The Ship at Pooh Corner
by Inzevar

Cast of characters:
Sir Edward Pellew... Christopher Robin
Mr. Bracegirdle... Winnie the Pooh
Horatio Hornblower. Rabbit
Archie Kennedy.. Piglet
Mr. Pipps Roo
Mathews Kanga
Mistah Huntah Eyore
Oldroyd Tigger
Ship's Doctor. Owl
Styles One of Rabbit's Friends and Relations

One day Captain Christopher Robin decided to go for a sail on the
Hundred Acre Pond. "We shall go for a sail today," he said to his
first officer, whose name was Winnie the Pooh.
"Are we going far?" asked Pooh Bear. He thought that Christopher
Robin was very clever because he always knew where he was going.
"We shall go to the far side of the pond," said Christopher Robin
grandly, "and we shall rescue Midshipman Piglet."
"Does he need rescuing?" asked Pooh humbly.
"Yes he does. A Horrible Heffalump has been keeping him prisoner in
the hollow oak tree," said Christopher Robin as he marched up and down
the deck with his
Great Big Captain's Hat on, "but we are going to bring him home in
time for tea. And when he arrives we will have a Rescue Party "
"Are Heffalumps dangerous?" asked First Lieutenant Pooh Bear, who
rather thought they were.
"Very dangerous," said Captain Christopher Robin, "and that is
why I am sending Acting Lieutenant Rabbit to do the rescuing part. He is
very brave and knows all the Rules and Regulations." Rabbit was very
pleased when he heard this and he went off at once to make a list of
things to take on the boat and another list of things to take to the
Rescue Party.
"I am also sending Midshipman Eyore," said Christopher Robin
carelessly.
"Thank you," sighed Eyore "I'm very glad you asked me, which
you didn't of course, you being the Captain. Are you quite sure Acting
Lieutenant Rabbit is up to this? He seems a bit young for the job if you
see what I mean, which you probably don't. Well thank you for
listening, which I don't suppose you did."
"Can I go too Christopher Robin?" squealed Midshipman Roo. "I'm
good at going ashore. I can swim too! Have you seen me swimming?"
"You are too small to go ashore young Roo," said Eyore mournfully,
"at least that's my opinion. If anyone cares to ask."
"Well, I say he can go," said Christopher Robin, who was wearing
his Great Big Captain's Boots.
"Thank you kindly I'm sure," said Eyore.

Rabbit was very busy getting the boat ready for the Rescue of Piglet.
Several of his Friends and Relations, including Seaman Styles, were
going to do the rowing. Seaman Tigger was given the spare rope, the
picnic, the umbrella, the shovel and the crowbar to carry so that he
would be less Bouncy than usual. Acting Lieutenant Rabbit thought that
it would not be a good idea to wake up the Horrible Heffalump with any
sudden Bouncing. If the Heffalump was already awake then it would
probably not be a good idea to Bounce near it, in case it got nervous
and trod on someone, especially Rabbit. Seaman Kanga was going along to
keep a close eye on Midshipman Roo, who was likely to run up and poke
the Heffalump on the nose, if he wasn't carefully watched.
"I think I've thought of everything," said Rabbit to himself,
stroking his glossy brown ears.

When the ship reached the far side of the pond, Christopher Robin sent
the boat ashore. "Try not to be too long, " he said, "Admiral
Nurse gets very cross if I am late for bedtime."
"They will come back won't they?" asked First Lieutenant Pooh as
the others rowed away.
"Of course they will, you silly old bear," said Christopher Robin
putting his hands in his pockets, "now pour me a pint of grog."
"How are things going Rabbit?" said Eyore "I only ask because
it's a little hard for me to tell from outside the boat. In
fact," he went on "It's a little hard for me to float, seeing
that I don't swim. You might almost say I was sinking if you cared to
look."
"There isn't any more room in the boat," said Rabbit
impatiently.
"I can swim!" said Midshipman Roo, "Shall I show you how I can
swim Eyore?"
"That's very kind of you Little Roo," said Eyore "but I was
thinking of something more along the lines of me not drowning, if you
follow me."
"We'll be ashore any minute now," said Acting Lieutenant Rabbit
writing more things on his list.
"I'm sure you will," said Eyore, "but will I? That's the
question."
When the boat bumped against the shore Seaman Tigger jumped over the
prow and splashed his way onto dry land.
"Shhh!" said Rabbit, "we must all be very quiet. We must not wake
the Horrible Heffalump. Kanga, if Midshipman Roo gets too excited you
must give him a spoonful of extract of malt."
"Aye Aye Sir," said Kanga putting his paws in his pocket to make
sure he had brought his extra large spoon.
"We will go in single file," said Rabbit "Seaman Tigger, you will
bring up the rear."
"But I'm already carrying all these other things," said Tigger,
"I can hardly Bounce at all now!"
"It means you walk at the back," said Kanga in an explaining sort
of way.

