The House at Pooh Corner

This article is about the A. A. Milne book. For the song, see House at Pooh Corner (song).
The House at Pooh Corner

First edition
Author A. A. Milne
Illustrator E. H. Shepard
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Genre Children's novel
Publisher Methuen & Co. Ltd. (London)
Publication date
 1928
Media type Print (hardback & paperback)
Preceded by Winnie-the-Pooh

The House at Pooh Corner (1928) is the second volume of stories about Winnie-the-Pooh, written by A. A. Milne and illustrated by E. H. Shepard. It is notable for the introduction of the character Tigger.

Plot

The title comes from a story in which Winnie-the-Pooh and Piglet build a house for Eeyore. In another story the game of Poohsticks is invented. As with the first book, the chapters are mostly in episodic format and can be read independently of each other. The only exception to this is with Chapters 8 and 9 - Chapter 9 carries directly on from the end of Chapter 8, as the characters search for a new house for Owl, his house having been blown down in the previous chapter.

Hints that Christopher Robin is growing up, scattered throughout the book, come to a head in the final chapter, in which the inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Wood throw him a farewell party after learning that he must leave them soon. It is made obvious, though not stated explicitly, that he is starting school. In the end, they say good-bye to Christopher Robin. Pooh and Christopher Robin say a long, private farewell, in which Pooh promises not to forget him.

Contents

  1. In which a house is built at Pooh Corner for Eeyore
  2. In which Tigger comes to the forest and has breakfast
  3. In which a Search is Organized, and Piglet nearly meets the Heffalump again
  4. In which it is shown that Tiggers don't climb trees
  5. In which Rabbit has a busy day, and we learn what Christopher Robin does in the mornings
  6. In which Pooh invents a new game and Eeyore joins in
  7. In which Tigger is unbounced
  8. In which Piglet does a very grand thing
  9. In which Eeyore finds the Wolery and Owl moves into it
  10. In which Christopher Robin and Pooh come to an enchanted place, and we leave them there

Adaptations

In 1960 HMV recorded a dramatised version with songs (music by Harold Fraser-Simson) of two episodes from the book (Chapters 2 and 8), starring Ian Carmichael as Pooh, Denise Bryer as Christopher Robin (who also narrated), Hugh Lloyd as Tigger, Penny Morrell as Piglet, and Terry Norris as Eeyore. This was released on a 45rpm EP.[1]

In 1971, singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins released a song called "House at Pooh Corner" as a duet with Jim Messina on their album Sittin' In. Although the song was written by Loggins, it had previously been released by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band on their 1970 album Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy. The song is told from the perspective of both Winnie-the-Pooh and Christopher Robin. The first verse, told from Pooh's point of view, describes how he and Robin's days together "disappeared all too soon" and how he "can't seem to find [his] way back to the Wood." The second verse, told from Christopher Robin's point of view, tells of how Pooh has a honey jar stuck on his nose and how he came to him asking for help, but "from here, no one knows where he goes." The song uses these verses as an allegorical musing on the loss of innocence and childhood and the nostalgia for simpler, happier times. In 1994, Loggins re-released the song as "Return to Pooh Corner" on the album of the same name. A duet with Amy Grant, this version added a third verse, told from the perspective of an adult Christopher Robin who gives Winnie-the-Pooh to his own son and hears Pooh whisper to him, "welcome home." The song ends with Christopher Robin happy that he's "finally come back to the house at Pooh Corner." This third verse was based on Loggins' own feelings of happiness after the birth of his third son. The song has since become a staple of Loggins' live performances, and it remains one of his most personal, popular and beloved songs.

In 1988, an audio version of the book, published by BBC Enterprises, was narrated by Alan Bennett.[2]

In 1997 Hodder Children's Audio released a dramatisation produced by David Benedictus with Judi Dench, Stephen Fry, Jane Horrocks, Geoffrey Palmer, Michael Williams, Robert Daws, Sandi Toksvig, Finty Williams and Steven Webb. The music was composed, directed and played by John Gould.[3]

Chapters 2, 8, and 9 were adapted into animation with the Disney featurette Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day. Similarly, chapters 4 and 7 were adapted into Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too!, while chapter 6 was adapted in Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore. Chapter 8 was also partially adapted into an episode of The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (entitled "The Masked Offender"). Also, the final chapter was adapted as a closure to The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, as well as in the direct-to-video movie Pooh's Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin. However, in the book, Christopher Robin was going away to boarding school and won't be coming back but in the films he was just going to school and would come back at the end of the day (although Christopher Robin did start day school earlier in this book, leaving a note saying "Backson" [meaning "Back Soon".] This led the other characters to think that he had disappeared with someone called Backson.) And Chapters 1 and 3 were used in segments of "Piglet's Big Movie."

Chapter 2 was also released from Disney as a book, under the title "Winnie the Pooh meets Tigger".

In 1968 Jefferson Airplane referenced the book in their song The House at Pooneil Corners, a surrealistic depiction of global nuclear war co-written by Paul Kantner and Marty Balin, ending with the line "Which is why a Pooh is poohing in the sun".

References

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