Acknowledgements
I acknowledge with gratitude the help I have received not only from my familybut also from my friends Reg Sones and Hal Summers, who read the book beforepublication and made valuable suggestions.
I also wish to thank warmly Mrs. Margaret Apps and Miss Miriam Hobbs, whotook pains with the typing and helped me very much.
I am indebted, for a knowledge of rabbits and their ways, to Mr. R. M.
Lockley's remarkable book, The Private Life of the Rabbit. Anyone who wishes toknow more about the migrations of yearlings, about pressing chin glands,chewing pellets, the effects of over-crowding in warrens, the phenomenon of re-absorption of fertilized embryos, the capacity of buck rabbits to fight stoats, orany other features of Lapine life, should refer to that definitive work.
PART I The Journey 1. The Notice Board
CHORUS: Why do you cry out thus, unless at some vision of horror?
CASSANDRA: The house reeks of death and dripping blood.
CHORUS: How so? 'Tis but the odor of the altar sacrifice.
CASSANDRA: The stench is like a breath from the tomb.
Aeschylus, AgamemnonThe primroses were over. Toward the edge of the wood, where the groundbecame open and sloped down to an old fence and a brambly ditch beyond, only afew fading patches of pale yellow still showed among the dog's mercury and oak-tree roots. On the other side of the fence, the upper part of the field was full ofrabbit holes. In places the grass was gone altogether and everywhere there wereclusters of dry droppings, through which nothing but the ragwort would grow. Ahundred yards away, at the bottom of the slope, ran the brook, no more thanthree feet wide, half choked with kingcups, watercress and blue brooklime. Thecart track crossed by a brick culvert and climbed the opposite slope to a five-barred gate in the thorn hedge. The gate led into the lane.
The May sunset was red in clouds, and there was still half an hour to twilight.
The dry slope was dotted with rabbits -- some nibbling at the thin grass near theirholes, others pushing further down to look for dandelions or perhaps a cowslipthat the rest had missed. Here and there one sat upright on an ant heap andlooked about, with ears erect and nose in the wind. But a blackbird, singingundisturbed on the outskirts of the wood, showed that there was nothingalarming there, and in the other direction, along the brook, all was plain to beseen, empty and quiet. The warren was at peace.
At the top of the bank, close to the wild cherry where the blackbird sang, was alittle group of holes almost hidden by brambles. In the green half-light, at themouth of one of these holes, two rabbits were sitting together side by side. Atlength, the larger of the two came out, slipped along the bank under cover of thebrambles and so down into the ditch and up into the field. A few moments laterthe other followed.
The first rabbit stopped in a sunny patch and scratched his ear with rapidmovements of his hind leg. Although he was a yearling and still below full weight,he had not the harassed look of most "outskirters" -- that is, the rank and file ofordinary rabbits in their first year who, lacking either aristocratic parentage orunusual size and strength, get sat on by their elders and live as best they can --often in the open -- on the edge of their warren. He looked as though he knewhow to take care of himself. There was a shrewd, buoyant air about him as he satup, looked around and rubbed both front paws over his nose. As soon as he wassatisfied that all was well, he laid back his ears and set to work on the grass.
His companion seemed less at ease. He was small, with wide, staring eyes anda way of raising and turning his head which suggested not so much caution as akind of ceaseless, nervous tension. His nose moved continually, and when abumblebee flew humming to a thistle bloom behind him, he jumped and spunround with a start that sent two nearby rabbits scurrying for holes before thenearest, a buck with black-tipped ears, recognized him and returned to feeding.
"Oh, it's only Fiver," said the black-tipped rabbit, "jumping at bluebottlesagain. Come on, Buckthorn, what were you telling me?""Fiver?" said the other rabbit. "Why's he called that?""Five in the litter, you know: he was the last -- and the smallest. You'd wondernothing had got him by now. I always say a man couldn't see him and a foxwouldn't want him. Still, I admit he seems to be able to keep out of harm's way."*The small rabbit came closer to his companion, lolloping on long hind legs.
"Let's go a bit further, Hazel," he said. "You know, there's something queerabout the warren this evening, although I can't tell exactly what it is. Shall we godown to the brook?""All right," answered Hazel, "and you can find me a cowslip. If you can't findone, no one can."He led the way down the slope, his shadow stretching behind him on the grass.
They reached the brook and began nibbling and searching close beside the wheelruts of the track.
It was not long before Fiver found what they were looking for. Cowslips are adelicacy among rabbits, and as a rule there are very few left by late May in theneighborhood of even a small warren. This one had not bloomed and its flatspread of leaves was almost hidden under the long grass. They were just startingon it when two larger rabbits came running across from the other side of thenearby cattle wade.
"Cowslip?" said one. "All right -- just leave it to us. Come on, hurry up," headded, as Fiver hesitated. "You heard me, didn't you?""Fiver found it, Toadflax," said Hazel.
"And we'll eat it," replied Toadflax. "Cowslips are for Owsla* -- don't you knowthat? If you don't, we can easily teach you."Fiver had already turned away. Hazel caught him up by the culvert.
"I'm sick and tired of it," he said. "It's the same all the time. 'These are myclaws, so this is my cowslip.' 'These are my teeth, so this is my burrow.' I'll tellyou, if ever I get into the Owsla, I'll treat outskirters with a bit of decency.""Well, you can at least expect to be in the Owsla one day," answered Fiver.
"You've got some weight coming and that's more than I shall ever have.""You don't suppose I'll leave you to look after yourself, do you?" said Hazel.
"But to tell you the truth, I sometimes feel like clearing out of this warrenaltogether. Still, let's forget it now and try to enjoy the evening. I tell you what --shall we go across the brook? There'll be fewer rabbits and we can have a bit ofpeace. Unless you feel it isn't safe?" he added.
The way in which he asked suggested that he did in fact think that Fiver waslikely to know better than himself, and it was clear from Fiver's reply that thiswas accepted between them.
"No, it's safe enough," he answered. "If I start feeling there's anythingdangerous I'll tell you. But it's not exactly danger that I seem to feel about theplace. It's -- oh, I don't know -- something oppressive, like thunder: I can't tellwhat; but it worries me. All the same, I'll come across with you."They ran over the culvert. The grass was wet and thick near the stream andthey made their way up the opposite slope, looking for drier ground. Part of theslope was in shadow, for the sun was sinking ahead of them, and Hazel, whowanted a warm, sunny spot, went on until they were quite near the lane. As theyapproached the gate he stopped, staring.
"Fiver, what's that? Look!"A little way in front of them, the ground had been freshly disturbed. Two pilesof earth lay on the grass. Heavy posts, reeking of creosote and paint, towered upas high as the holly trees in the hedge, and the board they carried threw a longshadow across the top of the field. Near one of the posts, a hammer and a fewnails had been left behind.
The two rabbits went up to the board at a hopping run and crouched in a patchof nettles on the far side, wrinkling their noses at the smell of a dead cigarette endsomewhere in the grass. Suddenly Fiver shivered and cowered down.
"Oh, Hazel! This is where it comes from! I know now -- something very bad!
Some terrible thing -- coming closer and closer."He began to whimper with fear.
"What sort of thing -- what do you mean? I thought you said there was nodanger?""I don't know what it is," answered Fiver wretchedly. "There isn't any dangerhere, at this moment. But it's coming -- it's coming. Oh, Hazel, look! The field! It'scovered with blood!""Don't be silly, it's only the light of the sunset. Fiver, come on, don't talk likethis, you're frightening me!"Fiver sat trembling and crying among the nettles as Hazel tried to reassure himand to find out what it could be that had suddenly driven him beside himself. Ifhe was terrified, why did he not run for safety, as any sensible rabbit would? ButFiver could not explain and only grew more and more distressed. At last Hazelsaid,"Fiver, you can't sit crying here. Anyway, it's getting dark. We'd better go backto the burrow.""Back to the burrow?" whimpered Fiver. "It'll come there -- don't think itwon't! I tell you, the field's full of blood--""Now stop it," said Hazel firmly. "Just let me look after you for a bit. Whateverthe trouble is, it's time we got back."He ran down the field and over the brook to the cattle wade. Here there was adelay, for Fiver -- surrounded on all sides by the quiet summer evening -- becamehelpless and almost paralyzed with fear. When at last Hazel had got him back tothe ditch, he refused at first to go underground and Hazel had almost to push himdown the hole.
The sun set behind the opposite slope. The wind turned colder, with a scatterof rain, and in less than an hour it was dark. All color had faded from the sky, andalthough the big board by the gate creaked slightly in the night wind (as though toinsist that it had not disappeared in the darkness, but was still firmly where it hadbeen put), there was no passer-by to read the sharp, hard letters that cut straightas black knives across its white surface. They said:
THIS IDEALLY SITUATED ESTATE, COMPRISING SIX ACRES OFEXCELLENT BUILDING LAND, IS TO BE DEVELOPED WITH HIGH CLASSMODERN RESIDENCES BY SUTCH AND MARTIN, LIMITED, OF NEWBURY,BERKS.
*Rabbits can count up to four. Any number above four is hrair -- "a lot," or "athousand." Thus they say U Hrair -- "The Thousand" -- to mean, collectively, allthe enemies (or elil, as they call them) of rabbits -- fox, stoat, weasel, cat, owl,man, etc. There were probably more than five rabbits in the litter when Fiver wasborn, but his name, Hrairoo, means "Little Thousand" -- i.e., the little one of a lotor, as they say of pigs, "the runt."*Nearly all warrens have an Owsla, or group of strong or clever rabbits --second-year or older -- surrounding the Chief Rabbit and his doe and exercisingauthority. Owslas vary. In one warren, the Owsla may be the band of a warlord; inanother, it may consist largely of clever patrollers or garden-raiders. Sometimes agood storyteller may find a place; or a seer, or intuitive rabbit. In the Sandlefordwarren at this time, the Owsla was rather military in character (though, as will beseen later, not so military as some).
2. The Chief Rabbit
The darksome statesman, hung with weights and woe,Like a thick midnight-fog, moved there so slow,He did not stay, nor go.
Henry Vaughan, The WorldIn the darkness and warmth of the burrow Hazel suddenly woke, strugglingand kicking with his back legs. Something was attacking him. There was no smellof ferret or weasel. No instinct told him to run. His head cleared and he realizedthat he was alone except for Fiver. It was Fiver who was clambering over him,clawing and grabbing like a rabbit trying to climb a wire fence in a panic.
"Fiver! Fiver, wake up, you silly fellow! It's Hazel. You'll hurt me in a moment.
Wake up!"He held him down. Fiver struggled and woke.
"Oh, Hazel! I was dreaming. It was dreadful. You were there. We were sittingon water, going down a great, deep stream, and then I realized we were on aboard -- like that board in the field -- all white and covered with black lines. Therewere other rabbits there -- bucks and does. But when I looked down, I saw theboard was all made of bones and wire; and I screamed and you said, 'Swim --everybody swim'; and then I was looking for you everywhere and trying to dragyou out of a hole in the bank. I found you, but you said, 'The Chief Rabbit must goalone,' and you floated away down a dark tunnel of water.""Well, you've hurt my ribs, anyway. Tunnel of water indeed! What rubbish!
Can we go back to sleep now?""Hazel -- the danger, the bad thing. It hasn't gone away. It's here -- all roundus. Don't tell me to forget about it and go to sleep. We've got to go away before it'stoo late.""Go away? From here, you mean? From the warren?""Yes. Very soon. It doesn't matter where.""Just you and I?""No, everyone.""The whole warren? Don't be silly. They won't come. They'll say you're out ofyour wits.""Then they'll be here when the bad thing comes. You must listen to me, Hazel.
Believe me, something very bad is close upon us and we ought to go away.""Well, I suppose we'd better go and see the Chief Rabbit and you can tell himabout it. Or I'll try to. But I don't expect he'll like the idea at all."Hazel led the way down the slope of the run and up toward the bramblecurtain. He did not want to believe Fiver, and he was afraid not to.
It was a little after ni-Frith, or noon. The whole warren were underground,mostly asleep. Hazel and Fiver went a short way above ground and then into awide, open hole in a sand patch and so down, by various runs, until they werethirty feet into the wood, among the roots of an oak. Here they were stopped by alarge, heavily built rabbit -- one of the Owsla. He had a curious, heavy growth offur on the crown of his head, which gave him an odd appearance, as though hewere wearing a kind of cap. This had given him his name, Thlayli, which means,literally, "Furhead" or, as we might say, "Bigwig.""Hazel?" said Bigwig, sniffing at him in the deep twilight among the tree roots.
"It is Hazel, isn't it? What are you doing here? And at this time of day?" Heignored Fiver, who was waiting further down the run.
"We want to see the Chief Rabbit," said Hazel. "It's important, Bigwig. Can youhelp us?""We?" said Bigwig. "Is he going to see him, too?""Yes, he must. Do trust me, Bigwig. I don't usually come and talk like this, doI? When did I ever ask to see the Chief Rabbit before?""Well, I'll do it for you, Hazel, although I'll probably get my head bitten off. I'lltell him I know you're a sensible fellow. He ought to know you himself, of course,but he's getting old. Wait here, will you?"Bigwig went a little way down the run and stopped at the entrance to a largeburrow. After speaking a few words that Hazel could not catch, he was evidentlycalled inside. The two rabbits waited in silence, broken only by the continualnervous fidgeting of Fiver.
The Chief Rabbit's name and style was Threarah, meaning "Lord Rowan Tree."For some reason he was always referred to as "The Threarah" -- perhaps becausethere happened to be only one threar, or rowan, near the warren, from which hetook his name. He had won his position not only by strength in his prime, butalso by level-headedness and a certain self-contained detachment, quite unlikethe impulsive behavior of most rabbits. It was well known that he never lethimself become excited by rumor or danger. He had coolly -- some even saidcoldly -- stood firm during the terrible onslaught of the myxomatosis, ruthlesslydriving out every rabbit who seemed to be sickening. He had resisted all ideas ofmass emigration and enforced complete isolation on the warren, thereby almostcertainly saving it from extinction. It was he, too, who had once dealt with aparticularly troublesome stoat by leading it down among the pheasant coops andso (at the risk of his own life) onto a keeper's gun. He was now, as Bigwig said,getting old, but his wits were still clear enough. When Hazel and Fiver werebrought in, he greeted them politely. Owsla like Toadflax might threaten andbully. The Threarah had no need.
"Ah, Walnut. It is Walnut, isn't it?""Hazel," said Hazel.
"Hazel, of course. How very nice of you to come and see me. I knew yourmother well. And your friend--""My brother.""Your brother," said the Threarah, with the faintest suggestion of "Don'tcorrect me any more, will you?" in his voice. "Do make yourselves comfortable.
Have some lettuce?"The Chief Rabbit's lettuce was stolen by the Owsla from a garden half a mileaway across the fields. Outskirters seldom or never saw lettuce. Hazel took asmall leaf and nibbled politely. Fiver refused, and sat blinking and twitchingmiserably.
"Now, how are things with you?" said the Chief Rabbit. "Do tell me how I canhelp you.""Well, sir," said Hazel rather hesitantly, "it's because of my brother -- Fiverhere. He can often tell when there's anything bad about, and I've found him rightagain and again. He knew the flood was coming last autumn and sometimes hecan tell where a wire's been set. And now he says he can sense a bad dangercoming upon the warren.""A bad danger. Yes, I see. How very upsetting," said the Chief Rabbit, lookinganything but upset. "Now, what sort of danger, I wonder?" He looked at Fiver.
"I don't know," said Fiver. "B-but it's bad. It's so b-bad that -- it's very bad," heconcluded miserably.
The Threarah waited politely for a few moments and then he said, "Well, now,and what ought we to do about it, I wonder?""Go away," said Fiver instantly. "Go away. All of us. Now. Threarah, sir, wemust all go away."The Threarah waited again. Then, in an extremely understanding voice, hesaid, "Well, I never did! That's rather a tall order, isn't it? What do you thinkyourself?""Well, sir," said Hazel, "my brother doesn't really think about these feelings hegets. He just has the feelings, if you see what I mean. I'm sure you're the rightperson to decide what we ought to do.""Well, that's very nice of you to say that. I hope I am. But now, my dear fellows,let's just think about this a moment, shall we? It's May, isn't it? Everyone's busyand most of the rabbits are enjoying themselves. No elil for miles, or so they tellme. No illness, good weather. And you want me to tell the warren that young -- er-- young -- er -- your brother here has got a hunch and we must all go traipsingacross country to goodness knows where and risk the consequences, eh? What doyou think they'll say? All delighted, eh?""They'd take it from you," said Fiver suddenly.
"That's very nice of you," said the Threarah again. "Well, perhaps they would,perhaps they would. But I should have to consider it very carefully indeed. A mostserious step, of course. And then--""But there's no time, Threarah, sir," blurted out Fiver. "I can feel the dangerlike a wire round my neck -- like a wire -- Hazel, help!" He squealed and rolledover in the sand, kicking frantically, as a rabbit does in a snare. Hazel held himdown with both forepaws and he grew quieter.
"I'm awfully sorry, Chief Rabbit," said Hazel. "He gets like this sometimes.
He'll be all right in a minute.""What a shame! What a shame! Poor fellow, perhaps he ought to go home andrest. Yes, you'd better take him along now. Well, it's really been extremely good ofyou to come and see me, Walnut. I appreciate it very much indeed. And I shallthink over all you've said most carefully, you can be quite sure of that. Bigwig,just wait a moment, will you?"As Hazel and Fiver made their way dejectedly down the run outside theThrearah's burrow, they could just hear, from inside, the Chief Rabbit's voiceassuming a rather sharper note, interspersed with an occasional "Yes, sir," "No,sir."Bigwig, as he had predicted, was getting his head bitten off.
3. Hazel's Decision
What am I lying here for?... We are lying here as though we had a chance ofenjoying a quiet time.... Am I waiting until I become a little older?
Xenophon, The Anabasis"But, Hazel, you didn't really think the Chief Rabbit would act on your advice,did you? What were you expecting?"It was evening once more and Hazel and Fiver were feeding outside the woodwith two friends. Blackberry, the rabbit with tipped ears who had been startled byFiver the night before, had listened carefully to Hazel's description of the noticeboard, remarking that he had always felt sure that men left these things about toact as signs or messages of some kind, in the same way that rabbits left marks onruns and gaps. It was another neighbor, Dandelion, who had now brought thetalk back to the Threarah and his indifference to Fiver's fear.
"I don't know what I expected," said Hazel. "I'd never been near the ChiefRabbit before. But I thought, 'Well, even if he won't listen, at least no one can sayafterward that we didn't do our best to warn him.'""You're sure, then, that there's really something to be afraid of?""I'm quite certain. I've always known Fiver, you see."Blackberry was about to reply when another rabbit came noisily through thethick dog's mercury in the wood, blundered down into the brambles and pushedhis way up from the ditch. It was Bigwig.
"Hello, Bigwig," said Hazel. "You're off duty?""Off duty" said Bigwig, "and likely to remain off duty.""How do you mean?""I've left the Owsla, that's what I mean.""Not on our account?""You could say that. The Threarah's rather good at making himself unpleasantwhen he's been woken up at ni-Frith for what he considers a piece of trivialnonsense. He certainly knows how to get under your skin. I dare say a good manyrabbits would have kept quiet and thought about keeping on the right side of theChief, but I'm afraid I'm not much good at that. I told him that the Owsla'sprivileges didn't mean all that much to me in any case and that a strong rabbitcould always do just as well by leaving the warren. He told me not to be impulsiveand think it over, but I shan't stay. Lettuce-stealing isn't my idea of a jolly life, norsentry duty in the burrow. I'm in a fine temper, I can tell you.""No one will steal lettuces soon," said Fiver quietly.
"Oh, that's you, Fiver, is it?" said Bigwig, noticing him for the first time. "Good,I was coming to look for you. I've been thinking about what you said to the ChiefRabbit. Tell me, is it a sort of tremendous hoax to make yourself important, or isit true?""It is true," said Fiver. "I wish it weren't.""Then you'll be leaving the warren?"They were all startled by the bluntness with which Bigwig went to the point.
Dandelion muttered, "Leave the warren, Frithrah!" while Blackberry twitched hisears and looked very intently, first at Bigwig and then at Hazel.
It was Hazel who replied. "Fiver and I will be leaving the warren tonight," hesaid deliberately. "I don't know exactly where we shall go, but we'll take anyonewho's ready to come with us.""Right," said Bigwig, "then you can take me."The last thing Hazel had expected was the immediate support of a member ofthe Owsla. It crossed his mind that although Bigwig would certainly be a usefulrabbit in a tight corner, he would also be a difficult one to get on with. Hecertainly would not want to do what he was told -- or even asked -- by anoutskirter. "I don't care if he is in the Owsla," thought Hazel. "If we get away fromthe warren, I'm not going to let Bigwig run everything, or why bother to go?" Buthe answered only, "Good. We shall be glad to have you."He looked round at the other rabbits, who were all staring either at Bigwig orat himself. It was Blackberry who spoke next.
"I think I'll come," he said. "I don't quite know whether it's you who'vepersuaded me, Fiver. But anyway, there are too many bucks in this warren, andit's pretty poor fun for any rabbit that's not in the Owsla. The funny thing is thatyou feel terrified to stay and I feel terrified to go. Foxes here, weasels there, Fiverin the middle, begone dull care!"He pulled out a burnet leaf and ate it slowly, concealing his fear as best hecould; for all his instincts were warning him of the dangers in the unknowncountry beyond the warren.
"If we believe Fiver," said Hazel, "it means that we think no rabbits at all oughtto stay here. So between now and the time when we go, we ought to persuade asmany as we can to join us.""I think there are one or two in the Owsla who might be worth sounding," saidBigwig. "If I can talk them over, they'll be with me when I join you tonight. Butthey won't come because of Fiver. They'll be juniors, discontented fellows like me.
You need to have heard Fiver yourself to be convinced by him. He's convincedme. It's obvious that he's been sent some kind of message, and I believe in thesethings. I can't think why he didn't convince the Threarah.""Because the Threarah doesn't like anything he hasn't thought of for himself,"answered Hazel. "But we can't bother with him any more now. We've got to try tocollect some more rabbits and meet again here, fu Inlé. And we'll start fu Inlé,too: we can't wait longer. The danger's coming closer all the time -- whatever it is-- and, besides, the Threarah isn't going to like it if he finds out that you've beentrying to get at rabbits in the Owsla, Bigwig. Neither is Captain Holly, I dare say.
They won't mind odds and ends like us clearing off, but they won't want to loseyou. If I were in your place, I'd be careful whom I picked to talk to."
4. The Departure
Now sir, young Fortinbras,Of unimproved mettle hot and full,Hath in the skirts of Norway here and thereSharked up a list of lawless resolutesFor food and diet to some enterpriseThat hath a stomach in't.
Shakespeare, HamletFu Inlé means "after moonrise." Rabbits, of course, have no idea of precisetime or of punctuality. In this respect they are much the same as primitive people,who often take several days over assembling for some purpose and then severalmore to get started. Before such people can act together, a kind of telepathicfeeling has to flow through them and ripen to the point when they all know thatthey are ready to begin. Anyone who has seen the martins and swallows inSeptember, assembling on the telephone wires, twittering, making short flightssingly and in groups over the open, stubbly fields, returning to form longer andeven longer lines above the yellowing verges of the lanes -- the hundreds ofindividual birds merging and blending, in a mounting excitement, into swarms,and these swarms coming loosely and untidily together to create a great,unorganized flock, thick at the center and ragged at the edges, which breaks andre-forms continually like clouds or waves -- until that moment when the greaterpart (but not all) of them know that the time has come: they are off, and havebegun once more that great southward flight which many will not survive; anyoneseeing this has seen at work the current that flows (among creatures who think ofthemselves primarily as part of a group and only secondarily, if at all, asindividuals) to fuse them together and impel them into action without consciousthought or will: has seen at work the angel which drove the First Crusade intoAntioch and drives the lemmings into the sea.
It was actually about an hour after moonrise and a good while before midnightwhen Hazel and Fiver once more came out of their burrow behind the bramblesand slipped quietly along the bottom of the ditch. With them was a third rabbit,Hlao -- Pipkin -- a friend of Fiver. (Hlao means any small concavity in the grasswhere moisture may collect -- e.g., the dimple formed by a dandelion or thistlecup.) He too was small, and inclined to be timid, and Hazel and Fiver had spentthe greater part of their last evening in the warren in persuading him to jointhem. Pipkin had agreed rather hesitantly. He still felt extremely nervous aboutwhat might happen once they left the warren, and had decided that the best wayto avoid trouble would be to keep close to Hazel and do exactly what he said.
The three were still in the ditch when Hazel heard a movement above. Helooked up quickly.
"Who's there?" he said. "Dandelion?""No, I'm Hawkbit," said the rabbit who was peering over the edge. He jumpeddown among them, landing rather heavily. "Do you remember me, Hazel? Wewere in the same burrow during the snow last winter. Dandelion told me youwere going to leave the warren tonight. If you are, I'll come with you."Hazel could recall Hawkbit -- a rather slow, stupid rabbit whose company forfive snowbound days underground had been distinctly tedious. Still, he thought,this was no time to pick and choose. Although Bigwig might succeed in talkingover one or two, most of the rabbits they could expect to join them would notcome from the Owsla. They would be outskirters who were getting a thin timeand wondering what to do about it. He was running over some of these in hismind when Dandelion appeared.
"The sooner we're off the better, I reckon," said Dandelion. "I don't much likethe look of things. After I'd persuaded Hawkbit here to join us, I was just startingto talk to a few more, when I found that Toadflax fellow had followed me downthe run. 'I want to know what you're up to,' he said, and I don't think he believedme when I told him I was only trying to find out whether there were any rabbitswho wanted to leave the Warren. He asked me if I was sure I wasn't working upsome kind of plot against the Threarah and he got awfully angry and suspicious.
It put the wind up me, to tell you the truth, so I've just brought Hawkbit alongand left it at that.""I don't blame you," said Hazel. "Knowing Toadflax, I'm surprised he didn'tknock you over first and ask questions afterward. All the same, let's wait a littlelonger. Blackberry ought to be here soon."Time passed. They crouched in silence while the moon shadows movednorthward in the grass. At last, just as Hazel was about to run down the slope toBlackberry's burrow, he saw him come out of his hole, followed by no less thanthree rabbits. One of these, Buckthorn, Hazel knew well. He was glad to see him,for he knew him for a tough, sturdy fellow who was considered certain to get intothe Owsla as soon as he reached full weight.
"But I dare say he's impatient," thought Hazel, "or he may have come off worstin some scuffle over a doe and taken it hard. Well, with him and Bigwig, at leastwe shan't be too badly off if we run into any fighting."He did not recognize the other two rabbits and when Blackberry told him theirnames -- Speedwell and Acorn -- he was none the wiser. But this was notsurprising, for they were typical outskirters -- thin-looking six-monthers, with thestrained, wary look of those who are only too well used to the thin end of thestick. They looked curiously at Fiver. From what Blackberry had told them, theyhad been almost expecting to find Fiver foretelling doom in a poetic torrent.
Instead, he seemed more calm and normal than the rest. The certainty of goinghad lifted a weight from Fiver.
More time went slowly by. Blackberry scrambled up into the fern and thenreturned to the top of the bank, fidgeting nervously and half inclined to bolt atnothing. Hazel and Fiver remained in the ditch, nibbling halfheartedly at the darkgrass. At last Hazel heard what he was listening for; a rabbit -- or was it two? --approaching from the wood.
A few moments later Bigwig was in the ditch. Behind him came a hefty, brisk-looking rabbit something over twelve months old. He was well known by sight toall the warren, for his fur was entirely gray, with patches of near-white that nowcaught the moonlight as he sat scratching himself without speaking. This wasSilver, a nephew of the Threarah, who was serving his first month in the Owsla.
Hazel could not help feeling relieved that Bigwig had brought only Silver -- aquiet, straightforward fellow who had not yet really found his feet among theveterans. When Bigwig had spoken earlier of sounding out the Owsla, Hazel hadbeen in two minds. It was only too likely that they would encounter dangersbeyond the warren and that they would stand in need of some good fighters.
Again, if Fiver was right and the whole warren was in imminent peril, then ofcourse they ought to welcome any rabbit who was ready to join them. On theother hand, there seemed no point in taking particular pains to get hold of rabbitswho were going to behave like Toadflax.
"Wherever we settle down in the end," thought Hazel, "I'm determined to seethat Pipkin and Fiver aren't sat on and cuffed around until they're ready to runany risk just to get away. But is Bigwig going to see it like that?""You know Silver, don't you?" asked Bigwig, breaking in on his thoughts.
"Apparently some of the younger fellows in the Owsla have been giving him a thintime -- teasing him about his fur, you know, and saying he only got his placebecause of the Threarah. I thought I was going to get some more, but I supposenearly all the Owsla feel they're very well off as they are."He looked about him. "I say, there aren't many here, are there? Do you thinkit's really worth going on with this idea?"Silver seemed about to speak when suddenly there was a pattering in theundergrowth above and three more rabbits came over the bank from the wood.
