Winnie-the-Pooh

Chapter 7 introduces the final characters in this collection, Kanga and Roo (so named because they are kangaroos). Rabbit’s elaborate plan to get rid of the newcomers highlights the theme of Keeping Things Simple, illustrating how a simple approach is sometimes the most effective way to accomplish something. While explaining the plan, Rabbit goes off on tangents and makes it sound overly complicated, but in practice, it’s very simple: distract Kanga, switch Piglet and Roo, and wait for Kanga to realize what’s happened. However, like Pooh and Piglet’s earlier plan to capture a Heffalump, Rabbit’s plan relies on factors beyond his control, such as Kanga being easy to distract and reacting to the switch as Rabbit intends her to. Kanga’s decision to play a trick on the other animals shows her intelligence and humor, and it ultimately leads to the exact opposite of what Rabbit meant to happen: Kanga stays and becomes a good friend to the other animals. The events of this chapter show how plans may have unintended consequences. Rabbit makes friends with Roo, something he didn’t expect, and Pooh and Kanga spend time together so that Kanga can coach Pooh in jumping.

Chapter 8 is another example of the theme of Finding Adventure Through Imagination. Christopher Robin imagines what it would be like to discover the North Pole, even though it has already been discovered, so he creates an adventure based on what he imagines. His offhanded remark that the North Pole is just a thing that people discover shows his childlike wonder and understanding of the world. Along the way, the story highlights Drawing Strength from Friendships as a theme: The animals work together to rescue Roo from the river, and Christopher Robin is proud that Pooh found the North Pole as he puts a sign on the pole giving Pooh all the credit. The pole itself is a parody of the actual North Pole, which isn’t a stick or a physical object at all, but to the group, this doesn’t matter. In Christopher Robin’s imagination, the North Pole can be whatever he wants it to be, and he decides that the pole Pooh found is the pole in question. The story doesn’t explain why Pooh misunderstands “expedition” as “expotition,” and this simple confusion thus comes across as another thing that endears Pooh to readers.

Chapter 9 subverts how imagination fuels adventure when actual rainy conditions set the stage for the adventures that follow. Piglet jumpstarts Pooh and Christopher Robin’s adventures by putting a message for help in a bottle. Pooh retrieves the bottle because he thinks its honey, showing how his tragic weakness can also be useful. If Pooh hadn’t thought the bottle was honey, he might never have discovered that Piglet needed help and gone to get Christopher Robin. Pooh’s way of keeping things simple shines through when he realizes that he can use a honeypot as a boat, and later, he impresses Christopher Robin by thinking they can’t both fit on a honeypot but can use the umbrella instead. Unlike earlier chapters, Chapter 9 shows how Pooh’s simple ideas both make sense and work. Using the umbrella as a boat allows Pooh and Christopher Robin to rescue Piglet, who is ironically put in the most danger because Owl tells him stories until they arrive, distracting him from the rising floodwater—yet another example of how Owl’s brand of complicated understanding and wisdom only makes things worse.

Chapter 10 is the final story in the collection, and rather than an adventure, it brings everyone together in a celebration of Pooh’s rescuing Piglet. Pooh is often referred to as a bear of little brain because he forgets things easily. This makes him fear that his friends have done the same (and forgotten how his actions saved Piglet), which highlights how everyone tends to believe that others think and understand things the same way. In fact, Pooh’s friends haven’t forgotten (except possibly Eeyore, though it’s never clear whether Eeyore has forgotten or simply chooses to believe the party is for him because he wants to be celebrated). The pencil case Christopher Robin gives Pooh symbolizes how friendships can provide strength. Christopher Robin knows Pooh will appreciate the case because it’s a nice thing, and Christopher Robin wants to give Pooh something he feels matches Pooh’s extraordinary thinking during the flood. The final lines of Chapter 10 are a message to readers that the stories aren’t over just because the book has come to an end. The ultimate demonstration of how imagination leads to adventure is each character’s ability to envision further adventures once the current ones are over, something Christopher Robin does and anyone can do.