The Tao of Pooh
Introduction + Context
Plot Summary
Detailed Summary & Analysis
Foreword The How of Pooh? The Tao of Who? Spelling Tuesday Cottleston Pie The Pooh Way Bisy Backson That Sort of Bear Nowhere and Nothing The Now of Pooh Backword
Themes
All Themes Taoism, Nature, and Happiness Knowledge vs. Wisdom Self-Acceptance and Personal Growth Western Culture and Eastern Wisdom
Quotes
Characters
All Characters Benjamin Hoff Winnie-the-Pooh Piglet Rabbit Eeyore Owl Tigger Bisy Backson Christopher Robin
Terms
All Terms Tao (The Way) P’u (The Uncarved Block) Wu Wei (The Pooh Way)
Symbols
All Symbols The Vinegar Tasters
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The Tao of Pooh

by

Benjamin Hoff
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Piglet Character Analysis

In the Winnie-the-Pooh books, Piglet is Pooh’s best friend and frequent companion. He’s kind and loving, but also shy and cowardly, in part because he’s a “Very Small Animal.” As a result, the other animals sometimes mistreat him—but Pooh frequently defends him and teaches him to stand up for himself. At the end of The House at Pooh Corner, when Owl’s house blows down, Piglet is the only one small enough to squeeze out the mailbox and go get help. Pooh’s encouragement convinces Piglet to believe in himself and try things that he didn’t think he could do otherwise. In fact, Pooh’s relationship with Piglet shows how Taoists can use compassion and care (or Tz’u) to help others grow and find wisdom. For Hoff, whereas Pooh represents a Taoist sage who has achieved wisdom, Piglet represents a disciple in the early stages of acquiring it.

Piglet Quotes in The Tao of Pooh

The The Tao of Pooh quotes below are all either spoken by Piglet or refer to Piglet. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Taoism, Nature, and Happiness Theme Icon
).
That Sort of Bear Quotes

The two Fearless Rescues just mentioned bring us to one of the most important terms of Taoism: Tz’u, which can be translated as “caring” or “compassion” and which is based upon the character for heart. In the sixty-seventh chapter of the Tao Te Ching, Lao-tse named it as his “first treasure,” and then wrote, “From caring comes courage.” We might add that from it also comes wisdom. It’s rather significant, we think, that those who have no compassion have no wisdom. Knowledge, yes; cleverness, maybe; wisdom, no. A clever mind is not a heart. Knowledge doesn’t really care. Wisdom does.

Related Characters: Benjamin Hoff (speaker), Lao-tse (speaker), Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet, Roo, Christopher Robin
Taoism, Nature, and Happiness Theme Icon
Knowledge vs. Wisdom Theme Icon
Page Number: 139-140
Explanation and Analysis:
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Piglet Quotes in The Tao of Pooh

The The Tao of Pooh quotes below are all either spoken by Piglet or refer to Piglet. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Taoism, Nature, and Happiness Theme Icon
).
That Sort of Bear Quotes

The two Fearless Rescues just mentioned bring us to one of the most important terms of Taoism: Tz’u, which can be translated as “caring” or “compassion” and which is based upon the character for heart. In the sixty-seventh chapter of the Tao Te Ching, Lao-tse named it as his “first treasure,” and then wrote, “From caring comes courage.” We might add that from it also comes wisdom. It’s rather significant, we think, that those who have no compassion have no wisdom. Knowledge, yes; cleverness, maybe; wisdom, no. A clever mind is not a heart. Knowledge doesn’t really care. Wisdom does.

Related Characters: Benjamin Hoff (speaker), Lao-tse (speaker), Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet, Roo, Christopher Robin
Taoism, Nature, and Happiness Theme Icon
Knowledge vs. Wisdom Theme Icon
Page Number: 139-140
Explanation and Analysis:
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