who couldn't swim

Should reach the moat and challenge him.

Or sometimes, feeling full of fight,

He hurried out to scour the plain;

And, seeing some approaching Knight,

He either hurried home again,

Or hid; and, when the foe was past,

Blew a triumphant trumpet-blast.

One day when good Sir Thomas Tom

Was resting in a handy ditch,

The noises he was hiding from,

Though very much the noises which

He'd always hidden from before,

Seemed somehow less.... Or was it more?

The trotting horse, the trumpet's blast,

The whistling sword, the armour's squeak,

These, and especially the last,

Had clattered by him all the week.

Was this the same, or was it not?

Something was different. But what?

Sir Thomas raised a cautious ear

And listened as Sir Hugh went by,

And suddenly he seemed to hear

(Or not to hear) the reason why

This stranger made a nicer sound

Than other Knights who lived around.

Sir Thomas watched the way he went—

His rage was such he couldn't speak,

For years they'd called him down in Kent

The Knight Whose Armour Didn't Squeak!

Yet here and now he looked upon

Another Knight whose squeak had gone.

He rushed to where his horse was tied;

He spurred it to a rapid trot.

The only fear he felt inside

About his enemy was not

"How sharp his sword?" "How stout his heart?"

But "Has he got too long a start?"

Sir Hugh was singing, hand on hip,

When something sudden came along,

And caught him a terrific blip

Right in the middle of his song.

"A thunderstorm!" he thought. "Of course!"

And toppled gently off his horse.

Then said the good Sir Thomas Tom,

Dismounting with a friendly air,

"Allow me to extract you from

The heavy armour that you wear.

At times like these the bravest Knight

May find his armour much too tight."

A hundred yards or so beyond

The scene of brave Sir Hugh's defeat

Sir Thomas found a useful pond,

And, careful not to wet his feet,

He brought the armour to the brink,

And flung it in ... and watched it sink.

So ever after, more and more,

The men of Kent would proudly speak

Of Thomas Tom of Appledore,

"The Knight Whose Armour Didn't Squeak"

Whilst Hugh, the Knight who gave him best,

Squeaks just as badly as the rest.

BUTTERCUP DAYS

Where is Anne?

Head above the buttercups,

Walking by the stream,

Down among the buttercups.

Where is Anne?

Walking with her man,

Lost in a dream,

Lost among the buttercups.

What has she got in that little brown head?

Wonderful thoughts which can never be said.

What has she got in that firm little fist of hers?

Somebody's thumb, and it feels like Christopher's.

Where is Anne?

Close to her man.

Brown head, gold head,

In and out the buttercups.

THE CHARCOAL-BURNER

The charcoal-burner has tales to tell.

He lives in the Forest,

Alone in the Forest;

He sits in the Forest,

Alone in the Forest.

And the sun comes slanting between the trees,

And rabbits come up, and they give him good-morning,

And rabbits come up and say, "Beautiful morning"....

And the moon swings clear of the tall black trees,

And owls fly over and wish him good-night,

Quietly over to wish him good-night....

And he sits and thinks of the things they know,

He and the Forest, alone together—

The springs that come and the summers that go,

Autumn dew on bracken and heather,

The drip of the Forest beneath the snow....

All the things they have seen,

All the things they have heard:

An April sky swept clean and the song of a bird....

Oh, the charcoal-burner has tales to tell!

And he lives in the Forest and knows us well.

US TWO

Wherever I am, there's always Pooh,

There's always Pooh and Me.

Whatever I do, he wants to do,

"Where are you going to-day?" says Pooh:

"Well, that's very odd 'cos I was too.

Let's go together," says Pooh, says he.

"Let's go together," says Pooh.

"What's twice eleven?" I said to Pooh.

("Twice what?" said Pooh to Me.)

"I think it ought to be twenty-two."

"Just what I think myself," said Pooh.

"It wasn't an easy sum to do,

But that's what it is," said Pooh, said he.

"That's what it is," said Pooh.

"Let's look for dragons," I said to Pooh.

"Yes, let's," said Pooh to Me.

We crossed the river and found a few—

"Yes, those are dragons all right," said Pooh.

"As soon as I saw their beaks I knew.

That's what they are," said Pooh, said he.

"That's what they are," said Pooh.

"Let's frighten the dragons," I said to Pooh.

