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A Short History of Winnie-the-Pooh

Winnie-the-Pooh is unarguably one of the most recognizable characters in children's literature, as are his friends: Christopher Robin, Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger, Rabbit, Kanga, Roo, and Owl. Generations of children have loved Winnie-the-Pooh, the Best Bear in All the World. But how did it all begin?

Alan Alexander Milne had already achieved modest success as a humorist forPunch Magazine and as a playwright and mystery author. He might never have written for children had it not been for the birth of his son, Christopher Robin Milne, in 1920.

Back in 1921, a small stuffed bear bought from Harrods department store was given to Christopher Robin (more often called Billy), from his mother, Daphne. This bear was called Edward at first, and sometimes Big Bear, or Teddy Bear. The story of how Christopher's toy became knows as Winnie-the-Pooh has two parts—Winnie and Pooh.

A real bear named Winnie was a popular attraction at the London Zoo. At the outbreak of World War I,a Canadian veterinary surgeon was on his way from Winnipeg to join the second Canadian Infantry Brigade when he bought a bear cub from the hunter who'd shot the cub's mother. The young officer named the cub Winnie (for Winnipeg), and the bear accompanied him to England and became the company's unofficial mascot. When the soldiers left for France, Winnie was left in the care of the London Zoo, and it was there that Christopher Robin discovered her. Winnie was incredibly tame, and on one occasion Christopher was allowed into Winnie's cage to feed her. Although the "real live" Winnie did not like honey, she did have a sweet tooth and reportedly preferred condensed milk to raw meat.

The name "Pooh," rather surprisingly, came not from a bear but a swan. In the introduction to hen We Were Very Young, A. A. Milne referred to the swan in the poem "The Mirror": "Christopher Robin, who feeds this swan in the mornings, has given him the name of 'Pooh.' This is a very fine name for a swan, because, if you call him and he doesn't come (which is a thing swans are good at), then you can pretend that you were just saying 'Pooh!' to show him how little you wanted him."

Other stuffed animals joined Winnie-the-Pooh in Christopher Robin's nursery, including Piglet, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo, and Tigger, to be precise. Christopher and his mother played with them together, and Christopher invented voices and personalities for the animals that inspired his father.

A. A. Milne called Owl and Rabbit "my own unaided work." They were the only two characters drawn not from Christopher's toys but from the natural world near Cotchford Farm, the Milnes' property in Sussex.