A Winnie-the-Pooh Christmas Tail
Supplemental Study Material

Dear Educator,
There is hardly a one of us that does not have a special place in our hearts for dear old Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends. Whether from the classic stories by A.A. Milne or the various Disney films and cartoons, Pooh lore is ingrained in us from babyhood on up. These wonderful stories have such a bright and gentle way of teaching lessons of friendship, teamwork and tolerance that I believe they are priceless tools in any child’s development. This retelling of one of the classic Winnie the Pooh tales, In which Eeyore loses a Tail and Pooh Finds One, is sure to be long remembered with your students.
As you prepare for your visit, use the suggested activities inside to enhance your students experience with the stories. We have included a broad base of materials to cover many subject areas and enhance your standard curriculum. I hope you find it helpful! As our partner in education, please feel free to adapt the information and activities to best suit the needs and abilities of your students. You are invited to make copies of this study guide for fellow teachers as well as your students.
We look forward to seeing you at the theatre and hope that you enjoy your time with us in the Hundred Acre Woods.
Sincerely,
Amy Neal Bussey
Director of Education, Theatre Bristol

Cool Websites
www.pooh_corner.com Lots of fun Pooh activities, trivia and information. Links to other interesting sites.

www-koi8.machaon.ru/pooh/contents.html This site has the full text to many of the Pooh stories, including In Which Eeyore Loses a Tail, and Pooh Finds One.

www.askeric.org A wonderful site for educators with searchable lesson plans on thousands of subjects. Ddivided by topic and grade level,; includes a question archive and a “write-a-lesson plan” step-by-step guide.

www.artforkids.about.com Hundreds of ideas for craft projects for kids—divided by subject area and grade level.

www.disneyclipart.com Fun clipart of all your students’ favorite characters.

The Story
The play takes its basic plotline from Winnie-the-Pooh Chapter VI, In Which Eeyore Loses a Tail and Pooh Finds One. In the play Pooh and Piglet come across Eeyore looking very sad and gloomy. After walking all around him to see what’s the matter, Pooh says:

"Why, what's happened to your tail?" .
"What has happened to it?" said Eeyore.
"It isn't there!"
"Are you sure?"
"Well, either a tail is there or it isn't there. You can't make a mistake about it. And yours isn't there!"
Trying unsuccessfully to cheer Eeyore up, Pooh and Piglet promise to find his tail. Along the way they enlist the help of Rabbit, Tigger, Christopher Robin, Kanga and Roo. The group organizes a search. During this search Pooh decides to ask Owl if he has seen Eeyore’s tail because “if there is anyone who knows anything about anything, it’s Owl who knows something about something.” When Pooh arrives at Owl’s, Owl points out his new bell-pull.
"Handsome bell-rope, isn't it?" said Owl.
Pooh nodded.
"It reminds me of something," he said, "but I can't think what. Where did you get it?"
"I just came across it in the Forest. It was hanging over a bush, and I thought at first somebody lived there, so I rang It, and nothing happened, and then I rang it again very loudly, and it came off in my hand, and as nobody seemed to want it, I took it home, and"
"Owl," said Pooh solemnly, "you made a mistake. Some body did want it."
"Who?"
"Eeyore. My dear friend Eeyore. He was--he was fond of it."
"Fond of it?"
"Attached to it," said Winnie-the-Pooh.
So the two carry Eeyore’s tail back to him. Of course, this is the most wonderful Christmas present of all! A great celebration then takes place with all the friends from the hundred acre woods.

About the Author
English author Alan Alexander Milne, commonly known as A.A. Milne, began his literary career as a journalist and later became a regular contributor to Punch. He is best known for his collections of verses for children, including When We Were Very Young (1924) and Now We Are Six (1927), and for the books Winnie-the-Pooh (1926) and The House at Pooh Corner (1928). These two books established the characters Christopher Robin (named for and based on his own son, 1920–96) and his toy animal friends, including Pooh Bear, Piglet, and Eeyore. These stories have become classics, beloved by adults as well as children, and have become a favorite subject of movies, cartoons and theatre alike. Milne's detective novel, The Red House Mystery (1921), is one of the best in its genre. Also a successful dramatist, he wrote several comedies, including Mr. Pim Passes By (1920) and The Dover Road (1921).

A Hundred Acre History
1920 August 21, Christopher Robin Milne born
1921 August 21, 18" - high teddy bear (Winnie-the-Pooh), from Harrod's in London, given to Christopher Robin Milne on his first birthday.
1924 When We Were Very Young published.
1926 Winnie-the-Pooh published.
1927 Now We Are Six published.
1928 The House at Pooh Corner published.
1947 Former Dutton Publishing President Elliott Macrae visits A.A. Milne at his house in Surrey, and sees the original toy animals that inspired Winnie-the- Pooh.
1953 The real Pooh and friends tour the United States.
1956 The real Pooh and friends put on display at E.P. Dut ton & Co. Publishers in New York City.
1969 The real Pooh and friends make a temporary visit back to England for an exhibition of the drawings of Ernest H. Shepard, on the occasion of the illustrator's 90th birthday.
Winnie-the-Pooh, new edition with color illustrations by Ernest H. Shepard, published.
1976 The real Pooh and friends make their last trip to Eng land to participate in the 50th birthday of Winnie-the- Pooh arranged by Methuen & Company Publishers.
September 11, Presentation of the real Pooh and friends to The New York Public Library, where they are put on display for the public.
The real Pooh and friends receive professional con servation treatment that includes vacuuming and as sorted repairs.
1998 Pooh and his friends become the center of interna tional attention when a British Member of Parliament decides they should be returned to England.
1999 The United States and England agree that Pooh and his pals are happy and healthy on American soil, and it is unanimously decided that they will remain at The New York Public Library.

