containing
The Hums of Pooh
The King's Breakfast
and
Fourteen Songs
from
When we were very young
Words by
A. A. Milne
Music by
H. Fraser-Simson
Decorations by
E. H. Shepard
New York
E.P. Dutton and Company, INC.
First published 1961
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number M61-1020
I saw this on the internet years ago and promptly bought it and it's all the music from my childhood album, written about in cottleston pie.
The introduction starts: "If you have read (and I don't know why you should, but it will make if very awkward for me if you haven't) two books called Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner, then you will need no introduction to this one. For when you see it, you will say (at least, I hope you will) "Ah, here it is at last!" And here it is.
And then the introduction goes on about how A. A. Milne doesn't like to write his own introductions, because he "was taught in the nursery that "Self-Praise is no recommendation" (one "c" and two "m's." Some people do it the other way)" and that he said to Mr. Fraser-Simon "Suppose we have two Introductions, and I'll tell everybody how good the music is, and you tell everybody how good the words are, and then nobody can possibly say we are being conceited," but he wouldn't. He says he can't write. I suppose he puts two "c's" and one "m" - a pity.
And more introduction that delights me.
For those who haven't read the original Winnie-the-Pooh, he gives gentle encouragement and admonishment and explains: "So at the beginning of each song I have explained, as quickly as possible, what it is all about." He recommends giving the explanation before bursting suddenly into song on the street, "For you never know. People are funny; and the old gentleman with whiskers in the middle of the third row may take the Pooh books to bed with him every night... or he may have though that this was a meeting of the Royal Asiatic Society. So, if the policeman misdirected him at the corner, or he thought it was Tuesday, you can spare him something of the surprise by not sailing into the song until you have given him these few words of warning."
All of the italics are from the book, from the title page and the few italicized words in the introduction. And what a master of " and ' A. A. Milne was! Looking on the internet, there are still copies to be had. The softback ones are not that expensive. I recommend this book very highly.
#10: For Iron Noder XIV