"An Ambush," said Owl, "is a sort of Surprise."
"So is a gorse-bush sometimes," said Pooh.
"An Ambush, as I was about to explain to Pooh," said Piglet, "is a sort
of Surprise."
"If people jump out at you suddenly, that's an Ambush," said Owl.
"It's an Ambush, Pooh, when people jump at you suddenly," explained
Piglet.
Pooh, who now knew what an Ambush was, said that a gorse-bush had sprung
at him suddenly one day when he fell off a tree, and he had taken six
days to get all the prickles out of himself.
"We are not talking about gorse-bushes," said Owl a little crossly.
"I am," said Pooh.
They were climbing very cautiously up the stream now, going from rock to
rock, and after they had gone a little way they came to a place where
the banks widened out at each side, so that on each side of the water
there was a level strip of grass on which they could sit down and rest.
As soon as he saw this, Christopher Robin called "Halt!" and they all
sat down and rested.
"I think," said Christopher Robin, "that we ought to eat all our
Provisions now, so that we shan't have so much to carry."
"Eat all our what?" said Pooh.
"All that we've brought," said Piglet, getting to work.
"That's a good idea," said Pooh, and he got to work too.
"Have you all got something?" asked Christopher Robin with his mouth
full.
"All except me," said Eeyore. "As Usual." He looked round at them in his
melancholy way. "I suppose none of you are sitting on a thistle by any
chance?"
"I believe I am," said Pooh. "Ow!" He got up, and looked behind him.
"Yes, I was. I thought so."
"Thank you, Pooh. If you've quite finished with it." He moved across to
Pooh's place, and began to eat.


"It don't do them any Good, you know, sitting on them," he went on, as
he looked up munching. "Takes all the Life out of them. Remember that
another time, all of you. A little Consideration, a little Thought for
Others, makes all the difference."
As soon as he had finished his lunch Christopher Robin whispered to