Their movement was direct and purposeful, quite unlike the earlier, haphazardapproach of those who were now gathered in the ditch. The largest of the threenewcomers was in front and the other two followed him, as though under orders.
Hazel, sensing at once that they had nothing in common with himself and hiscompanions, started and sat up tensely. Fiver muttered in his ear, "Oh, Hazel,they've come to--" but broke off short. Bigwig turned toward them and stared, hisnose working rapidly. The three came straight up to him.
"Thlayli?" said the leader.
"You know me perfectly well," replied Bigwig, "and I know you, Holly. What doyou want?""You're under arrest.""Under arrest? What do you mean? What for?""Spreading dissension and inciting to mutiny. Silver, you're under arrest too,for failing to report to Toadflax this evening and causing your duty to devolve ona comrade. You're both to come with me."Immediately Bigwig fell upon him, scratching and kicking. Holly fought back.
His followers closed in, looking for an opening to join the fight and pin Bigwigdown. Suddenly, from the top of the bank, Buckthorn flung himself headlong intothe scuffle, knocked one of the guards flying with a kick from his back legs andthen closed with the other. He was followed a moment later by Dandelion, wholanded full on the rabbit whom Buckthorn had kicked. Both guards broke clear,looked round for a moment and then leaped up the bank into the wood. Hollystruggled free of Bigwig and crouched on his haunches, scuffling his front pawsand growling, as rabbits will when angry. He was about to speak when Hazelfaced him.
"Go," said Hazel, firmly and quietly, "or we'll kill you.""Do you know what this means?" replied Holly. "I am Captain of Owsla. Youknow that, don't you?""Go," repeated Hazel, "or you will be killed.""It is you who will be killed," replied Holly. Without another word he, too,went back up the bank and vanished into the wood.
Dandelion was bleeding from the shoulder. He licked the wound for a fewmoments and then turned to Hazel.
"They won't be long coming back, you know, Hazel," he said. "They've gone toturn out the Owsla, and then we'll be for it right enough.""We ought to go at once," said Fiver.
"Yes, the time's come now, all right," replied Hazel. "Come on, down to thestream. Then we'll follow the bank -- that'll help us to keep together.""If you'll take my advice--" began Bigwig.
"If we stay here any longer I shan't be able to," answered Hazel.
With Fiver beside him, he led the way out of the ditch and down the slope. Inless than a minute the little band of rabbits had disappeared into the dim,moonlit night.
5. In the Woods
These young rabbits... must move out if they are to survive. In a wild and freestate they... stray sometimes for miles... wandering until they find a suitableenvironment.
R.M. Lockley, The Private Life of the RabbitIt was getting on toward moonset when they left the fields and entered thewood. Straggling, catching up with one another, keeping more or less together,they had wandered over half a mile down the fields, always following the courseof the brook. Although Hazel guessed that they must now have gone further fromthe warren than any rabbit he had ever talked to, he was not sure whether theywere yet safely away; and it was while he was wondering -- not for the first time --whether he could hear sounds of pursuit that he first noticed the dark masses ofthe trees and the brook disappearing among them.
Rabbits avoid close woodland, where the ground is shady, damp and grasslessand they feel menaced by the undergrowth. Hazel did not care for the look of thetrees. Still, he thought, Holly would no doubt think twice before following theminto a place like that, and to keep beside the brook might well prove safer thanwandering about the fields in one direction and another, with the risk of findingthemselves, in the end, back at the warren. He decided to go straight into thewood without consulting Bigwig, and to trust that the rest would follow.
"If we don't run into any trouble and the brook takes us through the wood," hethought, "we really shall be clear of the warren and then we can look forsomewhere to rest for a bit. Most of them still seem to be more or less all right,but Fiver and Pipkin will have had as much as they can stand before long."From the moment he entered it, the wood seemed full of noises. There was asmell of damp leaves and moss, and everywhere the splash of water wentwhispering about. Just inside, the brook made a little fall into a pool, and thesound, enclosed among the trees, echoed as though in a cave. Roosting birdsrustled overhead; the night breeze stirred the leaves; here and there a dead twigfell. And there were more sinister, unidentified sounds from further away; soundsof movement.
To rabbits, everything unknown is dangerous. The first reaction is to startle,the second to bolt. Again and again they startled, until they were close toexhaustion. But what did these sounds mean and where, in this wilderness, couldthey bolt to?
The rabbits crept, closer together. Their progress grew slower. Before long theylost the course of the brook, slipping across the moonlit patches as fugitives andhalting in the bushes with raised ears and staring eyes. The moon was low nowand the light, wherever it slanted through the trees, seemed thicker, older andmore yellow.
From a thick pile of dead leaves beneath a holly tree, Hazel looked down anarrow path lined on either side with fern and sprouting fireweed. The fernmoved slightly in the breeze, but along the path there was nothing to be seenexcept a scatter of last year's fallen acorns under an oak. What was in thebracken? What lay round the further bend? And what would happen to a rabbitwho left the shelter of the holly tree and ran down the path? He turned toDandelion beside him.
"You'd better wait here," he said. "When I get to the bend I'll stamp. But if Irun into trouble, get the others away."Without waiting for an answer, he ran into the open and down the path. A fewseconds brought him to the oak. He paused a moment, staring about him, andthen ran on to the bend. Beyond, the path was the same -- empty in the darkeningmoonlight and leading gently downhill into the deep shadow of a grove of ilextrees. Hazel stamped, and a few moments later Dandelion was beside him in thebracken. Even in the midst of his fear and strain it occurred to him thatDandelion must be very fast: he had covered the distance in a flash.
"Well done," whispered Dandelion. "Running our risks for us, are you -- likeEl-ahrairah?"*Hazel gave him a quick, friendly glance. It was warm praise and cheered him.
What Robin Hood is to the English and John Henry to the American Negroes,Elil-Hrair-Rah, or El-ahrairah -- The Prince with a Thousand Enemies -- is torabbits. Uncle Remus might well have heard of him, for some of El-ahrairah'sadventures are those of Brer Rabbit. For that matter, Odysseus himself mighthave borrowed a trick or two from the rabbit hero, for he is very old and wasnever at a loss for a trick to deceive his enemies. Once, so they say, he had to gethome by swimming across a river in which there was a large and hungry pike. El-ahrairah combed himself until he had enough fur to cover a clay rabbit, which hepushed into the water. The pike rushed at it, bit it and left it in disgust. After alittle, it drifted to the bank and El-ahrairah dragged it out and waited a whilebefore pushing it in again. After an hour of this, the pike left it alone, and when ithad done so for the fifth time, El-ahrairah swam across himself and went home.
Some rabbits say he controls the weather, because the wind, the damp and thedew are friends and instruments to rabbits against their enemies.
"Hazel, we'll have to stop here," said Bigwig, coming up between the panting,crouching bodies of the others. "I know it's not a good place, but Fiver and thisother half-sized fellow you've got here -- they're pretty well all in. They won't beable to go on if we don't rest."The truth was that every one of them was tired. Many rabbits spend all theirlives in the same place and never run more than a hundred yards at a stretch.
Even though they may live and sleep above ground for months at a time, theyprefer not to be out of distance of some sort of refuge that will serve for a hole.
They have two natural gaits -- the gentle, lolloping forward movement of thewarren on a summer evening and the lightning dash for cover that every humanhas seen at some time or other. It is difficult to imagine a rabbit plodding steadilyon: they are not built for it. It is true that young rabbits are great migrants andcapable of journeying for miles, but they do not take to it readily.
Hazel and his companions had spent the night doing everything that cameunnaturally to them, and this for the first time. They had been moving in a group,or trying to: actually, they had straggled widely at times. They had been trying tomaintain a steady pace, between hopping and running, and it had come hard.
Since entering the wood they had been in severe anxiety. Several were almosttharn -- that is, in that state of staring, glazed paralysis that comes over terrifiedor exhausted rabbits, so that they sit and watch their enemies -- weasels orhumans -- approach to take their lives. Pipkin sat trembling under a fern, his earsdrooping on either side of his head. He held one paw forward in an awkward,unnatural way and kept licking it miserably. Fiver was little better off. He stilllooked cheerful, but very weary. Hazel realized that until they were rested theywould all be safer where they were than stumbling along in the open with nostrength left to run from an enemy. But if they lay brooding, unable to feed or gounderground, all their troubles would come crowding into their hearts, their fearswould mount and they might very likely scatter, or even try to return to thewarren. He had an idea.
"Yes, all right, we'll rest here," he said, "Let's go in among this fern. Come on,Dandelion, tell us a story. I know you're handy that way. Pipkin here can't wait tohear it."Dandelion looked at Pipkin and realized what it was that Hazel was asking himto do. Choking back his own fear of the desolate, grassless woodland, the before-dawn-returning owls that they could hear some way off, and the extraordinary,rank animal smell that seemed to come from somewhere rather nearer, he began.
*The stresses are the same as in the phrase "Never say die."
6. The Story of the Blessing of El-ahrairah
Why should he think me cruelOr that he is betrayed?
I'd have him love the thing that wasBefore the world was made.
W.B. Yeats, A Woman Young and Old"Long ago, Frith made the world. He made all the stars, too, and the world isone of the stars. He made them by scattering his droppings over the sky and thisis why the grass and the trees grow so thick on the world. Frith makes the riversflow. They follow him as he goes through the sky, and when he leaves the sky theylook for him all night. Frith made all the animals and birds, but when he firstmade them they were all the same. The sparrow and the kestrel were friends andthey both ate seeds and flies. And the fox and the rabbit were friends and theyboth ate grass. And there was plenty of grass and plenty of flies, because theworld was new and Frith shone down bright and warm all day.
"Now, El-ahrairah was among the animals in those days and he had manywives. He had so many wives that there was no counting them, and the wives hadso many young that even Frith could not count them, and they ate the grass andthe dandelions and the lettuces and the clover, and El-ahrairah was the father ofthem all." (Bigwig growled appreciatively.) "And after a time," went onDandelion, "after a time the grass began to grow thin and the rabbits wanderedeverywhere, multiplying and eating as they went.
"Then Frith said to El-ahrairah, 'Prince Rabbit, if you cannot control yourpeople, I shall find ways to control them. So mark what I say.' But El-ahrairahwould not listen and he said to Frith, 'My people are the strongest in the world,for they breed faster and eat more than any of the other people. And this showshow much they love Lord Frith, for of all the animals they are the mostresponsive to his warmth and brightness. You must realize, my lord, howimportant they are and not hinder them in their beautiful lives.'
"Frith could have killed El-ahrairah at once, but he had a mind to keep him inthe world, because he needed him to sport and jest and play tricks. So hedetermined to get the better of him, not by means of his own great power but bymeans of a trick. He gave out that he would hold a great meeting and that at thatmeeting he wouid give a present to every animal and bird, to make each onedifferent from the rest. And all the creatures set out to go to the meeting place.
But they all arrived at different times, because Frith made sure that it wouldhappen so. And when the blackbird came, he gave him his beautiful song, andwhen the cow came, he gave her sharp horns and the strength to be afraid of noother creature. And so in their turn came the fox and the stoat and the weasel.
And to each of them Frith gave the cunning and the fierceness and the desire tohunt and slay and eat the children of El-ahrairah. And so they went away fromFrith full of nothing but hunger to kill the rabbits.
"Now, all this time El-ahrairah was dancing and mating and boasting that hewas going to Frith's meeting to receive a great gift. And at last he set out for themeeting place. But as he was going there, he stopped to rest on a soft, sandyhillside. And while he was resting, over the hill came flying the dark swift,screaming as he went, 'News! News! News!' For you know, this is what he has saidever since that day. So El-ahrairah called up to him and said, 'What news?' 'Why,'
said the swift, 'I would not be you, El-ahrairah. For Frith has given the fox andthe weasel cunning hearts and sharp teeth, and to the cat he has given silent feetand eyes that can see in the dark, and they are gone away from Frith's place to killand devour all that belongs to El-ahrairah.' And he dashed on over the hills. Andat that moment El-ahrairah heard the voice of Frith calling, 'Where is El-ahrairah? For all the others have taken their gifts and gone and I have come tolook for him.'
"Then El-ahrairah knew that Frith was too clever for him and he wasfrightened. He thought that the fox and the weasel were coming with Frith and heturned to the face of the hill and began to dig. He dug a hole, but he had dug onlya little of it when Frith came over the hill alone. And he saw El-ahrairah's bottomsticking out of the hole and the sand flying out in showers as the digging went on.
When he saw that, he called out, 'My friend, have you seen El-ahrairah, for I amlooking for him to give him my gift?' 'No,' answered El-ahrairah, without comingout, 'I have not seen him. He is far away. He could not come.' So Frith said, 'Thencome out of that hole and I will bless you instead of him.' 'No, I cannot,' said El-ahrairah, 'I am busy. The fox and the weasel are coming. If you want to bless meyou can bless my bottom, for it is sticking out of the hole.'"All the rabbits had heard the story before: on winter nights, when the colddraft moved down the warren passages and the icy wet lay in the pits of the runsbelow their burrows; and on summer evenings, in the grass under the red mayand the sweet, carrion-scented elder bloom. Dandelion was telling it well, andeven Pipkin forgot his weariness and danger and remembered instead the greatindestructibility of the rabbits. Each one of them saw himself as El-ahrairah, whocould be impudent to Frith and get away with it.
"Then," said Dandelion, "Frith felt himself in friendship with El-ahrairah, whowould not give up even when he thought the fox and the weasel were coming. Andhe said, 'Very well, I will bless your bottom as it sticks out of the hole. Bottom, bestrength and warning and speed forever and save the life of your master. Be itso!' And as he spoke, El-ahrairah's tail grew shining white and flashed like a star;and his back legs grew long and powerful and he thumped the hillside until thevery beetles fell off the the grass stems. He came out of the hole and tore acrossthe hill faster than any creature in the world. And Frith called after him, 'El-ahrairah, your people cannot rule the world, for I will not have it so. All the worldwill be your enemy, Prince with a Thousand Enemies, and whenever they catchyou, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner,prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shallnever be destroyed.' And El-ahrairah knew then that although he would not bemocked, yet Frith was his friend. And every evening, when Frith has done hisday's work and lies calm and easy in the red sky, El-ahrairah and his children andhis children's children come out of their holes and feed and play in his sight, forthey are his friends and he has promised them that they can never be destroyed."
7. The Lendri and the River
Quant au courage moral, il avait trouvé fort rare, disait-il celui de deux heuresaprès minuit; c'est-à-dire le courage de l'improviste.
Napoleon BonaparteAs Dandelion ended, Acorn, who was on the windward side of the little group,suddenly started and sat back, with ears up and nostrils twitching. The strange,rank smell was stronger than ever and after a few moments they all heard a heavymovement close by. Suddenly, on the other side of the path, the fern parted andthere looked out a long, dog-like head, striped black and white. It was pointeddownward, the jaws grinning, the muzzle close to the ground. Behind, they couldjust discern great, powerful paws and a shaggy black body. The eyes were peeringat them, full of savage cunning. The head moved slowly, taking in the duskylengths of the wood ride in both directions, and then fixed them once more withits fierce, terrible stare. The jaws opened wider and they could see the teeth,glimmering white as the stripes along the head. For long moments it gazed andthe rabbits remained motionless, staring back without a sound. Then Bigwig, whowas nearest to the path, turned and slipped back among the others.
"A lendri," he muttered as he passed through them. "It may be dangerous andit may not, but I'm taking no chances with it. Let's get away."They followed him through the fern and very soon came upon another, parallelpath. Bigwig turned into it and broke into a run. Dandelion overtook him and thetwo disappeared among the ilex trees. Hazel and the others followed as best theycould, with Pipkin limping and staggering behind, his fear driving him on in spiteof the pain in his paw.
Hazel came out on the further side of the ilexes and followed the path round abend. Then he stopped dead and sat back on his haunches. Immediately in frontof him, Bigwig and Dandelion were staring out from the sheer edge of a highbank, and below the bank ran a stream. It was in fact the little river Enborne,twelve to fifteen feet wide and at this time of year two or three feet deep withspring rain, but to the rabbits it seemed immense, such a river as they had neverimagined. The moon had almost set and the night was now dark, but they couldsee the water faintly shining as it flowed and could just make out, on the furtherside, a thin belt of nut trees and alders. Somewhere beyond, a plover called threeor four times and was silent.
One by one, most of the others came up, stopped at the bank and looked at thewater without speaking. A chilly breeze was moving and several of them trembledwhere they sat.
"Well, this is a nice surprise, Hazel," said Bigwig at length. "Or were youexpecting this when you took us into the wood?"Hazel realized wearily that Bigwig was probably going to be troublesome. Hewas certainly no coward, but he was likely to remain steady only as long as hecould see his way clear and be sure of what to do. To him, perplexity was worsethan danger; and when he was perplexed he usually grew angry. The day before,Fiver's warning had troubled him, and he had spoken in anger to the Threarahand left the Owsla. Then, while he was in an uncertain mood about the idea ofleaving the warren, Captain Holly had appeared in capital time to be attacked andto provide a perfect reason for their departure. Now, at the sight of the river,Bigwig's assurance was leaking again and unless he, Hazel, could restore it insome way, they were likely to be in for trouble. He thought of the Threarah andhis wily courtesy.
"I don't know what we should have done without you just now, Bigwig," hesaid. "What was that animal? Would it have killed us?""A lendri," said Bigwig. "I've heard about them in the Owsla. They're not reallydangerous. They can't catch a rabbit that runs, and nearly always you can smellthem coming. They're funny things: I've heard of rabbits living almost on top ofthem and coming to no harm. But they're best avoided, all the same. They'll digout rabbit kittens and they'll kill an injured rabbit if they find one. They're one ofthe Thousand, all right. I ought to have guessed from the smell, but it was new tome.""It had killed before it met us," said Blackberry with a shudder. "I saw theblood on its lips.""A rat, perhaps, or pheasant chicks. Lucky for us it had killed, otherwise itmight have been quicker. Still, fortunately we did the right thing. We really cameout of it very well," said Bigwig.
Fiver came limping down the path with Pipkin. They, too, checked and staredat the sight of the river.
"What do you think we ought to do now, Fiver?" asked Hazel.
Fiver looked down at the water and twitched his ears.
"We shall have to cross it," he said. "But I don't think I can swim, Hazel. I'mworn out, and Pipkin's a good deal worse than I am.""Cross it?" cried Bigwig. "Cross it? Who's going to cross it? What do you wantto cross it for? I never heard such nonsense."Like all wild animals, rabbits can swim if they have to; and some even swimwhen it suits them. Rabbits have been known to live on the edge of a wood andregularly swim a brook to feed in the fields beyond. But most rabbits avoidswimming, and certainly an exhausted rabbit could not swim the Enborne.
"I don't want to jump in there," said Speedwell.
"Why not just go along the bank?" asked Hawkbit.
Hazel suspected that if Fiver felt they ought to cross the river, it might bedangerous not to. But how were the others to be persuaded? At this moment, ashe was still wondering what to say to them, he suddenly realized that somethinghad lightened his spirits. What could it be? A smell? A sound? Then he knew.
Nearby, across the river, a lark had begun to twitter and climb. It was morning. Ablackbird called one or two deep, slow notes and was followed by a wood pigeon.
Soon they were in a gray twilight and could see that the stream bordered thefurther edge of the wood. On the other side lay open fields.
8. The Crossing
The centurion... commanded that they which could swim should castthemselves first into the sea and get to land. And the rest, some on boards andsome on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped allsafe to land.
The Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 27The top of the sandy bank was a good six feet above the water. From wherethey sat, the rabbits could look straight ahead upstream, and downstream to theirleft. Evidently there were nesting holes in the sheer face below them, for as thelight grew they saw three or four martins dart out over the stream and away intothe fields beyond. In a short time one returned with his beak full, and they couldhear the nestlings squeaking as he flew out of sight beneath their feet. The bankdid not extend far in either direction. Upstream, it sloped down to a grassy pathbetween the trees and the water. This followed the line of the river, which ranstraight from almost as far away as they could see, flowing smoothly withoutfords, gravel shallows or plank bridges. Immediately below them lay a wide pooland here the water was almost still. Away to their left, the bank sloped downagain into clumps of alder, among which the stream could be heard chatteringover gravel. There was a glimpse of barbed wire stretched across the water andthey guessed that this must surround a cattle wade, like the one in the little brooknear the home warren.
Hazel looked at the path upstream. "There's grass down there," he said. "Let'sgo and feed."They scrambled down the bank and set to nibbling beside the water. Betweenthem and the stream itself stood half-grown clumps of purple loosestrife andfleabane, which would not flower for nearly two months yet. The only bloomswere a few early meadowsweet and a patch of pink butterbur. Looking back at theface of the bank, they could see that it was in fact dotted thickly with martins'
holes. There was a narrow foreshore at the foot of the little cliff and this waslittered with the rubbish of the colony -- sticks, droppings, feathers, a broken eggand a dead nestling or two. The martins were now coming and going in numbersover the water.
Hazel moved close to Fiver and quietly edged him away from the others,feeding as he went. When they were a little way off, and half concealed by a patchof reeds, he said, "Are you sure we've got to cross the river, Fiver? What aboutgoing along the bank one way or the other?""No, we need to cross the river, Hazel, so that we can get into those fields --and on beyond them too. I know what we ought to be looking for -- a high, lonelyplace with dry soil, where rabbits can see and hear all round and men hardly evercome. Wouldn't that be worth a journey?""Yes, of course it would. But is there such a place?""Not near a river -- I needn't tell you that. But if you cross a river you startgoing up again, don't you? We ought to be on the top -- on the top and in theopen.""But, Fiver, I think they may refuse to go much further. And then again, yousay all this and yet you say you're too tired to swim?""I can rest, Hazel, but Pipkin's in a pretty bad way. I think he's injured. Wemay have to stay here half the day.""Well, let's go and talk to the others. They may not mind staying. It's crossingthey're not going to fancy, unless something frightens them into it."As soon as they had made their way back, Bigwig came across to them from thebushes at the edge of the path.
"I was wondering where you'd got to," he said to Hazel. "Are you ready to moveon?""No, I'm not," answered Hazel firmly. "I think we ought to stay here until ni-Frith. That'll give everyone a chance to rest and then we can swim across to thosefields."Bigwig was about to reply, but Blackberry spoke first.
"Bigwig," he said, "why don't you swim over now, and then go out into the fieldand have a look round? The wood may not stretch very far one way or the other.
You could see from there; and then we might know which would be the best wayto go.""Oh, well," said Bigwig rather grudgingly, "I suppose there's some sense inthat. I'll swim the embleer* river as many times as you like. Always glad tooblige."Without the slightest hesitation, he took two hops to the water, waded in andswam across the deep, still pool. They watched him pull himself out beside aflowering clump of figwort, gripping one of the tough stems in his teeth, shake ashower of drops out of his fur and scutter into the alder bushes. A moment later,between the nut trees, they saw him running off into the field.
"I'm glad he's with us," said Hazel to Silver. Again he thought wryly of theThrearah. "He's the fellow to find out all we need to know. Oh, I say, look, he'scoming back already."Bigwig was racing back across the field, looking more agitated than he had atany time since the encounter with Captain Holly. He ran into the water almostheadlong and paddled over fast, leaving an arrowhead ripple on the calm brownsurface. He was speaking as he jerked himself out on the sandy foreshore.
"Well, Hazel, if I were you I shouldn't wait until ni-Frith. I should go now. Infact, I think you'll have to.""Why?" asked Hazel.
"There's a large dog loose in the wood."Hazel started. "What?" he said. "How do you know?""When you get into the field you can see the wood sloping down to the river.
Parts of it are open. I saw the dog crossing a clearing. It was trailing a chain, so itmust have broken loose. It may be on the lendri's scent, but the lendri will beunderground by now. What do you think will happen when it picks up our scent,running from one side of the wood to the other, with dew on it? Come on, let's getover quickly,"Hazel felt at a loss. In front of him stood Bigwig, sodden wet, undaunted,single-minded -- the very picture of decision. At his shoulder was Fiver, silent andtwitching. He saw Blackberry watching him intently, waiting for his lead anddisregarding Bigwig's. Then he looked at Pipkin, huddled into a fold of sand,more panic-stricken and helpless than any rabbit he had ever seen. At thismoment, up in the wood, there broke out an excited yelping and a jay began toscold.
Hazel spoke through a kind of light-headed trance. "Well, you'd better get on,then," he said, "and anyone else who wants to. Personally, I'm going to wait untilFiver and Pipkin are fit to tackle it.""You silly blockhead!" cried Bigwig. "We'll all be finished! We'll--""Don't stamp about," said Hazel, "You may be heard. What do you suggest,then?""Suggest? There's no suggesting to be done. Those who can swim, swim. Theothers will have to stay here and hope for the best. The dog may not come.""I'm afraid that won't do for me. I got Pipkin into this and I'm going to get himout.""Well, you didn't get Fiver into it, did you? He got you into it."Hazel could not help noticing, with reluctant admiration, that although Bigwighad lost his temper, he was apparently in no hurry on his own account andseemed less frightened than any of them. Looking round for Blackberry, he sawthat he had left them and was up at the top of the pool, where the narrow beachtailed away into a gravel spit. His paws were half buried in the wet gravel and hewas nosing at something large and flat on the waterline. It looked like a piece ofwood.
"Blackberry," he said, "can you come back here a moment?"Blackberry looked up, tugged out his paws and ran back.
"Hazel," he said quickly, "that's a piece of flat wood -- like that piece that closedthe gap by the Green Loose above the warren -- you remember? It must havedrifted down the river. So it floats. We could put Fiver and Pipkin on it and makeit float again. It might go across the river. Can you understand?"Hazel had no idea what he meant. Blackberry's flood of apparent nonsenseonly seemed to draw tighter the mesh of danger and bewilderment. As thoughBigwig's angry impatience, Pipkin's terror and the approaching dog were notenough to contend with, the cleverest rabbit among them had evidently gone outof his mind. He felt close to despair.
"Frithrah, yes, I see!" said an excited voice at his ear. It was Fiver. "Quick,Hazel, don't wait! Come on, and bring Pipkin!"It was Blackberry who bullied the stupefied Pipkin to his feet and forced him tolimp the few yards to the gravel spit. The piece of wood, hardly bigger than a largerhubarb leaf, was lightly aground. Blackberry almost drove Pipkin onto it with hisclaws. Pipkin crouched shivering and Fiver followed him aboard.
"Who's strong?" said Blackberry. "Bigwig! Silver! Push it out!"No one obeyed him. All squatted, puzzled and uncertain. Blackberry buried hisnose in the gravel under the landward edge of the board and raised it, pushing.
The board tipped. Pipkin squealed and Fiver lowered his head and splayed hisclaws. Then the board righted itself and drifted out a few feet into the pool withthe two rabbits hunched upon it, rigid and motionless. It rotated slowly and theyfound themselves staring back at their comrades.
"Frith and Inlé!" said Dandelion. "They're sitting on the water! Why don't theysink?""They're sitting on the wood and the wood floats, can't you see?" saidBlackberry. "Now we swim over ourselves. Can we start, Hazel?"During the last few minutes Hazel had been as near to losing his head as hewas ever to come. He had been at his wits' end, with no reply to Bigwig's scornfulimpatience except his readiness to risk his own life in company with Fiver andPipkin. He still could not understand what had happened, but at least he realizedthat Blackberry wanted him to show authority. His head cleared.
"Swim," he said. "Everybody swim."He watched them as they went in. Dandelion swam as well as he ran, swiftlyand easily. Silver, too, was strong. The others paddled and scrambled oversomehow, and as they began to reach the other side, Hazel plunged. The coldwater penetrated his fur almost at once. His breath came short and as his headwent under he could hear a faint grating of gravel along the bottom. He paddledacross awkwardly, his head tilted high out of the water, and made for the figwort.
As he pulled himself out, he looked round among the sopping rabbits in thealders.
"Where's Bigwig?" he asked.
"Behind you," answered Blackberry, his teeth chattering.
Bigwig was still in the water, on the other side of the pool. He had swum to theraft, put his head against it and was pushing it forward with heavy thrusts of hisback legs. "Keep still," Hazel heard him say in a quick, gulping voice. Then hesank. But a moment later he was up again and had thrust his head over the backof the board. As he kicked and struggled, it tilted and then, while the rabbitswatched from the bank, moved slowly across the pool and grounded on theopposite side. Fiver pushed Pipkin onto the stones and Bigwig waded out besidethem, shivering and breathless.
