We all know the adventures of Winnie the Pooh and Christopher Robin thanks to author A.A. Milne’s loveable books and Disney’s darling films. But did you know that Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh were real?
Christopher Robin was the son
of author A.A. Milne, and Winnie was the name of his beloved teddy bear. His
bear was named after a real bear that Christopher Robin often visited in the
London Zoo.
Just like his namesake,
Winnie the zoo bear had a lot of adventures himself: Winnie was bought in Winnipeg
(a Canadian city for which he is named) for $20 by a Canadian Lieutenant about
to depart to England during World War I. While the soldiers were fighting in
France, Winnie lived at the London Zoo. He became such a popular attraction
that the Lieutenant donated him to the zoo.
Where did the “Pooh” part of
Winnie’s name come from? Pooh was the name of a swan! Christopher Robin had
seen Pooh the swan while on holiday.
The forest where Christopher
Robin and Pooh play is called the Hundred Acre Wood in the books. In real life,
it is based on Ashdown Forest. Rumor has it that Christopher Robin once lost
another one of his toys, Piglet, in these woods, and it has become a tradition
for British children to search for Piglet while visiting the forest.
You can even see Christopher
Robin’s teddy bear on display at the New York Public Library.
Are you interested in
learning more about Winnie the Pooh? Check our online catalog for A.A. Milne’s
books HERE.
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