Winnie The Pooh : What Tigers Like To Eat Best!

This is a reading of one of A. A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh stories in which Pooh and some of his friends meet Tigger for the first time and help him discover what he likes to eat best.

It is for kids and adults with a soft spot for Winnie the Pooh. It is perfect for relaxing with a jar of honey, napping, and bedtimes.
I have done my best with the voices including piglets little piggy grunts.
I do hope you enjoy it!

Transcript

When he woke in the morning,

The first thing Pooh saw was Tigger sitting in front of his big floor mirror looking at himself.

Hello,

Said Pooh.

Hello,

Said Tigger.

I found somebody just like me.

I thought I was the only one of them.

By way of explanation,

Tigger started to talk through the words of his Tigger song.

The wonderful thing about Tiggers is Tiggers are wonderful things.

Their tops are made out of rubber.

Their bottoms are made out of springs.

They're bouncy,

Trouncy,

Ouncy,

Pouncy,

Fun,

Fun,

Fun,

Fun,

Fun.

But the wonderful thing about Tiggers is I'm the only one.

Yes,

I'm the only one.

Tiggers don't jump.

They bounce,

Continued Tigger.

Pooh got out of bed to explain to Tigger what a mirror was.

But just as Pooh was getting to the interesting part,

Tigger said,

Excuse me a moment,

But there's something climbing up your table.

And with one loud warra,

Warra,

Warra,

Warra,

Warra,

He jumped at the end of the tablecloth,

Pulled it to the ground,

Wrapped himself up in it three times,

Rolled to the other end of the room,

And after a terrible struggle,

Got his head into the daylight again and said cheerfully,

Have I won?

That's my tablecloth,

Said Pooh as he began to unwind Tigger.

I wondered what it was,

Said Tigger.

It goes on the table and you put things on it.

Then why did it try to bite me when I wasn't looking?

I don't think it did,

Said Pooh.

It tried,

Said Tigger,

But I was too quick for it.

Pooh put the cloth back on the table and he put a large honeypot on the cloth and they sat down to breakfast.

And as soon as they sat down,

Tigger took a large mouthful of honey and he looked up at the ceiling with his head on one side and he made exploring noises with his tongue and considering noises.

And what have we got here?

Noises.

And then he said in a very decided voice,

Tigger's don't like honey.

Oh,

Said Pooh and tried to make it sound sad and regretful.

I thought they liked everything.

Everything except honey,

Said Tigger.

Pooh felt rather pleased about this and said that as soon as he had finished his own breakfast,

He would take Tigger round to Piglet's house and Tigger could try some of Piglet's acorns.

Thank you,

Pooh,

Said Tigger,

Because acorns is really what Tigger's like best.

So after breakfast,

They went round to see Piglet and Pooh explained as they went that Piglet was a very small animal who didn't like bouncing and asked Tigger not to be too bouncy just at first.

And Tigger,

Who had been hiding behind trees and jumping out on Pooh's shadow when it wasn't looking,

Said that Tigger's were only bouncy before breakfast and that as soon as they had had a few acorns,

They became quiet and refined.

So by and by,

They knocked at the door of Piglet's house.

Hello,

Pooh,

Said Piglet.

Hello,

Piglet.

This is Tigger.

Oh,

Is it,

Said Piglet.

And he edged round to the other side of the table.

I thought Tigger's was smaller than that.

Not the big ones,

Said Tigger.

They like acorns,

Said Pooh.

So that's what we've come for,

Because poor Tigger hasn't had any breakfast yet.

Piglet pushed the bowl of acorns towards Tigger and said,

Help yourself.

And then he got close up to Pooh and felt much braver and said,

So,

Tigger,

Well,

Well,

In a careless sort of voice.

But Tigger said nothing because his mouth was full of acorns.

After a long munching noise,

He said,

Yes,

They are.

And when Pooh and Piglet said,

What?

He said,

Excuse me,

And went outside for a moment.

