Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree

Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree is an animated featurette released by Walt Disney Productions on February 4, 1966. Based on the first two chapters of the original Winnie the Pooh book by A. A. Milne, it was the only Winnie the Pooh Production released while Walt Disney was still alive. Music and Lyrics were written by the Sherman Brothers, (Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman). Background music was provided by Buddy Baker.This featurette served as a companion to the film The Ugly Dachsund.

Songs

 * "Winnie the Pooh"
 * "Up, Down And Touch The Ground"
 * "Rumbly In My Tumbly"
 * "Mind Over Matter"
 * "Little Black Rain Cloud"

Plot
Pooh goes on a search for honey.

The Honey Bees
The story opens with Pooh in the Hundred Acre Wood wondering where he can get honey. He sees a bee fly by and decides to try to get honey from the bee's hive in the nearby honey tree. He first tries climbing the tree but that doesn’t work when the branch he’s standing on breaks, tumbling him to the ground. He then borrows a blue balloon from Christopher Robin, disguises himself as a little black rain cloud by covering himself with mud and uses the balloon to float up next to the hive. A lone bee guard flies out to meet him and is very wary of the little black rain cloud. Pooh Bear sticks his hand into the hive and pulls out a giant handful of honey. Pooh then eats the honey, unaware that there are bees left in it. The startled bees start flying around in his mouth forcing him to spit them out.

Pooh is soon surrounded by angry bees from the hive and his disguise is wearing off. The bee leader sees the little black rain cloud is a bear. Angry, the bee flies at Pooh and collides with the bear's backside. The sudden hit causes Pooh to swing upward and back down and jam his rear into the hole, much to the bee's amusement. The hive bees shove Pooh Bear out of the hole and start chasing him.

During the chase, the string holding the balloon closed comes loose and the balloon flies out of control. Pooh Bear is taken for a wild ride while the bees laugh hysterically. The chase is reversed as the bees are now chased by Pooh Bear. The bees retreat into their hive and Pooh Bear's balloon deflates its last bit of air. The defeated bear falls back to earth and lands in the arms of Christopher Robin. The head bee calls the others to attention and the swarm chases after the two who seek safety in the mud puddle.

Rabbit's Honey
Pooh Bear visits Rabbit's house, in hopes of finding honey there. Although Rabbit is aware of the bear's vast appetite he welcomes Pooh Bear for lunch and gives him a small drop of honey. Pooh Bear is not satisfied and asks for more. Rabbit is hesitant but agrees and Pooh Bear eats ten jars of honey.

Pooh Bear thanks Rabbit and tries to leave through Rabbit's front door but has become so large from the honey he has eaten that he gets stuck. Rabbit tries unsuccessfully to free Pooh then goes off to find Christopher Robin for help. While he waits, Pooh Bear is visited by Owl and Gopher. Gopher offers to free Pooh Bear using dynamite but Pooh declines. Gopher turns to leave and falls into one of his holes.

Christopher Robin, Rabbit, and Eeyore arrive and try to help Pooh Bear but they can't budge him. Christopher Robin suggests pushing him back in but Rabbit protests. So everyone comes to a solution: Pooh Bear will abstain from eating until he slims down.

Return to the Bee Tree
As the days go by, Pooh Bear finally slims down enough to be freed. Christopher Robin, Kanga, Eeyore, Owl, Roo, and Gopher start pulling on Pooh Bear while Rabbit pushes from behind but the bear won't move.

Fed up with all this delay, Rabbit takes several steps backwards and charges into Pooh Bear. Rabbit's push launches Pooh into the air towards the forest. The gang runs after him and finds him stuck in the honey tree. Christopher Robin tells Pooh that they will help him get out again but Pooh tells them to take their time; the bees were scared away by his abrupt arrival giving the silly old bear a chance to enjoy a hive full of his favorite honey.

Voice cast

 * Sterling Holloway as Winnie the Pooh
 * Sebastian Cabot as The Narrator
 * Junius Matthews as Rabbit
 * Bruce Reitherman as Christopher Robin
 * Hal Smith as Owl
 * Howard Morris as Gopher
 * Clint Howard as Roo
 * Barbara Luddy as Kanga
 * Ralph Wright as Eeyore

Trivia

 * This film introduces the character of Gopher, not part of the original stories - hence his comment "I'm not in the book, you know". (A pun on unlisted telephone numbers).
 * Although Piglet doesn't appear in this film (he only shows up in the opening sequence, and looks drastically different), he appears in the book "Winnie the Pooh meets Gopher" which is the same plot. Also, in "Winnie the Pooh Meets Gopher", Piglet's jumper in green like in the stories.