"That's right," said Pooh to Me.

"I'm not afraid," I said to Pooh,

And I held his paw and I shouted "Shoo!

Silly old dragons!"—and off they flew.

"I wasn't afraid," said Pooh, said he,

"I'm never afraid with you."

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.

"That's how it is," says Pooh.

THE OLD SAILOR

There was once an old sailor my grandfather knew

Who had so many things which he wanted to do

That, whenever he thought it was time to begin,

He couldn't because of the state he was in.

He was shipwrecked, and lived on an island for weeks,

And he wanted a hat, and he wanted some breeks;

And he wanted some nets, or a line and some hooks

For the turtles and things which you read of in books.

And, thinking of this, he remembered a thing

Which he wanted (for water) and that was a spring;

And he thought that to talk to he'd look for, and keep

(If he found it) a goat, or some chickens and sheep.

Then, because of the weather, he wanted a hut

With a door (to come in by) which opened and shut

(With a jerk, which was useful if snakes were about),

And a very strong lock to keep savages out.

He began on the fish-hooks, and when he'd begun

He decided he couldn't because of the sun.

So he knew what he ought to begin with, and that

Was to find, or to make, a large sun-stopping hat.

He was making the hat with some leaves from a tree,

When he thought, "I'm as hot as a body can be,

And I've nothing to take for my terrible thirst;

So I'll look for a spring, and I'll look for it first."

Then he thought as he started, "Oh, dear and oh, dear!

I'll be lonely to-morrow with nobody here!"

So he made in his note-book a couple of notes:

"I must first find some chickens" and "No, I mean goats."

He had just seen a goat (which he knew by the shape)

When he thought, "But I must have a boat for escape.

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)....

But he never could think which he ought to do first.

And so in the end he did nothing at all,

But basked on the shingle wrapped up in a shawl.

And I think it was dreadful the way he behaved—

He did nothing but basking until he was saved!

THE ENGINEER

Let it rain!

Who cares?

I've a train

Upstairs,

With a brake

Which I make

From a string

Sort of thing,

Which works

In jerks,

'Cos it drops

In the spring,

Which stops

With the string,

And the wheels

All stick

So quick

That it feels

Like a thing

That you make

With a brake,

Not string....

So that's what I make,

When the day's all wet.

It's a good sort of brake

But it hasn't worked yet.

JOURNEY'S END

Christopher, Christopher, where are you going, Christopher Robin?

"Just up to the top of the hill,

Upping and upping until

I am right on the top of the hill,"

Said Christopher Robin.

Christopher, Christopher, why are you going, Christopher Robin?

There's nothing to see, so when

You've got to the top, what then?

"Just down to the bottom again,"

Said Christopher Robin.

FURRY BEAR

If I were a bear,

And a big bear too,

I shouldn't much care

If it froze or snew;

I shouldn't much mind

If it snowed or friz—

I'd be all fur-lined

With a coat like his!

For I'd have fur boots and a brown fur wrap,

And brown fur knickers and a big fur cap.

I'd have a fur muffle-ruff to cover my jaws,

And brown fur mittens on my big brown paws.

With a big brown furry-down up to my head,

I'd sleep all the winter in a big fur bed.

FORGIVEN

I found a little beetle, so that Beetle was his name,

And I called him Alexander and he answered just the same.

I put him in a match-box, and I kept him all the day....

And Nanny let my beetle out—

Yes, Nanny let my beetle out—

She went and let my beetle out—

And Beetle ran away.

She said she didn't mean it, and I never said she did,

She said she wanted matches and she just took off the lid,

She said that she was sorry, but it's difficult to catch

An excited sort of beetle you've mistaken for a match.

She said that she was sorry, and I really mustn't mind,

As there's lots and lots of beetles which she's certain we could find,

If we looked about the garden for the holes where beetles hid—

And we'd get another match-box and write BEETLE on the lid.

We went to all the places which a beetle might be near,

And we made the sort of noises which a beetle likes to hear,

And I saw a kind of something, and I gave a sort of shout:

"A beetle-house and Alexander Beetle coming out!"

It was Alexander Beetle I'm as certain as can be

And he had a sort of look as if he thought it must be ME,

And he had a sort of look as if he thought he ought to say:

"I'm very very sorry that I tried to run away."

