Article of the Week - due Mon., Jan. 26
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English newspaper says send Pooh home
By McClatchy Foreign Staff, 01.12.15
BERLIN — Winnie-the-Pooh is not just
an adorable talking bear. He is also the
subject of a small international dispute.
Pooh was created by English writer
A.A. Milne in the 1920s. Since then, Pooh and
his friends have been in many television
shows and movies and can be found in
stuffed animal collections everywhere.
Before he was famous, though,
The Winnie-the-Pooh exhibit on Dec. 23, 2014, at the
New York Public Library in New York City.
Winnie-the-Pooh was a yellow stuffed bear
that belonged to Milne's son Christopher Robin. The original Pooh has been in the United States
since 1947. Now, England wants him back.
Christopher Robin And Pooh
Pooh's story is long and complicated. The bear's original owner, the real-life Christopher
Robin Milne, kept Pooh until 1947. Then he gave the bear to the American publisher of his
father's stories. He joked that since he was an adult, it was time to give up his childhood
companion.
Pooh stayed in the publisher’s office until 1987. He was then donated to the New York
Power Authority, which gave him to the New York Public Library. The bear has lived there ever
since. He is on display in a special Children's Center at the library's main location in the heart of
the city.
But Winnie-the-Pooh is an English bear, not a New Yorker. The British newspaper, The
Times of London, published an article recently arguing that the bear should be returned to its
homeland. This might seem like a small matter. Winnie-the-Pooh is just a stuffed animal, after all.
For some people in England, however, Pooh is more than just a stuffed animal. He is a symbol of
childhood and England.
Pooh Is In Good Company
The Times made the case for the return of Pooh. Because Winnie-the-Pooh was written in
England, the bear should also live in England. “It is obvious then that Winnie-the-Pooh, whatever
else he is, is not an American,” The Times argued.
The newspaper said Pooh would be given a warm welcome in England. It imagined a
specially built museum in East Sussex, a county in southeastern England. The museum would be
near the Five Hundred Acre Wood, the real-life forest that the imaginary Hundred Acre Wood
was based on. The Times insisted that this would be a better home for Pooh than the New York
Public Library. The Times said the bear was being kept on display "in the basement."
Greece has used the same argument with Britain over the Elgin Marbles. The statues were
sent, but not by the Greeks, to Britain from Athens in the early 1800s. They remain in the British
Museum.
The New York Public Library feels differently. Angela Montefinise, a spokeswoman for the
library, said that Pooh is comfortable where he is.
She said that Pooh's "basement" display is a place of pride. Pooh and friends are part of
the library’s collection of historical treasures. Alongside Pooh are original copies of Shakespeare’s
plays, a Bible made on the first-ever printing press, Charles Dickens’ writing desk, a copy of the
Declaration of Independence, and a lock of Mary Shelley’s hair. Shelley wrote "Frankenstein." In
other words, Pooh is in good company in New York.
The Bear Is Old And Fragile
Montefinise gave another reason for not moving Pooh. The bear is nearly 100 years old,
and after all those years, he is very delicate. Because of this, it could be risky to send Pooh to
England. He might fall apart during the trip.
Also, the English are not the only ones with strong feelings for Winnie-the-Pooh. He
matters a great deal to many New Yorkers.
Montefinise said that it is common to see adults get very emotional when they first see the
stuffed animals. “The librarians themselves leave Winnie a pot of honey and a red balloon every
year on his birthday — he is a cherished part of everyday life" at the library, she explained.
Still, The Times insisted that England and Pooh are meant to be together. Winnie-the-Pooh
is a proud part of British history. The newspaper urged Americans to think about what it feels like
for the English to see Pooh on display overseas.
The article compared Winnie-the-Pooh to "Moby Dick," one of the greatest American
books ever written. “Imagine what it would be like if the original Moby Dick were to be displayed
in, say, a Chinese museum,” The Times wrote.
Article of the Week Questions
Due Monday, January 26
Name ____________________________________
Read each question carefully, then write your answer in the blank. (6 points)
_______ 1. Which sentence from the article BEST explains why England wants Pooh back?
A. Winnie-the-Pooh is not just an adorable talking bear.
B. The original Pooh has been in the United States since 1947.
C. The British newspaper, The Times of London, published an article recently arguing that the bear should be
returned to its homeland.
D. Pooh was created by English writer A.A. Milne in the 1920s.
2. Circle the paragraph from the section "Pooh Is In Good Company" that explains why the New York Public
Library is a good place for Winnie-the-Pooh.
_______ 3. Read the sentence from the article.
“Angela Montefinise, a spokeswoman for the library, said that Pooh is comfortable where he is.”
Which answer option best describes the portrayal of Pooh in the sentence above?
A. metaphor
B. simile
C. personification
D. alliteration
_______ 4. Read the sentence from the article.
“Imagine what it would be like if the original Moby Dick were to be displayed in, say, a Chinese museum,” The
Times wrote.”
In the sentence above, how does The Times elaborate on its argument that Pooh should be in England?
A. Through a story
C. Through an example
B. Through a comparison
D. Through a prediction
_______ 5. Which sentence(s) suggests that the conflict over Pooh will not be easy to resolve?
A. “The original Pooh has been in the United States since 1947. Now, England wants him back.”
B. “He was then donated to the New York Power Authority, which gave him to the New York Public Library.”
C. “It is obvious then that Winnie-the-Pooh, whatever else he is, is not an American,” The Times argued.
D. “Also, the English are not the only ones with strong feelings for Winnie-the-Pooh. He matters a great deal to
many New Yorkers.”
_______ 6. What is the intended effect of including the following sentence in the article?
“Greece has used the same argument with Britain over the Elgin Marbles. The statues were sent, but not by
the Greeks, to Britain from Athens in the early 1800s.”
A. to prove that England should get Pooh back
B. to show that other groups that have tried to get Pooh back
C. to show that countries have had previous disputes over other items
D. to illustrate the seriousness of the conflict over Pooh
For each statement below, circle/shade in whether the text/author would agree or disagree with it, and in the
space provided, give a quote from the text and explain how it supports your answer. (6 points)
Agree?
yes
no
yes
no
yes
no
Statements
Your Evidence (quote, paragraph #, briefly explain)
1. The original Pooh
lived in London until
recently.
2. The New York Public
Library treasures the
original Pooh.
3. Shipping Pooh
internationally would be
risky.
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