Otter was helping Tigger help Kanga with baby Roo. Otter and Tigger were great friends, and that made Roo misbehave a bit because he was jealous. He was also Tigger’s friend, of course, and Otter’s too, but he worried about being left out of something. Roo wasn’t sure what he thought he might be left out of, but he was sure he wanted to be left into it instead.
“Come along Roo,” said Tigger, “do what your mother says so we can go bouncing.”
“After we go sliding,” said Otter, quickly. Otter did everything quickly, even those relaxing sorts of things which preferred to be done slowly.
“It’s time to change your shirt, Roo dear,” said Kanga.
“Dontwannashirt,” mumbled Roo.
“That’s mombling,” said Otter, “and it’s not very nice, Roo.”
“Don’t care,” shouted Roo, who wished Otter and Tigger wouldn’t always be on Kanga’s side.
Otter laughed and looked at Tigger. “Roo is being a tyrunt,” he said.
Otter’s laugh made Roo even madder. He started asking Tigger and Otter “when do we leave, when do we leave,” over and over.
Tigger rolled his eyes. “What’s that called,” he asked Otter. Everyone knew by now that Otter was the one to ask about what things ought to be called, even if they weren’t.
“It’s a pestion!” announced Otter. “It’s like a question, but pestier.”
Roo stopped for just a moment to thing of something even pestier, and Kanga quickly switched Roo’s shirt with a clean one before he could escape.
“There you are, dear,” said Kanga. “Now you can go play with your friends.”
“I can?” asked Roo, who had expected to be In Trouble.
Tigger and Otter took Roo by the paws and led him out to go sliding. Or bouncing. Or both. Kanga shook her head and put Roo’s dirty shirt in the wash.
