Roo's Big Jump: A Winnie-The-Pooh Bedtime Story

Roo's Big Jump.

In the very middle of the hundred-acre wood,

Where the sun cast dappled light through the leaves and the butterflies danced upon the breeze,

A young kangaroo named Roo was staring with a rather serious look at the river.

Not a small river,

Mind you,

But a rather large one that had quite decisively taken it upon itself to split the wood into two halves,

And at this moment it held all of Roo's attention.

Roo,

You see,

Had an idea,

Not just a small,

Everyday sort of idea,

Like what to have for supper,

Which for Poo would always be honey,

But a big,

Important idea.

He wanted,

More than anything else,

To jump over that river.

He yearned to see what lay on the other side,

Of course because exploring is what adventurous young kangaroos like to do.

But it was more than just that.

He wished to prove to himself,

In the deepest part of his heart where truth resides,

That he was not just a little joey any more.

He wished to be Roo the kangaroo who jumped over the river.

But,

Oh bother,

The river was wide and its current swift.

It wasn't like hopping over a fallen log or skipping across a small stream.

No,

This was a proper grown-up kangaroo jump.

The thought of it brought a shiver down his spine and a rumble in his tummy.

Not the good sort of rumble that meant it was time for a small smack roll of something,

But the kind that meant he was scared.

His mother,

Kanga,

The most sensible kangaroo in the whole wood,

Came over and nuzzled him lovingly.

She had that way of knowing,

The way mothers do,

What was going on in his mind.

There's no rush,

Roo,

She said softly.

You have all the time in the world.

Her voice was as warm as the sunbeams that filtered through the trees.

But despite her comforting words,

Roo couldn't stop his heart from yearning to leap across the river.

Perhaps it was the stubbornness that comes from being young,

Or perhaps it was the very nature of being a kangaroo,

But Roo felt a powerful urge within him to make that jump.

It was as if the river had thrown down a challenge and he couldn't resist responding.

Every time he looked at it,

It seemed to say,

Go on Roo,

See if you can do it.

So there he sat,

The little joey,

With a big-eyed ear,

Gazing at the river.

The hundred-acre wood was peaceful around him,

Filled with the hum of bees and the whisper of leaves.

But in his heart,

There was a great big wish,

As wide and as swift as the river itself.

And so our story begins,

Dear reader,

With a young kangaroo's yearning.

For as you well know,

It is these yearnings that can lead to the most extraordinary adventures,

Especially in a place as full of surprises as the hundred-acre wood.

On the very next day,

Or maybe it was the day after next,

Time in the hundred-acre wood was always a little bit fuzzy.

Roo decided to share his big-eyed ear with his friends.

He found Pooh first,

Ambling along in a thoughtful sort of way,

A pot of honey clutched tightly in his paws.

Pooh,

Roo started nervously playing with his tail,

I want to jump over the river.

Pooh looked rather puzzled at this,

Honey momentarily forgotten.

But isn't the river rather wide?

He asked,

A thoughtful frown creasing his brow.

Yes,

Pooh,

Roo answered,

It is,

And that's why it's a bit scary,

You see.

Now Pooh,

Despite his love for honey,

Was also a very good friend,

And so he nodded his head,

Understanding,

Filling his round eyes.

Well,

Roo,

He said,

If honey can give me the courage to face a swarm of bees,

I believe it could help you jump a river.

Would you like some?

He offered the pot of honey to Roo,

A hopeful gleam in his eyes.

Piglet was next.

He was found in his little home,

Straddling out the furniture after a particularly windy night.

Oh dear,

Roo,

He stammered when Roo told him about the river,

That sounds rather risky,

Doesn't it?

Maybe,

Piglet said,

Roo,

But it's something I have to do.

Piglet looked at Roo with his small,

Kind eyes,

With a nod of determination,

Said,

If it's something you have to do,

Roo,

Then I shall be right there cheering you on.

Remember,

It's our friends that help us find the courage we need.

Eeyore was found under his favourite thistle bush,

Gazing at his rather precariously constructed stick house.

Hmm,

He murmured when Roo told him his big idea.

Rivers are not to be trifled with,

You know,

They can be unpredictable.