And Nanny's very sorry too for you-know-what-she-did,

And she's writing ALEXANDER very blackly on the lid.

So Nan and Me are friends, because it's difficult to catch

An excited Alexander you've mistaken for a match.

THE EMPEROR'S RHYME

The King of Peru

(Who was Emperor too)

Had a sort of a rhyme

Which was useful to know,

If he felt very shy

When a stranger came by,

Or they asked him the time

When his watch didn't go;

Or supposing he fell

(By mistake) down a well,

Or he tumbled when skating

And sat on his hat,

Or perhaps wasn't told,

Till his porridge was cold,

That his breakfast was waiting—

Or something like that;

Oh, whenever the Emperor

Got in to a temper, or

Felt himself sulky or sad,

He would murmur and murmur,

Until he felt firmer,

This curious rhyme which he had:

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 whenever the Queen

Took his armour to clean,

And she didn't remember

To use any starch;

Or his birthday (in May)

Was a horrible day,

Being wet as November

And windy as March;

Or, if sitting in state

With the Wise and the Great,

He just happened to hiccup

While signing his name,

Or the Queen gave a cough,

When his crown tumbled off

As he bent down to pick up

A pen for the same;

Oh, whenever the Emperor

Got into a temper, or

Felt himself awkward and shy,

He would whisper and whisper,

Until he felt crisper,

This odd little rhyme to the sky:

Eight eights are eighty-one;

Multiply by seven.

If it's more,

Carry four,

And take away eleven.

Nine nines are sixty-four;

Multiply by three.

When it's done,

Carry one,

And then it's time for tea.

KNIGHT-IN-ARMOUR

Whenever I'm a shining Knight,

I buckle on my armour tight;

And then I look about for things,

Like Rushings-Out, and Rescuings,

And Savings from the Dragon's Lair,

And fighting all the Dragons there.

And sometimes when our fights begin,

I think I'll let the Dragons win....

And then I think perhaps I won't,

Because they're Dragons, and I don't.

COME OUT WITH ME

There's sun on the river and sun on the hill....

You can hear the sea if you stand quite still!

There's eight new puppies at Roundabout Farm—

And I saw an old sailor with only one arm!

But every one says, "Run along!"

(Run along, run along!)

All of them say "Run along! I'm busy as can be."

Every one says, "Run along,

There's a little darling!"

If 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!

But every one says, "Run along!"

(Run along, run along!)

All of them say "Yes, dear," and never notice me.

Every one says, "Run along,

There's a little darling!"

If I'm a little darling, why won't they come and see?

DOWN BY THE POND

I'm fishing.

Don't talk, anybody, don't come near!

Can't you see that the fish might hear?

He thinks I'm playing with a piece of string;

He thinks I'm another sort of funny sort of thing,

But he doesn't know I'm fishing—

He doesn't know I'm fishing.

That's what I'm doing—

Fishing.

No, I'm not, I'm newting.

Don't cough, anybody, don't come by!

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,

And he doesn't know I'm newting—

No, he doesn't know I'm newting.

That's what I'm doing—

Newting.

THE LITTLE BLACK HEN

Berryman and Baxter,

Prettiboy and Penn

And old Farmer Middleton

Are five big men....

And all of them were after

The Little Black Hen.

She ran quickly,

They ran fast;

Baxter was first, and

Berryman was last.

I sat and watched

By the old plum-tree....

She squawked through the hedge

And she came to me.

The Little Black Hen

Said "Oh, it's you!"

I said "Thank you,

How do you do?

And please will you tell me,

Little Black Hen,

What did they want,

Those five big men?"

The Little Black Hen

She said to me:

"They want me to lay them

An egg for tea.

If they were Emperors,

If they were Kings,

I'm much too busy

To lay them things."

"I'm not a King

And I haven't a crown;

I climb up trees,

And I tumble down.

I can shut one eye,

I can count to ten,

So lay me an egg, please,

Little Black Hen."

The Little Black Hen said,

"What will you pay,

If I lay you an egg

For Easter Day?"

"I'll give you a Please

And a How-do-you-do,

I'll show you the Bear

Who lives in the Zoo,

I'll show you the nettle-place

On my leg,

If you'll lay me a great big

Eastery egg."

The Little Black Hen

Said "I don't care

For a How-do-you-do

Or a Big-brown-bear,

But I'll lay you a beautiful

Eastery egg,

If you'll show me the nettle-place

On your leg."