Themes
A Winnie-the-Pooh Christmas Tail is a delightful story that can be used in a theme study of friendship, Christmas, Winter and giving.

Vocabulary
Boggy—marshy, swampy
Narrator—one who tells a story
Bracken—a growth of large, coarse ferns
Pathetic—pitiful; causing sympathy
Gloomy—melancholy, sad, dejected
Muddled—Confused
Harmonious—having parts combined pleasingly
Brilliant—Very smart
Vigor—active, healthy, intense
Notice—written or printed sign; announcement

Mathematics
Tell students that they have $10 to buy Christmas presents for each of the following characters in the hundred acre wood: Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger, Christopher Robin, Rabbit. Make up a chart of the different gifts and their prices. Ask the students how they would spend their money. Then, have the students add up what they have spent and write how much money they would have left over.
Hundred Acre Christmas Store
Honey pots, $1.00 each
Cheerful Crayons, $2.00 a box
Christmas Flowers, $1.25 a bunch
Tail Bows, $ .75 each
Gardening Tools, $3.00 a set
Warm Sweater, $1.50 each
Book of Bouncing Rhymes, $2.00 each
Red Balloon, $ .50 each

Friendship Letters
One of the lessons to be learned from the Winnie-the-Pooh stories is the importance of friends. In promoting this lesson, ask students to think of things that they like to do with their friends. Allow students to share some of their thoughts. Then, ask students to brainstorm different things that they like about one of their friends. Review the process of letter writing and then, using the ideas they brainstormed earlier, have students compose a letter to that friend. In the letter, they will tell their friend the things that they like about him/her and the things that they enjoy doing together. If the student’s friends are in the same school, they can give the letter directly to the friend. If their friends don’t attend the school, they may mail the letters.
Before mailing the letters, ask for volunteers to read their letters aloud. Explain to children that they did this activity to show them one way to keep a friendship strong. One way to keep a friendship strong is by reminding the person how much his/her friendship means. By writing to their friends, the students are reminding themselves and their friends how important their friendship is.
Computer Integration: As a variation, have students type the final draft of their letters on the computer. After the students have completed the letters, they can either print out the letters and hand deliver them to a friend, or students may e-mail the letters.

Pre-Show Activities
General
As a class, read the original story of In Which Eeyore Loses a Tail, and Pooh Finds One from Winnie-the-Pooh.

Have students share stories of their favorite Christmas presents. Discuss why certain presents are more popular than others. Have students draw a picture of their favorite present and make a display out of the pictures.
Drama
Have students act out the scene where Pooh discovers Eeyore’s tail is missing.

Have students act out the scene where Pooh finds Eeyore’s tail at Owl’s house

Post Show Activities
Ask students what was the most important gift Eeyore received: his tail or the love of his friends. As a class, talk about other gifts (caring, help, friendship) you can give to friends. Discuss ways to show these things to each other.

Ask if children remember the Christmas Carols sung in the show. As a class, list all the other Holiday songs you can think of. Have each child choose their favorite song and write the title on the top of a sheet of blank paper. Below the title, have students illustrate the song. These illustrations can then be used as a backdrop for a Holiday display in the classroom.

Suggested Reading
Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne
When We Were Very Young by A.A. Milne
Now We Are Six by A.A. Milne
House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne
A.A. Milne—A Biography by Thomas B. Swann
The Brilliant Career of Winnie the Pooh by Anne Thwaite
Secrets of the Zoo by Leslie G. Mainland
Ashes in the Rain by Al Martinez
The Romance of the Captain and the Winnie Bear by Mic Sokoloski

Winnie The Pooh Facts
The curious name of Winnie-the-Pooh came from Christopher Robin, from a combination of the names of a real bear and a pet swan. During the 1920s there was a black bear named "Winnie" in the London Zoo who had been the mascot for the Winnipeg regiment of the Canadian army. "Pooh" was the name of a swan in When We Were Very Young.

The original Pooh was purchased at Harrod's department store in London and given by A.A. Milne to his son Christopher Robin on his first birthday, August 21, 1921. He was called Edward (proper form of Teddy) Bear at the time.

The rest of the toys were received as gifts by Christopher Robin between 1920 and 1928.

Not only Christopher Robin played with the toys; so, apparently, did the family dog, which may have contributed to their well-worn appearance.

The baby kangaroo stuffed animal (named Roo) was lost in an apple orchard during the 1930s.

Winnie-the-Pooh had adventures with Piglet, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo, Owl, Rabbit, and Tigger in the 100 Aker (Acre) Wood which was based on the Ashdown Forest in southern England, located near the Milne family home.

Owl and Rabbit were brought to life to join Pooh and pals Eeyore, Piglet, Kanga, Roo, and Tigger, by Milne and illustrator Ernest H. Shepard.

The stuffed animals range in height from 5" (Eeyore, the biggest) to 4 1/2" (Piglet, the smallest).

The real Pooh and his friends are on display in the Central Children's Room at New York Public Library. They are visited by over three-quarters of a million people annually. A guest book there has been signed by their many admirers.

Theatre Bristol is the region’s oldest children’s theatre, educating, inspiring and entertaining children of all ages for 36 years!

Theatre Bristol
512 State Street Bristol, TN 37620
423-968-4977 www.theatrebristol.org