On a fine winter’s day, Piglet was busy brushing the snow away from the front of his grand house, which was nestled in the middle of a beech tree at the heart of the forest. As he worked, he looked up and spotted his friend Winnie-the-Pooh walking in circles nearby, deep in thought.
“Hello, Pooh!” called Piglet. “What are you doing?”
“Hunting,” Pooh replied.
“Hunting what?” Piglet asked, intrigued.
“Tracking something,” said Pooh mysteriously.
Piglet approached and peered at the ground where Pooh was pointing. There, in the snow, were a set of paw prints. Piglet’s eyes widened with excitement. “Oh, Pooh! Do you think it’s a Woozle?” he whispered.
“It might be,” said Pooh thoughtfully. “You never can tell with tracks.”
Eager to join the adventure, Piglet decided to accompany Pooh. They began to follow the tracks together, winding their way through the forest. After a while, Pooh stopped abruptly and examined the ground with a puzzled expression.
“That’s funny,” he said. “Now there seem to be two animals. Whatever it was has been joined by another.”
“Do you think it’s another Woozle?” asked Piglet, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness.
“Perhaps,” said Pooh. “It could be two Woozles traveling together.”
They continued on, and as they walked, Piglet chatted about his grandfather, Trespassers W, sharing stories to pass the time. Suddenly, Pooh halted again. “Look!” he exclaimed. “Now there are three sets of tracks!”
Piglet’s excitement began to give way to concern. “Oh dear,” he murmured. “Do you think it’s three Woozles?”
“It could be,” said Pooh. “Or maybe a Wizzle has joined them.”
Feeling a bit uneasy, they pressed on, but soon Pooh stopped once more. “Piglet, there are four sets of tracks now!” he exclaimed.
Piglet gulped. The idea of four unknown creatures ahead was a bit too much for him. “You know, Pooh,” he said hesitantly, “I just remembered something I need to do back home. Perhaps I should go.”
Just then, they heard a sound from above. Looking up, they saw Christopher Robin sitting in a tree. “Silly old Bear,” he called down. “What are you doing?”
Pooh looked up. “We’re tracking Woozles,” he explained.
Christopher Robin smiled. “You’ve been walking in circles, following your own tracks,” he said gently.
Pooh looked down at his footprints in the snow and realized that Christopher Robin was right. They had been following their own path around and around.
Feeling a bit sheepish, Pooh sat down and thought about how foolish he had been. “I see now,” he said. “I’ve been a bear of no brain at all.”
“You’re the best bear in all the world,” said Christopher Robin reassuringly.
“Am I?” Pooh asked, brightening.
“Of course,” said Christopher Robin.
Pooh’s spirits lifted. “Well,” he said, “it’s nearly lunchtime.”
With that, the friends decided it was time to head home. Piglet felt relieved to be free from the imagined Woozles, and together they walked back through the forest, happy to have each other’s company.