When he came back,

He said firmly,

Tigger's don't like acorns.

But you said they liked everything except honey,

Said Pooh.

Everything except honey and acorns,

Explained Tigger.

When he heard this,

Pooh said,

Oh,

I see.

And Piglet,

Who was rather glad that Tigger's didn't like acorns,

Said,

What about thistles?

Thistles,

Said Tigger,

Is what Tigger's like best.

Then let's go and see Eeyore,

Said Piglet.

So the three of them went.

And after they had walked and walked and walked,

They came to the part of the forest where Eeyore was.

Hello,

Eeyore,

Said Pooh.

This is Tigger.

What is,

Said Eeyore.

This,

Explained Pooh and Piglet together.

And Tigger smiled his happiest smile and said nothing.

Eeyore walked all around Tigger one way and then turned and walked all around him the other way.

What did you say it was,

He asked.

Tigger.

Ah,

Said Eeyore.

He's just come,

Explained Piglet.

Ah,

Said Eeyore again.

He thought for a long time and then said,

When is he going?

Pooh explained to Eeyore that Tigger was a great friend of Christopher Robin's who had come to stay in the forest.

And Piglet explained to Tigger that he mustn't mind what Eeyore said because he was always gloomy.

And Eeyore explained to Piglet that on the contrary,

He was feeling particularly cheerful this morning.

And Tigger explained to anybody who was listening that he hadn't had any breakfast yet.

I knew there was something,

Said Pooh.

Tigger's always eat thistles,

So that's why we came to see you,

Eeyore.

Oh,

Don't mention it,

Pooh.

Oh,

Eeyore,

I didn't mean that I didn't want to see you.

Quite,

Quite.

But your new stripy friend,

Naturally he wants his breakfast.

What did you say his name was?

Tigger.

Then come this way,

Tigger.

Eeyore led the way to the most thistly looking patch of thistles that ever was and waved a hoof at it.

A little patch I was keeping for my birthday,

He said.

But after all,

What are birthdays?

Here today and gone tomorrow.

Help yourself,

Tigger.

Tigger thanked him and looked a little anxiously at Pooh.

Are these really thistles,

He whispered.

Yes,

Said Pooh.

What Tigger's like best.

That's right,

Said Pooh.

I see,

Said Tigger.

So he took a large mouthful and he gave a large crunch.

Ow,

Said Tigger.

He sat down and put his paw in his mouth.

What's the matter,

Said Pooh.

Hot,

Mumbled Tigger.

Your friend,

Said Eeyore,

Appears to have bitten on a bee.

Pooh's friend stopped shaking his head to get the prickles out and explained that Tigger's didn't like thistles.

Then why bend a perfectly good one,

Asked Eeyore.

But you said,

Began Pooh,

You said that Tigger's like everything except honey and acorns.

And thistles,

Said Tigger,

Who is now running around in circles with his tongue hanging out.

Pooh looked at him sadly.

What are we going to do,

He asked Piglet.

Piglet knew the answer to that and he said at once that they must go and see Christopher Robin.

You'll find him with Kanga,

Said Eeyore.

He came close to Pooh and said in a loud whisper,

Could you ask your friend to do his exercises somewhere else?

I shall be having lunch directly and don't want it bounced on just before I begin.

A trifling matter and fussy of me,

But we all have our little ways.

Pooh nodded solemnly and called to Tigger.

Come along and we'll go and see Kanga.

She's sure to have lots of breakfast for you.

Tigger finished his last circle and came up to Pooh and Piglet.

Hot,

He explained with a large and friendly smile.

Come on.

And he rushed off.

Pooh and Piglet walked slowly after him.

And as they walked,

Piglet said nothing because he couldn't think of anything.

And Pooh said nothing because he was thinking of a poem.

And when he had thought of it,

He began.

What shall we do about poor little Tigger?

If he never eats nothing,

He'll never get bigger.

He doesn't like honey and acorns and thistles because of the taste and because of the bristles and all the good things which an animal likes have the wrong sort of swallow or too many spikes.

