Pooh, Eeyore, and Piglet were
the original toys around which Winnie - the - Pooh and later The House
At Pooh Corner grew, but as the stories developed, more characters were
needed and so new characters were invented. For this reason, Rabbit
and Owl were never toys. They were Rabbit and Owl from the moment
Mr. Milne wrote their names. Rabbit began by being just the owner
of the hole in which Pooh got stuck and then, as the stories went on, became
less rabbity and more Rabbity, for rabbits are not by nature good organizers.
Mr. Milne must have enjoyed Rabbit,
who, once he appears, appears again and again. He is a Captainish Animal,
Good at Everything Important (like Thinking, Spelling, Organizing).
And most of all, Rabbit looks after his friends (of which he has many).
Rabbit and Owl are friends because they share a common gift: Brains. (And
of all the Animals these two have the most relations Rabbit has many relatives
and friends. This is where Rabbit comes into his own, and also why
he is such a good organizer. You can't organize without someone to organize,
and Rabbit knows lots of people of course, he does because this is what
a rabbit always does best - have lots of friends - and - relations.
In Mr. Shepard's decoration showing Pooh's Special Party there are at least
eighteen friends - and - relations hanging about the table (waiting "hopefully
in case anybody spoke to them, or dropped anything, or asked them the time",
and in the picture of Pooh stuck in Rabbit's hole, there are fifteen friends
- and - relations (not counting Piglet and Christopher Robin) trying to get him out.
LIST OF RABBIT'S FRIENDS - AND - RELATIONS
hedgehogs
the Beetle Family, including Henry Rush
Alexander Beetle (and his Aunt, but we are not
told whether she is a friend or a relation)
Smallest-of-All (also known as S. of A.)
Late
Early
Small (another Beetle)
the other numerous others, of such different sorts and
sizes, including the one who left a blue balloon behind at a
party, "being really too young to go to a party at all.
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