I know,

Eeyore,

Roo said,

But I want to do it anyway.

Eeyore blinked at Roo,

Then sighed deeply,

A sound that was somehow comforting.

Well,

He said,

Just be careful,

Roo,

We don't want any mishaps.

With their words of encouragement,

Roo felt a new energy stirring within him.

He began to train,

Hopping here and there,

From the sandy pit where Kanga did her washing,

To the very top of the hill where Christopher Robin sometimes sat.

Each day he would try to jump a little further,

And each day he would feel a bit stronger.

Yet every time he stood by the river's edge,

The width of it still seemed daunting,

As if the other side was forever slipping further away.

But Roo would remember Pooh's faith,

Piglet's support,

And Eeyore's caution,

And he would go back to his training,

Determined to make the big leap.

For Roo was learning that being brave wasn't just about doing something daring,

But also about pushing on,

Even when things seemed a little bit too difficult.

And so each day,

In the hundred-acre wood past,

Filled with Roo's hops and jumps,

His friends' cheer and caution,

And of course the ever-present hum of anticipation as a young kangaroo's big-eyed ear was taking shape.

After many days of hopping and bounding,

Of training and practicing,

There came a day in the hundred-acre wood when Roo felt ready.

It was a fine day,

With the sun shining brightly in a sky so blue it made the river look like a silver ribbon laid out on a grand patchwork quilt.

Word had got around,

As words have a way of doing in places like the hundred-acre wood,

And all the inhabitants had come to see Roo make his jump.

Pooh was there,

Of course,

Clutching a pot of honey just in case,

While Piglet,

Trying his best to look brave for Roo,

Was making sure everyone was being properly encouraging.

Eeyore stood at a respectable distance,

Casting a wary eye at the river,

And mumbling something about respect for natural boundaries.

Roo,

With his heart pounding a bit faster than usual,

Took his position.

He could feel the gaze of all his friends,

Their quiet whispers mixing with the rustling leaves and the chattering of the river.

He took a few steps back,

His little eyes fixed firmly on the other side of the river.

He could do it.

He would do it.

With a deep breath,

Roo ran.

His little legs moved as fast as they could,

Each stride pushing him closer to the edge of the river.

He could feel the wind whooshing past his ears,

Hear the cheers of his friends growing louder,

And then,

Just as he was about to push off from the bank with all his might,

He stopped.

His fear,

That nasty little bug that had been hiding in the corner of his heart,

Had suddenly reared its head and made him stop right at the edge of the river.

For a moment,

Everything in the hundred-acre wood seemed to stand still.

The cheers of his friends faded into silence.

The river paused in its chattering,

And even the wind seemed to hold its breath.

Roo stood there,

His heart heavy with disappointment.

He had come so close,

But he had not jumped.

He felt as if he had let himself down.

Worse still,

He had let his friends down.

The sun was still shining,

The birds were still singing,

But for Roo,

It felt as if a little cloud had suddenly appeared overhead.

He had tried,

Oh how he had tried,

But the river was still there,

As wide and swift as ever,

And he was still on this side,

Unable to make the jump.

Roo's big day,

The day he was supposed to show everyone that he was no longer a little joey,

Had ended with him standing on the edge of the river,

His big idea seeming to slip away,

Like a leaf on the current.

And though the river continued its journey,

Carrying with it Roo's unfulfilled leap,

The hundred-acre wood,

Ever the comforting friend,

Held its breath and waited,

Knowing well that every big leap starts with a small stumble.

In the quiet moments following Roo's halted jump,

The hundred-acre wood seemed to hold its breath,

The silence broken only by the soft burbling of the river.

Roo stood,

A small figure,

Against the broad expanse of the river,

Disappointment looming as large as the leap he had not taken.

But friends,

You see,

Have a wonderful way of filling even the deepest disappointments with light.

Who was the first to approach Roo?

A pot of honey held out like a comforting embrace.

Roo,

He said,

With that gentle wisdom that often hid behind his love for honey,

The bravest thing isn't always making the jump,

It's deciding to try in the first place,

And you,

Roo,

Are very brave indeed.

Piglet shuffled forward next,

His small body barely a whisper against the rustling leaves.

