What the hell is it with balloons?

quote:

Is it kind of the same reason we still takes grapes to people in hospital?

quote:

"Good morning, Eeyore," shouted Piglet.

"Good morning, Little Piglet," said Eeyore. "If it is a
good morning," he said. "Which I doubt," said he. "Not that it
matters," he said.

"Many happy returns of the day," said Piglet, having
now got closer.

Eeyore stopped looking at himself in the stream, and
turned to stare at Piglet.

"Just say that again," he said.

"Many hap -- "

"Wait a moment."

Balancing on three legs, he began to bring his fourth
leg very cautiously up to his ear. "I did this yesterday," he
explained, as he fell down for the third time. "It's quite
easy. It's so as I can hear better. ... There, that's done it!
Now then, what were you saying?" He pushed his ear forward with
his hoof.

"Many happy returns of the day," said Piglet again.

"Meaning me?"

"Of course, Eeyore."

"My birthday?"

"Yes."

"Me having a real birthday?"

"Yes, Eeyore, and I've brought you a present."

Eeyore took down his right hoof from his right ear,
turned round, and with great difficulty put up his left hoof.

"I must have that in the other ear," he said. "Now
then."

"A present," said Piglet very loudly.

"Meaning me again?"

"Yes."

"My birthday still?"

"Of course, Eeyore."

"Me going on having a real birthday?"

"Yes, Eeyore, and I brought you a balloon."

"Balloon?" said Eeyore. "You did say balloon? One of
those big coloured things you blow up? Gaiety, song-and-dance,
here we are and there we are?"

"Yes, but I'm afraid -- I'm very sorry, Eeyore -- but
when I was running along to bring it you, I fell down."

"Dear, dear, how unlucky! You ran too fast, I expect.
You didn't hurt yourself, Little Piglet?"

"No, but I -- I -- oh, Eeyore, I burst the balloon!"

There was a very long silence.

"My balloon?" said Eeyore at last.

Piglet nodded.

"My birthday balloon?"

"Yes, Eeyore," said Piglet sniffing a little. "Here it
is. With -- with many happy returns of the day." And he gave
Eeyore the small piece of damp rag.

"Is this it?" said Eeyore, a little surprised.

Piglet nodded.

"My present?"

Piglet nodded again.

"The balloon?"

"Yes."

"Thank you, Piglet," said Eeyore. "You don't mind my
asking," he went on, "but what colour was this balloon when it
-- when it was a balloon?"

"Red."

"I just wondered. ... Red," he murmured to himself. "My
favourite colour. ... How big was it?"

"About as big as me."

"I just wondered. ... About as big as Piglet," he said
to himself sadly. "My favourite size. Well, well."

Piglet felt very miserable, and didn't know what to
say. He was still opening his mouth to begin something, and
then deciding that it wasn't any good saying that, when he
heard a shout from the other side of the river, and there was
Pooh.

"Many happy returns of the day," called out Pooh,
forgetting that he had said it already.

"Thank you, Pooh, I'm having them," said Eeyore
gloomily.

"I've brought you a little present," said Pooh
excitedly.

"I've had it," said Eeyore.

Pooh had now splashed across the stream to Eeyore, and
Piglet was sitting a little way off, his head in his paws,
snuffling to himself.

"It's a Useful Pot," said Pooh. "Here it is. And it's
got 'A Very Happy Birthday with love from Pooh' written on it.
That's what all that writing is. And it's for putting things
in. There!"

When Eeyore saw the pot, he became quite excited.

"Why!" he said. "I believe my Balloon will just go into
that Pot!"

"Oh, no, Eeyore," said Pooh. "Balloons are much too big
to go into Pots. What you do with a balloon is, you hold the
balloon "

"Not mine," said Eeyore proudly. "Look, Piglet!" And as
Piglet looked sorrowfully round, Eeyore picked the balloon up
with his teeth, and placed it carefully in the pot; picked it
out and put it on the ground; and then picked it up again and
put it carefully back.

"So it does!" said Pooh. "It goes in!"

"So it does!" said Piglet. "And it comes out!"

"Doesn't it?" said Eeyore. "It goes in and out like
anything."

"I'm very glad," said Pooh happily, "that I thought of
giving you a Useful Pot to put things in."

"I'm very glad," said Piglet happily, "that thought of
giving you something to put in a Useful Pot."

But Eeyore wasn't listening. He was taking the balloon
out, and putting it back again, as happy as could be...

quote:

Originally posted by Jim Lawson:

quote:

Is it kind of the same reason we still takes grapes to people in hospital?

"We" do?

Jim