Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too - Part One

There are two things in mainstream culture that can always make me cry--the Muppets and Winnie the Pooh. This little gem might just make you bawl, so look out!  It might not be as tearjerking as The Search For Christopher Robin or the "Find Her Keep Her" episode, but it's pretty darn touching.

Christmas Too opens with a jaunty little theme (the special has a nice soundtrack) and the gang all gathered at that cliff they're always hanging out on.  Christopher Robin is writing a Christmas list for Winnie the Pooh and friends, and each stuffed animal has something they want.

Tigger wants snowshoes to be able to bounce in the snow.
Rabbit wants a new flyswatter to keep bugs out of his garden.
Eeyore wants an umbrella to keep snow off of his stick-house.
Piglet's not sure what he wants.
Pooh asks for honey (of course) for everyone.
Christopher Robin wants a sled.

It seems like everyone is covered, so Christopher Robin lets the letter go in the wind, off to the North Pole.

The next day, Piglet visits Pooh to see his makeshift tree...and also because Pooh forgot to ask Santa what he wanted for Christmas!

Piglet reminds Pooh that he forgot to ask Santa for a present!  Pooh quickly devises a plan involving flying on a balloon and catching the letter before Santa gets it.

It doesn't go quite as planned...(the writers loved slapstick in this series)

But they get the letter, anyway.  Meeting Tigger and Eeyore, the gang heads over to Rabbit's house to edit the letter.

Meanwhile, Rabbit is decorating his carrot tree when he gets a knock on the door and hears carolers outside. However, he opens the door to discover...

Deagle Deagle Deagle!

Well, not really, but the scene is pretty reminiscent of the Gremlin carolers. The adorably evil Napoleon-clad leader of the bugs who constantly pestered Rabbit in the series stages a surprise attack on the poor guy's house!  The bugs devour the tree and escape without a single casualty, thanks to Rabbit's lack of a sufficient flyswatter.  The writers really enjoyed tormenting Rabbit for some reason.

After Rabbit's tree is wrecked, the other animals show up to add to the Christmas list.  As they write down Pooh's wishes (a few pots of "hunny"), Rabbit remembers that what he wants even more than a flyswatter is a sprayer "that'll take care of those pesky bugs forever." Yes, Rabbit is actually implying that he wants to kill the little bastards.  Apparently he's been afraid to ask, 'cause murder is naughty according to Santa Claus.  And God.  The special suddenly got dark.
The gang begins to get greedy and start asking for everything in mass amounts.  Suddenly, they realize that it's Christmas Eve!  Pooh is enlisted to send off the letter while Rabbit, Tigger, and Eeyore go off to find a bigger tree for all the presents.

Pooh lets the letter go into the wind, not realizing that the wind is blowing south.

Meanwhile, Rabbit, Tigger, and Eeyore enlist Gopher (he's not in the book) to help them cut down a huge tree.  Gopher is subjected to some amusing slapstick, but eventually the tree is put in the right place.  It is soon decorated with hundreds of ornaments (mostly old furniture), complete with Eeyore as an angel (easily the best moment in the entire special).

Pooh and Piglet go home, sure that they are in store for the best Christmas that one could have.  It is then that the wind blows the letter to Santa back under Pooh's door.

"Oh bother."