He looked at Roo,

Then at the river,

Then back at Roo.

I could never even think about doing such a thing,

Roo,

He admitted,

His small voice carrying an echo of awe,

Just imagining it gives me a fit of the sneezes.

Even Eeyore,

In his own way,

Showed his admiration.

He ambled over slowly,

A thistle in his mouth moving in rhythm with his steps.

You wanted to jump over the river,

And you tried,

He said,

That's more than most of us can say,

Except maybe,

For that river,

It does seem to have a way of moving along.

Their words,

Kind and true,

Began to lift the cloud of disappointment from Roo's heart.

He looked from one friend to another,

And for the first time since his halted jump,

A smile started to form on his face.

Maybe he hadn't jumped over the river,

But he had tried,

He had faced his fear,

And that was something to be proud of.

With renewed courage,

Roo decided to try again,

But this time it was different,

This time he would jump,

Not to prove he was no longer a little joey,

But simply because he wanted to,

He wanted to feel the rush of the wind,

The thrill of the leap,

The satisfaction of achieving his goal,

He wanted to jump for the joy of jumping.

And so the hundred-acre wood began to buzz with anticipation once again.

Roo resumed his training,

Hopping further and higher,

Each leap echoing his determination,

But this time there was a lightness in his steps,

A joy that sprung from his heart,

A reminder that the journey is just as important as the destination.

The river continued its ceaseless flow,

Whispering tales of courage and friendship to the woods,

And the sun still shone brightly,

Casting shadows that danced with Roo's renewed resolve.

The hundred-acre wood waited,

Its heart beat in sync with Roo's.

As our young kangaroo prepared for his second leap,

A leap powered by friendship and the simple joy of trying,

After a flurry of hoppings and boundings,

After a sprinkling of heartful pep-talks,

The day came when Roo,

Buoyed by the gentle encouragement of his friends,

Approached the river again.

There was a light in his eyes that had been absent before,

A sparkle that seemed to twinkle with a new determination.

This was not the same Roo that had stopped at the edge of the river,

This was a Roo who'd found courage in the kindness of his friends and strength in his own heart.

As the hundred-acre wood held its breath,

Roo took a moment to gaze at the river.

He didn't see the width or the swift current,

Instead he pictured himself landing safely on the other side.

The fear that had gripped him before seemed a distant memory,

Replaced with a sense of exhilaration and joy.

Then,

Without a word,

Roo ran.

The world seemed to blur around him,

The rustling of leaves,

A melody in his ears,

The thump,

Thump,

Thump of his heart marking the rhythm of his stride.

As he reached the edge,

He didn't stop.

With a tremendous push,

He took the leap,

A leap that was not just of distance but of faith and courage.

In a moment that seemed to stretch into forever,

Roo was soaring through the air,

The wind whistling in his ears,

The river glinting below.

Then,

With a bounce that rang out like a peal of joyous laughter,

Roo landed safely on the other side.

He had cleared the river.

The hundred-acre wood erupted into cheer.

Poo let out a hearty hurrah,

While Piglet squealed with delight.

Even Eeyore managed a gruff,

Well done,

Roo.

The river,

Perhaps feeling a bit upstaged,

Babbled its congratulations,

While the trees rustled their leaves in a standing ovation.

Roo stood on the other side of the river,

His little heart filled with the satisfaction of a goal achieved,

A fear conquered.

He had done it,

Not by trying to prove he was brave or strong,

But by being true to himself,

By listening to the yearnings of his own heart.

He turned to his friends on the other side,

Their cheering faces a beacon of warmth and encouragement.

Thank you,

He called out,

His voice carrying the weight of gratitude,

I couldn't have done it without you.

And so,

As the sun began to set over the hundred-acre wood,

Painting the sky with hues of warmth and triumph,

The friends returned home,

Their hearts light and full.

The river continued its ceaseless journey,

Carrying tales of a little kangaroo's big leap,

A leap that wasn't about distance,

But about friendship,

Perseverance,

And the joy of being true to oneself.

For as our young kangaroo learned,

That day,

Sometimes the biggest leaps in life come from the smallest of hops,

And the most powerful jumps come from the heart.