It was a lovely day in the Hundred acre wood. Pooh Bear was strolling along humming a happy tune. Tigger was being extra bouncy and even Piglet was managing to be braver than usual. Everyone is happy. Well, almost everyone. Eeyore is his usual melancholy self. Pooh wanders across to say “Hello” to him. 

 Pooh smiled his best Happy Smile

“”Hello Eeyore. I just came across to say “Good morning”

“Really. I doubt that. Something will come along and spoil things. Always happens.’ Eeyore was not going to be so easily persuaded.

“Oh!” said Pooh. not expecting this response from his gloomy friend. “Oh!”  And having no better idea about what else to say, he wandered off leaving Eeyore sitting under his own big, black cloud. 

The next person Pooh bumped into was his friend Christopher Robin.

“Hello Pooh” he said cheerily. “Isn’t this a splendid morning. It make you glad to be alive, don’t you agree?”

“Oh yes” said Pooh. And paused. He frowned, which was an unusual thing for a bear of little brain.

“What’s wrong, Pooh?” asked Christopher Robin. You ;look very serious.”

“Do I? I suppose I was thinking…”

“Thinking…” echoed Christopher Robin.

“Yes.” said Pooh slowly. “Thinking…”

“Thinking…” echoed Christopher Robin. (Christopher Robin had done a counselling course. In it they told him that “reflecting back” was a Very Good Thing. “It tells your patient that you are listening to them. but without imposing your own agenda on them..”  His tutor had constantly told them. So Christopher robin was delighted at this chance to use his new skill  on his Friend.

“What were you thinking about?” enquired Christopher Robin after Pooh had said nothing for quite a long time. 

“Honey” said Pooh.

“Honey.…” echoed Christopher Robin.

“Yes. honey, but before that, i was thinking about Eeyore. 

“Eeyore…” echoed Christopher Robin. 

“Christopher Robin, stop repeating everything I say. You sound like the cave where the heffalumps live.”

“Where the… “began  Christopher Robin. But he had the good sense to stop himself. Instead he asked “What were you thinking about Eeyore?”

“I’m worried about him. He never seems happy. Bad things always seem to happen to him. He loses his tail, his house  is blown away, Tigger always jumps out at him and scares him.And if I say to him ‘How are you, Eeyore?” He just shakes his head and says “Not very how.. I don’t seem to have felt at all how for a long time.” 

Christopher Robin thought for a moment. quite a long moment. Then “I think we should talk to Owl. He knows about thee things.”  Which is how Christopher Robin and Pooh went to Owl to ask about their friend Eeyore. 

And what happened next is another story for another time. But it involves EEyore going to see a psychiatrist and learning all about CBT. But that’s a story for another time.