He's quite big enough anyhow,

Said Piglet.

He isn't really very big.

Well,

He seems so.

Pooh was thoughtful when he heard this and then he murmured to himself.

But whatever his weight in pounds,

Shillings and ounces,

He always seems bigger because of his bounces.

And that's the whole poem,

He said.

Do you like it,

Piglet?

All except the shillings,

Said Piglet.

I don't think they ought to be there.

They wanted to come in after the pounds,

Explained Pooh,

So I let them.

It is the best way to write poetry,

Letting things come.

Oh,

I didn't know,

Said Piglet.

Tigger had been bouncing in front of them all this time,

Because as you probably know by now,

Tiggers don't jump,

They bounce.

The wonderful thing about Tiggers is Tiggers is wonderful things.

He was singing under his breath,

Turning around every now and then to ask,

Is this the way?

And now at last they came in sight of Kanga's house and there was Christopher Robin.

Tigger rushed up to him.

Oh,

There you are,

Tigger,

Said Christopher Robin.

I knew you'd be somewhere.

I've been finding things in the forest,

Said Tigger.

Importantly,

I found a Pooh and a Piglet and an Eeyore,

But I can't find any breakfast.

Pooh and Piglet came up and hugged Christopher Robin and explained what had been happening.

Don't you know what Tigger's like,

Asked Pooh.

I expect if I thought very hard I should,

Said Christopher Robin.

But I thought Tigger knew.

I do,

Said Tigger.

Everything that is in the world except honey and acorns and what were those hot things called?

Thistles and those.

Oh,

Well,

Then Kanga can give you some breakfast.

So they went into Kanga's house and when Roo had said,

Hello,

Pooh and hello,

Piglet,

Once and hello,

Tigger,

Hello,

Tigger,

Twice,

Because he had never said it before and it sounded funny,

They told Kanga what they wanted and Kanga said,

Very kindly,

Well,

Look in my cupboard,

Tigger dear,

And see what you'd like,

Because she knew at once that however big Tigger seemed to be,

He wanted as much kindness as Roo.

Shall I look too,

Said Pooh,

Who was beginning to feel a little eleven o'clock-ish,

And he found a small tin of condensed milk and something seemed to tell him that Tigger's didn't like this,

So he took it into a corner by itself and went with it to see that nobody interrupted it,

But the more Tigger put his nose into this and his paw into that,

The more things he found which Tigger's didn't like,

And when he had found everything in the cupboard and couldn't eat any of it,

He said to Kanga,

What happens now?

But Kanga and Christopher Robin and Piglet were all standing round Roo,

Watching him have his extract of malt,

And Roo was saying,

Must I?

And Kanga was saying,

Now,

Roo dear,

Remember what you promised.

What is it?

Whispered Tigger to Piglet.

His strengthening medicine,

Said Piglet,

He hates it.

So Tigger came closer and he leant over the back of Roo's chair and suddenly he put out his tongue and took one large gollop and with a sudden jump of surprise,

Kanga said,

Oh,

And then clutched at the spoon again,

Just as it was disappearing and pulled it safely back out of Tigger's mouth,

But the extract of malt had gone.

Tigger,

Dear,

Said Kanga.

He's taken my medicine,

He's taken my medicine,

He's taken my medicine,

Sang Roo happily,

Thinking it was a tremendous joke.

Then Tigger looked up at the ceiling and closed his eyes and his tongue went round and round his chops.

In case he had left any outside and a peaceful smile came over his face and he said,

So that's what Tigger's like,

Which explains why he always lived at Kanga's house afterwards and had extract of malt for breakfast,

Dinner and tea.

And sometimes when Kanga thought he wanted strengthening,

He had a spoonful or two of Roo's breakfast after meals as medicine.

But I think,

Said Piglet to Pooh,

That he's been strengthened quite enough.

And that is the end of the story of how Tigger made friends with the inhabitants of a hundred acre wood and found his perfect food.