Alan Alexander Milne was an English author, best known for his books about the teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh and for various poems. Profoundly inspirational A. A. Milne quotes will challenge the way you think, and help guide you through any life experience.

Famous A. A. Milne Quotes

If ever there is tomorrow when we’re not together there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we’re apart. I’ll always be with you. – A. A. Milne

If one is to be called a liar, one may as well make an effort to deserve the name. – A. A. Milne

That’s what Tiggers do best! – A. A. Milne

People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day. – A. A. Milne

A pekingeese is not a pet dog; he is an undersized lion. – A. A. Milne

It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn’t use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like What about lunch? – A. A. Milne

I do remember, and then when I try to remember, I forget. – A. A. Milne

To seem natural rather than to be natural. – A. A. Milne

What I like doing best is Nothing. How do you do Nothing, asked Pooh after he had wondered for a long time. Well, it’s when people call out at you just as you’re going off to do it, ‘What are you going to do, Christopher Robin?’ and you say, ‘Oh, Nothing,’ and then you go and do it. It means just going along, listening to all the things you can’t hear, and not bothering. Oh! said Pooh. – A. A. Milne

Be sure to put the knocker fairly low on your door in case a very small friend drops by. – A. A. Milne

Pooh hasn’t much Brain, but he never comes to any harm. He does silly things and they turn out right. There’s Owl. Owl hasn’t exactly got Brain, but he Knows Things. He would know the Right Thing to Do when Surrounded by Water. There’s Rabbit. He hasn’t Learnt in Books, but he can always Think of a Clever Plan. There’s Kanga. She isn’t Clever, Kanga isn’t, but she would be so anxious about Roo that she would do a Good Thing to Do without thinking about it. And then there’s Eeyore. And Eeyore is so miserable anyhow that he wouldn’t mind about this. – A. A. Milne

In the quiet hours when we are alone and there is nobody to tell us what fine fellows we are, we come sometimes upon a moment in which we wonder, not how much money we are earning, nor how famous we have become, but what good we are doing. – A. A. Milne

Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again? – A. A. Milne

I did know once, only I’ve sort of forgotten. – A. A. Milne

When stuck in the river, it is best to dive and swim to the bank yourself before someone drops a large stone on your chest in an attempt to hoosh you there. – A. A. Milne

And if anyone knows anything about anything, said Bear to himself, it’s Owl who knows something about something, he said, or my name’s not Winnie-the-Pooh, he said. which it is, he added. so there you are. – A. A. Milne

The more he looked inside the more Piglet wasn’t there. – A. A. Milne

If you were a bird, and lived on high, You’d lean on the wind when the wind came by, You’d say to the wind when it took you away: ‘That’s where I wanted to go today! – A. A. Milne

Owl,’ said Rabbit shortly, ‘you and I have brains. The others have fluff. If there is easy thinking to be done in this Forest – and when I say thinking I mean thinking – you and I must do it. – A. A. Milne

When I was young, we always had mornings like this. – A. A. Milne

The other day I met a man who didn’t know where Tripoli was. Tripoli happened to come into the conversation, and he was evidently at a loss. Let’s see, he said. Tripoli is just down by the – er – you know. What’s the name of that place? That’s right, I answered, just opposite, Thingumabob. I could show you in a minute on a map. It’s near – what do they call it? At this moment the train stopped, and I got out and went straight home to look at my atlas. – A. A. Milne

Did I miss? you asked. You didn’t exactly miss, said Pooh, But you missed the balloon. I’m so sorry, you said, and you fired again, and this time you hit the balloon and the air came slowly out, and Winnie-the-Pooh floated down to the ground. – A. A. Milne

What distinguishes Cambridge from Oxford, broadly speaking, is that nobody who has been to Cambridge feels impelled to write about it. – A. A. Milne

Mind over matter, will make the Pooh unfatter. – A. A. Milne

When late morning rolls around and you’re feeling a bit out of sorts, don’t worry; you’re probably just a little eleven o’clockish. – A. A. Milne

If the English language had been properly organized … then there would be a word which meant both ‘he’ and ‘she’, and I could write, ‘If John or Mary comes heesh will want to play tennis’, which would save a lot of trouble. – A. A. Milne

A quotation is a handy thing to have about, saving one the trouble of thinking for oneself, always a laborious business. – A. A. Milne

Friendship, said Christopher Robin, is a very comforting thing to have. – A. A. Milne

Nowhere can I think so happily as in a train. – A. A. Milne

Tut, Tut, looks like rain – A. A. Milne

We’ll be Friends Forever, won’t we, Pooh?’ asked Piglet. Even longer,’ Pooh answered. – A. A. Milne

