The Game of Pooh-sticks

"How about a game of Pooh-sticks?", Piglet asked Eeyore, one sunny morning.
"Hah!", said Eeyore, "as if anyone really would like me to participate."
"Bbbut I do want you play with me", said Piglet, "because Pooh is eating lunch, Rabbit is always busy, and well, you know Owl, he prefers analysing the way to throw the stick into the water."
"Ahhh, now I get it", said Eeyore. "You just want to play with me because no-one else is available. Well, that's just the way it is, I suppose. No-one likes me because of what I am. They only accept me if no-one else is there; everyone else is better than poor old Eeyore. Oh my."
"Nnnooo", Piglet said, "I didn't mean it that way. I would have asked you to play with me anyway, even if Pooh hadn't been eating breakfast."
"Could you say that again?", said Eeyore, "I couldn't quite hear you."
"I want you to play with me", said Piglet.
"And you aren't just saying that to make me happy?", said Eeyore, who seemed quite confused by now.
"No, I just want to have someone to play with", said Piglet.
"Oh well, I suppose I can play with you then. But I warn you, I'm probably going to fall into the water or break the sticks. If there isn't a hail- storm, of course", he said, and looked up to the sky to make sure there weren't any clouds on the sky.

Two hours later, Pooh decided that he had eaten enough lunch for now. He rose, and went outside.
"I think I shall visit my very best friend, Piglet", he said to himself, and started on his way towards Piglet's house.

Soon, he heard excited voices from the creek. One of the voices clearly belonged to Piglet. But the other one? Pooh was quite convinced that he never ever had heard that voice before. It was a quite deep voice.
"That voice is very similar to Eeyore's voice", Pooh said to himself.
"Only that Eeyore sounds a lot more gloomy", Pooh added.
"Bother. Oh well, I guess I'll find out when I reach the creek."

When Pooh arrived to the bridge spanning from one side of the creek to the other, he saw two figures standing on the bridge, intensively staring down into the water. One was Piglet. And the other one looked very much like Eeyore. Amazingly much like Eeyore. If Pooh hadn't been so sure that it couldn't be Eeyore, he might even have believed that it really was Eeyore.

"Oh, hallo Pooh!", said Piglet.
"Hallo Piglet", said Pooh.
"And hallo to you too", said Eeyore.
"Hallo", said Pooh, who still hadn't quite figured out who the figure at Piglet's side was.
"Ehrmmm", said Pooh, and whispered to Piglet, "who is your friend here?"
"Well, it's Eeyore, of course", said Piglet.
"No, no, no", said Pooh. "That can't be Eeyore. I heard him laugh several times."
"I promise you, it is Eeyore", said Piglet.
"Hmmmm", said Pooh, "hmmm. Maybe there is hope for the world after all."