Title: Tigger Holmes and the Case of the Disappearing Honey
Fandom: Winnie-the-Pooh
Rating: G (although PG suggestions)
Length: 736
Summary: Pooh Bear's honey has been lost.  This is clearly a case for Sherlock Holmes.
A/N: There is the occasional suggestion which doesn't go with a child's story.

It was a glorious autumn morning in the Hundred Acre Wood when suddenly there was a shout from Pooh Bear’s house and he hurried out of his front door, exclaiming “Someone has eaten my honey!”

It was not long before all the other creatures had gathered round to listen to Pooh bewailing the loss of his final jar of honey.

Tigger bounced over and said, “This is a job for Sherlock Holmes.  And I shall be Holmes!”

There were various comments of “Oh!” and “I see” and possibly “What?” before Tigger added “I shall need a hat.”

Kanga offered to return to her house to find a hat from the dressing up box.  “What sort of hat do you want, dear?” she asked.

“A deerstalker.  And we’ll need a bowler hat for Dr Watson.”

While Kanga was collecting the hats the rest of them discussed who should be Watson.  Tigger looked hopefully at Rabbit.

“No,” Rabbit said, “I’ve got far too many things to do, to start dressing up in that way.”

The emphasis he placed on that, and the look he gave Tigger indicated there were other ways he’d be very happy to get dressed up.  But fortunately no-one but Tigger noticed – or realised Rabbit was referring to the black leather number in the back of his cupboard.

Pooh Bear said, “I could be Watson.  I’m sure I’d be really good at it.  I can do my Nigel Bruce impression.”

“You can’t be Watson,” Tigger said, “because you’re the one who’s had their honey stolen.  It wouldn’t be right.”

Owl began making a ponderous statement about Tigger not looking in the least bit like Basil Rathbone, but no-one listened.

“In which case,” Pooh said, “I think Piglet should be Dr Watson.”

“I’d rather not, if you don’t mind,” Piglet squeaked.  “It sounds far too adventurous for me.”

By this time Kanga had returned.  She didn’t have a deerstalker, so gave Tigger a sou’wester instead, which he put on.

“I shall be Mrs Hudson,” Kanga announced.  “All I have to do is make tea and tutting noises.”  She glanced at the bottle in her pouch and added, “And drink gin.”

Roo thought he could be Dr Watson, but when they tried the bowler hat on him he disappeared inside it.

So Eeyore was given the role, and told all he had to do was say, “Amazing” and “I say, Holmes” and “How ever did you work that out?”

Tigger investigated the scene of the crime.

He asked Pooh when he had last seen the full jar of honey.

“Before I went to bed last night,” Pooh said.  “I think it was the heffalump.”

Piglet uttered an alarmed squeak.  And Eeyore said, “Amazing!” to which Tigger replied, “No it’s not!”

Tigger inspected the footprints and concluded a lot of creatures had come into Pooh’s house that morning.  “I should have been called in earlier,” he said.

“I say, Holmes,” said Eeyore.

Finally, Tigger looked up and said, “It is time to gather everyone together and I will reveal who did it.”

“How ever did you work that out?” asked Eeyore.

“Because that’s what always happens in the best detective novels – Hercule Poirot does it too!”

Everyone gathered round.

“There are, as you can see,” Tigger began, “a lot of footprints on the floor.  But they are people coming in.  There is only one set of footprints going out.  And those, we know, belong to Pooh Bear.  Now, the honey had already been eaten before we all came in, therefore we can’t have done it.  Which leaves only one possible solution.”

Everyone leaned forward in excitement.

“Once you have eliminated the impossible, whatever is left, however improbable, has to be the truth.  It was Pooh himself, who got up, in the middle of the night, and fancied a snack.”

Pooh smiled happily.  “Now you come to mention it,” he said, “you’re quite right.  Another case successfully solved by Mr Sherlock Holmes.”

Everyone applauded and Tigger took a bow, before bouncing off to look for more cases to solve.

The others left too, with Eeyore tailing after them, muttering, “Same as usual.  No thanks for the loyal companion, the conductor of light.  I gave my all to the performance.”

Tigger bounced back.  “Watson,” he said, “you must be ready at any hour of the day or night, for when I call upon you next.”

“I was afraid of that!”