That’s right. You’ll like Owl. He flew past a day or two ago and noticed me. He didn’t actually say anything, mind you, but he knew it was me. Very friendly of him. Encouraging. Pooh and Piglet shuffled about a little and said, Well, good-bye, Eeyore as lingeringly as they could, but they had a long way to go, and wanted to be getting on. Good-bye, said Eeyore. Mind you don’t get blown away, little Piglet. You’d be missed. People would say `Where’s little Piglet been blown to?’ — really wanting to know. Well, good-bye. And thank you for happening to pass me. – A. A. Milne

If there ever comes a day when we can’t be together, keep me in your heart. I’ll stay there forever. – A. A. Milne

When you are a Bear of Very Little Brain, and you Think of Things, you find sometimes that a Thing which seemed very Thingish inside you is quite different when it gets out into the open and has other people looking at it. – A. A. Milne

How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard. – A. A. Milne

There was once an old sailor my grandfather knew, Who had so many things which he wanted to do That, whenever he thought it was time to begin, He couldn’t because of the state he was in. – A. A. Milne

I suppose that every one of us hopes secretly for immortality; to leave, I mean, a name behind him which will live forever in this world, whatever he may be doing, himself, in the next. – A. A. Milne

And that, said John, is that. – A. A. Milne

Bores can be divided into two classes; those who have their own particular subject, and those who do not need a subject. – A. A. Milne

The difficulty in the way of writing a children’s play is that Barrie was born too soon. Many people must have felt the same about Shakespeare. We who came later have no chance. What fun to have been Adam, and to have had the whole world of plots and jokes and stories at one’s disposal. – A. A. Milne

Piglet: How do you spell ‘love’? Winnie the Pooh: You don’t spell it…you feel it. – A. A. Milne

Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. – A. A. Milne

Oh Tigger, where are your manners? I don’t know, but I bet they’re having more fun than I am. – A. A. Milne

Forever isn’t long at all, Christopher, as long as I’m with you. – A. A. Milne

Pay attention to where you are going because without meaning you might get nowhere. – A. A. Milne

Nobody can be uncheered with a balloon. – A. A. Milne

What day is it? It’s today, squeaked Piglet. My favorite day, said Pooh. – A. A. Milne

On Wednesday, when the sky is blue, and I have nothing else to do, I sometimes wonder if it’s true That who is what and what is who. – Winnie-the-Pooh – A. A. Milne

I suppose that by this time they had finished their dressing. Roger Scurvilegs tells us nothing on such important matters; no doubt from modesty. Next morning they rose, he says, and disappoints us of a picture of Udo brushing his hair. – A. A. Milne

Of beer, an enthusiast has said that it could never be bad, but that some brands might be better than others. – A. A. Milne

So – here I am in the dark alone, There’s nobody here to see; I think to myself, I play to myself, And nobody knows what I say to myself; Here I am in the dark alone, What is it going to be? I can think whatever I like to think, I can play whatever I like to play, I can laugh whatever I like to laugh, There’s nobody here but me. – A. A. Milne

Christopher Robin was sitting outside his door, putting on his Big Boots. As soon as he saw the Big Boots, Pooh knew that an Adventure was going to happen, and he brushed the honey off his nose with the back of his paw, and spruced himself up as well as he could, so as to look ready for Anything. – A. A. Milne

You never can tell with bees. – A. A. Milne

Piglet opened the letter box and climbed in. Then, having untied himself, he began to squeeze into the slit, through which in the old days when front doors were front doors, many an unexpected letter than WOL had written to himself, had come slipping. – A. A. Milne

The third-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking with the majority. The second-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking with the minority. The first-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking. – A. A. Milne

You can’t help respecting anybody who can spell TUESDAY, even if he doesn’t spell it right; but spelling isn’t everything. There are days when spelling Tuesday simply doesn’t count. – A. A. Milne

It is impossible to win gracefully at chess. No man has yet said Mate! in a voice which failed to sound to his opponent bitter, boastful and malicious. – A. A. Milne

Never forget me, because if I thought you would, I’d never leave. – A. A. Milne

Something feels funny. I must be thinking too hard. – A. A. Milne

He thought how sad it was to be an Animal who had never had a bunch of violets picked for him. – A. A. Milne

Sometimes,’ said Pooh, ‘the smallest things take up the most room in your heart. – A. A. Milne

Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them. – A. A. Milne

Always watch where you are going. Otherwise, you may step on a piece of the Forest that was left out by mistake. – A. A. Milne

When carrying a jar of honey to give to a friend for his birthday, don’t stop and eat it along the way. – A. A. Milne