"I got the idea once Blackberry had shown us," he said. "But it's hard to push itwhen you're in the water. I hope it's not long to sunrise. I'm cold. Let's get on."There was no sign of the dog as they made haste through the alders and up thefield to the first hedgerow. Most of them had not understood Blackberry'sdiscovery of the raft and at once forgot it. Fiver, however, came over to whereBlackberry was lying against the stem of a blackthorn in the hedge.
"You saved Pipkin and me, didn't you?" he said. "I don't think Pipkin's got anyidea what really happened; but I have.""I admit it was a good idea," replied Blackberry. "Let's remember it. It mightcome in handy again sometime."*Stinking -- the word for the smell of a fox.
9. The Crow and the Beanfield
With the beanflower's boon,And the blackbird's tune,And May, and June!
Robert Browning, De GustibusThe sun rose while they were still lying in the thorn. Already several of therabbits were asleep, crouched uneasily between the thick stems, aware of thechance of danger but too tired to do more than trust to luck. Hazel, looking atthem, felt almost as insecure as he had on the riverbank. A hedgerow in openfields was no place to remain all day. But where could they go? He needed toknow more about their surroundings. He moved along the hedge, feeling thebreeze from the south and looking for some spot where he could sit and scent itwithout too much risk. The smells that came down from the higher ground mighttell him something.
He came to a wide gap which had been trodden into mud by cattle. He couldsee them grazing in the next field, further up the slope. He went cautiously outinto the field, squatted down against a clump of thistles and began to smell thewind. Now that he was clear of the hawthorn scent of the hedge and the reek ofcattle dung, he became fully aware of what had already been drifting into hisnostrils while he was lying among the thorn. There was only one smell on thewind and it was new to him: a strong, fresh, sweet fragrance that filled the air. Itwas healthy enough. There was no harm in it. But what was it and why was it sostrong? How could it exclude every other smell, in open country on a south wind?
The source must be close by. Hazel wondered whether to send one of the rabbitsto find out. Dandelion would be over the top and back almost as fast as a hare.
Then his sense of adventure and mischief prompted him. He would go himselfand bring back some news before they even knew that he had gone. That wouldgive Bigwig something to bite on.
He ran easily up the meadow toward the cows. As he came they raised theirheads and gazed at him, all together, for a moment, before returning to theirfeeding. A great black bird was flapping and hopping a little way behind the herd.
It looked rather like a large rook, but, unlike a rook, it was alone. He watched itsgreenish, powerful beak stabbing the ground, but could not make out what it wasdoing. It so happened that Hazel had never seen a crow. It did not occur to himthat it was following the track of a mole, in the hope of killing it with a blow of itsbeak and then pulling it out of its shallow run. If he had realized this, he mightnot have classed it light-heartedly as a "Not-hawk" -- that is, anything from awren to a pheasant -- and continued on his way up the slope.
The strange fragrance was stronger now, coming over the top of the rise in awave of scent that struck him powerfully -- as the scent of orange blossom in theMediterranean strikes a traveler who smells it for the first time. Fascinated, heran to the crest. Nearby was another hedgerow and beyond, moving gently in thebreeze, stood a field of broad beans in full flower.
Hazel squatted on his haunches and stared at the orderly forest of small,glaucous trees with their columns of black-and-white bloom. He had never seenanything like this. Wheat and barley he knew, and once he had been in a field ofturnips. But this was entirely different from any of those and seemed, somehow,attractive, wholesome, propitious. True, rabbits could not eat these plants: hecould smell that. But they could lie safely among them for as long as they liked,and they could move through them easily and unseen. Hazel determined then andthere to bring the rabbits up to the beanfield to shelter and rest until the evening.
He ran back and found the others where he had left them. Bigwig and Silver wereawake, but all the rest were still napping uneasily.
"Not asleep, Silver?" he said.
"It's too dangerous, Hazel," replied Silver. "I'd like to sleep as much as anyone,but if we all sleep and something comes, who's going to spot it?""I know. I've found a place where we can sleep safely for as long as we like.""A burrow?""No, not a burrow. A great field of scented plants that will cover us, sight andsmell, until we're rested. Come out here and smell it, if you like."Both rabbits did so. "You say you've seen these plants?" said Bigwig, turninghis ears to catch the distant rustling of the beans.""Yes, they're only just over the top. Come on, let's get the others moving beforea man comes with a hrududu* or they'll scatter all over the place."Silver roused the others and began to coax them into the field. They stumbledout drowsily, responding with reluctance to his repeated assurance that it was"only a little way."They became widely separated as they straggled up the slope. Silver and Bigwigled the way, with Hazel and Buckthorn a short distance behind. The rest idledalong, hopping a few yards and then pausing to nibble or to pass droppings on thewarm, sunny grass. Silver was almost at the crest when suddenly, from halfwayup, there came a high screaming -- the sound a rabbit makes, not to call for helpor to frighten an enemy, but simply out of terror. Fiver and Pipkin, limpingbehind the others, and conspicuously undersized and tired, were being attackedby the crow. It had flown low along the ground. Then, pouncing, it had aimed ablow of its great bill at Fiver, who just managed to dodge in time. Now it wasleaping and hopping among the grass tussocks, striking at the two rabbits withterrible darts of its head. Crows aim at the eyes and Pipkin, sensing this, hadburied his head in a clump of rank grass and was trying to burrow further in. Itwas he who was screaming.
Hazel covered the distance down the slope in a few seconds. He had no ideawhat he was going to do, and if the crow had ignored him he would probably havebeen at a loss. But by dashing up he distracted its attention and it turned on him.
He swerved past it, stopped and, looking back, saw Bigwig come racing in fromthe opposite side. The crow turned again, struck at Bigwig and missed. Hazelheard its beak hit a pebble in the grass with a sound like a snail shell when athrush beats it on a stone. As Silver followed Bigwig, it recovered itself and facedhim squarely. Silver stopped short in fear and the crow seemed to dance beforehim, its great black wings flapping in a horrible commotion. It was just about tostab when Bigwig ran straight into it from behind and knocked it sideways, sothat it staggered across the turf with a harsh, raucous cawing of rage.
"Keep at it!" cried Bigwig. "Come in behind it! They're cowards! They onlyattack helpless rabbits."But already the crow was making off, flying low with slow, heavy wing beats.
They watched it clear the further hedge and disappear into the wood beyond theriver. In the silence there was a gentle, tearing sound as a grazing cow movednearer.
Bigwig strolled over to Pipkin, muttering a ribald Owsla lampoon.
"Hoi, hoi u embleer Hrair,M'saion ulé hraka vair."*"Come on, Hlao-roo," he said. "You can get your head out now. Having quite aday, aren't we?"He turned away and Pipkin tried to follow him. Hazel remembered that Fiverhad said he thought he was injured. Now, as he watched him limping andstaggering up the slope, it occurred to him that he might actually be wounded insome way. He kept trying to put his near-side front paw to the ground and thendrawing it up again, hopping on three legs.
"I'll have a look at him as soon as they're settled under cover," he thought.
"Poor little chap, he won't be able to get much further like that."At the top of the slope Buckthorn was already leading the way into thebeanfield. Hazel reached the hedge, crossed a narrow turf verge on the other sideand found himself looking straight down a long, shadowy aisle between two rowsof beans. The earth was soft and crumbling, with a scattering of the weeds thatare found in cultivated fields -- fumitory, charlock, pimpernel and mayweed, allgrowing in the green gloom under the bean leaves. As the plants moved in thebreeze, the sunlight dappled and speckled back and forth over the brown soil, thewhite pebbles and weeds. Yet in this ubiquitous restlessness there was nothingalarming, for the whole forest took part in it and the only sound was the soft,steady movement of the leaves. Far along the bean row Hazel glimpsedBuckthorn's back and followed him into the depths of the field.
Soon after, all the rabbits had come together in a kind of hollow. Far around,on all sides, stood the orderly rows of beans, securing them against hostileapproach, roofing them over and covering their scent. They could hardly havebeen safer underground. Even a little food could be had at a pinch, for here andthere were a few pale twists of grass and here and there a dandelion.
"We can sleep here all day," said Hazel. "But I suppose one of us ought to stayawake; and if I take the first turn it'll give me a chance to have a look at your paw,Hlao-roo. I think you've got something in it."Pipkin, who was lying on his left side, breathing quickly and heavily, rolledover and stretched out his front paw, underside turned upward. Hazel peeredclosely into the thick, coarse hair (a rabbit's foot has no pads) and after a fewmoments saw what he had expected -- the oval shank of a snapped-off thornsticking out through the skin. There was a little blood and the flesh was torn.
"You've got a big thorn in there, Hlao," he said. "No wonder you couldn't run.
We'll have to get it out."Getting the thorn out was not easy, for the foot had become so tender thatPipkin winced and pulled away even from Hazel's tongue. But after a good deal ofpatient effort Hazel succeeded in working out enough of the stump to get a gripwith his teeth. The thorn came out smoothly and the wound bled. The spine wasso long and thick that Hawkbit, who happened to be close by, woke Speedwell tohave a look at it.
"Frith above, Pipkin!" said Speedwell, sniffing at the thorn where it lay on apebble. "You'd better collect a few more like that: then you can make a noticeboard and frighten Fiver. You might have poked the lendri's eye out for us, ifyou'd only known.""Lick the place, Hlao," said Hazel. "Lick it until it feels better and then go tosleep."*Tractor -- or any motor.
*Hoi, hoi, the stinking Thousand, We meet them even when we stop to passour droppings."
10. The Road and the Common
Timorous answered, that they... had got up that difficult place; but, said he, thefurther we go, the more danger we meet with; wherefore we turned, and are goingback again.
John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's ProgressAfter some time, Hazel woke Buckhorn. Then he scratched a shallow nest inthe earth and slept. One watch succeeded another through the day, though howthe rabbits judged the passing of the time is something that civilized humanbeings have lost the power to feel. Creatures that have neither clocks nor booksare alive to all manner of knowledge about time and the weather; and aboutdirection, too, as we know from their extraordinary migratory and homingjourneys. The changes in the warmth and dampness of the soil, the falling of thesunlight patches, the altering movement of the beans in the light wind, thedirection and strength of the air currents along the ground -- all these wereperceived by the rabbit awake.
The sun was beginning to set when Hazel woke to see Acorn listening andsniffing in the silence, between two white-skinned flints. The light was thicker,the breeze had dropped and the beans were still. Pipkin was stretched out a littleway away. A yellow-and-black burying beetle, crawling across the white fur of hisbelly, stopped, waved its short, curved antennae and then moved on again. Hazelgrew tense with sudden misgiving. He knew that these beetles come to deadbodies, on which they feed and lay their eggs. They will dig away the earth fromunder the bodies of small creatures, such as shrew mice and fallen fledglings, andthen lay their eggs on them before covering them with soil. Surely Pipkin couldnot have died in his sleep? Hazel sat up quickly. Acorn started and turned towardhim and the beetle scurried away over the pebbles as Pipkin moved and woke.
"How's the paw?" said Hazel.
Pipkin put it to the ground. Then he stood on it.
"It feels much better," he said. "I think I shall be able to go as well as the othersnow. They won't leave me behind, will they?"Hazel rubbed his nose behind Pipkin's ear. "No one's going to leave anyoneelse behind," he said. "If you had to stay, I'd stay with you. But don't pick up anymore thorns, Hlao-roo, because we may have to go a long way."The next moment all the rabbits leaped up in panic. From close at hand thesound of a shot tore across the fields. A peewit rose screaming. The echoes cameback in waves, like a pebble rolling round a box, and from the wood across theriver came the clattering of wood pigeons' wings among the branches. In aninstant the rabbits were running in all directions through the bean rows, each onetearing by instinct toward holes that were not there.
Hazel stopped short on the edge of the beans. Looking about him, he could seenone of the others. He waited, trembling, for the next shot: but there was silence.
Then he felt, vibrating along the ground, the steady tread of a man going awaybeyond the crest over which they had come that morning. At that moment Silverappeared, pushing his way through the plants close by.
"I hope it's the crow, don't you?" said Silver.
"I hope no one's been silly enough to bolt out of this field," answered Hazel.
"They're all scattered. How can we find them?""I don't think we can," said Silver. "We'd better go back to where we were.
They'll come in time."It was in fact a long time before all the rabbits had come back to the hollow inthe middle of the field. As he waited, Hazel realized more fully than ever howdangerous was their position, without holes, wandering in country they did notknow. The lendri, the dog, the crow, the marksman -- they had been lucky toescape them. How long would their luck hold? Would they really be able to travelon as far as Fiver's high place -- wherever it might be?
"I'd settle for any decent, dry bank, myself," he thought, "as long as there wassome grass and no men with guns. And the sooner we can find one the better."Hawkbit was the last to return and as he came up Hazel set off at once. Helooked cautiously out from among the beans and then darted into the hedgerow.
The wind, as he stopped to sniff it, was reassuring, carrying only the scents ofevening dew, may and cow dung. He led the way into the next field, a pasture, andhere they all fell to feeding, nibbling their way over the grass as easily as thoughtheir warren were close by.
When he was halfway across the field, Hazel became aware of a hrududuapproaching very fast on the other side of the further hedge. It was small and lessnoisy than the farm tractor which he had sometimes watched from the edge of theprimrose wood at home. It passed in a flash of man-made, unnatural color,glittering here and there and brighter than a winter holly tree. A few momentslater came the smells of petrol and exhaust. Hazel stared, twitching his nose. Hecould not understand how the hrududu could move so quickly and smoothlythrough the fields. Would it return? Would it come through the fields faster thanthey could run, and hunt them down?
As he paused, wondering what was best to be done, Bigwig came up.
"There's a road there, then," he said. "That'll give some of them a surprise,won't it?""A road?" said Hazel, thinking of the lane by the notice board. "How do youknow?""Well, how do you suppose a hrududu can go that fast? Besides, can't you smellit?"The smell of warm tar was now plain on the evening air.
"I've never smelled that in my life," said Hazel with a touch of irritation.
"Ah," said Bigwig, "but then you were never sent out stealing lettuces for theThrearah, were you? If you had been, you'd have learned about roads. There'snothing to them, really, as long as you let them alone by night. They're elil then,all right.""You'd better teach me, I think," said Hazel. "I'll go up with you and we'll letthe others follow."They ran on and crept through the hedge. Hazel looked down at the road inastonishment. For a moment he thought that he was looking at another river --black, smooth and straight between its banks. Then he saw the gravel embeddedin the tar and watched a spider running over the surface.
"But that's not natural," he said, sniffing the strange, strong smells of tar andoil. "What is it? How did it come there?""It's a man thing," said Bigwig. "They put that stuff there and then the hrududilrun on it -- faster than we can; and what else can run faster than we?""It's dangerous, then? They can catch us?""No, that's what's so odd. They don't take any notice of us at all. I'll show you,if you like."The other rabbits were beginning to reach the hedge as Bigwig hopped downthe bank and crouched on the verge of the road. From beyond the bend came thesound of another approaching car. Hazel and Silver watched tensely. The carappeared, flashing green and white, and raced down toward Bigwig. For aninstant it filled the whole world with noise and fear. Then it was gone andBigwig's fur was blowing in the whack of wind that followed it down the hedges.
He jumped back up the bank among the staring rabbits.
"See? They don't hurt you," said Bigwig. "As a matter of fact, I don't thinkthey're alive at all. But I must admit I can't altogether make it out."As on the riverbank, Blackberry had moved away and was already down on theroad on his own account, sniffing out toward the middle, halfway between Hazeland the bend. They saw him start and jump back to the shelter of the bank.
"What is it?" said Hazel.
Blackberry did not answer, and Hazel and Bigwig hopped toward him alongthe verge. He was opening and shutting his mouth and licking his lips, much as acat does when something disgusts it.
"You say they're not dangerous, Bigwig," he said quietly. "But I think they mustbe, for all that."In the middle of the road was a flattened, bloody mass of brown prickles andwhite fur, with small black feet and snout crushed round the edges. The fliescrawled upon it, and here and there the sharp points of gravel pressed up throughthe flesh.
"A yona," said Blackberry. "What harm does a yona do to anything but slugsand beetles? And what can eat a yona?""It must have come at night," said Bigwig.
"Yes, of course. The yonil always hunt by night. If you see them by day, they'redying.""I know. But what I'm trying to explain is that at night the hrududil have greatlights, brighter than Frith himself. They draw creatures toward them, and if theyshine on you, you can't see or think which way to go. Then the hrududu is quitelikely to crush you. At least, that's what we were taught in the Owsla. I don'tintend to try it.""Well, it will be dark soon," said Hazel. "Come on, let's get across. As far as Ican see, this road's no good to us at all. Now that I've learned about it, I want toget away from it as soon as I can."By moonrise they had made their way through Newtown churchyard, where alittle brook runs between the lawns and under the path. Wandering on, theyclimbed a hill and came to Newtown Common -- a country of peat, gorse andsilver birch. After the meadows they had left, this was a strange, forbidding land.
Trees, herbage, even the soil -- all were unfamiliar. They hesitated among thethick heather, unable to see more than a few feet ahead. Their fur became soakedwith the dew. The ground was broken by rifts and pits of naked black peat, wherewater lay and sharp white stones, some as big as a pigeon's, some as a rabbit'sskull, glimmered in the moonlight. Whenever they reached one of these rifts therabbits huddled together, waiting for Hazel or Bigwig to climb the further sideand find a way forward. Everywhere they came upon beetles, spiders and smalllizards which scurried away as they pushed through the fibrous, resistant heather.
Once Buckthorn disturbed a snake, and leaped into the air as it whipped betweenhis paws to vanish down a hole at the foot of a birch.
The very plants were unknown to them -- pink lousewort with its sprays ofhooked flowers, bog asphodel and the thin-stemmed blooms of the sundews,rising above their hairy, fly-catching mouths, all shut fast by night. In this closejungle all was silence. They went more and more slowly, and made long halts inthe peat cuts. But if the heather itself was silent, the breeze brought distant nightsounds across the open common. A cock crowed. A dog ran barking and a manshouted at it. A little owl called "Kee-wik, kee-wik" and something -- a vole or ashrew -- gave a sudden squeal. There was not a noise but seemed to tell of danger.
Late in the night, toward moonset, Hazel was looking up from a cut where theywere crouching to a little bank above. As he was wondering whether to climb upto it, to see whether he could get a clear view ahead, he heard a movement behindhim and turned to find Hawkbit at his shoulder. There was something furtive andhesitant about him and Hazel glanced at him sharply, wondering for a momentwhether he could have sickness or poison on him. "Er -- Hazel," said Hawkbit,looking past him into the face of the dreary black cliff. "I -- er -- that is to say we-- er -- feel that we -- well, that we can't go on like this. We've had enough of it."He stopped. Hazel now saw that Speedwell and Acorn were behind him,listening expectantly. There was a pause.
"Go on, Hawkbit," said Speedwell, "or shall I?""More than enough," said Hawkbit, with a kind of foolish importance.
"Well, so have I," answered Hazel, "and I hope there won't be much more.
Then we can all have a rest.""We want to stop now," said Speedwell. "We think it was stupid to come sofar.""It gets worse and worse the further we go," said Acorn. "Where are we goingand how long will it be before some of us stop running for good and all?""It's the place that worries you," said Hazel. "I don't like it myself, but it won'tgo on forever."Hawkbit looked sly and shifty. "We don't believe you know where we aregoing," he said. "You didn't know about the road, did you? And you don't knowwhat there is in front of us.""Look here," said Hazel, "suppose you tell me what you want to do and I'll tellyou what I think about it.""We want to go back," said Acorn. "We think Fiver was wrong.""How can you go back through all we've come through?" replied Hazel. "Andprobably get killed for wounding an Owsla officer, if you ever do get back? Talksense, for Frith's sake.""It wasn't we who wounded Holly," said Speedwell.
"You were there and Blackberry brought you there. Do you think they won'tremember that? Besides--"Hazel stopped as Fiver approached, followed by Bigwig.
"Hazel," said Fiver, "could you come up on the bank with me for a fewmoments? It's important.""And while you're there," said Bigwig, scowling round at the others from underthe great sheaf of fur on his head, "I'll just have a few words with these three.
Why don't you get washed, Hawkbit? You look like the end of a rat's tail left in atrap. And as for you, Speedwell--"Hazel did not wait to hear what Speedwell looked like. Following Fiver, hescrambled up the lumps and shelves of peat to the overhang of gravelly earth andthin grass that topped them. As soon as Fiver had found a place to clamber out,he led the way along the edge to the bank which Hazel had been looking at beforeHawkbit spoke to him. It stood a few feet above the nodding, windy heather andwas open and grassy at the top. They climbed it and squatted down. To their rightthe moon, smoky and yellow in thin night cloud, stood over a clump of distantpine trees. They looked southward across the dismal waste. Hazel waited for Fiverto speak, but he remained silent.
"What was it you wanted to say to me?" asked Hazel at last.
Fiver made no reply and Hazel paused in perplexity. From below, Bigwig wasjust audible.
"And you, Acorn, you dog-eared, dung-faced disgrace to a gamekeeper's gibbet,if I only had time to tell you--"The moon sailed free of the cloud and lit the heather more brightly, but neitherHazel nor Fiver moved from the top of the bank. Fiver was looking far out beyondthe edge of the common. Four miles away, along the southern skyline, rose theseven-hundred-and-fifty-foot ridge of the downs. On the highest point, the beechtrees of Cottington's Clump were moving in a stronger wind than that which blewacross the heather.
"Look!" said Fiver suddenly. "That's the place for us, Hazel. High, lonely hills,where the wind and the sound carry and the ground's as dry as straw in a barn.
That's where we ought to be. That's where we have to get to."Hazel looked at the dim, far-off hills. Obviously, the idea of trying to reachthem was out of the question. It might well prove to be all they could do to findtheir way across the heather to some quiet field or copse bank like those they hadbeen used to. It was lucky that Fiver had not come out with this foolish notion infront of any of the others, especially as there was trouble enough already. If onlyhe could be persuaded to drop it here and now, there would be no harm done --unless, indeed, he had already said anything to Pipkin.
"I don't think we could get the others to go as far as that, Fiver," he said.
"They're frightened and tired as it is, you know. What we need is to find a safeplace soon, and I'd rather succeed in doing what we can than fail to do what wecan't."Fiver gave no sign of having heard him. He seemed to be lost in his ownthoughts. When he spoke again, it was as though he were talking to himself.
"There's a thick mist between the hills and us. I can't see through it, but throughit we shall have to go. Or into it, anyway.""A mist?" said Hazel. "What do you mean?""We're in for some mysterious trouble," whispered Fiver, "and it's not elil. Itfeels more like -- like mist. Like being deceived and losing our way."There was no mist around them. The May night was clear and fresh. Hazelwaited in silence and after a time Fiver said, slowly and expressionlessly, "But wemust go on, until we reach the hills." His voice sank and became that of a sleep-talker. "Until we reach the hills. The rabbit that goes back through the gap willrun his head into trouble. That running -- not wise. That running -- not safe.
Running -- not--" He trembled violently, kicked once or twice and became quiet.
In the hollow below, Bigwig seemed to be drawing to a close. "And now, youbunch of mole-snouted, muck-raking, hutch-hearted sheep ticks, get out of mysight sharp. Otherwise I'll--" He became inaudible again.
Hazel looked once more at the faint line of the hills. Then, as Fiver stirred andmuttered beside him, he pushed him gently with one forepaw and nuzzled hisshoulder.
Fiver started. "What was I saying, Hazel?" he asked. "I'm afraid I can'tremember. I meant to tell you--""Never mind," answered Hazel. "We'll go down now. It's time we were gettingthem on again. If you have any more queer feelings like that, keep close to me. I'lllook after you."
11. Hard Going
Then Sir Beaumains... rode all that ever he might ride through marshes andfields and great dales, that many times... he plunged over the head in deep mires,for he knew not the way, but took the gainest way in that woodness.... And at thelast him happened to come to a fair green way.
Malory, Le Morte d'ArthurWhen Hazel and Fiver reached the floor of the hollow they found Blackberrywailing for them, crouching on the peat and nibbling at a few brown stalks ofsedge grass.
"Hello," said Hazel. "What's happened? Where are the others?""Over there," answered Blackberry. "There's been a fearful row. Bigwig toldHawkbit and Speedwell that he'd scratch them to pieces if they didn't obey him.
And when Hawkbit said he wanted to know who was Chief Rabbit, Bigwig bithim. It seems a nasty business. Who is Chief Rabbit, anyway -- you or Bigwig?""I don't know," answered Hazel, "but Bigwig's certainly the strongest. Therewas no need to go biting Hawkbit: he couldn't have gone back if he'd tried. Heand his friends would have seen that if they'd been allowed to talk for a bit. NowBigwig's put their backs up, and they'll think they've got to go on because hemakes them. I want them to go on because they can see it's the only thing to do.
There are too few of us for giving orders and biting people. Frith in a fog! Isn'tthere enough trouble and danger already?"They went over to the far end of the pit. Bigwig and Silver were talking withBuckthorn under an overhanging broom. Nearby, Pipkin and Dandelion werepretending to feed on a patch of scrub. Some way away, Acorn was making a greatbusiness of licking Hawkbit's throat, while Speedwell watched.
"Keep still if you can, poor old chap," said Acorn, who obviously wanted to beoverheard. "Just let me clean the blood out. Steady, now!" Hawkbit winced in anexaggerated manner and backed away. As Hazel came up, all the rabbits turnedand stared at him expectantly.
"Look," said Hazel, "I know there's been some trouble, but the best thing willbe to try to forget it. This is a bad place, but we'll soon get out of it.""Do you really think we will?" asked Dandelion.
"If you'll follow me now," replied Hazel desperately, "I'll have you out of it bysunrise.""If I don't," he thought, "they'll very likely tear me to bits, and much good mayit do them."For the second time he made his way out of the pit, and the others followed.
The weary, frightening journey began again, broken only by alarms. Once a whiteowl swept silently overhead, so low that Hazel saw its dark, searching eyeslooking into his own. But either it was not hunting or he was too big to tackle, forit disappeared over the heather; and although he waited motionless for sometime, it did not return. Once Dandelion struck the smell of a stoat and they alljoined him, whispering and sniffing over the ground. But the scent was old andafter a time they went on again. In this low undergrowth their disorganizedprogress and uneven, differing rhythms of movement delayed them still morethan in the wood. There were continual stampings of alarm, pausing, freezing tothe spot at the sound of movement real or imagined. It was so dark that Hazelseldom knew for certain whether he was leading or whether Bigwig or Silvermight not be ahead. Once, hearing an unaccountable noise in front of him, whichceased on the instant, he kept still for a long time; and when at last he movedcautiously forward, found Silver crouching behind a tussock of cocksfoot for fearof the sound of his own approach. All was confusion, ignorance, clambering andexhaustion. Throughout the bad dream of the night's journey, Pipkin seemed tobe always close beside him. Though each of the others vanished and reappearedlike fragments floating round a pool, Pipkin never left him; and his need forencouragement became at last Hazel's only support against his own weariness.
"Not far now, Hlao-roo, not far now," he kept muttering, until he realized thatwhat he said had become meaningless, a mere refrain. He was not speaking toPipkin or even to himself. He was talking in his sleep, or something very near it.
At last he saw the first of the dawn, like light faintly perceived round a cornerat the far end of an unknown burrow; and in the same moment a yellowhammersang. Hazel's feelings were like those which might pass through the mind of adefeated general. Where were his followers exactly? He hoped, not far away. Butwere they? All of them? Where had he led them? What was he going to do now?
What if an enemy appeared at this moment? He had answers to none of thesequestions and no spirit left to force himself to think about them. Behind him,Pipkin shivered in the damp, and he turned and nuzzled him -- much as thegeneral, with nothing left to do, might fall to considering the welfare of hisservant, simply because the servant happened to be there.
The light grew stronger and soon he could see that a little way ahead there wasan open track of bare gravel. He limped out of the heather, sat on the stones andshook the wet from his fur. He could see Fiver's hills plainly now, greenish-grayand seeming close in the rain-laden air. He could even pick out the dots of furzebushes and stunted yew trees on the steep slopes. As he gazed at them, he heardan excited voice further down the track.
"He's done it! Didn't I tell you he'd do it?"Hazel turned his head and saw Blackberry on the path. He was bedraggled andexhausted, but it was he who was speaking. Out of the heather behind him cameAcorn, Speedwell and Buckthorn. All four rabbits were now staring straight athim. He wondered why. Then, as they approached, he realized that they werelooking not at him, but past him at something further off. He turned round. Thegravel track led downhill into a narrow belt of silver birch and rowan. Beyond wasa thin hedge; and beyond that, a green field between two copses. They hadreached the other side of the common.
"Oh, Hazel," said Blackberry, coming up to him round a puddle in the gravel. "Iwas so tired and confused, I actually began to wonder whether you knew whereyou were going. I could hear you in the heather, saying 'Not far now' and it wasannoying me. I thought you were making it up. I should have known better.
