Teddy Bear by A.A.

Milne
A bear, however hard he tries, Grows tubby without exercise. Our Teddy Bear is short and fat, Which is not to be wondered at; He gets what exercise he can By falling off the otto an, But generally see s to lac! The energy to cla ber bac!. "ow tubbiness is #ust the thing Which gets a fellow wondering; And Teddy worried lots about The fact that he was rather stout. He thought$ %&f only & were thin' But how does anyone begin(% He thought$ %&t really isn)t fair To grudge e exercise and air.% *or any wee!s he +ressed in vain His nose against the window,+ane, And envied those who wal!ed about -educing their unwanted stout. "one of the +eo+le he could see %&s .uite% /he said0 %as fat as e'% Then with a still ore oving sigh, %& ean% /he said0 %as fat as &'% "ow Teddy, as was only right, 1le+t in the otto an at night, And with hi crowded in as well 2ore ani als than & can tell; "ot only these, but boo!s and things, 1uch as a !ind relation brings , Old tales of %Once u+on a ti e%, And history retold in rhy e. One night it ha++ened that he too! A +ee+ at an old +icture,boo!, Wherein he ca e across by chance The +icture of a 3ing of *rance /A stoutish an0 and, down below, These words$ %3ing 4ouis 1o and 1o, "ic!na ed )The Handso e') % There he sat, And /thin! of it0 the an was fat'

Our bear re#oiced li!e anything To read about this fa ous 3ing, "ic!na ed the %Handso e.% "ot a doubt The an was definitely stout. Why then, a bear /for all his tub0 2ight yet be na ed %The Handso e 5ub'% %2ight yet be na ed.% Or did he ean That years ago he % ight have been%( *or now he felt a slight isgiving$ %&s 4ouis 1o and 1o still living( *ashions in beauty have a way Of altering fro day to day. &s )Handso e 4ouis) with us yet( 6nfortunately & forget.% "ext orning /nose to window,+ane0 The doubt occurred to hi again. One .uestion ha ered in his head$ %&s he alive or is he dead(% Thus, nose to +ane, he +ondered; but The lattice window, loosely shut, 1wung o+en. With one startled %Oh'% Our Teddy disa++eared below. There ha++ened to be +assing by A +lu + an with a twin!ling eye, Who, seeing Teddy in the street, -aised hi +olitely on his feet, And ur ured !indly in his ear 1oft words of co fort and of cheer$ %Well, well'% %Allow e'% %"ot at all.% %Tut,tut'% A very nasty fall.% Our Teddy answered not a word; &t)s doubtful if he even heard. Our bear could only loo! and loo!$ The stout an in the +icture,boo!' That %handso e% 3ing , could this be he, This an of adi+osity( %& +ossible,% he thought. %But still, "o har in as!ing. 7es, & will'%

%Are you,% he said, %by any chance His 2a#esty the 3ing of *rance(% The other answered, %& a that,% Bowed stiffly, and re oved his hat; Then said, %8xcuse e,% with an air %But is it 2r. 8dward Bear(% And Teddy, bending very low, -e+lied +olitely, %8ven so'% They stood beneath the window there, The 3ing and 2r. 8dward Bear, And, handso e, if a trifle fat, Tal!ed carelessly of this and that ... Then said His 2a#esty, %Well, well, & ust get on,% and rang the bell. %7our bear, & thin!,% he s iled. %Good,day'% And turned, and went u+on his way. A bear, however hard he tries, Grows tubby without exercise. Our Teddy Bear is short and fat, Which is not to be wondered at. But do you thin! it worries hi To !now that he is far fro sli ( "o, #ust the other way about , He)s +roud of being short and stout.