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Winnie the Pooh

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4reason

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Having recently read two charming books, The Tao of Pooh and the Te of Piglet, both by Benjamin Hoff (the faults of Taoism aside) I was inspired to revisit the original Pooh tales written by A.A. Milne way back in the 1920s. I grew up watching the Disney tv version of Pooh, and find that that is the Pooh most chldren nowadays are aquainted with, unfortunately. In a world where most books for children focus on such themes as multi-culturalism, altruism, religion, unconditional tolerance, etc. it is refreshing to read stories which such interesting characters (again, putting aside the fantasy fact that they are animals acting as humans), Each character has a unique philosophy; unique as compared to the other characters. The interplay between these characters and their outlooks in every situation is absolutely charming. And the wisdom of Winnie the Pooh always wins out. I can't think of many other young children's tales where the characters consistently get the just desserts of their philosophies. Bad philosophies always seem to win out... but not in Pooh. My new personal favorite character, is Piglet, as he is the only character who undergoes any sort of change throughout the course of the original tales: he gains confidence and a new outlook on life (that, and the illustrations of him throughout the stories are adorable!).

For those of you who do have young children out there, I highly recommenf the Milne stories of Winnie the Pooh. I even recommend them for all of us adults out there; reading a little Pooh can make even the worst days a little better. Just the illustrations alone will make you smile.

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Having recently read two charming books, The Tao of Pooh and the Te of Piglet, both by Benjamin Hoff (the faults of Taoism aside) I was inspired to revisit the original Pooh tales written by A.A. Milne way back in the 1920s. I grew up watching the Disney tv version of Pooh, and find that that is the Pooh most chldren nowadays are aquainted with, unfortunately. In a world where most books for children focus on such themes as multi-culturalism, altruism, religion, unconditional tolerance, etc. it is refreshing to read stories which such interesting characters (again, putting aside the fantasy fact that they are animals acting as humans), Each character has a unique philosophy; unique as compared to the other characters. The interplay between these characters and their outlooks in every situation is absolutely charming. And the wisdom of Winnie the Pooh always wins out. I can't think of many other young children's tales where the characters consistently get the just desserts of their philosophies. Bad philosophies always seem to win out... but not in Pooh. My new personal favorite character, is Piglet, as he is the only character who undergoes any sort of change throughout the course of the original tales: he gains confidence and a new outlook on life (that, and the illustrations of him throughout the stories are adorable!).

For those of you who do have young children out there, I highly recommenf the Milne stories of Winnie the Pooh. I even recommend them for all of us adults out there; reading a little Pooh can make even the worst days a little better. Just the illustrations alone will make you smile.

I was a huge Pooh fan when I was a kid. I would make my mother put in the tapes almost everyday. Sadly I don't remember the storyline but I'm sure it had a lasting impact on my early life.

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A really good book to read, as an adult, along with the Pooh tales is Pooh and the Philosophers. I just started reading it last night, and am astonished at the philosophical interpretations made of every little thing in the tales (such as Honey as the symbol for philosophic truth... for it has always been held to have a sort of "nectar of the gods" quality for much of history). Thus, Pooh is wise and deserves honey. Eeyore is not yet wise, and only deserves (and can only handle) a Useful Pot ( an empty honey jar). I don't know if it's all true, for it's hard to believe Milne had ALL of those things in mind when writing the stories, but I think the author of this book is right to say that there is not one word, action, or comma in Milne's tales that is not deliberate. It is the interactions between the characters that reveal their perspectives on the wrold for what they are, and that is a great implicit introduction to philosophy for any child (understanding that there are different views and that those perspectives can affect one's circumstances). It is also, as I am not ashamed to admit, a pleasurable way for any adult seeking a little light-hearting philosophy to sit back and think while being delightfully entertained all the while. There's also a book called Pooh and the Psychologists out there, but I have not gotten it yet. I imagine it's just as fun.

Edited by 4reason
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