One day in the Hundred Acre Wood, a surprising event took place: two new animals appeared out of nowhere—Kanga and her little son, Baby Roo. No one knew where they came from, and their sudden arrival stirred curiosity among the familiar friends.
Winnie-the-Pooh, always puzzled yet eager to understand, went to Christopher Robin to inquire. “How did they come here?” he asked.
“In the usual way, if you know what I mean,” Christopher Robin replied with a smile.
Pooh nodded thoughtfully, pretending to grasp the explanation. “Ah, the usual way,” he said, even though he didn’t quite understand.
Feeling the need to discuss this further, Pooh decided to visit his friend Piglet. When he arrived at Piglet’s house, he found Rabbit there as well. The three friends sat down to talk about Kanga and Roo.
“What I don’t like about this,” Rabbit began, “is that suddenly we have a strange animal among us—an animal we’ve never even heard of before! And she carries her family around in her pocket! Imagine if I carried my family around in my pocket. How many pockets would I need?”
Piglet calculated, “Sixteen.”
“Seventeen,” corrected Rabbit, “and one more for a handkerchief—that’s eighteen. I haven’t time for that!”
They all sat in thoughtful silence. Pooh tried to keep up with the conversation but found himself a bit confused.
“The question is, what are we to do about Kanga?” Piglet asked.
Rabbit hatched a plan. “We should steal Baby Roo and hide him. Then, when Kanga asks where he is, we’ll say ‘Aha!’ and tell her we’ll only return him if she leaves the forest forever.”
Pooh practiced saying “Aha!” in the corner, trying to get the tone just right. Piglet, however, felt a bit uneasy. “I heard that Kangas are considered one of the fiercer animals,” he whispered. “If we take her baby, she might become as fierce as two fierce animals!”
“Don’t worry,” Rabbit assured him. “Kangas are only fierce during the winter months. Besides, because you’re a very small animal, you’ll be useful in this adventure.”
Feeling both important and a bit scared, Piglet agreed to help. Rabbit laid out the details: Piglet would jump into Kanga’s pouch when she wasn’t looking, and Rabbit would run off with Roo. Pooh’s job was to distract Kanga by engaging her in conversation—perhaps with some poetry.
The next day, they set their plan into motion. Kanga and Roo were playing in a sandy part of the forest. Roo was practicing his jumps, while Kanga watched lovingly. Pooh approached them casually.
“Good afternoon, Kanga,” he said.
“Good afternoon, Pooh,” Kanga replied.
“Look at me jump!” squeaked Roo as he bounced around.
Rabbit and Piglet arrived and watched Roo’s antics. Seizing the moment, Pooh asked Kanga, “Do you enjoy poetry?”
“Not much,” she admitted, keeping her eyes on Roo.
Undeterred, Pooh began reciting a poem he had made up, filled with whimsical musings about the days of the week. Rabbit and Piglet tried to draw Kanga’s attention elsewhere, pointing out a supposed bird in a tree. When Kanga briefly looked away, Rabbit grabbed Roo, and Piglet leaped into Kanga’s pouch.
“Time to go home, Roo,” Kanga said, unaware of the switch.
As Kanga hopped away, Piglet found himself bouncing uncomfortably inside her pouch. “This is not as fun as I thought,” he mumbled, feeling quite dizzy.
When they arrived at Kanga’s house, she quickly realized what had happened. Deciding to teach them a lesson, she pretended not to notice the difference. “Time for your bath, Roo,” she announced cheerfully.
“But I’m not Roo! I’m Piglet!” he squeaked.
“Now, now, Roo dear, no more pretending,” Kanga said, carrying on with the ruse.
She proceeded to give Piglet a bath, despite his protests. “This will make you big and strong,” she told him, administering a spoonful of medicine.
Just then, Christopher Robin knocked on the door. Piglet saw his chance. “Tell her who I am!” he pleaded.
Christopher Robin looked at him thoughtfully. “You can’t be Piglet,” he said. “Piglet is a different color.”
Realizing he was outnumbered, Piglet wriggled free and dashed out the door, running all the way home without stopping.
Meanwhile, Rabbit was playing with Roo and found himself genuinely enjoying the little kangaroo’s company. Pooh was back at the sandy spot, attempting to practice jumping like Kanga.
In the end, everyone gathered together, and the misunderstanding was cleared up. Kanga revealed that she knew all along and was just having a bit of fun. The animals apologized for their trick, and Kanga and Roo were warmly welcomed into the community.
From that day forward, they all became good friends. Every Tuesday, Roo would visit Rabbit, who had grown fond of his energetic antics. Kanga spent time with Pooh, helping him practice his jumping, while Piglet enjoyed peaceful days with Christopher Robin.
The Hundred Acre Wood was filled with even more joy and laughter, and everyone agreed that new friends made their world a happier place.