Bisy Backson (in which Trants explains through A Story why she has not posted recently)

Rabbit woke up that morning with a Very Good Feeling, and as he made himself toast for his breakfast, he began to whistle. It was just that sort of day --- the kind when one knew he would get many Important Things done. "Today," Rabbit said, as he left off whistling and began to Concentrate, "I shall finish my spring cleaning." For it was indeed spring, and there were dozens of items to be cleaned. "But first," Rabbit continued by way of conversation, although there was no one else in his house with whom to converse. "First, I shall check my favorite website." And so he logged in to his computer and typed -- with slightly toast-crumby paws -- WWW.TRANTS.BLOGSPOT.COM.

The computer hummed a hummy sort of song, and the webpage appeared. And this is what it said:

GON OUT

BACKSON

BISY

BACKSON

LOVE, TRANTS

Rabbit stared at the screen. He stared and blinked, he blinked and he stared, but the message did not change in any sort of way, even though he stared and blinked several times more, just to be sure. "Oh, Bother," said Rabbit, feeling certain that his day was now ruined. "Trants has gone away." But as he didn't know quite where or quite how, he decided he must ask Someone Who Knows. And in the Hundred Acre Wood, that Someone could only be Owl.

So he hurried off importantly.

He came to Owl's door, and he knocked very loudly, so that Owl would be sure to hear. After a little while, Owl's head came out. "Go away," Owl's head said. "Today I am Not To Be Disturbed. I am in the process of Thinking."

"Never mind that," said Rabbit, rather shortly. "Now, look here, Owl. I've a message from Trants that I need you to read."

"Well," said Owl as he opened the door. "Of course," he said. "To be sure," he added, just to be safe. Rabbit went to Owl's computer and showed him the website.

"Am I right?" He asked. "Do you see?"

Owl looked at the screen nervously. "Of course one could assume---" He began. "That is, there's certainly an indication---"

"Yes?" said Rabbit.

"Exactly," said Owl, looking Wise and Thoughtful. "It's just what I was thinking."

"Well?"

"It's the only possible answer," said Owl, hoping that something helpful would happen soon.

"Yesterday morning," said Rabbit solemnly, "I checked the website. And there was a notice."

"The same notice?"

"The words were somewhat different."

"I see," said Owl. To one of his education, reading was quite easy, as long as whomever wanted the words read did not lean over his shoulder and say---

"Well?"

"And what did the words say?"

"On this notice," Rabbit asked, "or the other one?"

"Either one will do. Just the exact words, if you please."

"This one says Bisy. Bisy Backson."

Owl sighed happily. "Now I see," he said. "It is quite clear what has happened to our Trants, my dear Rabbit. I am surprised you did not see it yourself. But I suppose that only those who can spell Tuesday have the patience to consider things so thoroughly."

"Yes, but what has happened? Where is Trants?"

"Bisy, Backson," Owl said, "is just the sort of thing you'd expect to see on a notice. It indicates that Trants has gone out somewhere with Backson. She and Backson are busy together. Have you seen a Backson anywhere about in the Forest lately?"

"I don't know," said Rabbit. "That's what I came to ask you. What are they like?"

"Well," said Owl, "the Spotted or Herbaceous Backson is just a--"

"At least," he said, "it's really more of a----"

"Of course," he said, "it depends on the----"

"Well," said Owl, "the fact is," he said, "I don't know what they're like," said Owl frankly.

"Thank you," said Rabbit. And he hurried off to see Pooh.


As you can see, Backson and I are quite bisy. I promise I'll Postson......er....... soon.