Frithrah, you're what I call a Chief Rabbit!""Well done, Hazel!" said Buckthorn. "Well done!"Hazel did not know what to reply. He looked at them in silence and it wasAcorn who spoke next.
"Come on!" he said. "Who's going to be first into that field? I can still run." Hewas off, slowly enough, down the slope, but when Hazel stamped for him to stophe did so at once.
"Where are the others?" said Hazel. "Dandelion? Bigwig?"At that moment Dandelion appeared out of the heather and sat on the path,looking at the field. He was followed first by Hawkbit and then by Fiver. Hazelwas watching Fiver as he took in the sight of the field, when Buckthorn drew hisattention back to the foot of the slope.
"Look, Hazel," he said, "Silver and Bigwig are down there. They're waiting forus."Silver's light-gray fur showed up plainly against a low spray of gorse, but Hazelcould not see Bigwig until he sat up and ran toward them.
"Splendid, Hazel," he said. "Everybody's here. Let's get them into that field."A few moments later they were under the silver birches and as the sun rose,striking flashes of red and green from the drops on ferns and twigs, theyscrambled through the hedge, across a shallow ditch and into the thick grass ofthe meadow.
12. The Stranger in the Field
Nevertheless, even in a crowded warren, visitors in the form of young rabbitsseeking desirable dry quarters may be tolerated... and if powerful enough theymay obtain and hold a place.
R.M. Lockley, The Private Life of the RabbitTo come to the end of a time of anxiety and fear! To feel the cloud that hungover us lift and disperse -- the cloud that dulled the heart and made happiness nomore than a memory! This at least is one joy that must have been known byalmost every living creature.
Here is a boy who was waiting to be punished. But then, unexpectedly, he findsthat his fault has been overlooked or forgiven and at once the world reappears inbrilliant colors, full of delightful prospects. Here is a soldier who was waiting,with a heavy heart, to suffer and die in battle. But suddenly the luck has changed.
There is news! The war is over and everyone bursts out singing! He will go homeafter all! The sparrows in the plowland were crouching in terror of the kestrel.
But she has gone; and they fly pell-mell up the hedgerow, frisking, chattering andperching where they will. The bitter winter had all the country in its grip. Thehares on the down, stupid and torpid with cold, were resigned to sinking furtherand further into the freezing heart of snow and silence. But now -- who wouldhave dreamed it? -- the thaw is trickling, the great tit is ringing his bell from thetop of a bare lime tree, the earth is scented; and the hares bound and skip in thewarm wind. Hopelessness and reluctance are blown away like a fog and the dumbsolitude where they crept, a place desolate as a crack in the ground, opens like arose and stretches to the hills and the sky.
The tired rabbits fed and basked in the sunny meadow as though they hadcome no further than from the bank at the edge of the nearby copse. The heatherand the stumbling darkness were forgotten as though the sunrise had meltedthem. Bigwig and Hawkbit chased each other through the long grass. Speedwelljumped over the little brook that ran down the middle of the field and whenAcorn tried to follow him and fell short, Silver joked with him as he scrambledout and rolled him in a patch of dead oak leaves until he was dry. As the sun rosehigher, shortening the shadows and drawing the dew from the grass, most of therabbits came wandering back to the sun-flecked shade among the cow parsleyalong the edge of the ditch. Here, Hazel and Fiver were sitting with Dandelionunder a flowering wild cherry. The white petals spun down around them,covering the grass and speckling their fur, while thirty feet above a thrush sang,"Cherry dew, cherry dew. Knee deep, knee deep, knee deep.""Well, this is the place all right, isn't it, Hazel?" said Dandelion lazily. "Isuppose we'd better start having a look along the banks soon, although I must sayI'm in no particular hurry. But I've got an idea it may be going to rain beforemuch longer."Fiver looked as though he were about to speak, but then shook his ears andturned to nibbling at a dandelion.
"That looks a good bank, along the edge of the trees up there," answered Hazel.
"What do you say, Fiver? Shall we go up there now or shall we wait a bit longer?"Fiver hesitated and then replied, "Just as you think, Hazel.""Well, there's no need to do any serious digging, is there?" said Bigwig. "Thatsort of thing's all right for does, but not for us.""Still, we'd better make one or two scrapes, don't you think?" said Hazel.
"Something to give us shelter at a pinch. Let's go up to the copse and look round.
We might as well take our time and make quite sure where we'd like to havethem. We don't want to have to do the work twice.""Yes, that's the style," said Bigwig. "And while you're doing that, I'll take Silverand Buckthorn here and have a run down the fields beyond, just to get the lie ofthe land and make sure there isn't anything dangerous."The three explorers set off beside the brook, while Hazel led the other rabbitsacross the field and up to the edge of the woodland. They went slowly along thefoot of the bank, pushing in and out of the clumps of red campion and raggedrobin. From time to time one or another would begin to scrape in the gravellybank, or venture a little way in among the trees and nut bushes to scuffle in theleaf mold. After they had been searching and moving on quietly for some time,they reached a place from which they could see that the field below thembroadened out. Both on their own side and opposite, the wood edges curvedoutward, away from the brook. They also noticed the roofs of a farm, but somedistance off. Hazel stopped and they gathered round him.
"I don't think it makes much difference where we do a bit of scratching," hesaid. "It's all good, so far as I can see. Not the slightest trace of elil -- no scent ortracks or droppings. That seems unusual, but it may be just that the home warrenattracted more elil than other places. Anyway, we ought to do well here. Now I'lltell you what seems the right thing to me. Let's go back a little way, between thewoods, and have a scratch near that oak tree there -- just by that white patch ofstitchwort. I know the farm's a long way off, but there's no point in being nearerto it than we need. And if we're fairly close to the wood opposite, the trees willhelp to break the wind a bit in winter.""Splendid," said Blackberry. "It's going to cloud over, do you see? Rain beforesunset and we'll be in shelter. Well, let's make a start. Oh, look! There's Bigwigcoming back along the bottom, and the other two with him."The three rabbits were returning down the bank of the stream and had not yetseen Hazel and the others. They passed below them, into the narrower part of thefield between the two copses, and it was not until Acorn had been sent halfwaydown the slope to attract their attention that they turned and came up to theditch.
"I don't think there's going to be much to trouble us here, Hazel," said Bigwig.
"The farm's a good way away and the fields between don't show any signs of elil atall. There's a man track -- in fact, there are several -- and they look as though theywere used a good deal. Scent's fresh and there are the ends of those little whitesticks that they burn in their mouths. But that's all for the best, I reckon. We keepaway from the men and the men frighten the elil away.""Why do the men come, do you suppose?" asked Fiver.
"Who knows why men do anything? They may drive cows or sheep in thefields, or cut wood in the copses. What does it matter? I'd rather dodge a manthan a stoat or a fox.""Well, that's fine," said Hazel. "You've found out a lot, Bigwig, and all to thegood. We were just going to make some scrapes along the bank there. We'd betterstart. The rain won't be long now, if I know anything about it."Buck rabbits on their own seldom or never go in for serious digging. This is thenatural job of a doe making a home for her litter before they are born, and thenher buck helps her. All the same, solitary bucks -- if they can find no existingholes to make use of -- will sometimes scratch out short tunnels for shelter,although it is not work that they tackle at all seriously. During the morning thedigging proceeded in a light-hearted and intermittent way. The bank on each sideof the oak tree was bare and consisted of a light, gravelly soil. There were severalfalse starts and fresh choices, but by ni-Frith they had three scrapes of a sort.
Hazel, watching, lent help here and there and encouraged the others. Every sooften he slipped back to look out over the field and make sure that all was safe.
Only Fiver remained solitary. He took no part in the digging but squatted on theedge of the ditch, fidgeting backward and forward, sometimes nibbling and thenstarting up suddenly as though he could hear some sound in the wood. Afterspeaking to him once or twice and receiving no reply, Hazel thought it best to lethim alone. The next time he left the digging he kept away from Fiver and satlooking at the bank, as though entirely concerned with the work.
A little while after ni-Frith the sky clouded over thickly. The light grew dull andthey could smell rain approaching from the west. The blue tit that had beenswinging on a bramble, singing "Heigh ho, go-and-get-another-bit-of-moss,"stopped his acrobatics and flew into the wood. Hazel was just wondering whetherit would be worthwhile starting a side passage to link Bigwig's hole toDandelion's, when he felt a stamp of warning from somewhere close by. Heturned quickly. It was Fiver who had stamped and he was now staring intentlyacross the field.
Beside a tussock of grass a little way outside the opposite copse, a rabbit wassitting and gazing at them. Its ears were erect and it was evidently giving them thefull attention of sight, smell and hearing. Hazel rose on his hind legs, paused, andthen sat back on his haunches, in full view. The other rabbit remained motionless.
Hazel, never taking his eyes off it, heard three or four of the others coming upbehind him. After a moment he said,"Blackberry?""He's down the hole," replied Pipkin.
"Go and get him."Still the strange rabbit made no move. The wind rose and the long grass beganto flutter and ripple in the dip between them. From behind, Blackberry said,"You wanted me, Hazel?""I'm going over to speak to that rabbit," said Hazel. "I want you to come withme.""Can I come?" asked Pipkin.
"No, Hlao-roo. We don't want to frighten him. Three's too many.""Be careful," said Buckthorn, as Hazel and Blackberry set off down the slope.
"He may not be the only one."At several points the brook was narrow -- not much wider than a rabbit run.
They jumped it and went up the opposite slope.
"Just behave as if we were back at home," said Hazel. "I don't see how it can bea trap, and anyway we can always run."As they approached, the other rabbit kept still and watched them intently.
They could see now that he was a big fellow, sleek and handsome. His fur shoneand his claws and teeth were in perfect condition. Nevertheless, he did not seemaggressive. On the contrary, there was a curious, rather unnatural gentlenessabout the way in which he waited for them to come nearer. They stopped andlooked at him from a little distance.
"I don't think he's dangerous," whispered Blackberry. "I'll go up to him first ifyou like.""We'll both go," replied Hazel. But at this moment the other rabbit cametoward them of his own accord. He and Hazel touched their noses together,sniffing and questioning silently. The stranger had an unusual smell, but it wascertainly not unpleasant. It gave Hazel an impression of good feeding, of healthand of a certain indolence, as though the other came from some rich, prosperouscountry where he himself had never been. He had the air of an aristocrat and ashe turned to gaze at Blackberry from his great brown eyes, Hazel began to seehimself as a ragged wanderer, leader of a gang of vagabonds. He had not meant tobe the first to speak, but something in the other's silence compelled him.
"We've come over the heather," he said.
The other rabbit made no reply, but his look was not that of an enemy. Hisdemeanor had a kind of melancholy which was perplexing.
"Do you live here?" asked Hazel, after a pause.
"Yes," replied the other rabbit; and then added, "We saw you come.""We mean to live here, too," said Hazel firmly.
The other rabbit showed no concern. He paused and then answered, "Whynot? We supposed you would. But I don't think there are enough of you, arethere, to live very comfortably on your own?"Hazel felt puzzled. Apparently the stranger was not worried by the news thatthey meant to stay. How big was his warren? Where was it? How many rabbitswere concealed in the copse and watching them now? Were they likely to beattacked? The stranger's manner told nothing. He seemed detached, almostbored, but perfectly friendly. His lassitude, his great size and beautiful, well-groomed appearance, his unhurried air of having all he wanted and of beingunaffected by the newcomers one way or the other -- all these presented Hazelwith a problem unlike anything he had had to deal with before. If there was somekind of trick, he had no idea what it might be. He decided that he himself, at anyrate, would be perfectly candid and plain.
"There are enough of us to protect ourselves," he said. "We don't want to makeenemies, but if we meet with any kind of interference--"The other interrupted smoothly. "Don't get upset -- you're all very welcome. Ifyou're going back now, I'll come over with you; that is, unless you have anyobjection."He set off down the slope. Hazel and Blackberry, after looking at each other fora moment, caught him up and went beside him. He moved easily, without hasteand showed less caution than they in crossing the field. Hazel felt more mystifiedthan ever. The other rabbit evidently had no fear that they might set upon him,hrair to one, and kill him. He was ready to go alone among a crowd of suspiciousstrangers, but what he stood to gain from this risk it was impossible to guess.
Perhaps, thought Hazel wryly, teeth and claws would make no impression on thatgreat, firm body and shining pelt.
When they reached the ditch, all the other rabbits were squatting together,watching their approach. Hazel stopped in front of them but did not know whatto say. If the stranger had not been there, he would have given them an account ofwhat had happened. If Blackberry and he had driven the stranger across the fieldby force, he could have handed him over for safekeeping to Bigwig or Silver. Butto have him sitting beside him, looking his followers over in silence andcourteously waiting for someone else to speak first -- this was a situation beyondHazel's experience. It was Bigwig, straightforward and blunt as always, who brokethe tension.
"Who is this, Hazel?" he said. "Why has he come back with you?""I don't know," answered Hazel, trying to look frank and feeling foolish. "Hecame of his own accord.""Well, we'd better ask him, then," said Bigwig, with something like a sneer. Hecame close to the stranger and sniffed, as Hazel had done. He, too, was evidentlyaffected by the peculiar smell of prosperity, for he paused as though inuncertainty. Then, with a rough, abrupt air, he said, "Who are you and what doyou want?""My name is Cowslip," said the other. "I don't want anything. I hear you'vecome a long way.""Perhaps we have," said Bigwig. "We know how to defend ourselves, too.""I'm sure you do," said Cowslip, looking round at the mud-stained, bedraggledrabbits with an air of being too polite to comment. "But it can be hard to defendoneself against the weather. There's going to be rain and I don't think yourscrapes are finished." He looked at Bigwig, as though waiting for him to askanother question. Bigwig seemed confused. Clearly, he could make no more of thesituation than Hazel. There was silence except for the sound of the rising wind.
Above them, the branches of the oak tree were beginning to creak and sway.
Suddenly, Fiver came forward.
"We don't understand you," he said. "It's best to say so and try to get thingsclear. Can we trust you? Are there many other rabbits here? Those are the thingswe want to know."Cowslip showed no more concern at Fiver's tense manner than he had atanything that had gone before. He drew a forepaw down the back of one ear andthen replied,"I think you're puzzling yourselves unnecessarily. But if you want the answersto your questions, then I'd say yes, you can trust us: we don't want to drive youaway. And there is a warren here, but not as big a one as we should like. Whyshould we want to hurt you? There's plenty of grass, surely?"In spite of his strange, clouded manner, he spoke so reasonably that Hazel feltrather ashamed.
"We've been through a lot of danger," he said. "Everything new seems likedanger to us. After all, you might be afraid that we were coming to take your doesor turn you out of your holes."Cowslip listened gravely. Then he answered,"Well, as to holes, that was something I thought I might mention. Thesescrapes aren't very deep or comfortable, are they? And although they're facing outof the wind now, you ought to know that this isn't the usual wind we get here. It'sblowing up this rain from the south. We usually have a west wind and it'll gostraight into these holes. There are plenty of empty burrows in our warren and ifyou want to come across you'll be welcome. And now if you'll excuse me, I won'tstay any longer. I hate the rain. The warren is round the corner of the woodopposite."He ran down the slope and over the brook. They watched him leap the bank ofthe further copse and disappear through the green bracken. The first scatters ofrain were beginning to fall, pattering into the oak leaves and pricking the barepink skin inside their ears.
"Fine, big fellow, isn't he?" said Buckthorn. "He doesn't look as though he hadmuch to bother about, living here.""What should we do, Hazel, do you think?" asked Silver. "It's true what he said,isn't it? These scrapes -- well, we can crouch in them out of the weather, but nomore than that. And as we can't all get into one, we shall have to split up.""We'll join them together," said Hazel, "and while we're doing that I'd like totalk about what he said. Fiver, Bigwig and Blackberry, can you come with me?
The rest of you split how you like."The new hole was short, narrow and rough. There was no room for two rabbitsto pass. Four were like beans in a pod. For the first time, Hazel began to realizehow much they had left behind. The holes and tunnels of an old warren becomesmooth, reassuring and comfortable with use. There are no snags or roughcorners. Every length smells of rabbit -- of that great, indestructible flood ofRabbitry in which each one is carried along, sure-footed and safe. The heavy workhas all been done by countless great-grandmothers and their mates. All the faultshave been put right and everything in use is of proved value. The rain drainseasily and even the wind of midwinter cannot penetrate the deeper burrows. Notone of Hazel's rabbits had ever played any part in real digging. The work they haddone that morning was trifling and all they had to show for it was rough shelterand little comfort.
There is nothing like bad weather to reveal the shortcomings of a dwelling,particularly if it is too small. You are, as they say, stuck with it and have leisure tofeel all its peculiar irritations and discomforts. Bigwig, with his usual briskenergy, set to work. Hazel, however, returned and sat pensive at the lip of thehole, looking out at the silent, rippling veils of rain that drifted across and acrossthe little valley between the two copses. Closer, before his nose, every blade ofgrass, every bracken frond was bent, dripping and glistening. The smell of lastyear's oak leaves filled the air. It had turned chilly. Across the field the bloom ofthe cherry tree under which they had sat that morning hung sodden and spoiled.
While Hazel gazed, the wind slowly veered round into the west, as Cowslip hadsaid it would, and brought the rain driving into the mouth of the hole. He backeddown and rejoined the others. The pattering and whispering of the rain soundedsoftly but distinctly outside. The fields and woods were shut in under it, emptiedand subdued. The insect life of the leaves and grass was stilled. The thrush shouldhave been singing, but Hazel could hear no thrush. He and his companions were amuddy handful of scratchers, crouching in a narrow, drafty pit in lonely country.
They were not out of the weather. They were waiting, uncomfortably, for theweather to change.
"Blackberry," said Hazel, "what did you think of our visitor and how would youlike to go to his warren?""Well," replied Blackberry, "what I think is this. There's no way of finding outwhether he's to be trusted except to try it. He seemed friendly. But then, if a lot ofrabbits were afraid of some newcomers and wanted to deceive them -- get themdown a hole and attack them -- they'd start -- wouldn't they? -- by sendingsomeone who was plausible. They might want to kill us. But then again, as hesaid, there's plenty of grass and as for turning them out or taking their does, ifthey're all up to his size and weight they've nothing to fear from a crowd like us.
They must have seen us come. We were tired. Surely that was the time to attackus? Or while we were separated, before we began digging? But they didn't. Ireckon they're more likely to be friendly than otherwise. There's only one thingbeats me. What do they stand to get from asking us to join their warren?""Fools attract elil by being easy prey," said Bigwig, cleaning the mud out of hiswhiskers and blowing through his long front teeth. "And we're fools until we'velearned to live here. Safer to teach us, perhaps. I don't know -- give it up. But I'mnot afraid to go and find out. If they do try any tricks, they'll find I know a few aswell. I wouldn't mind taking a chance, to sleep somewhere more comfortable thanthis. We haven't slept since yesterday afternoon.""Fiver?""I think we ought to have nothing to do with that rabbit or his warren. Weought to leave this place at once. But what's the good of talking?"Cold and damp, Hazel felt impatient. He had always been accustomed to relyon Fiver and now, when he really needed him, he was letting them down.
Blackberry's reasoning had been first-rate and Bigwig had at least shown whichway any sound-hearted rabbit would be likely to lean. Apparently the onlycontribution Fiver could make was this beetle-spirited vaporing. He tried toremember that Fiver was undersized and that they had had an anxious time andwere all weary. At this moment the soil at the far end of the burrow began tocrumble inward, then it fell away and Silver's head and front paws appeared.
"Here we are," said Silver cheerfully. "We've done what you wanted, Hazel, andBuckthorn's through next door. But what I'd like to know is, how about What's-His-Name? Cowpat -- no -- Cowslip? Are we going to his warren or not? Surelywe're not going to sit cowering in this place because we're frightened to go andsee him. Whatever will he think of us?""I'll tell you," said Dandelion, from over his shoulder. "If he's not honest, he'llknow we're afraid to come; and if he is, he'll think we're suspicious, cowardlyskulkers. If we're going to live in these fields, we'll have to get on terms with hislot sooner or later, and it goes against the grain to hang about and admit wedaren't visit them.""I don't know how many of them there are," said Silver, "but we're quite acrowd. Anyhow, I hate the idea of just keeping away. How long have rabbits beenelil? Old Cowslip wasn't afraid to come into the middle of us, was he?""Very well," said Hazel. "That's how I feel myself. I just wanted to knowwhether you did. Would you like Bigwig and me to go over there first, byourselves, and report back?""No," said Silver. "Let's all go. If we're going at all, for Frith's sake let's do it asthough we weren't afraid. What do you say, Dandelion?""I think you're right.""Then we'll go now," said Hazel. "Get the others and follow me."Outside, in the thickening light of the late afternoon, with the rain tricklinginto his eyes and under his scut, he watched them as they joined him. Blackberry,alert and intelligent, looking first up and then down the ditch before he crossed it.
Bigwig, cheerful at the prospect of action. The steady, reliable Silver. Dandelion,the dashing storyteller, so eager to be off that he jumped the ditch and ran a littleway into the field before stopping to wait for the rest. Buckthorn, perhaps themost sensible and staunch of them all. Pipkin, who looked round for Hazel andthen came over to wait beside him. Acorn, Hawkbit and Speedwell, decentenough rank-and-filers as long as they were not pushed beyond their limits. Lastof all came Fiver, dejected and reluctant as a sparrow in the frost. As Hazel turnedfrom the hole, the clouds in the west broke slightly and there was a sudden dazzleof watery, pale gold light.
"O El-ahrairah!" thought Hazel. "These are rabbits we're going to meet. Youknow them as well as you know us. Let it be the right thing that I'm doing.""Now, brace up, Fiver!" he said aloud. "We're waiting for you, and gettingwetter every moment."A soaking bumblebee crawled over a thistle bloom, vibrated its wings for a fewseconds and then flew away down the field. Hazel followed, leaving a dark trackbehind him over the silvered grass.
13. Hospitality
In the afternoon they came unto a landIn which it seemed always afternoon.
All round the coast the languid air did swoon,Breathing like one that hath a weary dream.
Tennyson, The Lotus-EatersThe corner of the opposite wood turned out to be an acute point. Beyond it, theditch and trees curved back again in a re-entrant, so that the field formed a baywith a bank running all the way round. It was evident now why Cowslip, when heleft them, had gone among the trees. He had simply run in a direct line from theirholes to his own, passing on his way through the narrow strip of woodland thatlay between. Indeed, as Hazel turned the point and stopped to look about him, hecould see the place where Cowslip must have come out. A clear rabbit track ledfrom the bracken, under the fence and into the field. In the bank on the furtherside of the bay the rabbit holes were plain to see, showing dark and distinct in thebare ground. It was as conspicuous a warren as could well be imagined.
"Sky above us!" said Bigwig. "Every living creature for miles must know that'sthere! Look at all the tracks in the grass, too! Do you think they sing in themorning, like the thrushes?""Perhaps they're too secure to bother about concealing themselves," saidBlackberry. "After all, the home warren was fairly plain to be seen.""Yes, but not like that! A couple of hrududil could go down some of thoseholes.""So could I," said Dandelion. "I'm getting dreadfully wet."As they approached, a big rabbit appeared over the edge of the ditch, looked atthem quickly and vanished into the bank. A few moments later two others cameout and waited for them. They, too, were sleek and unusually large.
"A rabbit called Cowslip offered us shelter here," said Hazel. "Perhaps youknow that he came to see us?"Both rabbits together made a curious, dancing movement of the head and frontpaws. Apart from sniffing, as Hazel and Cowslip had done when they met, formalgestures -- except between mating rabbits -- were unknown to Hazel and hiscompanions. They felt mystified and slightly ill at ease. The dancers paused,evidently waiting for some acknowledgment or reciprocal gesture, but there wasnone.
"Cowslip is in the great burrow," said one of them at length. "Would you like tofollow us there?""How many of us?" asked Hazel.
"Why, all of you," answered the other, surprised. "You don't want to stay out inthe rain, do you?"Hazel had supposed that he and one or two of his comrades would be taken tosee the Chief Rabbit -- who would probably not be Cowslip, since Cowslip hadcome to see them unattended -- in his burrow, after which they would all be givendifferent places to go to. It was this separation of which he had been afraid. Henow realized with astonishment that there was apparently a part of the warrenunderground which was big enough to contain them all together. He felt socurious to visit it that he did not stop to make any detailed arrangements aboutthe order in which they should go down. However, he put Pipkin immediatelybehind him. "It'll warm his little heart for once," he thought, "and if the leadersdo get attacked, I suppose we can spare him easier than some." Bigwig he askedto bring up the rear. "If there's any trouble, get out of it," he said, "and take asmany as you can with you." Then he followed their guides into one of the holes inthe bank.
The run was broad, smooth and dry. It was obviously a highway, for other runsbranched off it in all directions. The rabbits in front went fast and Hazel had littletime to sniff about as he followed. Suddenly he checked. He had come into anopen place. His whiskers could feel no earth in front and none was near his sides.
There was a good deal of air ahead of him -- he could feel it moving -- and therewas a considerable space above his head. Also, there were several rabbits nearhim. It had not occurred to him that there would be a place underground wherehe would be exposed on three sides. He backed quickly and felt Pipkin at his tail.
"What a fool I was!" he thought. "Why didn't I put Silver there?" At this momenthe heard Cowslip speaking. He jumped, for he could tell that he was some wayaway. The size of the place must be immense.
"Is that you, Hazel?" said Cowslip. "You're welcome, and so are your friends.
We're glad you've come."No human beings, except the courageous and experienced blind, are able tosense much in a strange place where they cannot see, but with rabbits it isotherwise. They spend half their lives underground in darkness or near-darkness,and touch, smell and hearing convey as much or more to them than sight. Hazelnow had the clearest knowledge of where he was. He would have recognized theplace if he had left at once and come back six months later. He was at one end ofthe largest burrow he had ever been in; sandy, warm and dry, with a hard, barefloor. There were several tree roots running across the roof and it was these thatsupported the unusual span. There was a great number of rabbits in the place --many more than he was bringing. All had the same rich, opulent smell as Cowslip.
Cowslip himself was at the other end of the hall and Hazel realized that he waswaiting for him to reply. His own companions were still coming out of theentrance burrow one by one and there was a good deal of scrabbling andshuffling. He wondered if he ought to be very formal. Whether or not he couldcall himself a Chief Rabbit, he had had no experience of this sort of thing. TheThrearah would no doubt have risen to the occasion perfectly. He did not want toappear at a loss or to let his followers down. He decided that it would be best tobe plain and friendly. After all, there would be plenty of time, as they settleddown in the warren, to show these strangers that they were as good asthemselves, without risking trouble by putting on airs at the start.
"We're glad to be out of the bad weather," he said. "We're like all rabbits --happiest in a crowd. When you came over to see us in the field, Cowslip, you saidyour warren wasn't large, but judging by the holes we saw along the bank, it mustbe what we'd reckon a fine, big one."As he finished he sensed that Bigwig had just entered the hall, and knew thatthey were all together again. The stranger rabbits seemed slightly disconcerted byhis little speech and he felt that for some reason or other he had not struck theright note in complimenting them on their numbers. Perhaps there were not verymany of them after all? Had there been disease? There was no smell or sign of it.
These were the biggest and healthiest rabbits he had ever met. Perhaps theirfidgeting and silence had nothing to do with what he had said? Perhaps it wassimply that he had not spoken very well, being new to it, and they felt that he wasnot up to their fine ways? "Never mind," he thought. "After last night I'm sure ofmy own lot. We wouldn't be here at all if we weren't handy in a pinch. These otherfellows will just have to get to know us. They don't seem to dislike us, anyway."There were no more speeches. Rabbits have their own conventions andformalities, but these are few and short by human standards. If Hazel had been ahuman being he would have been expected to introduce his companions one byone and no doubt each would have been taken in charge as a guest by one of theirhosts. In the great burrow, however, things happened differently. The rabbitsmingled naturally. They did not talk for talking's sake, in the artificial mannerthat human beings -- and sometimes even their dogs and cats -- do. But this didnot mean that they were not communicating; merely that they were notcommunicating by talking. All over the burrow, both the newcomers and thosewho were at home were accustoming themselves to each other in their own wayand their own time; getting to know what the strangers smelled like, how theymoved, how they breathed, how they scratched, the feel of their rhythms andpulses. These were their topics and subjects of discussion, carried on without theneed of speech. To a greater extent than a human in a similar gathering, eachrabbit, as he pursued his own fragment, was sensitive to the trend of the whole.
After a time, all knew that the concourse was not going to turn sour or break upin a fight. Just as a battle begins in a state of equilibrium between the two sides,which gradually alters one way or the other until it is clear that the balance hastilted so far that the issue can no longer be in doubt -- so this gathering of rabbitsin the dark, beginning with hesitant approaches, silences, pauses, movements,crouchings side by side and all manner of tentative appraisals, slowly moved, likea hemisphere of the world into summer, to a warmer, brighter region of mutualliking and approval, until all felt sure that they had nothing to fear. Pipkin, someway away from Hazel, crouched at his ease between two huge rabbits who couldhave broken his back in a second, while Buckthorn and Cowslip started a playfulscuffle, nipping each other like kittens and then breaking off to comb their ears ina comical pretense of sudden gravity. Only Fiver sat alone and apart. He seemedeither ill or very much depressed, and the strangers avoided him instinctively.
