Pooh’s treat for Rabbit (Fanfiction based on A.A. Milne and Disney's Winnie-the-Pooh)

Winnie-the-Pooh marched through the hundred-acre-wood in a manner that was not like himself. Normally the thought of his favourite food honey would excite him and prompt him to seek ways in which to get it but today something was on his mind. Some years ago, when the thought of honey made him persuade Christopher Robin to use a balloon to drift up to a bees’ hive and fish out some honey, the bees, enraged at seeing their honey in trouble flew at him, forcing him to give up the pursuit. Desperate to eat, Pooh invited himself over to a reluctant Rabbit’s home where he ate all the honey that was there and was stuck in the entrance to Rabbit’s home. After a few days Christopher Robin and his and Pooh’s other friends, Owl, Tigger, Kanga, Roo, Piglet and of course Rabbit helped pull him out of his stuck predicament, only to send him flying into another honey tree where he remained stuck for at least three days before he was pulled out again. While there, Pooh did not worry for there was plenty of honey to satisfy him

Today however, Pooh felt he had been greedy and that not only led to him getting in trouble from getting stuck but also deprived Rabbit of his own share of honey. He felt he should go back to Rabbit and apologize but since sorry is sometimes the hardest word to say, he thought he would do it symbolically. He passed by Rabbit’s home. Memories of him being stuck in the entrance to Rabbit’s home would not leave his mind; he felt he had to do something about it. Pooh walked back to his house and got a jar of honey. Normally when he was tasked with carrying honey, Pooh could not resist eating an entire jar even if it was not for him. Fortunately he learnt from his mistakes in the past and knew this honeypot was not for him but for Rabbit. All the way from his house to Rabbit’s, Pooh made sure he would not put his paws inside the jar and scoop out a wad of honey which he would put into his mouth. Once at Rabbit’s house, Pooh called out “Hello Rabbit! Are you there?”. Rabbit who was inside, heard Pooh’s voice. He too had never forgotten how Pooh ate all his honey and vowed never to allow Pooh to eat at his house so when he heard Pooh was there, he thought he should be direct and tell him not to come into his house. Rabbit stepped out and told Pooh “Listen Pooh, the last time you were here, you ate all my honey and apart from that you took up the entrance to my house for days, refusing to see that it was your eating that caused you to be stuck. Now you’re back again and for what? To again eat all my honey?!”. A shocked Pooh said “Please let’s go inside Rabbit. We’ll talk there”. Rabbit could not resist and allowed Pooh into the house.

“The pot you see me carrying is for you Rabbit. It’s my way of saying sorry for eating all your honey” Pooh told Rabbit once they were inside the latter’s house. “You want to share it with me don’t you?” Rabbit questioningly remarked “But if you do, you are going to eat most of it aren’t you”. “No I just want to use it for you and me” came the reply. “What do you mean?” Rabbit continued to question. “I’d like to make honey soup for you and me” came Pooh’s reply. “Honey soup?” Rabbit was fascinated at the idea but still believing he would not get a fair share, asked again “You still will eat most of it won’t you?”. “No I won’t” Pooh replied “Where is a pot I could use?”. Rabbit pointed to a pot that hung over a fireplace and said “I normally use that to cook my vegetables. You may use that for your soup”. “I need some water immersed in the pot first before we light the fire” Pooh told Rabbit who reluctantly filled up a bucket of water and poured it into the pot until it was full. At once Pooh lit the fire and told Rabbit “I need salt and pepper now” Rabbit went and got him just that which he immersed into the water. “Do you happen to have an Onion?” Pooh asked Rabbit who went and retrieved a large Onion which Pooh cut up and immersed the pieces into the water while Rabbit thought If I don’t get him what he wants, he’ll be here all day. Pooh stirred for nine minutes and said “Such a soup may require carrots and turnips”. “I can get that” said Rabbit and went out to the garden where he uprooted three of each of what Pooh had asked for and took them back to him as Pooh cut up the vegetables each and immersed the pieces into the water while he continued to stir. “May I have a cabbage and lettuce with some radishes, tomatoes and beans?” Pooh asked next. Rabbit did not need to be asked twice, he again went into his garden thinking Pooh seems to be catering to me as much as to himself as he pulled up a cabbage, a lettuce, some radishes and five tomatoes which he brought back to Pooh who cut them up before putting them in the soup. Rabbit, thinking Pooh would ask him for something again went into the kitchen and fetched some fresh cream and a potato with some spinach, telling Pooh “Every soup needs this”. “Thank you Rabbit, I almost forgot “said Pooh who added the cream to the soup and cut the potato and spinach into it as he continued stirring. By now the essence of the soup was spreading throughout the house and Pooh seemed to have forgotten another element; the most important one honey. He told Rabbit “Please get the honey so I can add it. Rabbit went and fetched the honey and Pooh emptied the entire jar into the pot before continuing to stir

By now the essence of the honey was spreading throughout the house and Rabbit’s mouth began to water as he smelt it. “Do you think you should taste it and see if it’s ready?” he asked Pooh who told him “You may have the first taste”. Rabbit took a spoonful of the soup and put it into his mouth. “It’s sweet and savoury” Rabbit said “Pooh bear what a lovely soup you’ve made! It’s not just honey alone though vegetables too!”. Suddenly, more visitors gathered at Rabbit’s home. It was their friends Tigger, Piglet, Owl, Eeyore, Kanga and Roo with Christopher Robin and a Gopher who made his home near Rabbit. They had all smelt the soup as its smoke travelled out of Rabbit’s house and wanted a taste of it. “How sweet of you all to drop by” Rabbit said “Pooh cooked himself and me a delicious soup made of honey and vegetables. Let’s all eat it!” and everyone came into Rabbit’s home for the soup. “I almost forgot” said Rabbit and went into the kitchen again, bringing out bread and cheese and said “Any soup would require this” and they all ate the soup. Pooh made sure that he ate as much as the others including Rabbit did and did not eat in a greedy manner. Piglet thought it was the best soup he ever tasted and one which was quite unique. Tigger loved the soup that he could not stop bouncing around the house and everyone had to make sure he did not drop or break anything. Owl felt that the soup was the first of its kind since honey and soup had never been mixed together. Eeyore believed that even though he was down, the soup was the one thing that kept him up, sharing it with his friends. Kanga and Roo enjoyed the soup tremendously and took as many helpings as they could. Rabbit could not stop thanking Pooh, saying that the soup was as catering to him as it was to Pooh

When the meal was over, Rabbit ran the others through how Pooh once ate all the honey in Rabbit’s house out and got stuck which prompted the others to launch a rescue that sent Pooh flying into a honey tree where he again savoured honey before being pulled out again. Everyone recalled that and Owl said to Rabbit “Perhaps Pooh cooked this soup for you as a way of saying he is sorry for eating all your honey and glad we popped by too since we couldn’t resist the smell and us joining the meal adds to the thanking”. Kanga told Pooh “He’s right, your meal to us is sure to be a thank you to us as well for saving you”. “Indeed” said Christopher Robin”. Pooh replied “I wish I had called you all along at the start, I only wanted to surprise Rabbit”. “No hard feelings Pooh boy” Tigger told him which had a reply of “Yeah” from Roo. Pooh then asked Rabbit “I used up the honey I got for you in the soup. Can I go back and get you another one?”. “No it’s alright” came the reply. I’ll get honey separately later. It’s good that you used it all up into something for us all. Yet from now on you are still welcome to eat at my place as long as there is enough for others as well”. “Absolutely" said Pooh as everyone bade him a grateful farewell

The End