I showed her the place

Where I had my sting.

She touched it gently

With one black wing.

"Nettles don't hurt

If you count to ten.

And now for the egg,"

Said the Little Black Hen.

When I wake up

On Easter Day,

I shall see my egg

She's promised to lay.

If I were Emperors,

If I were Kings,

It couldn't be fuller

Of wonderful things.

Berryman and Baxter,

Prettiboy and Penn,

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....

She's laying my egg for me!

THE FRIEND

There are lots and lots of people who are always asking things,

Like Dates and Pounds-and-ounces and the names of funny Kings,

And the answer's either Sixpence or A Hundred Inches Long,

And I know they'll think me silly if I get the answer wrong.

So Pooh and I go whispering, and Pooh looks very bright,

And says, "Well, I say sixpence, but I don't suppose I'm right,"

And then it doesn't matter what the answer ought to be,

'Cos if he's right, I'm Right, and if he's wrong, it isn't Me.

THE GOOD LITTLE GIRL

It's funny how often they say to me, "Jane?

"Have you been a good girl?"

"Have you been a good girl?"

And when they have said it, they say it again,

"Have you been a good girl?"

"Have you been a good girl?"

I go to a party, I go out to tea,

I go to an aunt for a week at the sea,

I come back from school or from playing a game;

Wherever I come from, it's always the same:

"Well?

Have you been a good girl, Jane?"

It's always the end of the loveliest day:

"Have you been a good girl?"

"Have you been a good girl?"

I went to the Zoo, and they waited to say:

"Have you been a good girl?"

"Have you been a good girl?"

Well, what did they think that I went there to do?

And why should I want to be bad at the Zoo?

And should I be likely to say if I had?

So that's why it's funny of Mummy and Dad,

This asking and asking, in case I was bad,

"Well?

Have you been a good girl, Jane?"

A THOUGHT

If I were John and John were Me,

Then he'd be six and I'd be three.

If John were Me and I were John,

I shouldn't have these trousers on.

KING HILARY AND THE BEGGERMAN

Of Hilary the Great and Good

They tell a tale at Christmas time

I've often thought the story would

Be prettier but just as good

If almost anybody should

Translate it into rime.

So I have done the best I can

For lack of some more learned man.

Good King Hilary

Said to his Chancellor

(Proud Lord Willoughby,

Lord High Chancellor):

"Run to the wicket-gate

Quickly, quickly,

Run to the wicket gate

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."

Proud Lord Willoughby,

Lord High Chancellor,

Laughed both loud and free:[1]

"I've served Your Majesty, man to man,

Since first Your Majesty's reign began,

And I've often walked, but I never, never ran,

Never, never, never," quoth he.

[1] Haw! Haw! Haw!

Good King Hilary

Said to his Chancellor

(Proud Lord Willoughby,

Lord High Chancellor):

"Walk to the wicket-gate

Quickly, quickly,

Walk to the wicket-gate

And see who is knocking.

It may be a captain,

Hawk-nosed, bearded,

Bringing me gold-dust,

Spices, and sandalwood:

It may be a scullion,

Care-free, whistling,

Bringing me sugar-plums

To put in my stocking."

Proud Lord Willoughby,

Lord High Chancellor,

Laughed both loud and free:

"I've served in the Palace since I was four,

And I'll serve in the Palace a-many years more,

And I've opened a window, but never a door,

Never, never, never," quoth he.

Good King Hilary

Said to his Chancellor

(Proud Lord Willoughby,

Lord High Chancellor):

"Open the window

Quickly, quickly,

Open the window

And see who is knocking.

It may be a waiting-maid,

Apple-cheeked, dimpled,

Sent by her mistress

To bring me greeting;

It may be children,

Anxious, whispering,

Bringing me cobnuts,

To put in my stocking."

Proud Lord Willoughby,

Lord High Chancellor,

Laughed both loud and free:

"I'll serve Your Majesty till I die—

As Lord Chancellor, not as spy

To peep from lattices; no, not I,

Never, never, never," quoth he.

Good King Hilary

Looked at his Chancellor

(Proud Lord Willoughby,

Lord High Chancellor):

He said no word

To his stiff-set Chancellor,

But ran to the wicket-gate

To see who was knocking.