The knowledge that the gathering was safely round the corner came to Hazel inthe form of a recollection of Silver's head and paws breaking through gravel. Atonce, he felt warm and relaxed. He had already crossed the whole length of thehall and was pressed close to two rabbits, a buck and a doe, each of whom wasfully as large as Cowslip. When both together took a few slow hops down one ofthe runs nearby, Hazel followed and little by little they all three moved out of thehall. They came to a smaller burrow, deeper underground. Evidently thisbelonged to the couple, for they settled down as though at home and made noobjection when Hazel did the same. Here, while the mood of the great hall slowlypassed from them, all three were silent for a time.
"Is Cowslip the Chief Rabbit?" asked Hazel at length.
The other replied with a question. "Are you called Chief Rabbit?"Hazel found this awkward to answer. If he replied that he was, his new friendsmight address him so for the future, and he could imagine what Bigwig and Silverwould have to say about that. As usual, he fell back on plain honesty.
"We're only a few," he said. "We left our warren in a hurry to escape from badthings. Most stayed behind and the Chief Rabbit was one of them. I've been tryingto lead my friends, but I don't know whether they'd care to hear me called ChiefRabbit.""That'll make him ask a few questions," he thought. "'Why did you leave? Whydidn't the rest come? What were you afraid of?' And whatever am I going to say?"When the other rabbit spoke, however, it was clear that either he had nointerest in what Hazel had said, or else he had some other reason for notquestioning him.
"We don't call anyone Chief Rabbit," he said. "It was Cowslip's idea to go andsee you this afternoon, so he was the one who went.""But who decides what to do about elil? And digging and sending out scoutingparties and so on?""Oh, we never do anything like that. Elil keep away from here. There was ahomba last winter, but the man who comes through the fields, he shot it with hisgun."Hazel stared. "But men won't shoot a homba.""Well, he killed this one, anyway. He kills owls too. We never need to dig. Noone's dug in my lifetime. A lot of the burrows are lying empty, you know: rats, livein one part, but the man kills them as well, when he can. We don't needexpeditions. There's better food here than anywhere else. Your friends will behappy living here."But he himself did not sound particularly happy and once again Hazel feltoddly perplexed. "Where does the man--" he began. But he was interrupted.
"I'm called Strawberry. This is my doe, Nildro-hain.* Some of the best emptyburrows are quite close. I'll show you, in case your friends want to settle intothem. The great burrow is a splendid place, don't you think? I'm sure there can'tbe many warrens where all the rabbits can meet together underground. The roofsall tree roots, you know, and of course the tree outside keeps the rain fromcoming through. It's a wonder the tree's alive, but it is."Hazel suspected that Strawberry's talking had the real purpose of preventinghis own questions. He was partly irritated and partly mystified.
"Never mind," he thought. "If we all get as big as these chaps, we shall dopretty well. There must be some good food round here somewhere. His doe's abeautiful creature, too. Perhaps there are some more like her in the warren."Strawberry moved out of the burrow and Hazel followed him into another run,leading deeper down below the wood. It was certainly a warren to admire.
Sometimes, when they crossed a run that led upward to a hole, he could hear therain outside, still falling in the night. But although it had now been raining forseveral hours, there was not the least damp or cold either in the deep runs or inthe many burrows that they passed. Both the drainage and the ventilation werebetter than he had been accustomed to. Here and there other rabbits were on themove. Once they came upon Acorn, who was evidently being taken on a tour ofthe same kind. "Very friendly, aren't they?" he said to Hazel as they passed oneanother. "I never dreamed we'd reach a place like this. You've got wonderfuljudgment, Hazel." Strawberry waited politely for him to finish speaking andHazel could not help feeling pleased that he must have heard.
At last, after skirting carefully round some openings from which there was adistinct smell of rats, they halted in a kind of pit. A steep tunnel led up into theair. Rabbit runs tend to be bow-shaped; but this was straight, so that above them,through the mouth of the hole, Hazel could see leaves against the night sky. Herealized that one wall of the pit was convex and made of some hard substance. Hesniffed at it uncertainly.
"Don't you know what those are?" said Strawberry. "They're bricks; the stonesthat men make their houses and barns out of. There used to be a well here longago, but it's filled up now -- the men don't use it any more. That's the outer side ofthe well shaft. And this earth wall here is completely flat because of some manthing fixed behind it in the ground, but I'm not sure what.""There's something stuck on it," said Hazel. "Why, they're stones, pushed intothe surface! But what for?""Do you like it?" asked Strawberry.
Hazel puzzled over the stones. They were all the same size, and pushed atregular intervals into the soil. He could make nothing of them.
"What are they for?" he asked again.
"It's El-ahrairah," said Strawberry. "A rabbit called Laburnum did it, sometime ago now. We have others, but this is the best. Worth a visit, don't youthink?"Hazel was more at a loss than ever. He had never seen a laburnum and waspuzzled by the name, which in Lapine is "Poison Tree." How could a rabbit becalled Poison? And how could stones be El-ahrairah? What, exactly, was it thatStrawberry was saying was El-ahrairah? In confusion he said, "I don'tunderstand.""It's what we call a Shape," explained Strawberry. "Haven't you seen onebefore? The stones make the shape of El-ahrairah on the wall. Stealing the King'slettuce. You know?"Hazel had not felt so much bewildered since Blackberry had talked about theraft beside the Enborne. Obviously, the stones could not possibly be anything todo with El-ahrairah. It seemed to him that Strawberry might as well have saidthat his tail was an oak tree. He sniffed again and then put a paw up to the wall.
"Steady, steady," said Strawberry. "You might damage it and that wouldn't do.
Never mind. We'll come again some other time.""But where are--" Hazel was beginning, when Strawberry once moreinterrupted him.
"I expect you'll be hungry now. I know I am. It's going on raining all night, I'mcertain of that, but we can feed underground here, you know. And then you cansleep in the great burrow, or in my place if you prefer. We can go back morequickly than we came. There's a run that goes almost straight. Actually, it passesacross--"He chatted on relentlessly, as they made their way back. It suddenly occurredto Hazel that these desperate interruptions seemed to follow any questionbeginning "Where?" He thought he would put this to the proof. After a whileStrawberry ended by saying, "We're nearly at the great burrow now, but we'recoming in by a different way.""And where--" said Hazel. Instantly Strawberry turned into a side run andcalled, "Kingcup? Are you coming down to the great burrow?" There was silence,"That's odd!" said Strawberry, returning and once more leading the way. "He'sgenerally there about this time. I often call for him, you know."Hazel, hanging back, made a quick search with nose and whiskers. Thethreshold of the burrow was covered with a day-old fall of soft soil from the roofabove. Strawberry's prints had marked it plainly and there were no otherswhatsoever.
*Song of the Blackbird."
14. "Like Trees in November
"Courts and camps are the only places to learn the world in.... Take the tone ofthe company that you are in.
The Earl of Chesterfield, Letters to His SonThe great burrow was less crowded than when they had left it. Nildro-hain wasthe first rabbit they met. She was among a group of three or four fine does whowere talking quietly together and seemed to be feeding as well. There was a smellof greenstuff. Evidently some kind of food was available underground, like theThrearah's lettuce. Hazel stopped to speak to Nildro-hain. She asked whether hehad gone as far as the well pit and the El-ahrairah of Laburnum.
"Yes, we did," said Hazel. "It's something quite strange to me, I'm afraid. ButI'd rather admire you and your friends than stones on a wall."As he said this, he noticed that Cowslip had joined them and that Strawberrywas talking to him quietly. He caught the words "never been near a Shape" and amoment later Cowslip replied, "Well, it makes no difference from our point ofview."Hazel suddenly felt tired and depressed. He heard Blackberry behind Cowslip'ssleek, heavy shoulder and went across to him.
"Come out into the grass," he said quietly. "Bring anyone else who'll come."At that moment Cowslip turned to him and said, "You'll be glad of somethingto eat now. I'll show you what we've got down here.""One or two of us are just going to silflay,"* said Hazel.
"Oh, it's still raining much too hard for that," said Cowslip, as though therecould be no two ways about it. "We'll feed you here.""I should be sorry to quarrel over it," said Hazel firmly, "but some of us need tosilflay. We're used to it, and rain doesn't bother us."Cowslip seemed taken aback for a moment Then he laughed.
The phenomenon of laughter is unknown to animals; though it is possible thatdogs and elephants may have some inkling of it. The effect on Hazel andBlackberry was overwhelming. Hazel's first idea was that Cowslip was showingthe symptom of some kind of disease. Blackberry clearly thought that he might begoing to attack them and backed away. Cowslip said nothing, but his eerielaughter continued. Hazel and Blackberry turned and scuttled up the nearest runas though he had been a ferret. Halfway up they met Pipkin, who was smallenough first to let them pass and then to turn round and follow them.
The rain was still falling steadily. The night was dark and, for May, cold. Theyall three hunched themselves in the grass and nibbled while the rain ran off theirfur in streams.
"My goodness, Hazel," said Blackberry, "did you really want to silflay? This isterrible! I was just going to eat whatever it is they have and then go to sleep.
What's the idea?""I don't know," replied Hazel. "I suddenly felt I had to get out and I wantedyour company. I can see what's troubling Fiver; though he'll get over it, I dare say.
There is something strange about these rabbits. Do you know they push stonesinto the wall?""They do what?"Hazel explained. Blackberry was as much at a loss as he had been himself. "ButI'll tell you another thing," he said. "Bigwig wasn't so far wrong. They do sing likethe birds. I was in a burrow belonging to a rabbit called Betony. His doe has alitter and she was making a noise over them rather like a robin in autumn. Tosend them to sleep, she said. It made me feel queer, I can tell you.""And what do you think of them, Hlao-roo?" asked Hazel.
"They're very nice and kind," answered Pipkin, "but I'll tell you how they strikeme. They all seem terribly sad. I can't think why, when they're so big and strongand have this beautiful warren. But they put me in mind of trees in November. Iexpect I'm being silly, though, Hazel. You brought us here and I'm sure it must bea fine, safe place.""No, you're not being silly. I hadn't realized it, but you're perfectly right. Theyall seem to have something on their minds.""But after all," said Blackberry, "we don't know why they're so few. They don'tfill the warren, anything like. Perhaps they've had some sort of trouble that's leftthem sad.""We don't know because they don't tell us. But if we're going to stay here we'vegot to learn to get on with them. We can't fight them: they're too big. And wedon't want them fighting us.""I don't believe they can fight, Hazel," said Pipkin. "Although they're so big,they don't seem like fighters to me. Not like Bigwig and Silver.""You notice a lot, don't you, Hlao-roo?" said Hazel. "Do you notice it's rainingharder than ever? I've got enough grass in my stomach for a bit. We'll go downagain now, but let's keep to ourselves for a while.""Why not sleep?" said Blackberry. "It's over a night and a day now and I'mdropping."They returned down a different hole and soon found a dry, empty burrow,where they curled up together and slept in the warmth of their own tired bodies.
When Hazel woke he perceived at once that it was morning -- some time aftersunrise, by the smell of it. The scent of apple blossom was plain enough. Then hepicked up the fainter smells of buttercups and horses. Mingled with these cameanother. Although it made him uneasy, he could not tell for some moments whatit was. A dangerous smell, an unpleasant smell, a totally unnatural smell -- quiteclose outside: a smoke smell -- something was burning. Then he rememberedhow Bigwig, after his reconnaissance on the previous day, had spoken of the littlewhite sticks in the grass. That was it. A man had been walking over the groundoutside. That must have been what had awakened him.
Hazel lay in the warm, dark burrow with a delightful sense of security. Hecould smell the man. The man could not smell him. All the man could smell wasthe nasty smoke he was making. He fell to thinking of the Shape in the well pit,and then dropped into a drowsy half-dream, in which El-ahrairah said that it wasall a trick of his to disguise himself as Poison Tree and put the stones in the wall,to engage Strawberry's attention while he himself was getting acquainted withNildro-hain.
Pipkin stirred and turned in his sleep, murmuring, "Sayn lay narn, Marli?" ("Isgroundsel nice, Mother?") and Hazel, touched to think that he must be dreamingof old days, rolled over on his side to give him room to settle again. At thatmoment, however, he heard a rabbit approaching down some run close by.
Whoever it was, he was calling -- and stamping as well, Hazel noticed -- in anunnatural way. The sound, as Blackberry had said, was not unlike birdsong. As hecame closer, Hazel could distinguish the word.
"Flayrah! Flayrah!"The voice was Strawberry's. Pipkin and Blackberry were waking, more at thestamping than the voice, which was thin and novel, not striking through theirsleep to any deep instinct. Hazel slipped out of the burrow into the run and atonce came upon Strawberry busily thumping a hind leg on the hard earth floor.
"My mother used to say, 'If you were a horse the ceiling would fall down,'" saidHazel. "Why do you stamp underground?""To wake everyone," answered Strawberry. "The rain went on nearly all night,you know. We generally sleep right through the early morning if it's roughweather. But it's turned fine now.""Why actually wake everybody, though?""Well, the man's gone by and Cowslip and I thought the flayrah ought not to lieabout for long. If we don't go and get it the rats and rooks come and I don't likefighting rats. I expect it's all in the day's work to an adventurous lot like you.""I don't understand,""Well, come along with me. I'm just going back along this run for Nildro-hain.
We haven't got a litter at present, you see, so she'll come out with the rest of us."Other rabbits were making their way along the run and Strawberry spoke toseveral of them, more than once remarking that he would enjoy taking their newfriends across the field. Hazel began to realize that he liked Strawberry. On theprevious day he had been too tired and bewildered to size him up. But now thathe had had a good sleep, he could see that Strawberry was really a harmless,decent sort of fellow. He was touchingly devoted to the beautiful Nildro-hain; andhe evidently had moods of gaiety and a great capacity for enjoyment. As theycame up into the May morning he hopped over the ditch and skipped into thelong grass as blithe as a squirrel. He seemed quite to have lost the preoccupied airthat had troubled Hazel the night before. Hazel himself paused in the mouth ofthe hole, as he always had behind the bramble curtain at home, and looked outacross the valley.
The sun, risen behind the copse, threw long shadows from the treessouthwestward across the field. The wet grass glittered and nearby a nut treesparkled iridescent, winking and gleaming as its branches moved in the lightwind. The brook was swollen and Hazel's ears could distinguish the deeper,smoother sound, changed since the day before. Between the copse and the brook,the slope was covered with pale lilac lady's-smocks, each standing separately inthe grass, a frail stalk of bloom above a spread of cressy leaves. The breezedropped and the little valley lay completely still, held in long beams of light andenclosed on either side by the lines of the woods. Upon this clear stillness, likefeathers on the surface of a pool, fell the calling of a cuckoo.
"It's quite safe, Hazel," said Cowslip behind him in the hole. "I know you'reused to taking a good look round when you silflay, but here we generally gostraight out."Hazel did not mean to alter his ways or take instructions from Cowslip.
However, no one had pushed him and there was no point in bickering over trifles.
He hopped across the ditch to the further bank and looked round him again.
Several rabbits were already running down the field toward a distant hedgedappled white with great patches of maybloom. He saw Bigwig and Silver andwent to join them, flicking the wet off his front paws step by step, like a cat.
"I hope your friends have been looking after you as well as these fellows havelooked after us, Hazel," said Bigwig. "Silver and I really feel at home again. If youask me, I reckon we've all made a big change for the better. Even if Fiver's wrongand nothing terrible has happened back at the old warren, I'd still say we're betteroff here. Are you coming along to feed?""What is this business about going to feed, do you know?" asked Hazel.
"Haven't they told you? Apparently there's flayrah to be had down the fields.
Most of them go every day."(Rabbits usually eat grass, as everyone knows. But more appetizing food -- e.g.,lettuce or carrots, for which they will make an expedition or rob a garden -- isflayrah.)"Flayrah? But isn't it rather late in the morning to raid a garden?" said Hazel,glancing at the distant roofs of the farm behind the trees.
"No, no," said one of the warren rabbits, who had overheard him. "Theflayrah's left in the field, usually near the place where the brook rises. We eithereat it there or bring it back -- or both. But we'll have to bring some back today.
The rain was so bad last night that no one went out and we ate almost everythingin the warren."The brook ran through the hedgerow, and there was a cattle wade in the gap.
After the rain the edges were a swamp, with water standing in every hoofprint.
The rabbits gave them a wide berth and came through by another gap further up,close to the gnarled trunk of an old crab-apple tree. Beyond, surrounding athicket of rushes, stood an enclosure of posts and rails half as high as a man.
Inside it, the kingcups bloomed and the brook whelmed up from its source.
On the pasture nearby Hazel could see scattered, russet-and-orange-coloredfragments, some with feathery light green foliage showing up against the darkergrass. They gave off a pungent, horsy smell, as if freshly cut. It attracted him. Hebegan to salivate and stopped to pass hraka. Cowslip, coming up nearby, turnedtoward him with his unnatural smile. But now Hazel, in his eagerness, paid noattention. Powerfully drawn, he ran out of the hedgerow toward the scatteredground. He came to one of the fragments, sniffed it and tasted it. It was carrot.
Hazel had eaten various roots in his life, but only once before had he tastedcarrot, when a cart horse had spilled a nose bag near the home warren. Thesewere old carrots, some half eaten already by mice or fly. But to the rabbits theywere redolent with luxury, a feast to drive all other feelings out of mind. Hazel satnibbling and biting, the rich, full taste of the cultivated roots filling him with awave of pleasure. He hopped about the grass, gnawing one piece after another,eating the green tops along with the slices. No one interrupted him. There seemedto be plenty for all. From time to time, instinctively, he looked up and sniffed thewind, but his caution was half-hearted. "If elil come, let them," he thought. "I'llfight the lot. I couldn't run, anyway. What a country! What a warren! No wonderthey're all as big as hares and smell like princes!" "Hello, Pipkin! Fill yourself upto the ears! No more shivering on the banks of streams for you, old chap!""He won't know how to shiver in a week or two," said Hawkbit, with his mouthfull. "I feel so much better for this! I'd follow you anywhere, Hazel. I wasn'tmyself in the heather that night. It's bad when you know you can't getunderground. I hope you understand.""It's all forgotten," answered Hazel. "I'd better ask Cowslip what we'resupposed to do about taking some of this stuff back to the warren."He found Cowslip near the spring. He had evidently finished feeding and waswashing his face with his front paws.
"Are there roots here every day?" asked Hazel. "Where--" He checked himselfjust in time. "I'm learning," he thought.
"Not always roots," replied Cowslip. "These are last year's, as you'll havenoticed. I suppose the remains are being cleared out. It may be anything -- roots,greenstuff, old apples: it all depends. Sometimes there's nothing at all, especiallyin good summer weather. But in hard weather, in winter, there's nearly alwayssomething. Big roots, usually, or kale, or sometimes corn. We eat that too, youknow.""Food's no problem, then. The whole place ought to be full of rabbits. Isuppose--""If you really have finished," interrupted Cowslip, "--and there's no hurry; dotake your time -- you could try carrying. It's easy with these roots -- easier thananything except lettuce. You simply bite onto one, take it back to the warren andput it in the great burrow. I generally take two at a time, but then I've had a lot ofpractice. Rabbits don't usually carry food, I know, but you'll learn. It's useful tohave a store. The does need some for their young when they're getting bigger; andit's particularly convenient for all of us in bad weather. Come back with me andI'll help if you find the carrying difficult at first."It took Hazel some trouble to learn to grip half a carrot in his mouth and carryit, like a dog, across the field and back to the warren. He had to put it downseveral times. But Cowslip was encouraging and he was determined to keep uphis position as the resourceful leader of the newcomers. At his suggestion theyboth waited at the mouth of one of the larger holes to see how his companionswere shaping. They all seemed to be making an effort and doing their best,although the smaller rabbits -- especially Pipkin -- clearly found the task anawkward one.
"Cheer up, Pipkin," said Hazel. "Think how much you'll enjoy eating it tonight.
Anyway, I'm sure Fiver must find it as hard as you: he's just as small.""I don't know where he is," said Pipkin. "Have you seen him?"Now that Hazel thought about it, he had not. He became a little anxious and,as he returned across the field with Cowslip, did his best to explain something ofFiver's peculiar temperament. "I do hope he's all right," he said. "I think perhapsI'll go and look for him when we've carried this next lot. Have you any idea wherehe might be?"He waited for Cowslip to reply, but he was disappointed. After a few momentsCowslip said, "Look, do you see those jackdaws hanging round the carrots?
They've been a nuisance for several days now. I must get someone to try to keepthem off until we've finished carrying. But they're really too big for a rabbit totackle. Now, sparrows--""What's that got to do with Fiver?" asked Hazel sharply.
"In fact," said Cowslip, breaking into a run, "I'll go myself."But he did not engage the jackdaws and Hazel saw him pick up another carrotand start back with it. Annoyed, he joined Buckthorn and Dandelion and thethree of them returned together. As they came up to the warren bank he suddenlycaught sight of Fiver. He was sitting half concealed under the low spread of a yewtree on the edge of the copse, some way from the holes of the warren. Puttingdown his carrot, Hazel ran across, scrambled up the bank and joined him on thebare ground under the low, close boughs. Fiver said nothing and continued tostare over the field.
"Aren't you coming to learn to carry, Fiver?" asked Hazel at length. "It's not toodifficult once you get the hang of it.""I'll have nothing to do with it," answered Fiver in a low voice. "Dogs -- you'relike dogs carrying sticks.""Fiver! Are you trying to make me angry? I'm not going to get angry becauseyou call me stupid names. But you're letting the others do all the work.""I'm the one who ought to get angry," said Fiver. "But I'm no good at it, that'sthe trouble. Why should they listen to me? Half of them think I'm mad. You're toblame, Hazel, because you know I'm not and still you won't listen.""So you don't like this warren any better even now? Well, I think you're wrong.
Everyone makes mistakes sometimes. Why shouldn't you make a mistake, likeeverybody else? Hawkbit was wrong in the heather and you're wrong now.""Those are rabbits down there, trotting along like a lot of squirrels with nuts.
How can that be right?""Well, I'd say they've copied a good idea from the squirrels and that makesthem better rabbits.""Do you suppose the man, whoever he is, puts the roots out there because hehas a kind heart? What's he up to?""He's just throwing away rubbish. How many rabbits have had a good meal offmen's rubbish heaps? Shot lettuces, old turnips? You know we all do, when wecan. It's not poisoned, Fiver, I can tell you that. And if he wanted to shoot rabbitshe's had plenty of chances this morning. But he hasn't done it."Fiver seemed to grow even smaller as he flattened himself on the hard earth.
"I'm a fool to try to argue," he said miserably. "Hazel -- dear old Hazel -- it'ssimply that I know there's something unnatural and evil twisted all round thisplace. I don't know what it is, so no wonder I can't talk about it. I keep gettingnear it, though. You know how you poke your nose against wire netting and pushit up against an apple tree, but you still can't bite the bark because of the wire. I'mclose to this -- whatever it is -- but I can't grip it. If I sit here alone I may reach ityet.""Fiver, why not do as I say? Have a meal on those roots and then gounderground and sleep. You'll feel all the better for it.""I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place," said Fiver. "As for goingunderground, I'd rather go back over the heather. The roof of that hall is made ofbones.""No, no -- tree roots. But, after all, you were underground all night.""I wasn't," said Fiver.
"What? Where were you, then?""Here.""All night?""Yes. A yew tree gives good shelter, you know."Hazel was now seriously worried. If Fiver's horrors had kept him above groundall night in the rain, oblivious of cold and prowling elil, then clearly it was notgoing to be easy to talk him out of them. He was silent for some time. At last hesaid, "What a shame! I still think you'd do better to come and join us. But I'll letyou alone now and come and see how you're feeling later. Don't go eating the yewtree, either."Fiver made no reply and Hazel went back to the field.
The day was certainly not one to encourage foreboding. By ni-Frith it was sohot that the lower part of the field was humid. The air was heavy with thick,herbal smells, as though it were already late June; the water mint and marjoram,not yet flowering, gave off scent from their leaves and here and there an earlymeadowsweet stood in bloom. The chiffchaff was busy all morning, high in asilver birch near the abandoned holes across the dip; and from deep in the copse,somewhere by the disused well, came the beautiful song of the blackcap. By earlyafternoon there was a stillness of heat, and a herd of cows from the higher fieldsslowly grazed their way down into the shade. Only a few of the rabbits remainedabove ground. Almost all were asleep in the burrows. But still Fiver sat aloneunder the yew tree.
In the early evening Hazel sought out Bigwig and together they ventured intothe copse behind the warren. At first they moved cautiously, but before long theygrew confident at finding no trace of any creature larger than a mouse.
"There's nothing to smell," said Bigwig, "and no tracks. I think Cowslip's toldus no more than the truth. There really aren't any elil here. Different from thatwood where we crossed the river. I don't mind telling you, Hazel, I was scaredstiff that night, but I wasn't going to show it.""So was I," answered Hazel. "But I agree with you about this place. It seemscompletely clear. If we--""This is odd, though," interrupted Bigwig. He was in a clump of brambles, inthe middle of which was a rabbit hole that led up from one of the warren passagesbelow. The ground was soft and damp, with old leaves thick in the mold. WhereBigwig had stopped there were signs of commotion. The rotten leaves had beenthrown up in showers. Some were hanging on the brambles and a few flat, wetclots were lying well out in open ground beyond the clump. In the center theearth had been laid bare and was scored with long scratches and furrows, andthere was a narrow, regular hole, about the same size as one of the carrots theyhad carried that morning. The two rabbits sniffed and stared, but could makenothing of it.
"The funny thing is there's no smell," said Bigwig.
"No -- only rabbit, and that's everywhere, of course. And man -- that'severywhere, too. But that smell might very well have nothing to do with it. All ittells us is that a man walked through the wood and threw a white stick down. Itwasn't a man that tore up this ground.""Well, these mad rabbits probably dance in the moonlight or something.""I wouldn't be surprised," said Hazel. "It would be just like them. Let's askCowslip.""That's the only silly thing you've said so far. Tell me, since we came here hasCowslip answered any question you've asked him?""Well, no -- not many.""Try asking him where he dances in the moonlight. Say 'Cowslip, where--'""Oh, you've noticed that, too, have you? He won't answer 'Where' anything.
Neither will Strawberry. I think they may be nervous of us. Pipkin was right whenhe said they weren't fighters. So they're keeping up a mystery to stay even with us.
It's best just to put up with it. We don't want to upset them and it's bound tosmooth itself out in time.""There's more rain coming tonight," said Bigwig. "Soon, too, I think. Let's gounderground and see if we can get them to talk a bit more freely.""I think that's something we can only wait for. But I agree about goingunderground now. And for goodness' sake let's get Fiver to come with us. Hetroubles me. Do you know he was out all night in the rain?"As they went back through the copse Hazel recounted his talk with Fiver thatmorning. They found him under the yew tree and after a rather stormy scene,during which Bigwig grew rough and impatient, he was bullied rather thanpersuaded into going down with them into the great burrow.
It was crowded, and as the rain began to fall more rabbits came down the runs.
They pushed about, cheerful and chattering. The carrots which had been broughtin were eaten between friends or carried away to does and families in burrows allover the warren. But when they were finished the hall remained full. It waspleasantly warm with the heat of so many bodies. Gradually the talkative groupssettled into a contented silence, but no one seemed disposed to go to sleep.
Rabbits are lively at nightfall, and when evening rain drives them undergroundthey still feel gregarious. Hazel noticed that almost all his companions seemed tohave become friendly with the warren rabbits. Also, he found that whenever hemoved into one group or another, the warren rabbits evidently knew who he wasand treated him as the leader of the newcomers. He could not find Strawberry,but after a time Cowslip came up to him from the other end of the hall.
"I'm glad you're here, Hazel," he said. "Some of our lot are suggesting a storyfrom somebody. We're hoping one of your people would like to tell one, but wecan begin ourselves, if you'd prefer."There is a rabbit saying, "In the warren, more stories than passages"; and arabbit can no more refuse to tell a story than an Irishman can refuse to fight.
Hazel and his friends conferred. After a short time Blackberry announced, "We'veasked Hazel to tell you about our adventures: how we made our journey here andhad the good luck to join you."There was an uncomfortable silence, broken only by shuffling and whispering.
Blackberry, dismayed, turned back to Hazel and Bigwig.
"What's the matter?" he asked in a low voice. "Surely there's no harm in that?""Wait," replied Hazel quietly. "Let them tell us if they don't like it. They havetheir own ways here."However, the silence continued for some time, as though the other rabbits didnot care to mention what they thought was wrong.
