Alan Alexander Miln. The house at Pooh Corner -
76 >
"What's all this?" said Eeyore.
Rabbit explained.
"What's the matter with his old house?"
Rabbit explained.
"Nobody tells me," said Eeyore. "Nobody keeps me
Informed. I make it seventeen days come Friday since anybody
spoke to me."
"It certainly isn't seventeen days--"
"Come Friday," explained Eeyore.
"And to-day's Saturday," said Rabbit. "So that would
make it eleven days. And I was here myself a week ago."
"Not conversing," said Eeyore. "Not first one and then
the other. You said 'Hallo' and Flashed Past. I saw your tail a
hundred yards up the hill as I was meditating my reply. I had
thought of saying 'What?'--but, of course, it was then too
late."
"Well, I was in a hurry."
"No Give and Take," Eeyore went on. "No Exchange of
Thought. 'Hallo--What'-- I mean, it gets you nowhere,
particularly if the other person's tail is only just in sight
for the second half of the conversation."
"It's your fault, Eeyore. You've never been to see any
of us. You just stay here in this one corner of the Forest
waiting for the others to come to you. Why don't you go to them
sometimes?"
Eeyore was silent for a little while, thinking.
"There may be something in what you say, Rabbit," he
said at last. "I have been neglecting you. I must move about
more. I must come and go."
"That's right, Eeyore. Drop in on any of us at any
time, when you feel like it."
"Thank-you, Rabbit. And if anybody says in a Loud Voice
'Bother, it's Eeyore,' I can drop out again."
Rabbit stood on one leg for a moment.
"Well," he said, "I must be going. I am rather busy
this morning."
"Good-bye," said Eeyore.
"What? Oh, good-bye. And if you happen to come across a