Despite being almost one hundred years old, Winnie-the-Pooh is a bear that has a very special place in the nation’s heart. Most households boast a copy of Winnie-the-Pooh or The House at Pooh Corner on their shelves and the classic remains a firm favourite with adults and children alike.

Created by AA Milne in 1926, the silly old bear is in fact so well-loved that he has since been made into films, cartoons and soft toys all over the world. His fans include Walt Disney, who was inspired to create the cheery, yellow cartoon version of the bear we know and love when reading the Winnie-the-Pooh stories to his own daughters. 

The adventures of Pooh, Piglet, Christopher Robin and friends in the Hundred Acre Wood were inspired by AA Milne’s own son Christopher Robin and his stuffed bear. Their innocent and cheering adventures chasing Heffalumps, playing Poohsticks and exploring the Hundred Acre Wood have delighted generations of children. For adults, the books remind us of simpler times: an imagined world where children play with dog-eared soft toys and spends days in the woods. For children, the books’ appeal lies in their silly humour, rhymes and lovable characters.

For a bear of very little brain, Pooh is surprisingly wise, especially when philosophising about friendship, living in the moment and, of course, honey. Happy-go-lucky Pooh and Piglet are by no means the only characters in the book with something to say though – we all have days where we are a bit more Eeyore than Pooh and his cynical comments on life are just what we need.

In fact, there are nuggets of wisdom and heart-warming lines peppered throughout the books. With this in mind, we have gathered 21 of our favourite quotes from AA Milne’s original stories about Pooh bear and his companions for you to enjoy.

1. Here is Edward Bear, coming downstairs now, bump, bump, bump, on the back of his head, behind Christopher Robin. It is, as far as he knows, the only way of coming downstairs, but sometimes he feels that there really is another way, if only he could stop bumping for a moment and think about it.

Opening line, Winnie the Pooh

2. “For I am a Bear of Very Little Brain, and long words Bother me.”

Pooh, Winnie the Pooh

3. “When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last, "What’s the first thing you say to yourself?" "What’s for breakfast?" said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?" "I say, I wonder what’s going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet. Pooh nodded thoughtfully. "It’s the same thing," he said.” 

Winnie the Pooh

4. "It is hard to be brave,’ said Piglet, sniffing slightly, ‘when you're only a Very Small Animal." 

Winnie the Pooh

5. Christopher Robin came down from the Forest to the bridge, feeling all sunny and careless, and just as if twice nineteen didn't matter a bit, as it didn't on such a happy afternoon.

The House at Pooh Corner

6. "This Writing business. Pencils and what-not. Over-rated, if you ask me. Silly stuff. Nothing in it." 

Eeyore, Winnie the Pooh

7. Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind.  "Pooh!" he whispered.  "Yes, Piglet?" "Nothing," said Piglet, taking Pooh's paw. "I just wanted to be sure of you." 

The House at Pooh Corner

8. "Good morning, Pooh Bear", said Eeyore gloomily. "If it is a good morning", he said. "Which I doubt", said he.

Winnie the Pooh

9. "And he respects Owl, because you can't help respecting anyone who can spell Tuesday, even if he doesn't spell it right; but spelling isn't everything. There are days when spelling Tuesday simply doesn't count." 

Rabbit, speaking of Christopher Robin, The House at Pooh Corner

10. "I don't see much sense in that," said Rabbit. "No," said Pooh humbly, "there isn't. But there was going to be when I began it. It's just that something happened to it on the way."

The House at Pooh Corner

11."An ambush," said Owl, "is a sort of Surprise" "So is a gorse-bush sometimes," said Pooh.

 Winnie the Pooh

12. “Rabbit’s clever," said Pooh thoughtfully. "Yes," said Piglet, "Rabbit’s clever. And he has Brain." "Yes," said Piglet, "Rabbit has Brain." There was a long silence. "I suppose," said Pooh, "that that’s why he never understands anything."

The House at Pooh Corner

13. "A little Consideration, a little Thought for Others, makes all the difference." 

Eeyore, Winnie-the-Pooh

14. “When you are a Bear of Very Little brain, and you Think Things, you find sometimes that a Thing which seemed very Thingish inside you is quite different when it gets out into the open and has other people looking at it.” 

Pooh, The House at Pooh Corner

15. “What?" said Piglet, with a jump. And then, to show that he hadn't been frightened, he jumped up and down once or twice more in an exercising sort of way 

Winnie the Pooh

16. “My spelling is Wobbly. It’s good spelling but it Wobbles, and the letters get in the wrong places.” 

Pooh, Winnie-the-Pooh

17. "I like talking to Rabbit... He doesn't use long difficult words like Owl. He uses short, easy words like "What about lunch?" 

Pooh, The House at Pooh Corner

18. “Supposing a tree fell down, Pooh, when we were underneath it?" "Supposing it didn’t," said Pooh after careful thought. Piglet was comforted by this.

The House at Pooh Corner

19. “I did know once, only I’ve sort of forgotten.” 

Christopher Robin, Winnie-the-Pooh

20. “Well," said Pooh, "what I like best," and then he had to stop and think. Because although Eating Honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn't know what it was called. 

The House at Pooh Corner

21. So they went off together. But wherever they go, and whatever happens to them on the way, in that enchanted place on the top of the forest, a little boy and his bear will always be playing.

The House at Pooh Corner