"It's no good," said Blackberry at last. "You'll have to say something yourself,Hazel. No, why should you? I'll do it." He spoke up again. "On second thoughts,Hazel remembers that we have a good storyteller among us. Dandelion will tellyou a story of El-ahrairah. That can't go wrong, anyway," he whispered.
"Which one, though?" said Dandelion.
Hazel remembered the stones by the well pit. "The King's Lettuce," heanswered. "They think a lot of that, I believe."Dandelion took up his cue with the same plucky readiness that he had shownin the wood. "I'll tell the story of the King's Lettuce," he said aloud.
"We shall enjoy that," replied Cowslip immediately.
"He'd better," muttered Bigwig.
Dandelion began.
*Go above ground to feed.
15. The Story of the King's Lettuce
Don Alfonso: "Eccovi il medico, signore belle."Ferrando and Guglielmo: "Despina in maschera, che triste pelle!"Lorenzo da Ponte, Così fan Tutte"They say that there was a time when El-ahrairah and his followers lost alltheir luck. Their enemies drove them out and they were forced to live down in themarshes of Kelfazin. Now, where the marshes of Kelfazin may be I do not know,but at the time when El-ahrairah and his followers were living there, of all thedreary places in the world they were the dreariest. There was no food but coarsegrass and even the grass was mixed with bitter rushes and docks. The ground wastoo wet for digging: the water stood in any hole that was made. But all the otheranimals had grown so suspicious of El-ahrairah and his tricks that they would notlet him out of that wretched country and every day Prince Rainbow used to comewalking through the marshes to make sure that El-ahrairah was still there. PrinceRainbow had the power of the sky and the power of the hills and Frith had toldhim to order the world as he thought best.
"One day, when Prince Rainbow was coming through the marshes, El-ahrairahwent up to him and said, 'Prince Rainbow, my people are cold and cannot getunderground because of the wet. Their food is so dull and poor that they will be illwhen the bad weather comes. Why do you keep us here against our will? We dono harm.'
"'El-ahrairah,' replied Prince Rainbow, 'all the animals know that you are athief and a trickster. Now your tricks have caught up with you and you have tolive here until you can persuade us that you will be an honest rabbit.'
"'Then we shall never get out,' said El-ahrairah, 'for I would be ashamed to tellmy people to stop living on their wits. Will you let us out if I can swim across alake full of pike?'
"'No,' said Prince Rainbow, 'for I have heard of that trick of yours, El-ahrairah,and I know how it is done.'
"'Will you let us go if I can steal the lettuces from King Darzin's garden?' askedEl-ahrairah.
"Now, King Darzin ruled over the biggest and richest of the animal cities in theworld at that time. His soldiers were very fierce and his lettuce garden wassurrounded by a deep ditch and guarded by a thousand sentries day and night. Itwas near his palace, on the edge of the city where all his followers lived. So whenEl-ahrairah talked of stealing King Darzin's lettuces, Prince Rainbow laughed andsaid,"'You can try, El-ahrairah, and if you succeed I will multiply your peopleeverywhere and no one will be able to keep them out of a vegetable garden fromnow till the end of the world. But what will really happen is that you will be killedby the soldiers and the world will be rid of a smooth, plausible rascal.'
"'Very well,' said El-ahrairah. 'We shall see.'
"Now, Yona the hedgehog was nearby, looking for slugs and snails in themarshes, and he heard what passed between Prince Rainbow and El-ahrairah. Heslipped away to the great palace of King Darzin and begged to be rewarded forwarning him against his enemies.
"'King Darzin,' he sniffled, 'that wicked thief El-ahrairah has said he will stealyour lettuces and he is coming to trick you and get into the garden.'
"King Darzin hurried down to the lettuce garden and sent for the captain of theguard.
"'You see these lettuces?' he said. 'Not one of them has been stolen since theseed was sown. Very soon now they will be ready and then I mean to hold a greatfeast for all my people. But I have heard that that scoundrel Eh-ahrairah means tocome and steal them if he can. You are to double the guards; and all the gardenersand weeders are to be examined every day. Not one leaf is to go out of the gardenuntil either I or my chief taster gives the order.'
"The captain of the guard did as he was told. That night El-ahrairah came outof the marshes of Kelfazin and went secretly up to the great ditch. With him washis trusty Captain of Owsla, Rabscuttle. They squatted in the bushes and watchedthe doubled guards patrolling up and down. When the morning came they saw allthe gardeners and weeders coming up to the wall and every one was looked at bythree guards. One was new and had come instead of his uncle who was ill, but theguards would not let him in because they did not know him by sight and theynearly threw him into the ditch before they would even let him go home. El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle came away in perplexity and that day, when PrinceRainbow came walking through the fields, he said, 'Well, well, Prince with theThousand Enemies, where are the lettuces?'
"'I am having them delivered,' answered El-ahrairah. 'There will be rather toomany to carry.' Then he and Rabscuttle went secretly down one of their few holeswhere there was no water, put a sentry outside and thought and talked for a dayand a night.
"On the top of the hill near King Darzin's palace there was a garden and herehis many children and his chief followers' children used to be taken to play bytheir mothers and nursemaids. There was no wall round the garden. It wasguarded only when the children were there; at night it was empty, because therewas nothing to steal and no one to be hunted. The next night Rabscuttle, who hadbeen told by El-ahrairah what he had to do, went to the garden and dug a scrape.
He hid in the scrape all night; and the next morning, when the children werebrought to play, he slipped out and joined them. There were so many childrenthat each one of the mothers and nursemaids thought that he must belong tosomebody else, but as he was about the same size as the children and not muchdifferent to look at, he was able to make friends with some of them. Rabscuttlewas full of tricks and games and quite soon he was running and playing just as ifhe had been one of the children himself. When the time came for the children togo home, Rabscuttle went, too. They came up to the gate of the city and theguards saw Rabscuttle with King Darzin's son. They stopped him and asked whichwas his mother, but the King's son said, 'You let him alone. He's my friend,' andRabscuttle went in with all the others.
"Now, as soon as Rabscuttle got inside the King's palace, he scurried off andwent into one of the dark burrows; and here he hid all day. But in the evening hecame out and made his way to the royal storerooms, where the food was being gotready for the King and his chief followers and wives. There were grasses andfruits and roots and even nuts and berries, for King Darzin's people wenteverywhere in those days, through the woods and fields. There were no soldiers inthe storerooms and Rabscuttle hid there in the dark. And he did all he could tomake the food bad, except what he ate himself.
"That evening King Darzin sent for the chief taster and asked him whether thelettuces were ready. The chief taster said that several of them were excellent andthat he had already had some brought into the stores.
"'Good,' said the King. 'We will have two or three tonight.'
"But the next morning the King and several of his people were taken ill withbad stomachs. Whatever they ate, they kept on getting ill, because Rabscuttle washiding in the storerooms and spoiling the food as fast as it was brought in. TheKing ate several more lettuces, but he got no better. In fact, he got worse.
"After five days Rabscuttle slipped out again with the children and came backto El-ahrairah. When he heard that the King was ill and that Rabscuttle had doneall he wanted, El-ahrairah set to work to disguise himself. He clipped his whitetail and made Rabscuttle nibble his fur short and stain it with mud andblackberries. Then he covered himself all over with trailing strands of goose grassand big burdocks and he even found ways to alter his smell. At last even his ownwives could not recognize him, and El-ahrairah told Rabscuttle to follow someway behind and off he went to King Darzin's palace. But Rabscuttle waitedoutside, on the top of the hill.
"When he got to the palace, El-ahrairah demanded to see the captain of theguard. 'You are to take me to the King,' he said. 'Prince Rainbow has sent me. Hehas heard that the King is ill and he has sent for me, from the distant land beyondKelfazin, to find the cause of his sickness. Be quick! I am not accustomed to bekept waiting.'
"'How do I know this is true?' asked the captain of the guard.
"'It is all one to me,' replied El-ahrairah. 'What is the sickness of a little king tothe chief physician of the land beyond the golden river of Frith? I will return andtell Prince Rainbow that the King's guard were foolish and gave me suchtreatment as one might expect from a crowd of flea-bitten louts.'
"He turned and began to go away, but the captain of the guard becamefrightened and called him back. El-ahrairah allowed himself to be persuaded andthe soldiers took him to the King.
"After five days of bad food and bad stomach, the King was not inclined to besuspicious of someone who said that Prince Rainbow had sent him to make himbetter. He begged El-ahrairah to examine him and promised to do all he said.
"El-ahrairah made a great business of examining the King. He looked at hiseyes and his ears and his teeth and his droppings and the ends of his claws and heinquired what he had been eating. Then he demanded to see the royal storeroomsand the lettuce garden. When he came back he looked very grave and said, 'GreatKing, I know well what sorry news it will be to you, but the cause of your sicknessis those very lettuces by which you set such store.'
"'The lettuces?' cried King Darzin. 'Impossible! They are all grown from good,healthy seed and guarded day and night.'
"'Alas!' said Eh-ahrairah. 'I know it well! But they have been infected by thedreaded Lousepedoodle, that flies in ever decreasing circles through the Gunpatof the Cludge -- a deadly virus -- dear me, yes! -- isolated by the purple Avvagoand maturing in the gray-green forests of the Okey Pokey. This, you understand,is to put the matter for you in simple terms, insofar as I can. Medically speaking,there are certain complexities with which I will not weary you.'
"'I cannot believe it,' said the King.
"'The simplest course,' said El-ahrairah, 'will be to prove it to you. But we neednot make one of your subjects ill. Tell the soldiers to go out and take a prisoner.'
"The soldiers went out and the first creature they found was Rabscuttle,grazing on the hilltop. They dragged him through the gates and into the King'spresence.
"'Ah, a rabbit,' said El-ahrairah. 'Nasty creature! So much the better.
Disgusting rabbit, eat that lettuce!'
"Rabscuttle did so and soon afterward he began to moan and thrash about. Hekicked in convulsions and rolled his eyes. He gnawed at the floor and frothed atthe mouth.
"'He is very ill,' said El-ahrairah. 'He must have got an exceptionally bad one.
Or else, which is more probable, the infection is particularly deadly to rabbits.
But, in any event, let us be thankful it was not Your Majesty. Well, he has servedour purpose. Throw him out! I would strongly advise Your Majesty,' went on El-ahrairah, 'not to leave the lettuces where they are, for they will shoot and flowerand seed. The infection will spread. I know it is disappointing, but you must getrid of them.'
"At that moment, as luck would have it, in came the captain of the guard, withYona the hedgehog.
"'Your Majesty,' he cried, 'this creature returns from the marshes of Kelfazin.
The people of El-ahrairah are mustering for war. They say they are coming toattack Your Majesty's garden and steal the royal lettuces. May I have YourMajesty's order to take out the soldiers and destroy them?'
"'Aha!' said the King. 'I have thought of a trick worth two of that. "Particularlydeadly to rabbits." Well! Well! Let them have all the lettuces they want. In fact,you are to take a thousand down to the marshes of Kelfazin and leave them there.
Ho! Ho! What a joke! I feel all the better for it!'
"'Ah, what deadly cunning!' said El-ahrairah. 'No wonder Your Majesty is rulerof a great people. I believe you are already recovering. As with many illnesses, thecure is simple, once perceived. No, no, I will accept no reward. In any case, thereis nothing here that would be thought of value in the shining land beyond thegolden river of Frith. I have done as Prince Rainbow required. It is sufficient.
Perhaps you will be so good as to tell your guards to accompany me to the foot ofthe hill?' He bowed, and left the palace.
"Later that evening, as El-ahrairah was urging his rabbits to growl morefiercely and run up and down in the marshes of Kelfazin, Prince Rainbow cameover the river.
"'El-ahrairah,' he called, 'am I bewitched?'
"'It is quite possible,' said El-ahrairah. 'The dreaded Lousepedoodle--'
"'There are a thousand lettuces in a pile at the top of the marsh. Who put themthere?'
"'I told you they were being delivered,' said El-ahrairah. 'You could hardlyexpect my people, weak and hungry as they are, to carry them all the way fromKing Darzin's garden. However, they will soon recover now, under the treatmentthat I shall prescribe. I am a physician, I may say, and if you have not heard asmuch, Prince Rainbow, you may take it that you soon will, from another quarter.
Rabscuttle, go out and collect the lettuces.'
"Then Prince Rainbow saw that El-ahrairah had been as good as his word, andthat he himself must keep his promise, too. He let the rabbits out of the marshesof Kelfazin and they multiplied everywhere. And from that day to this, no poweron earth can keep a rabbit out of a vegetable garden, for El-ahrairah promptsthem with a thousand tricks, the best in the world."
16. Silverweed
He said, "Dance for me" and he said,"You are too beautiful for the windTo pick at, or the sun to burn." He said,"I'm a poor tattered thing, but not unkindTo the sad dancer and the dancing dead."Sidney Keyes, Four Postures of Death"Well done," said Hazel, as Dandelion ended.
"He's very good, isn't he?" said Silver. "We're lucky to have him with us. Itraises your spirits just to hear him.""That's put their ears flat for them," whispered Bigwig. "Let's just see them finda storyteller to beat him."They were all in no doubt that Dandelion had done them credit. Ever sincetheir arrival most of them had felt out of their depth among these magnificent,well-fed strangers, with their detached manners, their Shapes on the wall, theirelegance, their adroit evasion of almost all questions -- above all, their fits of un-rabbitlike melancholy. Now, their own storyteller had shown that they were nomere bunch of tramps. Certainly, no reasonable rabbit could withholdadmiration. They waited to be told as much, but after a few moments realizedwith surprise that their hosts were evidently less enthusiastic.
"Very nice," said Cowslip. He seemed to be searching for something more tosay, but then repeated, "Yes, very nice. An unusual tale.""But he must know it, surely?" muttered Blackberry to Hazel.
"I always think these traditional stories retain a lot of charm," said another ofthe rabbits, "especially when they're told in the real, old-fashioned spirit.""Yes," said Strawberry. "Conviction, that's what it needs. You really have tobelieve in El-ahrairah and Prince Rainbow, don't you? Then all the rest follows.""Don't say anything, Bigwig," whispered Hazel: for Bigwig was scuffling hispaws indignantly. "You can't force them to like it if they don't. Let's wait and seewhat they can do themselves." Aloud, he said, "Our stories haven't changed ingenerations, you know. After all, we haven't changed ourselves. Our lives havebeen the same as our fathers' and their fathers' before them. Things are differenthere. We realize that, and we think your new ideas and ways are very exciting.
We're all wondering what kind of things you tell stories about.""Well, we don't tell the old stories very much," said Cowslip. "Our stories andpoems are mostly about our own lives here. Of course, that Shape of Laburnumthat you saw -- that's old-fashioned now. El-ahrairah doesn't really mean much tous. Not that your friend's story wasn't very charming," he added hastily.
"El-ahrairah is a trickster," said Buckthorn, "and rabbits will always needtricks.""No," said a new voice from the further end of the hall, beyond Cowslip.
"Rabbits need dignity and, above all, the will to accept their fate.""We think Silverweed is one of the best poets we've had for many months,"said Cowslip. "His ideas have a great following. Would you like to hear him now?""Yes, yes," said voices from all sides. "Silverweed!""Hazel," said Fiver suddenly, "I want to get a clear idea of this Silverweed, but Idaren't go closer by myself. Will you come with me?""Why, Fiver, whatever do you mean? What is there to be afraid of?""Oh, Frith help me!" said Fiver, trembling. "I can smell him from here. Heterrifies me.""Oh, Fiver, don't be absurd! He just smells the same as the rest of them.""He smells like barley rained down and left to rot in the fields. He smells like awounded mole that can't get underground.""He smells like a big, fat rabbit to me, with a lot of carrots inside. But I'll comewith you."When they had edged their way through the crowd to the far end of theburrow, Hazel was surprised to realize that Silverweed was a mere youngster. Inthe Sandleford warren no rabbit of his age would have been asked to tell a story,except perhaps to a few friends alone. He had a wild, desperate air and his earstwitched continually. As he began to speak, he seemed to grow less and less awareof his audience and continually turned his head, as though listening to somesound, audible only to himself, from the entrance tunnel behind him. But therewas an arresting fascination in his voice, like the movement of wind and light on ameadow, and as its rhythm entered into his hearers the whole burrow becamesilent.
The wind is blowing, blowing over the grass.
It shakes the willow catkins; the leaves shine silver.
Where are you going, wind? Far, far awayOver the hills, over the edge of the world.
Take me with you, wind, high over the sky.
I will go with you, I will be rabbit-of-the-wind,Into the sky, the feathery sky and the rabbit.
The stream is running, running over the gravel,Through the brooklime, the kingcups, the blue and gold of spring.
Where are you going, stream? Far, far awayBeyond the heather, sliding away all night.
Take me with you, stream, away in the starlight.
I will go with you, I will be rabbit-of-the-stream,Down through the water, the green water and the rabbit.
In autumn the leaves come blowing, yellow and brown.
They rustle in the ditches, they tug and hang on the hedge.
Where are you going leaves? Far, far awayInto the earth we go, with the rain and the berries.
Take me, leaves, O take me on your dark journey.
I will go with you, I will be rabbit-of-the-leaves,In the deep places of the earth, the earth and the rabbit.
Frith lies in the evening sky. The clouds are red about him.
I am here, Lord Frith, I am running through the long grass.
O take me with you, dropping behind the woods,Far away, to the heart of light, the silence.
For I am ready to give you my breath, my life,The shining circle of the sun, the sun and the rabbit.
Fiver, as he listened, had shown a mixture of intense absorption andincredulous horror. At one and the same time he seemed to accept every wordand yet to be stricken with fear. Once he drew in his breath, as though startled torecognize his own half-known thoughts; and when the poem was ended heseemed to be struggling to come to himself. He bared his teeth and licked his lips,as Blackberry had done before the dead hedgehog on the road.
A rabbit in fear of an enemy will sometimes crouch stock still, either fascinatedor else trusting to its natural inconspicuousness to remain unnoticed. But then,unless the fascination is too powerful, there comes the point when keeping still isdiscarded and the rabbit, as though breaking a spell, turns in an instant to itsother resource -- flight. So it seemed to be with Fiver now. Suddenly he leaped upand began to push his way violently across the great burrow. Several rabbits werejostled and turned angrily on him, but he took no notice. Then he came to a placewhere he could not push between two heavy warren bucks. He became hysterical,kicking and scuffling, and Hazel, who was behind him, had difficulty inpreventing a fight.
"My brother's a sort of poet, too, you know," he said to the bristling strangers.
"Things affect him very strongly sometimes and he doesn't always know why."One of the rabbits seemed to accept what Hazel had said, but the other replied,"Oh, another poet? Let's hear him, then. That'll be some return for my shoulder,anyway. He's scratched a great tuft of fur out."Fiver was already beyond them and thrusting toward the further entrancetunnel. Hazel felt that he must follow him. But after all the trouble that hehimself had taken to be friendly, he felt so cross at the way in which Fiver hadantagonized their new friends that as he passed Bigwig, he said, "Come and helpme to get some sense into him. The last thing we want is a fight now." He felt thatFiver really deserved a short touch of Bigwig.
They followed Fiver up the run and overtook him at the entrance. Before eitherof them could say a word, he turned and began to speak as though they had askedhim a question.
"You felt it, then? And you want to know whether I did? Of course I did. That'sthe worst part of it. There isn't any trick. He speaks the truth. So as long as hespeaks the truth it can't be folly -- that's what you're going to say, isn't it? I'm notblaming you, Hazel. I felt myself moving toward him like one cloud drifting intoanother. But then at the last moment I drifted wide. Who knows why? It wasn'tmy own will; it was an accident. There was just some little part of me that carriedme wide of him. Did I say the roof of that hall was made of bones? No! It's like agreat mist of folly that covers the whole sky: and we shall never see to go byFrith's light any more. Oh, what will become of us? A thing can be true and still bedesperate folly, Hazel.""What on earth's all this?" said Hazel to Bigwig in perplexity.
"He's talking about that lop-eared nitwit of a poet down there," answeredBigwig. "I know that much. But why he seems to think we should want to haveanything to do with him and his fancy talk -- that's more than I can imagine. Youcan save your breath, Fiver. The only thing that's bothering us is the row you'vestarted. As for Silverweed, all I can say is, I'll keep Silver and he can be just plainWeed."Fiver gazed back at him with eyes that, like a fly's, seemed larger than his head.
"You think that," he said. "You believe that. But each of you, in his own way, isthick in that mist. Where is the--"Hazel interrupted him and as he did so Fiver started. "Fiver, I won't pretendthat I didn't follow you up here to speak angrily. You've endangered our goodstart in this warren--"Endangered?" cried Fiver. "Endangered? Why, the whole place--""Be quiet. I was going to be angry, but you're obviously so much upset that itwould be pointless. But what you are going to do now is to come undergroundwith the two of us and sleep. Come on! And don't say any more for the moment."One respect in which rabbits' lives are less complicated than those of humansis that they are not ashamed to use force. Having no alternative, Fiveraccompanied Hazel and Bigwig to the burrow where Hazel had spent the previousnight. There was no one there and they lay down and slept.
17. The Shining Wire
When the green field comes off like a lidRevealing what was much better hid,Unpleasant;And look! Behind, without a soundThe woods have come up and are standing roundIn deadly crescent.
And the bolt is sliding in its groove,Outside the window is the black remover's van,And now with sudden, swift emergenceCome the women in dark glasses, the hump-backed surgeonsAnd the scissor-man.
W.H. Auden, The WitnessesIt was cold, it was cold and the roof was made of bones. The roof was made ofthe interlaced sprays of the yew tree, stiff twigs twisted in and out, over andunder, hard as ice and set with dull red berries. "Come on, Hazel," said Cowslip.
"We're going to carry the yew berries home in our mouths and eat them in thegreat burrow. Your friends must learn to do that if they want to go our way." "No!
No!" cried Fiver. "Hazel, no!" But then came Bigwig, twisting in and out of thebranches, his mouth full of berries. "Look," said Bigwig, "I can do it. I'm runninganother way. Ask me where, Hazel! Ask me where! Ask me where!" Then theywere running another way, running, not to the warren but over the fields in thecold, and Bigwig dropped the berries -- blood-red drops, red droppings hard aswire. "It's no good," he said. "No good biting them. They're cold."Hazel woke. He was in the burrow. He shivered. Why was there no warmth ofrabbit bodies lying close together? Where was Fiver? He sat up. Nearby, Bigwigwas stirring and twitching in his sleep, searching for warmth, trying to pressagainst another rabbit's body no longer there. The shallow hollow in the sandyfloor where Fiver had lain was not quite cold: but Fiver was gone.
"Fiver!" said Hazel in the dark.
As soon as he had spoken he knew there would be no reply. He pushed Bigwigwith his nose, butting urgently. "Bigwig! Fiver's gone! Bigwig!"Bigwig was wide awake on the instant and Hazel had never felt so glad of hissturdy readiness.
"What did you say? What's wrong?""Fiver's gone.""Where's he gone?""Silf -- outside. It can only be silf. You know he wouldn't go wandering about inthe warren. He hates it.""He's a nuisance, isn't he? He's left this burrow cold, too. You think he's indanger, don't you? You want to go and look for him?""Yes, I must. He's upset and overwrought and it's not light yet. There may beelil, whatever Strawberry says."Bigwig listened and sniffed for a few moments.
"It's very nearly light," he said. "There'll be light enough to find him by. Well,I'd better come with you, I suppose. Don't worry -- he can't have gone far. But bythe King's Lettuce! I won't half give him a piece of my mind when we catch him.""I'll hold him down while you kick him, if only we can find him. Come on!"They went up the run to the mouth of the hole and paused together. "Since ourfriends aren't here to push us," said Bigwig, "we may as well make sure the placeisn't crawling with stoats and owls before we go out."At that moment a brown owl's call sounded from the opposite wood. It was thefirst call, and by instinct they both crouched motionless, counting four heartbeatsuntil the second followed.
"It's moving away," said Hazel.
"How many field mice say that every night, I wonder? You know the call'sdeceptive. It's meant to be.""Well, I can't help it," said Hazel. "Fiver's somewhere out there and I'm goingafter him. You were right, anyway. It is light -- just.""Shall we look under the yew tree first?"But Fiver was not under the yew tree. The light, as it grew, began to show theupper field, while the distant hedge and brook remained dark, linear shapesbelow. Bigwig jumped down from the bank into the field and ran in a long curveacross the wet grass. He stopped almost opposite the hole by which they hadcome up, and Hazel joined him.
"Here's his line, all right," said Bigwig. "Fresh, too. From the hole straightdown toward the brook. He won't be far away."When raindrops are lying it is easy to see where grass has recently beencrossed. They followed the line down the field and reached the hedge beside thecarrot ground and the source of the brook. Bigwig had been right when he saidthe line was fresh. As soon as they had come through the hedge they saw Fiver.
He was feeding, alone. A few fragments of carrot were still lying about near thespring, but he had left these untouched and was eating the grass not far from thegnarled crab-apple tree. They approached and he looked up.
Hazel said nothing and began to feed beside him. He was now regretting thathe had brought Bigwig. In the darkness before morning and the first shock ofdiscovering that Fiver was gone, Bigwig had been a comfort and a stand-by. Butnow, as he saw Fiver, small and familiar, incapable of hurting anyone or ofconcealing what he felt, trembling in the wet grass, either from fear or from cold,his anger melted away. He felt only sorry for him and sure that, if they could stayalone together for a while, Fiver would come round to an easier state of mind. Butit was probably too late to persuade Bigwig to be gentle: he could only hope forthe best.
Contrary to his fears, however, Bigwig remained as silent as himself. Evidentlyhe had been expecting Hazel to speak first and was somewhat at a loss. For sometime all three moved on quietly over the grass, while the shadows grew strongerand the wood pigeons clattered among the distant trees. Hazel was beginning tofeel that all would be well and that Bigwig had more sense than he had given himcredit for, when Fiver sat up on his hind legs, cleaned his face with his paws andthen, for the first time, looked directly at him.
"I'm going now," he said. "I feel very sad. I'd like to wish you well, Hazel, butthere's no good to wish you in this place. So just goodbye.""But where are you going, Fiver?""Away. To the hills, if I can get there.""By yourself, alone? You can't. You'd die.""You wouldn't have a hope, old chap," said Bigwig. "Something would get youbefore ni-Frith.""No," said Fiver very quietly. "You are closer to death than I.""Are you trying to frighten me, you miserable little lump of chatteringchickweed?" cried Bigwig. "I've a good mind--""Wait, Bigwig," said Hazel. "Don't speak roughly to him.""Why, you said yourself--" began Bigwig.
"I know. But I feel differently now. I'm sorry, Bigwig. I was going to ask you tohelp me to make him come back to the warren. But now -- well, I've always foundthat there was something in what Fiver had to say. For the last two days I'verefused to listen to him and I still think he's out of his senses. But I haven't theheart to drive him back to the warren. I really believe that for some reason orother the place is frightening him out of his wits. I'll go with him a little way andperhaps we can talk. I can't ask you to risk it, too. Anyway, the others ought toknow what we're doing and they won't unless you go and tell them. I'll be backbefore ni-Frith. I hope we both shall."Bigwig stared. Then he turned furiously on Fiver. "You wretched little blackbeetle," he said. "You've never learned to obey orders, have you? It's me, me, meall the time. 'Oh, I've got a funny feeling in my toe, so we must all go and stand onour heads!' And now we've found a fine warren and got into it without evenhaving to fight, you've got to do your best to upset everyone! And then you riskthe life of one of the best rabbits we've got, just to play nursey while you gowandering about like a moonstruck field mouse. Well, I'm finished with you, I'lltell you plain. And now I'm going back to the warren to make sure everyone elseis finished with you as well. And they will be -- don't make any mistake aboutthat."He turned and dashed back through the nearest gap in the hedge. On theinstant, a fearful commotion began on the farther side. There were sounds ofkicking and plunging. A stick flew into the air. Then a flat, wet clod of dead leavesshot clean through the gap and landed clear of the hedge, close to Hazel. Thebrambles thrashed up and down. Hazel and Fiver stared at each other, bothfighting against the impulse to run. What enemy was at work on the other side ofthe hedge? There were no cries -- no spitting of a cat, no squealing of a rabbit --only the crackling of twigs and the tearing of the grass in violence.
By an effort of courage against all instinct, Hazel forced himself forward intothe gap, with Fiver following. A terrible sight lay before them. The rotten leaveshad been thrown up in showers. The earth had been laid bare and was scoredwith long scratches and furrows. Bigwig was lying on his side, his back legskicking and struggling. A length of twisted copper wire, gleaming dully in the firstsunlight, was looped round his neck and ran taut across one forepaw to the headof a stout peg driven into the ground. The running knot had pulled tight and wasburied in the fur behind his ear. The projecting point of one strand had laceratedhis neck and drops of blood, dark and red as yew berries, welled one by one downhis shoulder. For a few moments he lay panting, his side heaving in exhaustion.
