Yes, indeed, Socrates; at least, if they will listen to me.
Plato, EuthyphroAs he came to the end of his story, Dandelion remembered that he wassupposed to be relieving Acorn1 as sentry2. The post was a little way away, near theeastern corner of the wood, and Hazel -- who wanted to see how Boxwood andSpeedwell were getting on with a hole they were digging -- went with Dandelionalong the foot of the bank. He was just going down the new hole when he noticedthat some small creature was pattering about in the grass. It was the mouse thathe had saved from the kestrel. Pleased to see that he was still safe and sound,Hazel turned back to have a word with him. The mouse recognized him and satup, washing his face with his front paws and chattering3 effusively4.
"Is a good a days, a hot a days. You like? Plenty for eata, keepa warm is a notrouble. Down in a bottom a hill is a harvest. I go for a corn a, but is a long a way.
I tink a you go away, is a not a long a you come a back, yes?""Yes," said Hazel, "a lot of us went away, but we found what we were lookingfor and now we've come back for good.""Is a good. Is a lots of rabbits a now, keepa grass a short.""What difference does it make to him if the grass is short?" said Bigwig, who,with Blackavar, was lolloping and nibbling5 close by. "He doesn't eat it.""Is a good a for get about, you know?" said the mouse in a familiar tone whichmade Bigwig shake his ears with irritation6. "Is a run along the queek -- but is a noseeds a from a short a grass. Now is a warren a here and now a today is a new arabbits a come, soon is another warren a more. New rabbits is a your friends atoo?""Yes, yes, all friends," said Bigwig, turning away. "There was something Iwanted to say, Hazel, about the newborn rabbits, when they're ready to comeabove ground."Hazel, however, had remained where he was, looking intently at the mouse.
"Wait a moment, Bigwig," he said. "What did you say, mouse, about anotherwarren? Where is there going to be another warren?"The mouse was surprised. "You not a know? Not a your friends?""I don't know until you tell me. What did you mean about new rabbits andanother warren soon?" His tone was urgent and inquisitive7.
The mouse became nervous and, after the manner of his kind, began to saywhat he thought the rabbits would like to hear.
"Maybe is a no warren. Is a plenty good a rabbits 'ere, is all a my friends. Is ano more rabbits. Not a for want other rabbits.""But what other rabbits?" persisted Hazel.
"No, sir. No, sir, no other rabbits, is a not a go for soon a rabbits, all stay 'ereare my friends, a save a me a very good a my life, zen 'ow can I if a she mek me?"twittered the mouse.
Hazel considered this lot briefly8, but it beat him.
"Oh, come on, Hazel," said Bigwig. "Let the poor little beast alone. I want totalk to you."Hazel ignored him. Going close to the mouse, he bent9 his head and spokequietly and firmly.
"You've often said you're our friend," he said. "If you are, tell me, and don't beafraid, what you know about other rabbits coming."The mouse looked confused. Then he said, "I not see other rabbits, sir, but amy brother 'e say yellowhammer say is a new rabbits, plenty, plenty rabbits, cometo combe over on a morning side. Maybe is a lots a rubbish. I tell you a wrong,you no like a mouse for more, not a friend a more.""No, that's all right," said Hazel. "Don't worry. Just tell me again. Where didthe bird say these new rabbits were?""'E say is a come just a now on a morning side. I not a see.""Good fellow," said Hazel. "That's very helpful." He turned back to the others.
"What d'you make of this, Bigwig?" he asked.
"Not much," answered Bigwig. "Long-grass rumors10. These little creatures sayanything and change it five times a day. Ask him again fu Inlé -- he'll tell yousomething else.""If you're right, then I'm wrong and we can all forget it," said Hazel. "But I'mgoing to get to the bottom of this. Someone must go and see. I'd go myself, butI've got no speed with this leg.""Well, leave it for tonight, anyway," said Bigwig. "We can--""Someone must go and see," repeated Hazel firmly. "A good patroller, too.
Blackavar, go and get Holly12 for me, will you?""I'm here, as it happens," said Holly, who had come along the top of the bankwhile Hazel was speaking. "What's the trouble, Hazel-rah?""There's a rumor11 of strangers on the down, on the morning side," repliedHazel, "and I wish I knew more. Can you and Blackavar run over that way -- say,as far as the top of the combe -- and find out what's going on?""Yes, of course, Hazel-rah," said Holly. "If there really are some other rabbitsthere, we'd better bring them back with us, hadn't we? We could do with a fewmore.""It depends who they are," said Hazel. "That's what I want to find out. Go atonce, Holly, will you? Somehow it worries me not to know."Holly and Blackavar had hardly set off when Speedwell appeared aboveground. He had an excited, triumphant13 look which attracted everyone's attentionimmediately. He squatted14 in front of Hazel and looked round him in silence, tomake sure of his effect.
