Pooh and Piglet were visiting Eeyore in his Gloomy Place, which was not far from a rather sad and soggy sort of bog. They had been talking to Eeyore for a long time, trying to decide about what Month it might be. Eeyore said he thought it was the very end of October, because of something he noticed in the thistles. Piglet said he thought it was more likely to be the beginning of November, because of the haycorns.
Pooh wasn’t quite sure about Months, and kept trying to change the conversation to whether it was Monday or Tuesday, because if it was Tuesday then the next day would be Windsday, and it was always good to be prepared if it was going to be Windsday.
Whether it was the end of October or the beginning of November, the days were getting shorter and Dark was coming sooner every evening. While Pooh and Piglet and Eeyore were talking, they hadn’t noticed that it was getting Darker.
Piglet was the first to realize how gloomy Eeyore’s Gloomy Place had become. “Pooh,” he said nervously, tugging at Pooh’s paw, “we should be getting home. It’s getting dark, Pooh.”
“Oh,” said Pooh, looking around. “You’re right, Piglet. We ought to go. Good night Eeyore, Piglet and I have to be getting home.”
“Of course you do, said Eeyore. “End of October and all. Watch out for spooks. Hello-ing and all. Good night Pooh. Good night Piglet. Nice of you to visit. Don’t expect you will again.” And he went back to munching on thistles.
Piglet and Pooh said good night to Eeyore and set off toward home. Their houses were both in the same direction, but Piglet was glad that they would come to his house first. If he got home first, he wouldn’t have to walk by himself in the Dark.
After a few minutes walk, Piglet said “Pooh, are you quite sure this is the right way?”
“I think so, Piglet,” said Pooh.
“Well the thing is,” said Piglet, “that my feet are wet, Pooh. Because of the ground.”
“Yes, Piglet,” said Pooh, “the ground is getting squishy.” Pooh began to think about making up a hum, because “squishy” sounded like the sort of a word that wanted to be in one.
But Piglet said “But Pooh, the ground doesn’t get squishy when we’re walking home from Eeyore’s meadow.”
“Oh,” said Pooh. “Let’s stop for a little while, Piglet, and have a Think”. As it happened, Pooh didn’t need more than a moment, because he did his best thinking when he was sitting down. And when he sat down, he splashed.
“Piglet,” said Pooh, who found he was sitting in a puddle of water, “the ground is very wet.”
“That’s what I was thinking too,” said Piglet nervously.
“I seem to be in a puddle,” said Pooh, from the puddle. “But I can’t tell how big the puddle is, Piglet. Because it’s gotten too dark to see.”
Piglet was Very Glad that he was still holding Pooh’s paw, because when it was too dark to see a puddle, it was too dark to see Pooh, too.
“Oh Pooh,” he said in a frightened sort of way, “I think we went the wrong way and now we’re in the bog. And it’s sorry, and I’m sad.”
“It’s all right, Piglet,” said Pooh, we got into the bog by going one way, so we’ll just get out of the bog by going the other way.”
This sounded to Piglet like one of Pooh’s best ideas, and he felt better until he remembered the Other Question he had meant to ask. He was a little afraid to ask because he thought he might not like the answer very much, but he swallowed hard and said “Pooh, which is the other way?”
Pooh, who was still sitting in the puddle, put his paw — the paw that wasn’t holding Piglet’s — to his head so as to think better. “I think,” said Pooh, “that it might be…”
Just as Pooh was about to explain that the Other Way was either this way or that way, Piglet gave a squeak.
“Pooh!” squeaked Piglet, “what’s that? It’s spooky! Is it hello-ing?” And he pointed. It had gotten too dark for Pooh to see which way Piglet was pointing, but he knew what it was. Not far off — and in the direction that Pooh had been going to explain was “that way” — there was a faint, glimmery light floating in the air not far above the ground. It wafted this way and that, and then it faded away — only to reappear near where it had been. The light went back to glimmering and floating in the air.
Pooh could feel Piglet’s paw shivering, and he thought it might be because Piglet, being a Very Small Animal, was frightened by the strange light. He got up from his puddle and tugged Piglet closer, so as to Comfort him. But just then, the light disappeared, and when it came back, it was Very Close.
Piglet squeaked even more loudly, and turned to run away. He was careful not to let go of Pooh, so Pooh began to run too, so as not to be pulled over and land back in the puddle. They ran as fast as they could go. Piglet could run faster than Pooh, but he thought he’d rather run slower and still hold onto Pooh. Every few steps Piglet let out another frighted squeak.
Before long they could feel the ground under their feet was dry again. They still didn’t know quite where they were going, but then they saw a proper light up ahead. It was just the sort of light you had in your window when it was evening and dark and when you happened to be Christopher Robin. So they ran right to the door and knocked quite hard, and when Christopher Robin opened the door Pooh tumbled in and Piglet tumbled right on top of him.
Christopher Robin closed the door and smiled at Piglet and Pooh. “What are you two doing out in the dark?” he asked. Pooh was still puffing so hard he couldn’t answer, but Piglet, who hadn’t really been running very fast, had plenty of breath left and explained about Getting Lost and Wet Feet and the Strange and Frightening Light.
Christopher Robin just laughed and said “you just wandered into the bog, that’s all. Sometimes in a bog there’s a will-o’-the-wisp, and that’s what you saw.”
“Oh,” said Piglet, “is that like my grandfather Trespasser’s Will? Who built my house?”
“Not really,” said Christopher Robin, “a will-o’-the-wisp is some methane gas ignited by hydrogen phosphide. You find those in a bog, you know.”
“Yes,” said Pooh, even though he really meant ‘no’. But he felt much better now that he’d caught his breath, and now that they were safe and warm (and dry) at Christopher Robin’s house.
“But Christopher Robin,” said Piglet, “we meant to go to our own houses, but your house is the Other Direction from Eeyore’s Gloomy Place.”
“So it is,” said Christopher Robin. “And it’s already dark. That’s why you, Pooh, and you, Piglet, should stay here with me tonight. We can have some hot chocolate and then we’ll go to sleep.”
“And a biscuit?” asked Pooh hopefully.
“And a biscuit,” said Christopher Robin with a smile.
