Index: Doc/library/http.cookies.rst
===================================================================
--- Doc/library/http.cookies.rst	(revision 88162)
+++ Doc/library/http.cookies.rst	(working copy)
@@ -42,7 +42,8 @@
 .. class:: SimpleCookie([input])
 
    This class derives from :class:`BaseCookie` and overrides :meth:`value_decode`
-   and :meth:`value_encode` to be the identity and :func:`str` respectively.
+   and :meth:`value_encode` to use encoding appropriate for values outside
+   the alphanumeric set.
 
 
 .. seealso::
@@ -63,16 +64,16 @@
 
 .. method:: BaseCookie.value_decode(val)
 
-   Return a decoded value from a string representation. Return value can be any
-   type. This method does nothing in :class:`BaseCookie` --- it exists so it can be
-   overridden.
+   Return a tuple ``(real_value, coded_value)`` from a string representation.
+   ``real_value`` can be any type. This method does no decoding in
+   :class:`BaseCookie` --- it exists so it can be overridden.
 
 
 .. method:: BaseCookie.value_encode(val)
 
-   Return an encoded value. *val* can be any type, but return value must be a
-   string. This method does nothing in :class:`BaseCookie` --- it exists so it can
-   be overridden
+   Return a tuple ``(real_value, coded_value)``. *val* can be any type, but
+   ``coded_value`` must be a string. This method does no encoding in
+   :class:`BaseCookie` --- it exists so it can be overridden.
 
    In general, it should be the case that :meth:`value_encode` and
    :meth:`value_decode` are inverses on the range of *value_decode*.