"You've finished the hole?" asked Hazel.
"Never mind the hole," answered Speedwell. "I didn't come up to say that.
Clover's had her litter. All good, healthy kittens. Three bucks15 and three does, shesays.""You'd better go up in the beech16 tree and sing that," said Hazel. "See thateverybody knows! But tell them not to go crowding down disturbing her.""I shouldn't think they would," said Bigwig. "Who'd be a kitten again, or evenwant to see one -- blind and deaf and no fur?""Some of the does may want to see them," said Hazel. "They're excited, youknow. But we don't want Clover disturbed into eating them or anything miserablelike that.""It looks as though we really are going to live a natural life again at last, doesn'tit?" said Bigwig, as they browsed17 their way along the bank. "What a summer it'sbeen! I keep dreaming I'm back in Efrafa, you know; but it'll pass off, I suppose.
One thing I brought back out of that place, though, and that's the value of keepinga warren hidden. As we get bigger, Hazel, we ought to take care of that. We'll dobetter than Efrafa, though. When we've reached the right size, rabbits can beencouraged to leave.""Well, don't you leave," said Hazel, "or I'll tell Kehaar to bring you back by thescruff of the neck. I'm relying on you to produce us a really good Owsla.""It's certainly something to look forward to," said Bigwig. "Take a pack ofyoung fellows across to the farm and chase the cats out of the barn to get anappetite. Well, it'll come. I say, this grass is as dry as horsehair on barbed wire,isn't it? What about a run down the hill to the fields -- just you and I and Fiver?
Corn's been cut, you know, and there should be good pickings. I expect they'regoing to burn off the field, but they haven't done it yet.""No, we must wait a bit," said Hazel. "I want to hear what Holly and Blackavarhave to say when they come in.""That needn't keep you long," replied Bigwig. "Here they come already, unlessI'm much mistaken. Straight down the open track, too! Not bothered aboutkeeping hidden, are they? What a rate they're going!""There's something wrong," said Hazel, staring at the approaching rabbits.
Holly and Blackavar reached the long shadow of the wood at top speed, asthough they were being pursued. The watchers expected them to slow down asthey came to the bank, but they kept straight on and appeared actually to begoing to run underground. At the last moment Holly stopped, looked about himand stamped twice. Blackavar disappeared down the nearest hole. At thestamping, all the rabbits above ground ran for cover.
"Here, wait a minute," said Hazel, pushing past Pipkin and Hawkbit as theycame across the grass. "Holly, what's the alarm? Tell us something, instead ofstamping the place to pieces. What's happened?""Get the holes filled in!" gasped18 Holly. "Get everyone underground! There's nota moment to lose." His eyes rolled white and he panted foam19 over his chin.
"Is it men, or what? There's nothing to be seen, heard or smelled. Come on, tellus something and stop gibbering, there's a good chap.""It'll have to be quick, then," said Holly. "That combe -- it's full of rabbits fromEfrafa.""From Efrafa? Fugitives20, do you mean?""No," said Holly, "not fugitives. Campion's there. We ran right into him andthree or four more that Blackavar recognized. I believe Woundwort's therehimself. They've come for us -- don't make any mistake about that.""You're sure it's more than a patrol?""I'm certain," answered Holly. "We could smell them; and we heard them, too-- below us in the combe. We wondered what so many rabbits could be doingthere and we were going down to see when we suddenly came face to face withCampion. We looked at him and he looked at us and then I realized what it mustmean and we turned and ran. He didn't follow us -- probably because he'd had noorders. But how long will it take them to get here?"Blackavar had returned from underground, bringing Silver and Blackberry.
"We ought to leave at once, sir," he said to Hazel. "We might be able to getquite a long way before they come."Hazel looked about him. "Anyone who wants to go can go," he said. "I shan't.
We made this warren ourselves and Frith only knows what we've been through onaccount of it. I'm not going to leave it now.""Neither am I," said Bigwig. "If I'm for the Black Rabbit, there's one or twofrom Efrafa will come with me."There was a short silence.
"Holly's right to want to stop the holes," went on Hazel. "It's the best thing todo. We fill the holes in, good and thorough. Then they have to dig us out. Thewarren's deep. It's under a bank, with tree roots all through it and over the top.