He found no rich man

Trading from Araby;

He found no captain,

Blue-eyed, weather-tanned;

He found no waiting-maid

Sent by her mistress;

But only a beggarman

With one red stocking.

Good King Hilary

Looked at the beggarman,

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.

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."

(Especially, of course, for Kings.)

It also seems to say

(But not so wisely): "He who begs

With one red stocking on his legs

Will be, as sure as eggs are eggs,

A Chancellor some day."

SWING SONG

Here I go up in my swing

Ever so high.

I am the King of the fields, and the King

Of the town.

I am the King of the earth, and the King

Of the sky.

Here I go up in my swing....

Now I go down.

EXPLAINED

Elizabeth Ann

Said to her Nan:

"Please will you tell me how God began?

Somebody must have made Him. So

Who could it be, 'cos I want to know?"

And Nurse said, "Well!"

And Ann said, "Well?

I know you know, and I wish you'd tell."

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.

She ran to London and knocked at the door

Of the Lord High Doodelum's coach-and-four.

"Please, sir (if there's anyone in),

However-and-ever did God begin?"

The Lord High Doodelum lay in bed,

But out of the window, large and red,

Came the Lord High Coachman's face instead.

And the Lord High Coachman laughed and said:

"Well, what put that in your quaint little head?"

Elizabeth Ann went home again

And took from the ottoman Jennifer Jane.

"Jenniferjane," said Elizabeth Ann,

"Tell me at once how God began."

And Jane, who didn't much care for speaking,

Replied in her usual way by squeaking.

What did it mean? Well, to be quite candid,

I don't know, but Elizabeth Ann did.

Elizabeth Ann said softly, "Oh!

Thank you, Jennifer. Now I know."

TWICE TIMES

There were Two little Bears who lived in a Wood,

And one of them was Bad and the other was Good.

Good Bear learnt his Twice Times One—

But Bad Bear left all his buttons undone.

They lived in a Tree when the weather was hot,

And one of them was Good, and the other was Not.

Good Bear learnt his Twice Times Two—

But Bad Bear's thingummies were worn right through.

They lived in a Cave when the weather was cold,

And they Did, and they Didn't Do, what they were told.

Good Bear learnt his Twice Times Three—

But Bad Bear never had his hand-ker-chee.

They lived in the Wood with a Kind Old Aunt,

And one said "Yes'm," and the other said "Shan't!"

Good Bear learnt his Twice Times Four—

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.

For Christopher remembers up to Twice Times Ten....

But I keep forgetting where I've put my pen.[2]

[2] So I have had to write this one in pencil.

THE MORNING WALK

When Anne and I go out a walk,

We hold each other's hand and talk

Of all the things we mean to do

When Anne and I are forty-two.

And when we've thought about a thing,

Like bowling hoops or bicycling,

Or falling down on Anne's balloon,

We do it in the afternoon.

CRADLE SONG

O Timothy Tim

Has ten pink toes,

And ten pink toes

Has Timothy Tim.

They go with him

Wherever he goes,

And wherever he goes

They go with him.

O Timothy Tim

Has two blue eyes,

And two blue eyes

Has Timothy Tim.

They cry with him

Whenever he cries,

And whenever he cries,

They cry with him.

O Timothy Tim

Has one red head,

And one red head

Has Timothy Tim.

It sleeps with him

In Timothy's bed.

Sleep well, red head

Of Timothy Tim.

WAITING AT THE WINDOW

These are my two drops of rain

Waiting on the window-pane.

I am waiting here to see

Which the winning one will be.

Both of them have different names.

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.

James is going slowly on.

Something sort of sticks to John.

John is moving off at last.

James is going pretty fast.

John is rushing down the pane.

James is going slow again.

James has met a sort of smear.

John is getting very near.

Is he going fast enough?

(James has found a piece of fluff.)

John has hurried quickly by.

(James was talking to a fly.)

John is there, and John has won!

Look! I told you! Here's the sun!

PINKLE PURR

Tattoo was the mother of Pinkle Purr,

A little black nothing of feet and fur;

And by-and-by, when his eyes came through,

He saw his mother, the big Tattoo.

And all that he learned he learned from her.

"I'll ask my mother," says Pinkle Purr.

Tattoo was the mother of Pinkle Purr,

A ridiculous kitten with silky fur.

And little black Pinkle grew and grew

Till he got as big as the big Tattoo.