Now then, Pooh, said Christopher Robin, where’s your boat? I ought to say, explained Pooh as they walked down to the shore of the island, that it isn’t just an ordinary sort of boat. Sometimes it’s a Boat, and sometimes it’s more of an Accident. It all depends. Depends on what? On whether I’m on the top of it or underneath it. – A. A. Milne

They wanted to come in after the pounds, explained Pooh, so I let them. It’s the best way to write poetry, letting things come. – A. A. Milne

But it isn’t easy,’ said Pooh. ‘Because Poetry and Hums aren’t things which you get, they’re things which get you. And all you can do is to go where they can find you. – A. A. Milne

If you were a cloud, and sailed up there, You’d sail on water as blue as air, And you’d see me here in the fields and say: ‘Doesn’t the sky look green today? – A. A. Milne

For one person who dreams of making fifty thousand pounds, a hundred people dream of being left fifty thousand pounds. – A. A. Milne

There must be somebody there, because somebody must have said Nobody. – A. A. Milne

Let’s begin by taking a smallish nap or two. – A. A. Milne

I’m not lost for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost. – A. A. Milne

Well, said Owl, the customary procedure in such cases is as follows. What does Crustimoney Proseedcake mean? said Pooh. For I am a Bear of Very Little Brain, and long words Bother me. – A. A. Milne

On Monday, when the sun is hot, I wonder to myself a lot. Now is it true, or is it not, that what is which and which is what? – A. A. Milne

The Dormouse looked out, and he said with a sigh: I suppose all these people know better than I. It was silly, perhaps, but I did like the view Of geraniums (red) and delphiniums (blue). – A. A. Milne

Hallo, Rabbit, he said, is that you? Let’s pretend it isn’t, said Rabbit, and see what happens. – A. A. Milne

This writing business. Pencils and what-not. Over-rated, if you ask me. Silly stuff. Nothing in it. – A. A. Milne

Pooh looked at his two paws. He knew that one of them was the right, and he knew that when you had decided which one of them was the right, then the other one was the left, but he never could remember how to begin. – A. A. Milne

Christopher Robin was home by this time, because it was the afternoon, and he was so glad to see them that they stayed there until very nearly tea-time, and then they had a Very Nearly tea, which is one you forget about afterwards, and hurried on to Pooh Corner, so as to see Eeyore before it was too late to have a Proper Tea with Owl. – A. A. Milne

I’ll give you three guesses, Rabbit. Digging holes in the ground? Wrong. Leaping from branch to branch of a young oak tree? Wrong. Waiting for somebody to help me out of the river? Right. Give Rabbit time, and he’ll always get the answer. – A. A. Milne

When you do the things that you can do, you will find a way. – A. A. Milne

Don’t underestimate the value of Doing Nothing – A. A. Milne

Brains first and then Hard Work. – A. A. Milne

But Pooh couldn’t sleep. The more he tried to sleep the more he couldn’t. He tried counting Sheep, which is sometimes a good way of getting to sleep, and, as that was no good, he tried counting Heffalumps. And that was worse. Because every Heffalump that he counted was making straight for a pot of Pooh’s honey, and eating it all. For some minutes he lay there miserably, but when the five hundred and eighty-seventh Heffalump was licking its jaws, and saying to itself, very good honey this, I don’t know when I’ve tasted better, Pooh could bear it no longer. – A. A. Milne

I used to believe in forever, but forever’s too good to be true – A. A. Milne

But Piglet is so small that he slips into a pocket, where it is very comfortable to feel him when you are not quite sure whether twice seven is twelve or twenty-two. – A. A. Milne

The Old Testament is responsible for more atheism, agnosticism, disbelief – call it what you will – than any book ever written; it has emptied more churches than all the counterattractions of cinema, motor bicycle and golf course. – A. A. Milne

A Proper Tea is much nicer than a Very Nearly Tea, which is one you forget about afterwards. – A. A. Milne

I have been Foolish and Deluded, and I am a Bear of No Brain at All. – A. A. Milne

Oh, Eeyore, you are wet! said Piglet, feeling him. Eeyore shook himself and asked somebody to explain to Piglet what happened when you had been inside a river for quite a long time. – A. A. Milne

If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day, so I never have to live without you. – A. A. Milne

Once upon a time there were three little foxes Who didn’t wear stockings, and they didn’t wear sockses, But they all had handkerchiefs to blow their noses, And they kept their handkerchiefs in cardboard boxes. – A. A. Milne

To her- Hand in hand we come Christopher Robin and I To lay this book in your lap. Say you’re surprised? Say you like it? Say it’s just what you wanted? Because it’s yours- because we love you. – A. A. Milne