How long can all those rabbits stay on the down without attracting elil? They'llhave to give it up.""You don't know these Efrafans," said Blackavar. "My mother used to tell mewhat happened at Nutley Copse. It would be better to go now.""Well, go on, then," answered Hazel. "I'm not stopping you. And I'm notleaving this warren. It's my home." He looked at Hyzenthlay, heavy with young,who was sitting in the mouth of the nearest hole and listening to the talk. "Howfar do you think she'll get? And Clover -- do we leave her or what?""No, we must stay," said Strawberry. "I believe El-ahrairah will save us fromthis Woundwort; and if he doesn't, I'm not going back to Efrafa, I'll tell you that.""Fill in the holes," said Hazel.
As the sun set, the rabbits fell to clawing and scrabbling in the runs. The sideswere hard with the hot weather. It was not easy to get started, and when the soilbegan to fall, it was light and powdery and did little to block the holes. It wasBlackberry who hit upon the idea of working outward from inside theHoneycomb itself, scratching down the ceilings of the runs where they came intothe meeting hall and blocking the holes by breaking the underground walls intothem. One run, leading up into the wood, was left open for coming and going. Itwas the one where Kehaar used to shelter and the lobby at the mouth was stillcluttered with guano. As Hazel passed the place, it occurred to him thatWoundwort did not know that Kehaar had left them. He dug out as much of themess as he could and scattered21 it about. Then, as the work went on below, hesquatted on the bank and watched the darkening eastern skyline.
His thoughts were very sad. Indeed, they were desperate. Although he hadspoken resolutely22 in front of the others, he knew only too well how little hopethere was of saving the warren from the Efrafans. They knew what they weredoing. No doubt they had their methods of breaking into a closed warren. It wasthe faintest of chances that elil would disperse23 them. Most of the Thousandhunted rabbits for food. A stoat or a fox took a rabbit and took no more until itwas ready to hunt again. But the Efrafans were accustomed to a death here andthere. Unless General Woundwort himself were killed, they would stay until thejob was done. Nothing would stop them, short of some unexpected catastrophe24.
But suppose that he himself were to go and talk to Woundwort? Might therenot just possibly be a chance of getting him to see sense? Whatever had happenedat Nutley Copse, the Efrafans could not fight to the finish against rabbits likeBigwig, Holly and Silver without losing lives -- probably a good many lives.
Woundwort must know this. Perhaps it might not be too late, even now, topersuade him to agree to a new plan -- a plan that would be as good for onewarren as the other.
"And perhaps it might be," thought Hazel grimly. "But it's a possible chanceand so I'm afraid the Chief Rabbit has got to take it. And since this savage25 brute26 isprobably not to be trusted, I suppose the Chief Rabbit must go alone."He returned to the Honeycomb and found Bigwig.
"I'm off to talk to General Woundwort, if I can get hold of him," he said.
"You're Chief Rabbit until I come back. Keep them at it.""But, Hazel," said Bigwig, "wait a moment. It's not safe--""I shan't be long," said Hazel. "I'm just going to ask him what he's up to."A moment later he was down the bank and limping up the track, pausing fromtime to time to sit up and look about him for an Efrafan patrol.
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1
acorn
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| n.橡实，橡子 | |
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2
sentry
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| n.哨兵，警卫 | |
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3
chattering
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| n. （机器振动发出的）咔嗒声，(鸟等)鸣，啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的，啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式 | |
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4
effusively
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| adv.变溢地，热情洋溢地 | |
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5
nibbling
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| v.啃，一点一点地咬（吃）( nibble的现在分词 )；啃出（洞），一点一点咬出（洞）；慢慢减少；小口咬 | |
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6
irritation
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| n.激怒，恼怒，生气 | |
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7
inquisitive
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| adj.求知欲强的，好奇的，好寻根究底的 | |
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8
briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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9
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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10
rumors
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| n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷 | |
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11
rumor
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| n.谣言，谣传，传说 | |
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12
holly
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| n.[植]冬青属灌木 | |
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13
triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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14
squatted
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| v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的过去式和过去分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。 | |
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15
bucks
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| n.雄鹿( buck的名词复数 )；钱；（英国十九世纪初的）花花公子；（用于某些表达方式）责任v.（马等）猛然弓背跃起( buck的第三人称单数 )；抵制；猛然震荡；马等尥起后蹄跳跃 | |
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beech
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| n.山毛榉；adj.山毛榉的 | |
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browsed
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| v.吃草( browse的过去式和过去分词 )；随意翻阅；（在商店里）随便看看；（在计算机上）浏览信息 | |
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gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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foam
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| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
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fugitives
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| n.亡命者，逃命者( fugitive的名词复数 ) | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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resolutely
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| adj.坚决地，果断地 | |
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disperse
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| vi.使分散；使消失；vt.分散；驱散 | |
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catastrophe
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| n.大灾难，大祸 | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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