51 pages • 1 hour read
Benjamin HoffThe Tao Of Pooh
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1982A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Chapters 4-6Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 4 Summary: “Cottleston Pie”
Chapter 4 reminds the reader that Rabbit attempts to rid the forest of Kanga and Roo because they are different. Rabbit has formed an opinion of them without basis in fact, as he later realizes. Kanga and Roo are unique, a term that speaks to their inner nature. It is difficult to articulate the meaning of inner nature, however, so Hoff uses what he calls “the Cottleston Pie Principle” to explain it. “Cottleston Pie,” a song in Winnie-the-Pooh, is quoted in this chapter, and it also serves as the epigraph of The Tao of Pooh.
The song’s first lines contain a riddle: "A fly can't bird, but a bird can fly" (39). Hoff says this means that there is no profit in ignoring reality. He likens this idea to attempting to fit a square peg into a round hole. “When you know and respect your own Inner Nature,” Hoff claims, “you know where you belong. You also know where you don't belong” (41).
To illustrate, Hoff presents the story of Chuang-tse, who is approached by representatives of the prince.
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