And all that he did he did with her.

"Two friends together," says Pinkle Purr.

Tattoo was the mother of Pinkle Purr,

An adventurous cat in a coat of fur.

And whenever he thought of a thing to do,

He didn't much bother about Tattoo,

For he knows its nothing to do with her,

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....

And Pink looks lazily down at her:

"Dear little Tat," says Pinkle Purr.

WIND ON THE HILL

No one can tell me,

Nobody knows,

Where the wind comes from,

Where the wind goes.

It's flying from somewhere

As fast as it can,

I couldn't keep up with it,

Not if I ran.

But if I stopped holding

The string of my kite,

It would blow with the wind

For a day and a night.

And then when I found it,

Wherever it blew,

I should know that the wind

Had been going there too.

So then I could tell them

Where the wind goes....

But where the wind comes from

Nobody knows.

FORGOTTEN

Lords of the Nursery

Wait in a row,

Five on the high wall,

And four on the low;

Big Kings and Little Kings,

Brown Bears and Black,

All of them waiting

Till John comes back.

Some think that John boy

Is lost in the wood,

Some say he couldn't be,

Some say he could.

Some think that John boy

Hides on the hill;

Some say he won't come back,

Some say he will.

High was the sun, when

John went away....

Here they've been waiting

All through the day;

Big Bears and Little Bears,

White Kings and Black,

All of them waiting

Till John comes back.

Lords of the Nursery

Looked down the hill,

Some saw the sheep-fold,

Some saw the mill;

Some saw the roofs

Of the little grey town....

And their shadows grew long

As the sun slipt down.

Gold between the poplars

An old moon shows;

Silver up the star-way

The full moon rose;

Silver down the star-way

The old moon crept....

And, one by another,

The grey fields slept.

Lords of the Nursery

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....

What's become of John boy?

No one can say.

Some think that John boy

Is lost on the hill;

Some say he won't come back,

Some say he will.

What's become of John boy?

Nothing at all,

He played with his skipping rope,

He played with his ball.

He ran after butterflies,

Blue ones and red;

He did a hundred happy things—

And then went to bed.

IN THE DARK

I've had my supper,

And had my supper,

And HAD my supper and all;

I've heard the story

Of Cinderella,

And how she went to the ball;

I've cleaned my teeth,

And I've said my prayers,

And I've cleaned and said them right;

And they've all of them been

And kissed me lots,

They've all of them said "Good-night."

So—here I am in the dark alone,

There's nobody here to see;

I think to myself,

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 ...

I'm talking to the sun ...

I think I am a hundred—

I'm one.

I'm lying in a forest ...

I'm lying in a cave ...

I'm talking to a Dragon ...

I'm BRAVE.

I'm lying on my left side ...

I'm lying on my right ...

I'll play a lot to-morrow ...

.......

I'll think a lot to-morrow ...

.......

I'll laugh ...

a lot ...

to-morrow ...

(Heigh-ho!)

Good-night.

THE END

When I was One,

I had just begun.

When I was Two,

I was nearly new.

When I was Three,

I was hardly Me.

When I was Four,

I was not much more.

When I was Five,

I was just alive.

But now I am Six, I'm as clever as clever.

So I think I'll be six now for ever and ever.

NEW UNIFORM EDITION

These inimitable and imperishable Milne classics with the Shepard drawings are now available, for the first time, in a new edition, uniform with this volume.

WHEN WE WERE VERY YOUNG

The most popular book of child-verse of modern times.

NOW WE ARE SIX

A companion volume of verse to When We Were Very Young

WINNIE-THE-POOH

Pooh and Christopher Robin are among the most treasured characters of story-land.

THE HOUSE AT POOH CORNER

There just had to be another story about Christopher Robin and his seven friends—Pooh, Piglet, Owl, Tigger, etc.

Published by E. P. DUTTON & CO., INC.

OTHER BOOKS FOR BOYS AND GIRLS

By A. A. MILNE

THE CHRISTOPHER ROBIN VERSES

Fully illustrated by E. H. SHEPARD, with 12 plates in color

THE CHRISTOPHER ROBIN STORY BOOK

Illustrated by E. H. SHEPARD

THE CHRISTOPHER ROBIN BIRTHDAY BOOK

Illustrated by E. H. SHEPARD

THE CHRISTOPHER ROBIN READER

Collected by A. A. MILNE from his four books of poetry and prose, including selections recommended by the New York City Board of Education.

