Chapter 2

           EDWARDBEAR,knowntohisfriendsasWinnie-the-Pooh,orPoohforshort,waswalkingthroughtheforestoneday,hummingproudlytohimself.Hehadmadeupalittlehumthatverymorning,ashewasdoinghisStoutnessExercisesinfrontoftheglass:Tra-la-la,tra-la-la,ashestretchedupashighashecouldgo,andthenTra-la-la,tra-la—oh,help!—la,ashetriedtoreachhistoes.Afterbreakfasthehadsaiditoverandovertohimselfuntilhehadlearntitoffbyheart,andnowhewashummingitrightthrough,properly.Itwentlikethis:

           Tra-la-la,tra-la-la,

           Tra-la-la,tra-la-la,

           Rum-tum-tiddle-um-tum.

           Tiddle-iddle,tiddle-iddle,

           Tiddle-iddle,tiddle-iddle,

           Rum-tum-tum-tiddle-um.

           Well,hewashummingthishumtohimself,andwalkingalonggaily,wonderingwhateverybodyelsewasdoing,andwhatitfeltlike,beingsomebodyelse,whensuddenlyhecametoasandybank,andinthebankwasalargehole.

           "Aha!"saidPooh.(Rum-tum-tiddle-um-tum.)"IfIknowanythingaboutanything,thatholemeansRabbit,"hesaid,"andRabbitmeansCompany,"hesaid,"andCompanymeansFoodandListening-to-Me-Hummingandsuchlike.Rum-tum-tum-tiddle-um.

           Sohebentdown,puthisheadintothehole,andcalledout:

           "Isanybodyathome?"

           Therewasasuddenscufflingnoisefrominsidethehole,andthensilence.

           "WhatIsaidwas,’Isanybodyathome?’"calledoutPoohveryloudly.

           "No!"saidavoice;andthenadded,"Youneedn’tshoutsoloud.Iheardyouquitewellthefirsttime."

           "Bother!"saidPooh.