A.A.Milne

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My name is Chrystal Hoover.

The course that I am in is Computer Programming.

How many of you know the real story of Winnie-The-Pooh? I'm here to tell you the real story of Winnie The Pooh and more.

First I will tell you some fact's about Alan Alexander Milne, the author of Winnie The Pooh, Second I will tell you some fact's about Winnie The Pooh and last I will tell you some thing's about the Artist himself Ernest. H. Shepard.

A.A. Milne: Alan Alexander Milne is the author of Winnie The Pooh. He was born in London on January 18, 1882. He was the third and youngest son of London schoolteachers, and to be the only one in his family who could read at the age of two. As a schoolboy he began to write verses, and shot humorous pieces for his school's paper. He went to Cambridge, where he edited the unergraduate paper.

In 1903 he left school and went to London to write. At the end of a year he had spent all of his money and earned almost nothing. He continued writing and during the second year he earned considerably more and supported himself on his earnings. In 1906 he was offered a position at Punch magazine. He was an editor at Punch for the next eight years, during which time he wrote his first book; three collections of his contributions to the magazine were also published.

In 1913 he married Dorothy, known as Daphne. In 1915, during World War 1, he enlisted in the Royal Warwichshire Regiment and served in France. During his military services he wrote three plays, all of which were produced on the London stage. After the war he declined to return to Punch, choosing instead to write when and where he pleased. In 1919 his play Mr. Pim Passes By was a huge success, affording the Milnes financial independence.

Christopher Robin: A.A. Milne finally had a son in 1920 and he proudly named his child Christopher Robin. This is where the story begins.

When Christopher Robin was a year old, he was given a stuffed bear from Harrods, and later a tiger, pig, and a donkey.

Winnie did not fully come from A.A. Milne's head. Christopher Robin had a teddy bear, sometimes called Edward Bear and sometimes called Pooh. Christopher Robin would say that the bear need an exciting name all to himself so Christopher named him Winnie the Pooh. Christopher Robin and A.A. Milne were in London and they couldn't go to London and not go to the Zoo. They went to a special cage, the door was open and this furry cub comes wondering out. This bear's name was Winnie. The thing is that no one can really remember if Winnie is called after Pooh, or if Pooh is called after Winnie. People did now at one time but over time forgot.

The bear in the London Zoo was indeed called Winnie, but her proper name was really Winnipeg. Her story began on the 24th of August in 1914 when a hunter brought the motherless cub into White River, Ontario. Captain Harry Colebourn, a veterinarian, was on his way by troop train to Quebec, and from there to England. Colebourn bought the bear cub during a stop at White River. Although he named the bear after his home town, Winnipeg, she ended up being called Winnie, for short. While Captain Colebourn was stationed in England in 1915, the tame, gentle, good-natured bear lived in his tent. Until the Captain had to be transferred, but Winnie could not go with the Captain so she stayed behind. Colebourn chose the London Zoo as her temporary home. He returned to collecter her in 1919, but discovered Winnie's popularity with zoo visitors. He left the bear there and, in time, A.A. Milne came with his son to visit Winnie. And thus, a literary bear was born. The real bear died in 1934. In her honour the London Zoo mad a plaque.

The character's in Milne's Pooh books have been put in memory by being named by Ontario lakes. These lakes are located up near Algonquin Provincial Park.

The Creation of Winnie The Pooh and books: The idea of bringing these toys of Christopher Robin's to life in a children's book was Daphne Milnes idea. In 1924 A.A. Milne had published When We Were Very Young, a collection of verses, which had met with great success on both sides of the Atlantic. In 1928 Winnie The Pooh was released, prompting Milne as a major author of children's book's. Now We Are Six, a second collection of verses, followed in 1927. In 1928 came The House at Pooh Corner. All four were illustrated by Ernest H. Shepard, who visited the Milnes at Cotchford farm. Where he would base his drawings on Christopher Robin and his toys.

Ernest Shepard was born not even a five minuet walk away from where A.A. Milne was born. But it would be many years before their first meeting when their names would be linked for all time to one of the most loved of all bears.

Shepards's mother's father, William Lee, was a watercolour painter and Ernest followed in his footsteps by drawing as soon as he was able to hold a pencil.

He enlisted in the Army in the First World War, rose to the rank of Major and was awarded the Military Cross for bravery in the field. During the war years, he sent jokes about the battles to Punch magazine. Shortly after his return from the from, he was invited to join the Punch Editorial Table, where he met E.V. Lucas, who later introduced him to Alan Milne.

In the early days before the First World War, Milne had described Shepard as "perfectly hopeless" as an artist, but the years between had fortunately made him realise the brilliance of Shepard's line drawings and to show his pleasure he inscribed Shepard's own copy of Winnie-the-Pooh with this verse: "When I am gone Let Shepard decorate my tomb And put (if there is room) Two pictures on the stone: Piglet from page a hundred and eleven, And Pooh and Piglet walking (157) "¦ And Peter, thinking they are my own, Will welcome me to heaven." In the ninetieth year, Ernest Shepard donated 300 of his sketches for the Pooh drawings to the Victoria and Albert Museum, where they were exhibited in 1969.

These drawings were shown in many galleries in Britain, as well as in Holland and Australia. These drawings were published in a book called "The Pooh Sketch Book". Even after this major art show at the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1969, England did not consider Shepard important enough to have a major exhibit done in his honour. But Japan, realising the great talent of this major artist, mounted a retrospective exhibit of his work in the mid 1980's.

In his later years, Shepard was heard to describe Pooh as "that silly old bear" which lead to a known saying that now everyone say's about Winnie the Pooh. In Milnes book's it was also mentioned by other character's if Pooh would do something silly then one of the character's would call him a sill old bear.

The Pooh books have reached a worldwide audience.

In closing Alan Alexander Milne died on January 31, 1956. He was remembered primarily for his children's books but he did write more plays, a detective novel, political non-fiction, and his autobiography.

Here is a thought that I am going to leave you with: Do you ever wonder if Mr. Milne understood how popular world renound his books have become for so many children over the world.