Then again began the struggling and fighting, backward and forward, jerking andfalling, until he choked and lay quiet.
Frenzied with distress, Hazel leaped out of the gap and squatted beside him.
Bigwig's eyes were closed and his lips pulled back from the long front teeth in afixed snarl. He had bitten his lower lip and from this, too, the blood was running.
Froth covered his jaws and chest"Thlayli!" said Hazel, stamping. "Thlayli! Listen! You're in a snare -- a snare!
What did they say in the Owsla? Come on -- think. How can we help you?"There was a pause. Then Bigwig's back legs began to kick once more, butfeebly. His ears drooped. His eyes opened unseeing and the whites showedbloodshot as the brown irises rolled one way and the other. After a moment hisvoice came thick and low, bubbling out of the bloody spume in his mouth.
"Owsla -- no good -- biting wire. Peg -- got to -- dig out."A convulsion shook him and he scrabbled at the ground, covering himself in amask of wet earth and blood. Then he was still again.
"Run, Fiver, run to the warren," cried Hazel. "Get the others -- Blackberry,Silver. Be quick! He'll die."Fiver was off up the field like a hare. Hazel, left alone, tried to understand whatwas needed. What was the peg? How was he to dig it out? He looked down at thefoul mess before him. Bigwig was lying across the wire, which came out under hisbelly and seemed to disappear into the ground. Hazel struggled with his ownincomprehension. Bigwig had said, "Dig." That at least he understood. He beganto scratch into the soft earth beside the body, until after a time his claws scrapedagainst something smooth and firm. As he paused, perplexed, he foundBlackberry at his shoulder.
"Bigwig just spoke," he said to him, "but I don't think he can now. He said, 'Digout the peg.' What does that mean? What have we got to do?""Wait a moment," said Blackberry. "Let me think, and try not to be impatient."Hazel turned his head and looked down the course of the brook. Far away,between the two copses, he could see the cherry tree where two days before hehad sat with Blackberry and Fiver in the sunrise. He remembered how Bigwig hadchased Hawkbit through the long grass, forgetting the quarrel of the previousnight in the joy of their arrival. He could see Hawkbit running toward him nowand two or three of the others -- Silver, Dandelion and Pipkin. Dandelion, well infront, dashed up to the gap and checked, twitching and staring.
"What is it, Hazel? What's happened? Fiver said--""Bigwig's in a wire. Let him alone till Blackberry tells us. Stop the otherscrowding round."Dandelion turned and raced back as Pipkin came up.
"Is Cowslip coming?" said Hazel. "Perhaps he knows--""He wouldn't come," replied Pipkin. "He told Fiver to stop talking about it.""Told him what?" asked Hazel incredulously. But at that moment Blackberryspoke and Hazel was beside him in a flash.
"This is it," said Blackberry. "The wire's on a peg and the peg's in the ground --there, look. We've got to dig it out. Come on -- dig beside it."Hazel dug once more, his forepaws throwing up the soft, wet soil and slippingagainst the hard sides of the peg. Dimly, he was aware of the others waitingnearby. After a time he was forced to stop, panting. Silver took his place, and wasfollowed by Buckthorn. The nasty, smooth, clean, man-smelling peg was laid bareto the length of a rabbit's ear, but still it did not come loose. Bigwig had notmoved. He lay across the wire, torn and bloody, with closed eyes. Buckthorn drewhis head and paws out of the hole and rubbed the mud off his face.
"The peg's narrower down there," he said. "It tapers. I think it could be bittenthrough, but I can't get my teeth to it.""Send Pipkin in," said Blackberry. "He's smaller."Pipkin plunged into the hole. They could hear the wood splintering under histeeth -- a sound like a mouse in a shed wainscot at midnight. He came out withhis nose bleeding.
"The splinters prick you and it's hard to breathe, but the peg's nearly through.""Fiver, go in," said Hazel.
Fiver was not long in the hole. He, too, came out bleeding.
"It's broken in two. It's free."Blackberry pressed his nose against Bigwig's head. As he nuzzled him gentlythe head rolled sideways and back again.
"Bigwig," said Blackberry in his ear, "the peg's out."There was no response. Bigwig lay still as before. A great fly settled on one ofhis ears. Blackberry thrust at it angrily and it flew up, buzzing, into the sunshine.
"I think he's gone," said Blackberry. "I can't feel his breathing."Hazel crouched down by Blackberry and laid his nostrils close to Bigwig's, buta light breeze was blowing and he could not tell whether there was breath or not.
The legs were loose, the belly flaccid and limp. He tried to think of what little hehad heard of snares. A strong rabbit could break his neck in a snare. Or had thepoint of the sharp wire pierced the windpipe?
"Bigwig," he whispered, "we've got you out. You're free."Bigwig did not stir. Suddenly it came to Hazel that if Bigwig was dead -- andwhat else could hold him silent in the mud? -- then he himself must get the othersaway before the dreadful loss could drain their courage and break their spirit -- asit would if they stayed by the body. Besides, the man would come soon. Perhapshe was already coming, with his gun, to take poor Bigwig away. They must go;and he must do his best to see that all of them -- even he himself -- put what hadhappened out of mind, forever.
"My heart has joined the Thousand, for my friend stopped running today," hesaid to Blackberry, quoting a rabbit proverb.
"If only it were not Bigwig," said Blackberry. "What shall we do without him?""The others are waiting," said Hazel. "We have to stay alive. There has to besomething for them to think about. Help me, or it will be more than I can do."He turned away from the body and looked for Fiver among the rabbits behindhim. But Fiver was nowhere to be seen and Hazel was afraid to ask for him, incase to do so should seem like weakness and a need for comfort.
"Pipkin," he snapped, "why don't you clean up your face and stop the bleeding?
The smell of blood attracts elil. You know that, don't you?""Yes, Hazel. I'm sorry. Will Bigwig--""And another thing," said Hazel desperately. "What was it you were telling meabout Cowslip? Did you say he told Fiver to be quiet?""Yes, Hazel. Fiver came into the warren and told us about the snare, and thatpoor Bigwig--""Yes, all right. And then Cowslip--?""Cowslip and Strawberry and the others pretended not to hear. It wasridiculous, because Fiver was calling out to everybody. And then as we wererunning out Silver said to Cowslip, 'Surely you're coming?' And Cowslip simplyturned his back. So then Fiver went up and spoke to him very quietly, but I heardwhat Cowslip answered. He said, 'Hills or Inlé, it's all one to me where you go.
You hold your tongue.' And then he struck at Fiver and scratched his ear.""I'll kill him," gasped a low, choking voice behind them. They all leaped round.
Bigwig had raised his head and was supporting himself on his forepaws alone. Hisbody was twisted and his hind parts and back legs still lay along the ground. Hiseyes were open, but his face was such a fearful mask of blood, foam, vomit andearth that he looked more like some demon creature than a rabbit, Theimmediate sight of him, which should have filled them with relief and joy,brought only terror. They cringed away and none said a word.
"I'll kill him," repeated Bigwig, spluttering through his fouled whiskers andclotted fur. "Help me, rot you! Can't anyone get this stinking wire off me?" Hestruggled, dragging his hind legs. Then he fell again and crawled forward, trailingthe wire through the grass with the broken peg snickering behind it.
"Let him alone!" cried Hazel, for now they were all pressing forward to helphim. "Do you want to kill him? Let him rest! Let him breathe!""No, not rest," panted Bigwig. "I'm all right." As he spoke he fell again andimmediately struggled up on his forepaws as before. "It's my back legs. Won'tmove. That Cowslip! I'll kill him!""Why do we let them stay in that warren?" cried Silver. "What sort of rabbitsare they? They left Bigwig to die. You all heard Cowslip in the burrow. They'recowards. Let's drive them out -- kill them! Take the warren and live thereourselves!""Yes! Yes!" they all answered. "Come on! Back to the warren! Down withCowslip! Down with Silverweed! Kill them!""O embleer Frith!" cried a squealing voice in the long grass.
At this shocking impiety, the tumult died away. They looked about them,wondering who could have spoken. There was silence. Then, from between twogreat tussocks of hair grass came Fiver, his eyes blazing with a frantic urgency. Hegrowled and gibbered at them like a witch hare and those nearest to him fell backin fear. Even Hazel could not have said a word for his life. They realized that hewas speaking.
"The warren? You're going to the warren? You fools! That warren's nothing buta death hole! The whole place is one foul elil's larder! It's snared -- everywhere,every day! That explains everything: everything that's happened since we camehere."He sat still and his words seemed to come crawling up the sunlight, over thegrass.
"Listen, Dandelion. You're fond of stories, aren't you? I'll tell you one -- yes,one for El-ahrairah to cry at. Once there was a fine warren on the edge of a wood,overlooking the meadows of a farm. It was big, full of rabbits. Then one day thewhite blindness came and the rabbits fell sick and died. But a few survived, asthey always do. The warren became almost empty. One day the farmer thought, 'Icould increase those rabbits: make them part of my farm -- their meat, theirskins. Why should I bother to keep rabbits in hutches? They'll do very well wherethey are.' He began to shoot all elil -- lendri, homba, stoat, owl. He put out foodfor the rabbits, but not too near the warren. For his purpose they had to becomeaccustomed to going about in the fields and the wood. And then he snared them --not too many: as many as he wanted and not as many as would frighten them allaway or destroy the warren. They grew big and strong and healthy, for he saw to itthat they had all of the best, particularly in winter, and nothing to fear -- exceptthe running knot in the hedge gap and the wood path. So they lived as he wantedthem to live and all the time there were a few who disappeared. The rabbitsbecame strange in many ways, different from other rabbits. They knew wellenough what was happening. But even to themselves they pretended that all waswell, for the food was good, they were protected, they had nothing to fear but theone fear; and that struck here and there, never enough at a time to drive themaway. They forgot the ways of wild rabbits. They forgot El-ahrairah, for what usehad they for tricks and cunning, living in the enemy's warren and paying hisprice? They found out other marvelous arts to take the place of tricks and oldstories. They danced in ceremonious greeting. They sang songs like the birds andmade Shapes on the walls; and though these could help them not at all, yet theypassed the time and enabled them to tell themselves that they were splendidfellows, the very flower of Rabbitry, cleverer than magpies. They had no ChiefRabbit -- no, how could they? -- for a Chief Rabbit must be El-ahrairah to hiswarren and keep them from death: and here there was no death but one, andwhat Chief Rabbit could have an answer to that? Instead, Frith sent them strangesingers, beautiful and sick like oak apples, like robins' pincushions on the wildrose. And since they could not bear the truth, these singers, who might in someother place have been wise, were squeezed under the terrible weight of thewarren's secret until they gulped out fine folly -- about dignity and acquiescence,and anything else that could make believe that the rabbit loved the shining wire.
But one strict rule they had; oh yes, the strictest. No one must ever ask whereanother rabbit was and anyone who asked 'Where?' -- except in a song or a poem-- must be silenced. To say 'Where?' was bad enough, but to speak openly of thewires -- that was intolerable. For that they would scratch and kill."He stopped. No one moved. Then, in the silence, Bigwig lurched to his feet,swayed a moment, tottered a few steps toward Fiver and fell again. Fiver paid himno heed, but looked from one to another among the rabbits. Then he beganspeaking again.
"And then we came, over the heather in the night. Wild rabbits, makingscrapes across the valley. The warren rabbits didn't show themselves at once.
They needed to think what was best to be done. But they hit on it quite soon. Tobring us into the warren and tell us nothing. Don't you see? The farmer only setsso many snares at a time, and if one rabbit dies, the others will live that muchlonger. You suggested that Hazel should tell them our adventures, Blackberry,but it didn't go down well, did it? Who wants to hear about brave deeds when he'sashamed of his own, and who likes an open, honest tale from someone he'sdeceiving? Do you want me to go on? I tell you, every single thing that's happenedfits like a bee in a foxglove. And kill them, you say, and help ourselves to the greatburrow? We shall help ourselves to a roof of bones, hung with shining wires! Helpourselves to misery and death!"Fiver sank down into the grass. Bigwig, still trailing his horrible, smooth peg,staggered up to him and touched his nose with his own.
"I'm still alive, Fiver," he said. "So are all of us. You've bitten through a biggerpeg than this one I'm dragging. Tell us what to do.""Do?" replied Fiver. "Why, go -- now. I told Cowslip we were going before I leftthe burrow.""Where?" said Bigwig. But it was Hazel who answered.
"To the hills," he said.
South of them, the ground rose gently away from the brook. Along the crestwas the line of a cart track and beyond, a copse. Hazel turned toward it and therest began to follow him up the slope in ones and twos.
"What about the wire, Bigwig?" said Silver. "The peg will catch and tighten itagain.""No, it's loose now," said Bigwig "I could shake it off if I hadn't hurt my neck.""Try," said Silver. "You won't get far otherwise.""Hazel," said Speedwell suddenly, "there's a rabbit coming down from thewarren. Look!""Only one?" said Bigwig. "What a pity! You take him, Silver. I won't depriveyou. Make a good job of it while you're at it."They stopped and waited, dotted here and there about the slope. The rabbitwho was coming was running in a curious, headlong manner. Once he ranstraight into a thick-stemmed thistle, knocking himself sideways and rolling overand over. But he got up and came blundering on toward them.
"Is it the white blindness?" said Buckthorn. "He's not looking where he'sgoing.""Frith forbid!" said Blackberry. "Shall we run away?""No, he couldn't run like that with the white blindness," said Hazel. "Whateverails him, it isn't that.""It's Strawberry!" cried Dandelion.
Strawberry came through the hedge by the crab-apple tree, looked about himand made his way to Hazel. All his urbane self-possession had vanished. He wasstaring and trembling and his great size seemed only to add to his air of strickenmisery. He cringed before them in the grass as Hazel waited, stern andmotionless, with Silver at his side.
"Hazel," said Strawberry, "are you going away?"Hazel made no answer, but Silver said sharply, "What's that to you?""Take me with you." There was no reply and he repeated, "Take me with you.""We don't care for creatures who deceive us," said Silver. "Better go back toNildro-hain. No doubt she's less particular."Strawberry gave a kind of choking squeal, as though he had been wounded. Helooked from Silver to Hazel and then to Fiver. At last, in a pitiful whisper, he said,"The wires."Silver was about to answer, but Hazel spoke first.
"You can come with us," he said. "Don't say any more. Poor fellow."A few minutes later the rabbits had crossed the cart track and vanished intothe copse beyond. A magpie, seeing some light-colored object conspicuous on theempty slope, flew closer to look. But all that lay there was a splintered peg and atwisted length of wire.
PART II On Watership Down 18. Watership Down
What is now proved was once only imagin'd.
William Blake, The Marriage of Heaven and HellIt was evening of the following day. The north-facing escarpment of WatershipDown, in shadow since early morning, now caught the western sun for an hourbefore twilight. Three hundred feet the down rose vertically in a stretch of nomore than six hundred -- a precipitous wall, from the thin belt of trees at the footto the ridge where the steep flattened out. The light, full and smooth, lay like agold rind over the turf, the furze and yew bushes, the few wind-stunted thorntrees. From the ridge, the light seemed to cover all the slope below, drowsy andstill. But down in the grass itself, between the bushes, in that thick forest troddenby the beetle, the spider and the hunting shrew, the moving light was like a windthat danced among them to set them scurrying and weaving. The red raysflickered in and out of the grass stems, flashing minutely on membranous wings,casting long shadows behind the thinnest of filamentary legs, breaking each patchof bare soil into a myriad individual grains. The insects buzzed, whined, hummed,stridulated and droned as the air grew warmer in the sunset. Louder yet calmerthan they, among the trees, sounded the yellowhammer, the linnet andgreenfinch. The larks went up, twittering in the scented air above the down. Fromthe summit, the apparent immobility of the vast blue distance was broken, hereand there, by wisps of smoke and tiny, momentary flashes of glass. Far below laythe fields green with wheat, the flat pastures grazed by horses, the darker greensof the woods. They, too, like the hillside jungle, were tumultuous with evening,but from the remote height turned to stillness, their fierceness tempered by theair that lay between.
At the foot of the turf cliff, Hazel and his companions were crouching underthe low branches of two or three spindle trees. Since the previous morning theyhad journeyed nearly three miles. Their luck had been good, for everyone whohad left the warren was still alive. They had splashed through two brooks andwandered fearfully in the deep woodlands west of Ecchinswell. They had rested inthe straw of a starveall, or lonely barn, and woken to find themselves attacked byrats. Silver and Buckthorn, with Bigwig helping them, had covered the retreatuntil, once all were together outside, they had taken to flight. Buckthorn had beenbitten in the foreleg, and the wound, in the manner of a rat bite, was irritant andpainful. Skirting a small lake, they had stared to see a great gray fisher bird thatstabbed and paddled in the sedge, until a flight of wild duck had frightened themaway with their clamor. They had crossed more than half a mile of open pasturewithout a trace of cover, expecting every moment some attack that did not come.
They had heard the unnatural humming of a pylon in the summer air; and hadactually gone beneath it, on Fiver's assurance that it could do them no harm. Nowthey lay under the spindle trees and sniffed in weariness and doubt at the strange,bare country round them.
Since leaving the warren of the snares they had become warier, shrewder, atenacious band who understood each other and worked together. There was nomore quarreling. The truth about the warren had been a grim shock. They hadcome closer together, relying on and valuing each other's capacities. They knewnow that it was on these and on nothing else that their lives depended, and theywere not going to waste anything they possessed between them. In spite ofHazel's efforts beside the snare, there was not one of them who had not turnedsick at heart to think that Bigwig was dead and wondered, like Blackberry, whatwould become of them now. Without Hazel, without Blackberry, Buckthorn andPipkin -- Bigwig would have died. Without himself he would have died, for whichelse, of them all, would not have stopped running after such punishment? Therewas no more questioning of Bigwig's strength, Fiver's insight, Blackberry's wits orHazel's authority. When the rats came, Buckthorn and Silver had obeyed Bigwigand stood their ground. The rest had followed Hazel when he roused them and,without explanation, told them to go quickly outside the barn. Later, Hazel hadsaid that there was nothing for it but to cross the open pasture and under Silver'sdirection they had crossed it, with Dandelion running ahead to reconnoiter.
When Fiver said the iron tree was harmless they believed him.
Strawberry had had a bad time. His misery made him slow-witted and carelessand he was ashamed of the part he had played at the warren. He was soft andmore used than he dared admit to indolence and good food. But he made nocomplaint and it was plain that he was determined to show what he could do andnot to be left behind. He had proved useful in the woodland, being betteraccustomed to thick woods than any of the others. "He'll be all right, you know, ifwe give him a chance," said Hazel to Bigwig by the lake. "So he darned well oughtto be," replied Bigwig, "the great dandy" -- for by their standards Strawberry wasscrupulously clean and fastidious. "Well, I won't have him brow-beaten, Bigwig,mind. That won't help him." This Bigwig had accepted, though rather sulkily. Yethe himself had become less overbearing. The snare had left him weak andoverwrought. It was he who had given the alarm in the barn, for he could notsleep and at the sound of scratching had started up at once. He would not letSilver and Buckthorn fight alone, but he had felt obliged to leave the worst of it tothem. For the first time in his life, Bigwig had found himself driven to moderationand prudence.
As the sun sank lower and touched the edge of the cloud belt on the horizon,Hazel came out from under the branches and looked carefully round the lowerslope. Then he stared upward over the anthills, to the open down rising above.
Fiver and Acorn followed him out and fell to nibbling at a patch of sainfoin. It wasnew to them, but they did not need to be told that it was good and it raised theirspirits. Hazel turned back and joined them among the big, rosy-veined, magentaflower spikes.
"Fiver," he said, "let me get this right. You want us to climb up this place,however far it is, and find shelter on the top. Is that it?""Yes, Hazel.""But the top must be very high. I can't even see it from here. It'll be open andcold.""Not in the ground: and the soil's so light that we shall be able to scratch someshelter easily when we find the right place."Hazel considered again. "It's getting started that bothers me. Here we are, alltired out. I'm sure it's dangerous to stay here. We've nowhere to run to. We don'tknow the country and we can't get underground. But it seems out of the questionfor everybody to climb up there tonight. We should be even less safe.""We shall be forced to dig, shan't we?" said Acorn. "This place is almost asopen as that heather we crossed, and the trees won't hide us from anythinghunting on four feet.""It would have been the same any time we came," said Fiver.
"I'm not saying anything against it, Fiver," replied Acorn, "but we need holes.
It's a bad place not to be able to get underground.""Before everyone goes up to the top," said Hazel, "we ought to find out what it'slike. I'm going up myself to have a look round. I'll be as quick as I can and you'llhave to hope for the best until I get back. You can rest and feed, anyway.""You're not going alone," said Fiver firmly.
Since each one of them was ready to go with him in spite of their fatigue, Hazelgave in and chose Dandelion and Hawkbit, who seemed less weary than theothers. They set out up the hillside, going slowly, picking their way from one bushand tussock to another and pausing continually to sniff and stare along the greatexpanse of grass, which stretched on either side as far as they could see.
A man walks upright. For him it is strenuous to climb a steep hill, because hehas to keep pushing his own vertical mass upward and cannot gain anymomentum. The rabbit is better off. His forelegs support his horizontal body andthe great back legs do the work. They are more than equal to thrusting uphill thelight mass in front of them. Rabbits can go fast uphill. In fact, they have so muchpower behind that they find going downhill awkward, and sometimes, in flightdown a steep place, they may actually go head over heels. On the other hand, theman is five or six feet above the hillside and can see all round. To him the groundmay be steep and rough but on the whole it is even, and he can pick his directioneasily from the top of his moving, six-foot tower. The rabbits' anxieties and strainin climbing the down were different, therefore, from those which you, reader, willexperience if you go there. Their main trouble was not bodily fatigue. When Hazelhad said that they were all tired out, he had meant that they were feeling thestrain of prolonged insecurity and fear.
Rabbits above ground, unless they are in proved, familiar surroundings closeto their holes, live in continual fear. If it grows intense enough they can becomeglazed and paralyzed by it -- "tharn," to use their own word. Hazel and hiscompanions had been on the jump for nearly two days. Indeed, ever since theyhad left their home warren, five days before, they had faced one danger afteranother. They were all on edge, sometimes starting at nothing and, again, lyingdown in any patch of long grass that offered. Bigwig and Buckthorn smelled ofblood and everyone else knew they did. What bothered Hazel, Dandelion andHawkbit was the openness and strangeness of the down and their inability to seevery far ahead. They climbed not over but through the sun-red grass, among theawakened insect movement and the light ablaze. The grass undulated aboutthem. They peered over anthills and looked cautiously round clumps of teazle.
They could not tell how far away the ridge might be. They topped each short slopeonly to find another above it. To Hazel, it seemed a likely place for a weasel: orthe white owl, perhaps, might fly along the escarpment at twilight, looking inwardwith its stony eyes, ready to turn a few feet sideways and pick off the shelfanything that moved. Some elil wait for their prey, but the white owl is a seekerand he comes in silence.
As Hazel still went up, the south wind began to blow and the June sunsetreddened the sky to the zenith. Hazel, like nearly all wild animals, wasunaccustomed to look up at the sky. What he thought of as the sky was thehorizon, usually broken by trees and hedges. Now, with his head pointingupward, he found himself gazing at the ridge, as over the skyline came the silent,moving, red-tinged cumuli. Their movement was disturbing, unlike that of treesor grass or rabbits. These great masses moved steadily, noiselessly and always inthe same direction. They were not of his world.
"O Frith," thought Hazel, turning his head for a moment to the bright glow inthe west, "are you sending us to live among the clouds? If you spoke truly toFiver, help me to trust him." At this moment he saw Dandelion, who had run wellahead, squatting on an anthill clear against the sky. Alarmed, he dashed forward.
"Dandelion, get down!" he said. "Why are you sitting up there?""Because I can see," replied Dandelion, with a kind of excited joy. "Come andlook! You can see the whole world."Hazel came up to him. There was another anthill nearby and he copiedDandelion, sitting upright on his hind legs and looking about him. He realizednow that they were almost on level ground. Indeed, the slope was no more thangentle for some way back along the line by which they had come; but he had beenpreoccupied with the idea of danger in the open and had not noticed the change.
They were on top of the down. Perched above the grass, they could see far inevery direction. Their surroundings were empty. If anything had been movingthey would have seen it immediately: and where the turf ended, the sky began. Aman, a fox -- even a rabbit -- coming over the down would be conspicuous. Fiverhad been right. Up here, they would have clear warning of any approach.
The wind ruffled their fur and tugged at the grass, which smelled of thyme andself-heal. The solitude seemed like a release and a blessing. The height, the skyand the distance went to their heads and they skipped in the sunset. "O Frith onthe hills!" cried Dandelion. "He must have made it for us!""He may have made it, but Fiver thought of it for us," answered Hazel. "Waittill we get him up here! Fiver-rah!""Where's Hawkbit?" said Dandelion suddenly.
Although the light was still clear, Hawkbit was not to be seen anywhere on theupland. After staring about for some time, they ran across to a little mound someway away and looked again. But they saw nothing except a field mouse, whichcame out of its hole and began furricking in a path of seeded grasses.
"He must have gone down," said Dandelion.
"Well, whether he has or not," said Hazel, "we can't go on looking for him. Theothers are waiting and they may be in danger. We must go down ourselves.""What a shame to lose him, though," said Dandelion, "just when we'd reachedFiver's hills without losing anyone. He's such a duffer; we shouldn't have broughthim up. But how could anything have got hold of him here, without our seeing?""No, he's gone back, for sure," said Hazel. "I wonder what Bigwig will say tohim? I hope he won't bite him again. We'd better get on.""Are you going to bring them up tonight?" asked Dandelion.
"I don't know," said Hazel. "It's a problem. Where's the shelter to be found?"They made for the steep edge. The light was beginning to fail. They picked theirdirection by a clump of stunted trees which they had passed on their way up.
These formed a kind of dry oasis -- a little feature common on the downs. Half adozen thorns and two or three elders grew together above and below a bank.
Between them the ground was bare and the naked chalk showed a pallid, dirtywhite under the cream-colored elder bloom. As they approached, they suddenlysaw Hawkbit sitting among the thorn trunks, cleaning his face with his paws.
"We've been looking for you," said Hazel. "Where in the world have you been?""I'm sorry, Hazel," replied Hawkbit meekly. "I've been looking at these holes. Ithought they might be some good to us."In the low bank behind him were three rabbit holes. There were two more flaton the ground, between the thick, gnarled roots. They could see no footmarks andno droppings. The holes were clearly deserted.
"Have you been down?" asked Hazel, sniffing round.
"Yes, I have," said Hawkbit. "Three of them, anyway. They're shallow andrather rough, but there's no smell of death or disease and they're perfectly sound.
I thought they might do for us -- just for the moment, anyway."In the twilight a swift flew screaming overhead and Hazel turned to Dandelion.
"News! News!" he said. "Go and get them up here."Thus it fell to one of the rank and file to make a lucky find that brought them atlast to the downs: and probably saved a life or two, for they could hardly havespent the night in the open, either on or under the hill, without being attacked bysome enemy or other.
19. Fear in the Dark
"Who's in the next room? -- who?
A figure wanWith a message to one in there of something due?
Shall I know him anon?""Yea, he; and he brought such; and you'll know him anon."Thomas Hardy, Who's in the Next Room?
The holes certainly were rough -- "Just right for a lot of vagabonds* like us,"said Bigwig -- but the exhausted and those who wander in strange country are notparticular about therr quarters. At least there was room for twelve rabbits and theburrows were dry. Two of the runs -- the ones among the thorn trees -- ledstraight down to burrows scooped out of the top of the chalk subsoil. Rabbits donot line their sleeping places and a hard, almost rocky floor is uncomfortable forthose not accustomed to it. The holes in the bank, however, had runs of the usualbow shape, leading down to the chalk and then curving up again to burrows withfloors of trampled earth. There were no connecting passages, but the rabbits weretoo weary to care. They slept four to a burrow, snug and secure. Hazel remainedawake for some time, licking Buckthorn's leg, which was stiff and tender. He wasreassured to find no smell of infection, but all that he had ever heard about ratsdecided him to see that Buckthorn got a good deal of rest and was kept out of thedirt until the wound was better. "That's the third one of us to get hurt: still, all inall, things could have been far worse," he thought, as he fell asleep.
