Pooh and Piglet wandered happily together through the Hundred Acre Wood. But, passing one of Pooh's favourite trees, a big oak, their way was blocked by something tall and blue.
"That wasn't there yesterday, was it Pooh?" asked Piglet.
"No Piglet, I would have remembered. I wonder who left it here, in the middle of the path."
Piglet peered up at it, "That is a door. It could be someone's house."
Pooh looked too, then he squeezed past it and walked all round the big blue box. "It is a big door, Piglet, but it would be a very small home."
"Perhaps," said Piglet softly, "Just perhaps it is bigger on the inside."
Pooh scratched his head. "We could ask Christopher Robin to come and see it. He'll know what it is."
Christopher Robin, knew what it was immediately: "It's a police box! I've seen them in town. If you need a policeman you knock on the door and one comes out and helps you."
Pooh was not convinced: "Why would I need a policeman in the Hundred Acre Wood?"
"Well ..." said Christopher Robin, trying to think. "Suppose you were lost in the wood: the policeman could show you the way home. Or someone stole your honey while you were out. You could ask the policeman to find who it was and get your honey back."
Pooh thought this a very good reason for having a police box around. He asked, "Christopher Robin, do you think there is a policeman in the box. It can't be much fun standing in there waiting, could we knock and find out?"
He had been told that a policeman was his friend, and not to be frightened of them, so Christopher Robin knocked very gently on the door. Nothing happened, so he knocked loudly. Then the door opened and a man put his head out. On that head was a red hat like an upside-down flowerpot. "Hello," said the man, smiling down at them.
"Are you a policeman?" asked Christopher Robin.
"Do I look like a policeman?" asked the man, still smiling. He stepped out of the box.
"You look like a magician," replied Christopher Robin. "Are you a magician? Do you have a magic wand?"
"Well … sort of. You could think of me as a magician, though I'm terrible at tricks, and this" - he held up the thing in his hand - "is a magic wand though it doesn't look like one. I'm The Doctor, by the way."
"Do you live in that box," asked Pooh, "because it is rather small."
"It's bigger on the inside."
"That is what Piglet thought, didn't you Piglet. Piglet said that it might be bigger on the inside."
"Clever Piglet. Very clever. Which of you is Piglet?" Piglet came from behind Pooh where he had been hiding, and turning from pink to red with embarrassment held up a paw. "So you are Piglet, but what are you?" The Doctor pointed his 'magic wand' at Piglet for a split second and then held it up to his eyes. It glowed green while he glared at it. He repeated the process to scan Pooh and then Christopher Robin. "Well," he said to Christopher Robin, "you are a normal, human child, and you have two remarkable – what do you call them: toys, friends, puppets?"
"Pooh and Piglet are my friends, my best friends," replied Christopher Robin stoutly.
"Friends. Good. 'Friends' is good," said The Doctor, more to himself than to the others. Then: "What century is this, am I in the 20th century."
"Today is Friday," said Christopher Robin.
"Friday? Friday is good, but what year is it?"
"1926, sir."
"Are you sure? Of course you are, a bright lad like you." The Doctor looked around, snatched a leaf from a tree and tasted it. "Earth, England, early 20th century, quiet woodland miles from anywhere. So how come you two are here?" He looked down at Pooh and Piglet as they huddled together at Christopher Robin's feet. "Synthetics like you beauties shouldn't be around for … Oh, a couple of hundred years, maybe more."
Christopher Robin started to say something and then thought better of it; this 'Doctor' was rather overwhelming for a six-year old. Then a young woman appeared in the doorway behind The Doctor. "Doctor, who are you talking to?"
"Amy, this is Piglet and Christopher Robin, and your name is?" But Pooh did not answer him, instead he fell over, inert, and so did Piglet.
"They do that when grown-ups are around," said Christopher Robin, "They pretend to be toys."
Amy looked bemused. "Did you say 'Christopher Robin'? The Christopher Robin? And that's Winnie-the-Pooh and Piglet?"
"Please, miss," said Christopher Robin, "I am Christopher Robin Milne and these are my especial friends: Winnie-the-Pooh and Piglet."
Amy looked around, "And I am Amy. This is the Hundred Acre Wood, yes?"
"Yes, miss."
"'Amy', please. … Doctor, could we have a word in private?"
They retreated into the Tardis. "Amy, you've met this Christopher Robin and his 'friends' before?"
"NO! But I've read about them. Every child knows about Pooh Bear: the books, the Disney cartoons! They are a part of every childhood. … You didn't know this did you?" He shook his head. "Then why are we here, Doctor?"
"There is something wrong here. That toy pig and bear are sophisticated AI beings, well beyond the technology of the twentieth century."
"Really?"
"I was talking to them until you came out, then they played dead."
"Oh yes, what did the boy say: 'They pretend to be toys when grown-ups are around'? How come they didn't treat you as a grown-up, you do look like one?"
"Good question, very good. Also: how did they get here, and why did the Tardis chose this time and place? … There was something else odd. … Oh yes: what gave Piglet the idea that the Tardis was bigger on the inside?" He paced the Tardis control room rapping his knuckles on his teeth. "Of course! They are here because someone fetched them from the future, and that must have been my future self. And Piglet has travelled in the Tardis, so he has a residual memory of it being bigger on the inside."
"I get it: and they know you - sort of - from before, so they didn't play dead. But why did we come here at this time?"
"Because my future self must have instructed the Tardis to come here now."
"OK, so what now?"
"I have to close the circle: I will go into the future, three centuries should be enough, and bring back an AI bear and piglet, and give them to young Christopher some time before now."
"Don't forget Kanga, Roo and Eyeore. … Oh, and Tigger of course!"
"Those are more friends of Christopher Robin?"
"That's the lot I think. What happens if you don't do this?"
"Very likely the books don't get written, you will never have heard of Pooh Bear, and we don't come here. I have to close the circle."
"OK, let's go."
"I have to do this alone: Pooh and Piglet have never seen you before. Stay here and get to know them. I'll pick you up later."
"See that you do!" She stepped out of the Tardis to find Christopher Robin waiting. "Christopher Robin can we go and play Poohsticks?"
"What is that Amy, is it a game named after Pooh?"
"Yes, and I know you will like it, all of you. Take me to a bridge over a stream and I show you how it's done." And off they went. Through the trees, the sound of the Tardis departing could just be heard.
THE END
