Page:The House at Pooh Corner (1961).pdf/97

 “The exact words, please,” he said, as if Rabbit hadn’t spoken.

“It just said, ‘Gon out. Backson.’ Same as this, only this says ‘Bisy Backson’ too.”

Owl gave a great sigh of relief.

“Ah!” said Owl. “Now we know where we are.”

“Yes, but where’s Christopher Robin?” said Rabbit. “That’s the point.”

Owl looked at the notice again. To one of his education the reading of it was easy. “Gone out, Backson. Bisy, Backson”—just the sort of thing you’d expect to see on a notice.

“It is quite clear what has happened, my dear Rabbit,” he said. “Christopher Robin has gone out somewhere with Backson. He and Backson are busy together. Have you seen a Backson anywhere about in the Forest lately?”

“I don’t know,” said Rabbit. “That’s what I came to ask you. What are they like?”

“Well,” said Owl, “the Spotted or Herbaceous Backson is just a”

“At least,” he said, “it’s really more of a”

“Of course,” he said, “it depends on the”

“Well,” said Owl, “the fact is,” he said, “I don’t know what they’re like,” said Owl frankly.

“Thank you,” said Rabbit. And he hurried off to see Pooh.

Before he had gone very far he heard a noise. So he stopped and listened. This was the noise.