Alan Alexander Miln. The house at Pooh Corner -
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anything, there he wasn't.
Rabbit turned round and nudged Piglet. "The next time,"
he said. "Tell Pooh."
"The next time," said Piglet to Pooh.
"The next what?" said Pooh to Piglet.
Tigger appeared suddenly, bounced into Rabbit, and
disappeared again. "Now!" said Rabbit. He jumped into a hollow
by the side of the path, and Pooh and Piglet jumped after him.
They crouched in the bracken, listening. The Forest was very
silent when you stopped and listened to it. They could see
nothing and hear nothing.
"H'sh!" said Rabbit.
"I am," said Pooh.
There was a pattering noise . . . then silence again.
"Hallo!" said Tigger, and he sounded so close suddenly
that Piglet would have jumped if Pooh hadn't accidentally been
sitting on most of him.
"Where are you?" called Tigger.
Rabbit nudged Pooh, and Pooh looked about for Piglet to
nudge, but couldn't find him, and Piglet went on breathing wet
bracken as quietly as he could, and felt very brave and
excited.
"That's funny," said Tigger.
There was a moment's silence, and then they heard him
pattering off again. For a little longer they waited, until the
Forest had become so still that it almost frightened them, and
then Rabbit got up and stretched himself.
"Well?" he whispered proudly. "There we are I Just as I
said."
"I've been thinking," said Pooh, "and I think "
"No," said Rabbit. "Don't. Run. Come on." And they all
hurried off, Rabbit leading the way.
"Now," said Rabbit, after they had gone a little way,
"we can talk. What were you going to say, Pooh?"
"Nothing much. Why are we going along here?"
"Because it's the way home."
"Oh!" said Pooh.
"I think it's more to the right," said Piglet