"Tell Roo to be quick, somebody," he said. "My tail's getting cold. I
don't want to mention it, but I just mention it. I don't want to
complain but there it is. My tail's cold."
"Here I am!" squeaked Roo.
"Oh, there you are."
"Did you see me swimming?"
Eeyore took his tail out of the water, and swished it from side to side.
"As I expected," he said. "Lost all feeling. Numbed it. That's what it's
done. Numbed it. Well, as long as nobody minds, I suppose it's all
right."
"Poor old Eeyore. I'll dry it for you," said Christopher Robin, and he
took out his handkerchief and rubbed it up.
"Thank you, Christopher Robin. You're the only one who seems to
understand about tails. They don't think—that's what the matter with
some of these others. They've no imagination. A tail isn't a tail to
them, it's just a Little Bit Extra at the back."
"Never mind, Eeyore," said Christopher Robin, rubbing his hardest. "Is
that better?"
"It's feeling more like a tail perhaps. It Belongs again, if you know
what I mean."
"Hullo, Eeyore," said Pooh, coming up to them with his pole.
"Hullo, Pooh. Thank you for asking, but I shall be able to use it again
in a day or two."
"Use what?" said Pooh.
"What we are talking about."
"I wasn't talking about anything," said Pooh, looking puzzled.
"My mistake again. I thought you were saying how sorry you were about my
tail, being all numb, and could you do anything to help?"
"No," said Pooh. "That wasn't me," he said. He thought for a little and
then suggested helpfully, "Perhaps it was somebody else."
"Well, thank him for me when you see him."
Pooh looked anxiously at Christopher Robin.
"Pooh's found the North Pole," said Christopher Robin. "Isn't that
lovely?"
Pooh looked modestly down.
"Is that it?" said Eeyore.
"Yes," said Christopher Robin.
"Is that what we were looking for?"
"Yes," said Pooh.
"Oh!" said Eeyore. "Well, anyhow—it didn't rain," he said.
They stuck the pole in the ground, and Christopher Robin tied a message
on to it.
NORTH POLE