British Embassy quashes Winnie-the-Pooh return rumors, keeping the famed bear in New York

It turns out Winnie-the-Pooh and his fluffy friends aren't getting bear-napped from their longtime home at the New York Public Library.The British Embassy in Washington dispelled rumors Thursday about a campaign to return the collection of stuffed animals including the “willy nilly silly old bear" to the United Kingdom. The toys were owned by English author A.A. Milne's son — the real-life Christopher Robin — in the 1920s and served as the inspiration for the characters in the writer's beloved children’s books.“There’s an open invite if Pooh ever wants to make a temporary visit to the UK, but we have no doubt that Pooh and his pals are in excellent hands with the New York Public Library," the embassy said in a post on social media.Rumors began swirling about a change of scenery for Pooh after The Washington Post reported last week about a push to bring the teddy bear back home as the famed character turns 100 this year.Milne bought Pooh for his son's first birthday in 1921 from Harrods