Midshipman Piglet was feeling very small and lonely inside the hollow
oak tree. He had not seen any of his friends since yesterday morning
when they had all set out to recapture some pots of honey from a vicious
gang of French stuffed animals. Their leader was the notorious Horrible
Heffalump (aka L'Effalump 'Orrible). In the middle of the raid
Rabbit had let go of his paw by accident. Piglet had screamed, laid on
the ground and covered his eyes with his ears. He had been captured,
tossed inside the tree and left without so much as a haycorn to nibble.
He had been wondering nervously if Heffalumps ever ate piglets. Suddenly
he heard a familiar voice coming from outside.
"Hurry up," it said, "we must finish the Rescue before the
Heffalump comes back."
'That sounds like Rabbit,' thought Piglet
A long nose, two big brown eyes and a pair of glossy brown ears looked
in through a gap in the tree trunk.
'That looks like Rabbit,' thought Piglet as his knees began to
knock with excitement.
A paw cuffed him round the ears and then he was hauled to his feet and
dusted down.
'It is Rabbit!' thought Piglet and then he said, "Oh Rabbit, I am
glad to see you!"
"Of course you are," said Rabbit, "now come along Piglet, we must
get back to the ship. Captain Christopher Robin is waiting."
"Are you rescued now?" asked Roo excitedly as they walked outside.
"I helped with the rescue didn't I Rabbit?"
"I suppose so," said Rabbit frowning and looking at his list
again.
"Would it interest you to know that I helped?" said Eyore who was
sitting in a large puddle of water. "I thought not, well never
mind."
Tigger led the way back to the boat. He had managed to lose all the
things he had been given to carry, except the picnic, which he had
eaten.
"Would you like a haycorn?" said Rabbit kindly when they were in
the boat, "I brought some in my pocket in case you were hungry.
"Thank you Rabbit," said Piglet going a little pink.
"Look everyone! Eyore is sinking!" said Roo. "Do you see Eyore
sinking Piglet?"
"Oh dear," said Piglet faintly, "shouldn't we do something
Rabbit?"
"We haven't got time to stop now," said Rabbit in an important
way. "We will come back tomorrow and pull him out. His ears are
sticking up so we shall be able to find him again." He crossed
something off his list in a thoughtful way, and then put it away in his
pocket.

Back at the ship, First Lieutenant Winnie the Pooh was walking up and
down humming softly to himself. And this is what he hummed.

I wonder
Yes, I wonder when
I'll ever see my toes again
I'd climb the mast
The topmast too
If I wasn't such a heavy Pooh
And when I step into a boat
I'd like it if it stayed afloat.

His hum was interrupted by the sound of something hitting the side of
the ship. He looked over the railing (he could just manage if he stood
on tiptoe) and saw the boat. Everyone was lying flat on their backs in
the bottom of it.
"Are you all right?" he called down in a helpful sort of way.
"Yes thank you," said Rabbit Crossly as he sat up, "Tigger was
rowing too hard and Bounced us into the ship." He picked Piglet up and
set him on the ladder.
"Hello Piglet" said First Lieutenant Pooh as Piglet scrambled
through the entry port, "are you hungry? I have a little something
stowed by the binnacle."
Piglet would have said yes if Rabbit had not climbed up behind him and
said that he must go and see Ship's Surgeon Owl at once.
"Seaman Kanga, you will take Midshipman Piglet to see the Surgeon,"
ordered Rabbit "I expect he will want to make sure he has not lost any
stuffing."
"Well done!" cried Christopher Robin as Kanga led Piglet away and
Roo went with them to see if anything interesting was going to happen.
"I knew you would do it Rabbit."
"Did you?" said Rabbit modestly
"Yes," said Captain Christopher Robin, "because you're That
Sort of Rabbit. And now," he said grandly, "we shall have the Rescue
Party!"
They all sat at a long table on the deck. All except Tigger, who sat
underneath. There was ship's biscuit and hunny, salt pork and hunny,
and haycorns and hunny. Half way through Surgeon Owl came on deck.
"Make your report Surgeon Owl," said Christopher Robin, who was
sitting at the head of the table in his Big Captain's Chair, "How is
little Piglet?"
"Hooo well," said Owl putting on his spectacles. "I had to
surgically remove that nasty little stripy jersey those French
scallywags made him wear, and I have fitted him with some proper
trousers. If he takes things quietly and sticks to hunny and haycorns I
think Midshipman Piglet will do very well. Here he comes now"
Piglet came and sat at the table next to Rabbit. He was very proud of
his smart new trousers and very pink about the ears.
"Can I have some new trousers?" asked Roo "I haven't got
anything to wear. Why does Piglet have trousers and I don't have
trousers?"
"I'll explain it later Midshipman Roo," said Kanga.
"Why doesn't Fist Lieutenant Pooh have trousers?" asked Roo
jumping up and down. "Rabbit doesn't have them either. Why doesn't
Rabbit have.."
"Seaman Kanga, you had better take Mr. Roo and give him a large dose
of extract of malt and put him to bed," said Rabbit. And Kanga did
just that.
"Well," said Christopher Robin "it has been a grand day."
"What shall we do tomorrow?" asked First Lieutenant Pooh Bear.
"I suppose we could look for Eyore," said Christopher Robin "What
do you think Rabbit?"
"I don't know about that," said Rabbit thoughtfully "I might be
too busy going for a walk with my friend Piglet."
Piglet turned bright pink and was so happy that he ate twice as many
haycorns as usual.

The End