Just the thing
Matt and Drew are among countless readers who love Eeyore. Walt Disney World, 1995
“Eeyore, what are you doing there?” said Rabbit
“I’ll give you three guesses, Rabbit. Digging holes in the ground? Wrong. Leaping from branch to branch of a young oak tree? Wrong. Waiting for somebody to help me out of the river? Right. Give Rabbit time, and he’ll always get the answer.”
“But, Eeyore,” said Pooh in distress, “what can we — I mean, how shall we — do you think if we –“
“Yes,” said Eeyore. “One of those would be just the thing. Thank you, Pooh.”
— Eeyore, as quoted by A. A. Milne
Don’t you just love Eeyore? Of course his gloom can be tiresome, but after awhile it becomes very endearing. And anyway, even those of us who are more like Tigger or Piglet or Pooh have at least a bit of Eeyore in us. Sometimes when we’re very tired and in need of help, the last thing we feel like doing is answering a lot of well-intended questions that only add to our exhaustion because they have no quick or easy answer — or, as in Eeyore’s situation above, the answer seems so obvious to us that it baffles us why anyone would need to ask.
Next time you’re having an Eeyore day (and maybe it’s today!) go easy on yourself and just accept being Eeyore for awhile. He may be a tad depressed, but he certainly has staying power! Just look how long he has lived, delighting the hearts of countless children for generations.
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- Tagged: A. A. Milne, children's literature, Disney, Eeyore, gloomy, Hundred Acre Woods, pessimism, Pooh, whimsy
Defeat Despair 
Funny that I’m having an Eeyore day today ~ and I’m going to enjoy it and move on tomorrow. Thanks for affirming my decision!
Good! I am so glad you appreciate Eeyore’s role in the big picture. Thanks for being here! I’m sending you a smile from Pooh :-).
I understand.
I know you do, and I am so grateful for that! Thanks for being here. Love to you!
Dear Julia, I was going to ask: “How are you doing?” But that could represent the questions you speak of, in epitome. It wouldn’t be just the thing. I do love you.
Hi Eric, thanks for the perspicacity. In response, here’s one of my favorite lines from Bob Dylan: “When you asked how I was doing, was that some kind of joke?” Love you too.
Like the application! Just read the dialogue aloud to my boy.
Not everyone agrees with me on this, but I find much that is quite profound in what we call “children’s” literature. Maybe that’s why I became a youth services librarian (years ago in what now feels like a different lifetime). In any case, I think it’s good for everyone, and the Pooh stories are a great example of this. It makes me smile to imagine you reading this to your son! Thanks for letting me know, and for being here!
My son memorized chunks and chunks of the Pooh tales last year, when he was 5. =)
He must be very smart, because the Pooh stories have lots of surprises and fairly sophisticated content (in my opinion). I’m guessing he will carry these little nuggets of wisdom in his heart for a lifetime!
He probably doesn’t get all the humor, but the enjoyment encourages him to drink in good language, so I’m good with it. =)
Yes, and the great thing is, he’ll appreciate it more as he grows. I’m a big fan of memorization. So much of what I memorized as a child is still with me, with a far deeper understanding than I had at the time I first learned it. In library school they taught us to read slightly above the comprehension level of the child we are reading to; they still understand the gist the story, and it stretches their minds. Also, I think kids are more interested in something that they have to think about.
I also believe in exposing kids to challenging content, to raise their comprehension. I tried the Hobbit on audio a few wks ago after he’d just turned 6. To my surprise, it was manageable. But he didn’t like it for the “dark” moments, not because it was beyond him. He is sensitive. I’ll try again next year.
That’s funny; you wrote that just as I was writing my comment about the same thing! We do need to be careful about overly frightening content, and it’s sometimes hard for us to understand what will frighten children; often it’s the oddest things. I can definitely see where the Hobbit might get a bit intense. I remember reading abridged versions of classic stories that years later I read and loved in the complete version.
Ha ha yes, we were thinking twin thoughts. He’s starting the Classical model of homeschooling this fall with a group that’s part of a national curriculum/support system. Based on the Ancient Classical model that capitalizes on the memory potential of this age, he’ll be drinking in the sweep of human history and Latin – in song and music – with other kids. =) The parents all say it’s so fun the kiddos don’t realize all they’re learning. GREAT talk. Xxx
It sounds wonderful!
Julia, I’ll just drop in to say “thinking of you and sharing the love for these characters.”
They lived in our home for many years…. still in our hearts! I’ll use my favorite expression:
TaTa For Now! Sheila
Thanks Sheila, TTFN!! 🙂
One day when I grow up, TTFN just has to be my vanity license plate on my car. Bill says it needs to be on a car that will go fast though. That’s no problem…. I was pulled over once for “fast excelleration”. I guess the officer thought it was unnecessary! I keep you close in thoughts. Your older southern friend, Sheila
Sheila, “fast acceleration” sounds like a fancy-schmancy police word for what we used to call “floorboarding” – no wonder you are a NASCAR fan! I can see where TTFN would sound fast on a license plate (especially knowing it’s Tigger’s term) but for me, “Tah-tah for now” sounds like a gracious southern woman’s farewell after tea-time — and as y’all know, we NEVER rush through our tea time! Thanks for being here – I keep you close in thought also!
Julia, I love our correspondence. Bless your heart!
🙂
Pooh and his friends adventures were always some of our favorite stories to read. Like you we always had a soft spot for Eeyore. Thanks for the reminder the greatness of A.A. Milne’s characters. 🙂
You’re welcome Fran, I am so glad to hear from a fellow fan of Pooh and his friends! Love to all your family.
I’m not having an Eeyore day, but I must say that that reminds me of many conversations with my (teen-aged & up) sons.
How true! I do NOT miss the teenage years! Mine or theirs. 🙂