"You are braver than you believe..."

I thought it would be fun to take a look at the origins of the quotes we use for our Simple Sayings. Let's start with one of my favorites! 

“You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."

This sweet sentiment is by the one and only A.A. Milne, author and creator of Winnie the Pooh. 

While you may be very familiar with this portion of the conversation, have you heard the entire thing? Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh are having a heart to heart in "Pooh's Most Grand Adventure: The Search For Christopher Robin."

Christopher Robin: "Pooh Bear, what if someday there came a tomorrow when we were apart?" 

Pooh: "As long as we're apart together, we shall certainly be fine." 

Christopher: "Yes, yes, of course. But if, if we weren't together... if i were somewhere else?" 

Pooh: "Oh, but you really couldn't be, as I would be quite lost without you. Who would I call on those days when I'm just not strong enough or brave enough?" 

Christopher: "Well, actually..."

Pooh: "And who would I ask for advice when I didn't know which way to turn?" 

Christopher: "Pooh, we..."

Pooh: "We... we simply wouldn't be."

Christopher: "Oh, Pooh. If ever there's a tomorrow when we're not together, there's something you must remember." 

Pooh: "And what might that be, Christopher Robin?"

Christopher: "You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." 

Pooh: "Oh, that's easy. We're braver than a bee, and, uh, longer than a tree, and taller than a goose... or, uh, was that a moose?" 

Christopher: "No, silly, old bear! You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is even if we're apart, I'll always be with you. I'll always be with you. I'll always be with you." 

Here's a little bit of trivia...

• Did you know that A.A. Milne's name is Alan Alexander?
• Forbes magazine ranked Winnie the Pooh the most valuable fictional character in 2002.
• The real Christopher Robin, Milne's son, had a favorite animal at the London Zoo...you guessed it, a bear named Winnie.
• The first Pooh story was called "The Wrong Sort of Bees," and was published in the London Evening News in 1925.

Be sure to check out all of our Simple Sayings here. If you'd prefer gold-filled instead of sterling silver, just contact us.

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