SONG-BOOKS FROM THE POEMS OF A. A. MILNE

With Music by H. FRASER-SIMSON and Decorations by E. H. SHEPARD

FOURTEEN SONGS

TEDDY BEAR AND OTHER SONGS

SONGS FROM "NOW WE ARE SIX"

THE KING'S BREAKFAST

MORE "VERY YOUNG" SONGS

THE HUMS OF POOH

*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NOW WE ARE SIX ***

Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will be renamed.

Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away—you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark license, especially commercial redistribution.

START: FULL LICENSE

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK

To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work (or any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project Gutenberg™ License available with this file or online at www.gutenberg.org/license.

Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works

1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg™ electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property (trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in your possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.

1.B. “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg™ electronic works even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project Gutenberg™ electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.

1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the United States and you are located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg™ works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg™ name associated with the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg™ License when you share it without charge with others.

1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project Gutenberg™ work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any country other than the United States.

1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:

1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg™ License must appear prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg™ work (any work on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, copied or distributed:

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg™ trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is posted with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked to the Project Gutenberg™ License for all works posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.

1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg™ License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg™.

1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project Gutenberg™ License.

1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg™ work in a format other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official version posted on the official Project Gutenberg™ website (www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg™ License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.

1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg™ works unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing access to or distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works provided that:

- • You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from the use of Project Gutenberg™ works calculated using the method you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, but he has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in Section 4, “Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.”

- • You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™ License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™ works.

- • You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of receipt of the work.

- • You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works.

1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.

1.F.

1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project Gutenberg™ collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment.

1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the “Right of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further opportunities to fix the problem.

1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.

1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.

1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg™ work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg™ work, and (c) any Defect you cause.

Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg™

Project Gutenberg™ is synonymous with the free distribution of electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from people in all walks of life.

Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg™’s goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg™ collection will remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure and permanent future for Project Gutenberg™ and future generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org.

Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation

The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service. The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state’s laws.

The Foundation’s business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the Foundation’s website and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact

Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation

Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without widespread public support and donations to carry out its mission of increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations ($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt status with the IRS.

The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate.

While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who approach us with offers to donate.

International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.

Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate.

Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg™ electronic works

Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg™ concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and distributed Project Gutenberg™ eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.

Project Gutenberg™ eBooks are often created from several printed editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.

Most people start at our website which has the main PG search facility: www.gutenberg.org.

This website includes information about Project Gutenberg™, including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.

Table of Contents

NOW WE ARE SIX

NOW WE ARE SIX

INTRODUCTION

CONTENTS

NOW WE ARE SIX

SOLITUDE

KING JOHN'S CHRISTMAS

SNEEZLES

BINKER

CHERRY STONES

THE KNIGHT WHOSE ARMOUR DIDN'T SQUEAK

BUTTERCUP DAYS

THE CHARCOAL-BURNER

US TWO

THE OLD SAILOR

THE ENGINEER

JOURNEY'S END

FURRY BEAR

FORGIVEN

THE EMPEROR'S RHYME

KNIGHT-IN-ARMOUR

COME OUT WITH ME

DOWN BY THE POND

THE LITTLE BLACK HEN

THE FRIEND

THE GOOD LITTLE GIRL

A THOUGHT

KING HILARY AND THE BEGGERMAN

SWING SONG

EXPLAINED

TWICE TIMES

THE MORNING WALK

CRADLE SONG

WAITING AT THE WINDOW

PINKLE PURR

WIND ON THE HILL

FORGOTTEN

IN THE DARK

THE END

NEW UNIFORM EDITION

WHEN WE WERE VERY YOUNG

NOW WE ARE SIX

WINNIE-THE-POOH

THE HOUSE AT POOH CORNER

Published by E. P. DUTTON & CO., INC.

OTHER BOOKS FOR BOYS AND GIRLS

THE CHRISTOPHER ROBIN VERSES

THE CHRISTOPHER ROBIN STORY BOOK

THE CHRISTOPHER ROBIN BIRTHDAY BOOK

THE CHRISTOPHER ROBIN READER

SONG-BOOKS FROM THE POEMS OF A. A. MILNE

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE