What is Winnie the Pooh up to these days? According to Japanese police, it appears that our favorite winsome little bear is committing assault and armed robbery.

Unlike most fairy tales, this one does not have a happy ending.

Tokyo police have arrested Masayuki Ishikawa, a 20 year-old man who attacked and robbed two people because they had the nerve to stare at his Winnie-the-Pooh costume.

At the time of his arrest, he was in the company of two costumed friends; one a panther and the other a mouse.

Apparently the threesome had donned the costumes because they ran out of clean clothes, (which is, in all probability, worthy of another news story all by itself).

Once upon a time, Ishikawa told the police, he was standing on a street corner minding his own truculent business while wearing the cuddly costume when two passersby had the nerve to stare at him and he took offense. (A grown man in such an outfit is worthy of at least one sideward glance, n’est ce pas?)

Police told reporters that “It’s uncommon to see people dressed up like this, so the victims were watching them. Then the perpetrator came up and said, ‘What are you staring at?’”

In true Winnie-the Unpooh-like fashion, Ishikawa and his two cohorts beat up the two unfortunates and stole 160 dollars from them.

All’s well that did not end well, and Winnie has now become for all time, Winnie-The-Perp!

Here’s to once upon another, better time and a rehabilitated Winnie!

(link)