This article argues that all cultures, and thus all families, operate, possibly even evolve, from out of the stories we are told while we are young. Adding to this idea the realization that all stories evolve from out of our cultures, the article suggests societies are shaped by the circularity and interaction of this combination. It focuses on the relation between story and tolerance. The article uses A. A. Milne's "Winnie the Pooh," as a metaphor to (1) explain the internal structure of a 'multi-differentiated' family and community and (2) illustrate the idea that through the familial and cultural use of stories, we set up boundaries, expectations, belief systems, behaviors, rules and norms and establish levels of tolerance that explain and humanize the effect of differences that are found within our social groupings. The research methodology combines literary exploration and individual interviews (a family social worker specializing in U.S. subcultures; a married mother of four; one male and one female child of 'story book ages'). This article includes a bibliography and a list of interviews. (BB)