If you want to make a song more hummy, add a few tiddely poms. – A. A. Milne

Why does a silly bird go on saying chiff-chaff all day long? Is it happiness or hiccups? – A. A. Milne

Sometimes I sits and thinks, and sometimes I just sits. – A. A. Milne

Time for a little something. – A. A. Milne

And by and by Christopher Robin came to the end of things, and he was silent, and he sat there, looking out over the world, just wishing it wouldn’t stop. – A. A. Milne

We’ll be friends until forever, just you wait and see – A. A. Milne

Eeyore, the old grey donkey, stood by the side of the stream and looked at himself in the water. Pathetic, he said. That’s what it is. Pathetic. – A. A. Milne

James gave the huffle of a snail in danger. And nobody heard him at all. – A. A. Milne

Here is Edward Bear, coming downstairs now, bump, bump, bump, on the back of his head, behind Christopher Robin. It is, as far as he knows, the only way of coming downstairs, but sometimes he feels that there really is another way, if only he could stop bumping for a moment and think of it. And then he feels that perhaps there isn’t. – A. A. Milne

In a very little time, they got to the corner of the field by the side of the pine wood where Eeyore’s house wasn’t any longer. ‘There!’ said Eeyore. ‘Not a stick of it left! Of course, I’ve still got all this snow to do what I like with. One mustn’t complain. – A. A. Milne

It’s not much of a tail, but I’m sort of attached to it. – A. A. Milne

I knew when I met you an adventure was going to happen. – A. A. Milne

You will be better advised to watch what we do instead of what we say. – A. A. Milne

There’s the South Pole, said Christopher Robin, and I expect there’s an East Pole and a West Pole, though people don’t like talking about them. – A. A. Milne

Supposing a tree fell down, Pooh, when we were underneath it?’ ‘Supposing it didn’t,’ said Pooh after careful thought. Piglet was comforted by this. – A. A. Milne

Christopher Robin … just said it had an x.’ ‘It isn’t their necks I mind,’ said Piglet earnestly. ‘It’s their teeth. – A. A. Milne

Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude. – A. A. Milne

A little Consideration, a little Thought for Others, makes all the difference. – A. A. Milne

When you are pretty sure that an Adventure is going to happen, brush the honey off your nose and spruce yourself up as best you can, so as to look Ready for Anything. – A. A. Milne

The things that make me different are the things that make me. – A. A. Milne

But, of course, it isn’t really Good-bye, because the Forest will always be there… and anybody who is Friendly with Bears can find it. – A. A. Milne

Any day spent with you is my favorite day. So today is my new favorite day. – A. A. Milne

When we asked Pooh what the opposite of an Introduction was, he said The what of a what? which didn’t help us as much as we had hoped, but luckily Owl kept his head and told us that the Opposite of an Introduction, my dear Pooh, was a Contradiction; and, as he is very good at long words, I am sure that that’s what it is. – A. A. Milne

Whereas men of an older school, like myself, smoke for the pleasure of smoking, men of this school smoke for the pleasure of pipe-owning-of selecting which of their many white-spotted pipes they will fill with their specially blended tobacco, of filling the one so chosen, of lighting it, of taking it from the mouth to gaze lovingly at the white spot and thus letting it go out, of lighting it again and letting it go out again, of polishing it up with their own special polisher and putting it to bed, and then the pleasure of beginning all over again with another white-spotted one. – A. A. Milne

Gone out. Backson. Busy backson. – A. A. Milne

Just because an animal is large, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t want kindness; however big Tigger seems to be, remember that he wants as much kindness as Roo. – A. A. Milne

Promise you won’t forget me, ever. Not even when I’m a hundred. – A. A. Milne

It is hard to be brave, when you’re only a Very Small Animal. – A. A. Milne

So he started to climb out of the hole. He pulled with his front paws, and pushed with his back paws, and in a little while his nose was in the open again … and then his ears … and then his front paws … and then his shoulders … and then-‘Oh, help!’ said Pooh, ‘I’d better go back,’ ‘Oh bother!’ said Pooh, ‘I shall have to go on.’ ‘I can’t do either!’ said Pooh, ‘Oh help and bother! – A. A. Milne

That’s right, said Eeyore. Sing. Umty-tiddly, umty-too. Here we go gathering Nuts and May. Enjoy yourself. I am, said Pooh. – A. A. Milne

If a statement is untrue, it is not the more respectable because it has been said in Latin. – A. A. Milne

The hardest part is what to leave behind, … It’s time to let go! – A. A. Milne