The short June darkness slipped by in a few hours. The light returned early tothe high down, but the rabbits did not stir. Well after dawn they were stillsleeping, undisturbed in a silence deeper than they had ever known. Nowadays,among fields and woods, the noise level by day is high -- too high for some kindsof animal to tolerate. Few places are far from human noise -- cars, buses,motorcycles, tractors, lorries. The sound of a housing estate in the morning isaudible a long way off. People who record birdsong generally do it very early --before six o'clock -- if they can. Soon after that, the invasion of distant noise inmost woodland becomes too constant and too loud. During the last fifty years thesilence of much of the country has been destroyed. But here, on Watership Down,there floated up only faint traces of the daylight noise below.
The sun was well up, though not yet as high as the down, when Hazel woke.
With him in the burrow were Buckthorn, Fiver and Pipkin. He was nearest to themouth of the hole and did not wake them as he slipped up the run. Outside, hestopped to pass hraka and then hopped through the thorn patch to the opengrass. Below, the country was covered with early-morning mist which wasbeginning to clear. Here and there, far off, were the shapes of trees and roofs,from which streamers of mist trailed down like broken waves pouring from rocks.
The sky was cloudless and deep blue, darkening to mauve along the whole rim ofthe horizon. The wind had dropped and the spiders had already gone well downinto the grass. It was going to be a hot day.
Hazel rambled about in the usual way of a rabbit feeding -- five or six slow,rocking hops through the grass; a pause to look round, sitting up with ears erect;then busy nibbling for a short time, followed by another move of a few yards. Forthe first time for many days he felt relaxed and safe. He began to wonder whetherthey had much to learn about their new home.
"Fiver was right," he thought. "This is the place for us. But we shall need to getused to it and the fewer mistakes we make the better. I wonder what became ofthe rabbits who made these holes? Did they stop running or did they just moveaway? If we could only find them they could tell us a lot."At this moment he saw a rabbit come rather hesitantly out of the hole furthestfrom himself. It was Blackberry. He, too, passed hraka, scratched himself andthen hopped into the full sunlight and combed his ears. As he began to feed,Hazel came up and fell in with him, nibbling among the grass tussocks andwandering on wherever his friend pleased. They came to a patch of milkwort -- ablue as deep as that of the sky -- with long stems creeping through the grass andeach minute flower spreading its two upper petals like wings. Blackberry sniffedat it, but the leaves were tough and unappetizing.
"What is this stuff, do you know?" he asked.
"No, I don't," said Hazel. "I've never seen it before.""There's a lot we don't know," said Blackberry. "About this place, I mean. Theplants are new, the smells are new. We're going to need some new ideasourselves.""Well, you're the fellow for ideas," said Hazel. "I never know anything until youtell me.""But you go in front and take the risks first," answered Blackberry. "We've allseen that. And now our journey's over, isn't it? This place is as safe as Fiver said itwould be. Nothing can get near us without our knowing: that is, as long as we cansmell and see and hear.""We can all do that.""Not when we're asleep: and we can't see in the dark.""It's bound to be dark at night," said Hazel, "and rabbits have got to sleep.""In the open?""Well, we can go on using these holes if we want to, but I expect a good manywill lie out. After all, you can't expect a bunch of bucks to dig. They might make ascrape or two -- like that day after we came over the heather -- but they won't domore than that.""That's what I've been thinking about," said Blackberry. "Those rabbits we left-- Cowslip and the rest -- a lot of the things they did weren't natural to rabbits --pushing stones into the earth and carrying food underground and Frith knowswhat.""The Threarah's lettuce was carried underground, if it comes to that.""Exactly. Don't you see, they'd altered what rabbits do naturally because theythought they could do better? And if they altered their ways, so can we if we like.
You say buck rabbits don't dig. Nor they do. But they could, if they wanted to.
Suppose we had deep, comfortable burrows to sleep in? To be out of bad weatherand underground at night? Then we would be safe. And there's nothing to stop ushaving them, except that buck rabbits won't dig. Not can't -- won't.""What's your idea, then?" asked Hazel, half interested and half reluctant. "Doyou want us to try to turn these holes into a regular warren?""No, these holes won't do. It's easy to see why they've been deserted. Only alittle way down and you come to this hard white stuff that no one can dig. Theymust be bitterly cold in winter. But there's a wood just over the top of the hill. Igot a glimpse of it last night when we came. Suppose we go up higher now, justyou and I, and have a look at it?"They ran uphill to the summit. The beech hanger lay some little way off to thesoutheast, on the far side of a grassy track that ran along the ridge.
"There are some big trees there," said Blackberry. "The roots must have brokenup the ground pretty deep. We could dig holes and be as well off as ever we werein the old warren. But if Bigwig and the others won't dig or say they can't -- well,it's bare and bleak here. That's why it's lonely and safe, of course; but when badweather comes we shall be driven off the hills for sure.""It never entered my head to try to make a lot of bucks dig regular holes," saidHazel doubtfully, as they returned down the slope. "Rabbit kittens need holes, ofcourse; but do we?""We were all born in a warren that was dug before our mothers were born,"said Blackberry. "We're used to holes and not one of us has ever helped to digone. And if ever there was a new one, who dug it? A doe. I'm quite sure, myself,that if we don't change our natural ways we shan't be able to stay here very long.
Somewhere else, perhaps; but not here.""It'll mean a lot of work.""Look, there's Bigwig come up now and some of the others with him. Why notput it to them and see what they say?"During silflay, however, Hazel mentioned Blackberry's idea to no one butFiver. Later on, when most of the rabbits had finished feeding and were eitherplaying in the grass or lying in the sunshine, he suggested that they might goacross to the hanger -- "Just to see what sort of a wood it is." Bigwig and Silveragreed at once and in the end no one stayed behind.
It was different from the meadow copses they had left: a narrow belt of trees,four or five hundred yards long but barely fifty wide; a kind of windbreakcommon on the downs. It consisted almost entirely of well-grown beeches. Thegreat, smooth trunks stood motionless in their green shade, the branchesspreading flat, one above another in crisp, light-dappled tiers. Between the treesthe ground was open and offered hardly any cover. The rabbits were perplexed.
They could not make out why the wood was so light and still and why they couldsee so far between the trees. The continuous, gentle rustling of the beech leaveswas unlike the sounds to be heard in a copse of nut bushes, oak and silver birch.
Moving uncertainly in and out along the edge of the hanger, they came to thenortheast corner. Here there was a bank from which they looked out over theempty stretches of grass beyond. Fiver, absurdly small beside the hulking Bigwig,turned to Hazel with an air of happy confidence.
"I'm sure Blackberry's right, Hazel," he said. "We ought to do our best to makesome holes here. I'm ready to try, anyway."The others were taken aback. Pipkin, however, readily joined Hazel at the footof the bank and soon two or three more began scratching at the light soil. Thedigging was easy and although they often broke off to feed or merely to sit in thesun, before midday Hazel was out of sight and tunneling between the tree roots.
The hanger might have little or no undergrowth but at least the branches gavecover from the sky: and kestrels, they soon realized, were common in thissolitude. Although kestrels seldom prey on anything bigger than a rat, they willsometimes attack young rabbits. No doubt this is why most grown rabbits will notremain under a hovering kestrel. Before long, Acorn spotted one as it flew upfrom the south. He stamped and bolted into the trees, followed by the otherrabbits who were in the open. They had not long come out and resumed diggingwhen they saw another -- or perhaps the same one -- hovering some way off, highover the very fields that they had crossed the previous morning. Hazel placedBuckthorn as a sentry while the day's haphazard work went on, and twice moreduring the afternoon the alarm was given. In the early evening they weredisturbed by a horseman cantering along the ridge track that passed the northend of the wood. Otherwise they saw nothing larger than a pigeon all day.
After the horseman had turned south near the summit of Watership anddisappeared in the distance, Hazel returned to the edge of the wood and lookedout northward toward the bright, still fields and the dim pylon line stalking awayinto the distance north of Kingsclere. The air was cooler and the sun wasbeginning once more to reach the north escarpment.
"I think we've done enough," he said, "for today, anyway. I should like to godown to the bottom of the hill and find some really good grass. This stuff's allright in its way but it's rather thin and dry. Does anyone feel like coming withme?"Bigwig, Dandelion and Speedwell were ready, but the others preferred to grazetheir way back to the thorn trees and go underground with the sun. Bigwig andHazel picked the line that offered most cover and, with the others following, setout on the four or five hundred yards to the foot of the hill. They met no troubleand were soon feeding in the grass at the edge of the wheatfield, the very pictureof rabbits in an evening landscape. Hazel, tired though he was, did not forget tolook for somewhere to bolt if there should be an alarm. He was lucky enough tocome upon a short length of old, overgrown ditch, partly fallen in and so heavilyoverhung with cow parsley and nettles that it was almost as sheltered as a tunnel;and all four of them made sure that they could reach it quickly from the open.
"That'll be good enough at a pinch," said Bigwig, munching clover and sniffingat the fallen bloom from a wayfaring tree. "My goodness, we've learned a fewthings since we left the old warren, haven't we? More than we'd have learned in alifetime back there. And digging! It'll be flying next, I suppose. Have you noticedthat this soil's quite different from the soil in the old warren? It smells differentlyand it slides and falls quite differently, too.""That reminds me," said Hazel. "I meant to ask you. There was one thing atthat terrible warren of Cowslip's that I admired very much -- the great burrow. I'dlike to copy it. It's a wonderful idea to have a place underground where everybodycan be together -- talk and tell stories and so on. What do you think? Could it bedone?"Bigwig considered. "I know this," he said. "If you make a burrow too big theroof starts falling in. So if you want a place like that you'll need something to holdthe roof up. What did Cowslip have?""Tree roots.""Well, there are those where we're digging. But are they the right sort?""We'd better get Strawberry to tell us what he knows about the great burrow;but it may not be much, I'm sure he wasn't alive when it was dug.""He may not be dead when it falls in either. That warren's tharn as an owl indaylight. He was wise to leave when he did."Twilight had fallen over the cornfield, for although long red rays still lit theupper down, the sun had set below. The uneven shadow of the hedge had fadedand disappeared. There was a cool smell of moisture and approaching darkness. Acockchafer droned past. The grasshoppers had fallen silent.
"Owls'll be out," said Bigwig. "Let's go up again."At this moment, from out in the darkening field, there came the sound of astamp on the ground. It was followed by another, closer to them, and they caughta glimpse of a white tail. They both immediately ran to the ditch. Now that theyhad to use it in earnest, they found it even narrower than they had thought. Therewas just room to turn round at the far end and as they did so Speedwell andDandelion tumbled in behind them.
"What is it?" asked Hazel. "What did you hear?""There's something coming up the line of the hedge," replied Speedwell. "Ananimal. Making a lot of noise, too.""Did you see it?""No, and I couldn't smell it either. It's downwind. But I heard it plainlyenough.""I heard it, too," said Dandelion. "Something fairly big -- as big as a rabbit,anyway -- moving clumsily but trying to keep concealed, or so it seemed to me.""Homba?""No, that we should have smelled," said Bigwig, "wind or no wind. From whatyou say, it sounds like a cat. I hope it's not a stoat. Hoi, hoi, u embleer hrair!
What a nuisance! We'd better sit tight for a bit. But get ready to bolt if it spotsus."They waited. Soon it grew dark. Only the faintest light came through thetangled summer growth above them. The far end of the ditch was so muchovergrown that they could not see out of it, but the place where they had come inshowed as a patch of sky -- an arc of very dark blue. As the time passed, a starcrept out from among the overhanging grasses. It seemed to pulsate in a rhythmas faint and uneven as that of the wind. At length Hazel turned his eyes awayfrom watching it.
"Well, we can snatch some sleep here," he said. "The night's not cold. Whateverit was you heard, we'd better not risk going out.""Listen," said Dandelion. "What's that?"For a moment Hazel could hear nothing. Then he caught a distant but clearsound -- a kind of wailing or crying, wavering and intermittent. Although it didnot sound like any sort of hunting call, it was so unnatural that it filled him withfear. As he listened, it ceased.
"What in Frith's name makes a noise like that?" said Bigwig, his great fur caphackling between his ears.
"A cat?" said Speedwell, wide-eyed.
"That's no cat!" said Bigwig, his lips drawn back in a stiffened, unnaturalgrimace, "That's no cat! Don't you know what it is? Your mother--" He broke off.
Then he said, very low, "Your mother told you, didn't she?""No!" cried Dandelion. "No! It's some bird -- some rat -- wounded--"Bigwig stood up. His back was arched and his head nodded on his stiffenedneck.
"The Black Rabbit of Inlé," he whispered, "What else -- in a place like this?""Don't talk like that!" said Hazel. He could feel himself trembling, and bracedhis legs against the sides of the narrow cut.
Suddenly the noise sounded again, nearer: and now there could be no mistake.
What they heard was the voice of a rabbit, but changed out of all recognition. Itmight have come from the cold spaces of the dark sky outside, so unearthly anddesolate was the sound. At first there was only a wailing. Then, distinct andbeyond mistaking, they heard -- they all heard -- words.
"Zorn! Zorn!"* cried the dreadful, squealing voice. "All dead! O zorn!"Dandelion whimpered. Bigwig was scuffling into the ground.
"Be quiet!" said Hazel. "And stop kicking that earth over me! I want to listen,"At that moment, quite distinctly, the voice cried, "Thlayli! O Thlayli!"At this, all four rabbits felt the trance of utter panic. They grew rigid. ThenBigwig, his eyes set in a fixed, glazed stare, began to jerk his way up the ditchtoward the opening. "You have to go," he muttered, so thickly that Hazel couldhardly catch the words. "You have to go when he calls you."Hazel felt so much frightened that he could no longer collect his wits. As on theriverbank, his surroundings became unreal and dream-like. Who -- or what -- wascalling Bigwig by name? How could any living creature in this place know hisname? Only one idea remained to him -- Bigwig must be prevented from goingout, for he was helpless. He scrambled past him, pressing him against the side ofthe ditch.
"Stay where you are," he said, panting, "Whatever sort of rabbit it is, I'm goingto see for myself." Then, his legs almost giving way beneath him, he pulledhimself out into the open.
For a few moments he could see little or nothing; but the smells of dew andelder bloom were unchanged and his nose brushed against cool grass blades. Hesat up and looked about him. There was no creature nearby.
"Who's there?" he said.
There was silence, and he was about to speak again when the voice replied,"Zorn! O zorn!"It came from the hedge along the side of the field. Hazel turned toward thesound and in a few moments made out, under a clump of hemlock, the hunchedshape of a rabbit. He approached it and said, "Who are you?" but there was noreply. As he hesitated, he heard a movement behind him.
"I'm here, Hazel," said Dandelion, in a kind of choking gasp.
Together they went closer. The figure did not move as they came up. In thefaint starlight they both saw a rabbit as real as themselves: a rabbit in the laststages of exhaustion, its back legs trailing behind its flattened rump as thoughparalyzed: a rabbit that stared, white-eyed, from one side to the other, seeingnothing, yet finding no respite from its fear, and then fell to licking wretchedly atone ripped and bloody ear that drooped across its face: a rabbit that suddenlycried and wailed as though entreating the Thousand to come from every quarterto rid it of a misery too terrible to be borne.
It was Captain Holly of the Sandleford Owsla.
*Bigwig's word was hlessil, which I have rendered in various places in the storyas wanderers, scratchers, vagabonds. A hlessi is a rabbit living in the open,without a hole. Solitary bucks and unmated rabbits who are wandering do this forquite long periods, especially in summer. Bucks do not usually dig much in anycase, although they will scratch shallow shelters or make use of existing holeswhere these are available. Real digging is done for the most part by doespreparing for litters.
*Zorn means "finished" or "destroyed," in the sense of some terriblecatastrophe.
20. A Honeycomb and a Mouse
His face was that of one who has undergone a long journey.
The Epic of GilgameshIn the Sandleford warren, Holly had been a rabbit of consequence. He wasgreatly relied upon by the Threarah and had more than once carried out difficultorders with a good deal of courage. During the early spring, when a fox hadmoved into a neighboring copse, Holly, with two or three volunteers, had kept itsteadily under observation for several days and reported all its movements, untilone evening it left as suddenly as it had come. Although he had decided on hisown initiative to arrest Bigwig, he had not the reputation of being vindictive. Hewas, rather, a stander of no nonsense who knew when duty was done and did ithimself. Sound, unassuming, conscientious, a bit lacking in the rabbit sense ofmischief, he was something of the born second-in-command. There could havebeen no question of trying to persuade him to leave the warren with Hazel andFiver. To find him under Watership Down at all, therefore, was astonishingenough. But to find him in such a condition was all but incredible.
In the first moments after they had recognized the poor creature under thehemlock, Hazel and Dandelion felt completely stupefied, as though they hadcome upon a squirrel underground or a stream that flowed uphill. They could nottrust their senses. The voice in the dark had proved not to be supernatural, butthe reality was frightening enough. How could Captain Holly be here, at the footof the down? And what could have reduced him -- of all rabbits -- to this state?
Hazel pulled himself together. Whatever the explanation might be, theimmediate need was to take first things first. They were in open country, at night,away from any refuge but an overgrown ditch, with a rabbit who smelled of blood,was crying uncontrollably and looked as though he could not move. There mightvery well be a stoat on his trail at this moment. If they were going to help himthey had better be quick.
"Go and tell Bigwig who it is," he said to Dandelion, "and come back with him.
Send Speedwell up the hill to the others and tell him to make it clear that no oneis to come down. They couldn't help and it would only add to the risk."Dandelion had no sooner gone than Hazel became aware that something elsewas moving in the hedge. But he had no time to wonder what it might be, foralmost immediately another rabbit appeared and limped to where Holly waslying.
"You must help us if you can," he said to Hazel. "We've had a very bad time andmy master's ill. Can we get underground here?"Hazel recognized him as one of the rabbits who had come to arrest Bigwig, buthe did not know his name.
"Why did you stay in the hedge and leave him to crawl about in the open?" heasked.
"I ran away when I heard you coming," replied the other rabbit. "I couldn't getthe captain to move. I thought you were elil and there was no point in staying tobe killed. I don't think I could fight a field mouse.""Do you know me?" said Hazel. But before the other could answer, Dandelionand Bigwig came out of the darkness. Bigwig stared at Holly for a moment andthen crouched before him and touched noses.
"Holly, this is Thlayli," he said. "You were calling me."Holly did not answer, but only stared fixedly back at him. Bigwig looked up.
"Who's that who came with him?" he said. "Oh, it's you, Bluebell. How manymore of you?""No more," said Bluebell. He was about to go on when Holly spoke.
"Thlayli," he said. "So we have found you."He sat up with difficulty and looked around at them.
"You're Hazel, aren't you?" he asked. "And that's -- oh, I should know, but I'min very poor shape, I'm afraid.""It's Dandelion," said Hazel. "Listen -- I can see that you're exhausted, but wecan't stay here. We're in danger. Can you come with us to our holes?""Captain," said Bluebell, "do you know what the first blade of grass said to thesecond blade of grass?"Hazel looked at him sharply, but Holly replied, "Well?""It said, 'Look, there's a rabbit! We're in danger!'""This is no time--" began Hazel.
"Don't silence him," said Holly. "We wouldn't be here at all without his bluetit's chatter. Yes, I can go now. Is it far?""Not too far," said Hazel, thinking it all too likely that Holly would never getthere.
It took a long time to climb the hill. Hazel made them separate, himselfremaining with Holly and Bluebell while Bigwig and Dandelion went out to eitherside. Holly was forced to stop several times and Hazel, full of fear, had hard workto suppress his impatience. Only when the moon began to rise -- the edge of itsgreat disc growing brighter and brighter on the skyline below and behind them --did he at last beg Holly to hurry. As he spoke he saw, in the white light, Pipkincoming down to meet them.
"What are you doing?" he said sternly. "I told Speedwell no one was to comedown.""It isn't Speedwell's fault," said Pipkin. "You stood by me at the river, so Ithought I'd come and look for you, Hazel. Anyway, the holes are just here. Is itreally Captain Holly you've found?"Bigwig and Dandelion approached.
"I'll tell you what," said Bigwig. "These two will need to rest for a good longtime. Suppose Pipkin here and Dandelion take them to an empty burrow and staywith them as long as they want? The rest of us had better keep away until theyfeel better.""Yes, that's best," said Hazel. "I'll go up with you now."They ran the short distance to the thorn trees. All the other rabbits were aboveground, waiting and whispering together.
"Shut up," said Bigwig, before anyone had asked a question. "Yes, it is Holly,and Bluebell is with him -- no one else. They're in a bad way and they're not to betroubled. We'll leave this hole empty for them. Now I'm going undergroundmyself and so will you if you've got any sense."But before he went, Bigwig turned to Hazel and said, "You got yourself out ofthat ditch down there instead of me, didn't you, Hazel? I shan't forget that."Hazel remembered Buckthorn's leg and took him down with him. Speedwelland Silver followed them.
"I say, what's happened, Hazel?" asked Silver. "It must be something very bad.
Holly would never leave the Threarah.""I don't know," replied Hazel, "and neither does anyone else yet. We'll have towait until tomorow. Holly may stop running, but I don't think Bluebell will. Nowlet me alone to do this leg of Buckthorn's."The wound was a great deal better and soon Hazel fell asleep.
The next day was as hot and cloudless as the last. Neither Pipkin norDandelion was at morning silflay; and Hazel relentlessly took the others up to thebeech hanger to go on with the digging. He questioned Strawberry about the greatburrow and learned that its ceiling, as well as being vaulted with a tangle offibers, was strengthened by roots going vertically down into the floor. Heremarked that he had not noticed these.
"There aren't many, but they're important," said Strawberry. "They take a lot ofthe load. If it weren't for those roots the ceiling would fall after heavy rain. Onstormy nights you could sense the extra weight in the earth above, but there wasno danger."Hazel and Bigwig went underground with him. The beginnings of the newwarren had been hollowed out among the roots of one of the beech trees. It wasstill no more than a small, irregular cave with one entrance. They set to work toenlarge it, digging between the roots and tunneling upward to make a second runthat would emerge inside the wood. After a time Strawberry stopped digging andbegan moving about between the roots, sniffing, biting and scuffling in the soilwith his front paws. Hazel supposed that he was tired and pretending to be busywhile he had a rest, but at length he came back to them and said that he had somesuggestions.
"It's this way," he explained. "There isn't a big spread of fine roots above here.
That was a lucky chance in the great burrow and I don't think you can expect tofind it again. But, all the same, we can do pretty well with what we've got.""And what have we got?" asked Blackberry, who had come down the run whilehe was talking.
"Well, we've got several thick roots that go straight down -- more than therewere in the great burrow. The best thing will be to dig round them and leavethem. They shouldn't be gnawed through and taken out. We shall need them ifwe're going to have a hall of any size.""Then our hall will be full of these thick, vertical roots?" asked Hazel. He feltdisappointed.
"Yes, it will," said Strawberry, "but I can't see that it's going to be any the worsefor that. We can go in and out among them and they won't hinder anyone who'stalking or telling a story. They'll make the place warmer and they'll help toconduct sound from above, which might be useful some time or other."The excavation of the hall (which came to be known among them as theHoneycomb) turned out to be something of a triumph for Strawberry. Hazelcontented himself with organizing the diggers and left it to Strawberry to saywhat was actually to be done. The work went on in shifts and the rabbits took it inturns to feed, play and lie in the sun above ground. Throughout the day thesolitude remained unbroken by noise, men, tractors, or even cattle, and theybegan to feel still more deeply what they owed to Fiver's insight. By the lateafternoon the big burrow was beginning to take shape. At the north end, thebeech roots formed a kind of irregular colonnade. This gave way to a more opencentral space: and beyond, where there were no supporting roots, Strawberry leftblocks of the earth untouched, so that the south end consisted of three or fourseparate bays. These narrowed into low-roofed runs that led away into sleepingburrows.
Hazel, much better pleased now that he could see for himself how the businesswas going to turn out, was sitting with Silver in the mouth of the run whensuddenly there was a stamping of "Hawk! Hawk!" and a dash for cover by therabbits outside. Hazel, safe where he was, remained looking out past the shadowof the wood to the open, sunlit grass beyond. The kestrel sailed into view and tookup station, the black-edged flange of its tail bent down and its pointed wingsbeating rapidly as it searched the down below.
"But do you think it would attack us?" asked Hazel, watching it drop lower andrecommence its poised fluttering. "Surely it's too small?""You're probably right," replied Silver. "All the same, would you care to go outthere and start feeding?""I'd like to try standing up to some of these elil," said Bigwig, who had come upthe run behind them. "We're afraid of too many. But a bird from the air would beawkward, especially if it came fast. It might get the better of even a big rabbit if ittook him by surprise.""See the mouse?" said Silver suddenly. "There, look. Poor little beast."They could all see the field mouse, which was exposed in a patch of smoothgrass. It had evidently strayed too far from its hole and now could not tell what todo. The kestrel's shadow had not passed over it, but the rabbits' suddendisappearance had made it uneasy and it was pressed to the ground, lookinguncertainly this way and that. The kestrel had not yet seen it, but could hardly failto do so as soon as it moved.
"Any moment now," said Bigwig callously.
On an impulse, Hazel hopped down the bank and went a little way into theopen grass. Mice do not speak Lapine, but there is a very simple, limited linguafranca of the hedgerow and woodland. Hazel used it now.
"Run," he said. "Here; quick."The mouse looked at him, but did not move. Hazel spoke again and the mousebegan suddenly to run toward him as the kestrel turned and slid sideways anddownward. Hazel hastened back to the hole. Looking out, he saw the mousefollowing him. When it had almost reached the foot of the bank it scuttered over afallen twig with two or three green leaves. The twig turned, one of the leavescaught the sunlight slanting through the trees and Hazel saw it flash for aninstant. Immediately the kestrel came lower in an oblique glide, closed its wingsand dropped.
Before Hazel could spring back from the mouth of the hole, the mouse haddashed between his front paws and was pressed to the ground between his backlegs. At the same moment the kestrel, all beak and talons, hit the loose earthimmediately outside like a missile thrown from the tree above. It scuffledsavagely and for an instant the three rabbits saw its round, dark eyes lookingstraight down the run. Then it was gone. The speed and force of the pounce, not alength away, were terrifying and Hazel leaped backward, knocking Silver off hisbalance. They picked themselves up in silence.
"Like to try standing up to that one?" said Silver, looking round at Bigwig. "Letme know when. I"ll come and watch.""Hazel," said Bigwig, "I know you're not stupid, but what did we get out ofthat? Are you going in for protecting every mole and shrew that can't getunderground?"The mouse had not moved. It was still crouching a little inside the run, on alevel with their heads and outlined against the light. Hazel could see it watchinghim.
"Perhaps hawk not gone," he said. "You stay now. Go later."Bigwig was about to speak again when Dandelion appeared in the mouth of thehole. He looked at the mouse, pushed it gently aside and came down the run.
"Hazel," he said, "I thought I ought to come and tell you about Holly. He'smuch better this evening, but he had a very bad night and so did we. Every timehe seemed to be going to sleep, he kept starting up and crying. I thought he wasgoing out of his mind. Pipkin kept talking to him -- he was first-rate -- and heseems to set a lot of store by Bluebell. Bluebell kept on making jokes. He wasworn out before the morning and so were the lot of us -- we've been sleeping allday. Holly's been more or less himself since he woke up this afternoon, and he'sbeen up to silflay. He asked where you and the others would be tonight and, as Ididn't know, I came to ask.""Is he fit to talk to us, then?" asked Bigwig.
"I think so. It would be the best thing for him, if I'm any judge: and if he waswith all of us together he'd be less likely to have another bad night.""Well, where are we going to sleep?" said Silver.
Hazel considered. The Honeycomb was still rough-dug and half finished, but itwould probably be as comfortable as the holes under the thorn trees. Besides, if itproved otherwise, they would have all the more inducement to improve it. Toknow that they were actually making use of their day's hard work would pleaseeverybody and they were likely to prefer this to a third night in the chalk holes.
"I should think here," he said. "But we'll see how the others feel.""What's this mouse doing in here?" asked Dandelion.
Hazel explained. Dandelion was as puzzled as Bigwig had been.
"Well, I'll admit I hadn't any particular idea when I went out to help it," saidHazel. "I have now, though, and I'll explain later what it is. But, first of all, Bigwigand I ought to go and talk to Holly. And, Dandelion, you go and tell the rest whatyou told me, will you, and see what they want to do tonight?"They found Holly with Bluebell and Pipkin, on the turf by the anthill whereDandelion had first looked over the down. Holly was sniffing at a purple orchis.
The head of mauve blooms rocked gently on its stem as he pushed his noseagainst it.
"Don't frighten it, master," said Bluebell. "It might fly away. After all, it's got alot of spots to choose from. Look at them all over the leaves.""Oh, get along with you, Bluebell," answered Holly, good-humoredly. "Weneed to learn about the ground here. Half the plants are strange to me. This isn'tone to eat, but at least there's plenty of burnet and that's always good." A flysettled on his wounded ear and he winced and shook his head.
Hazel was glad to see that Holly was evidently in better spirits. He began to saythat he hoped he felt well enough to join the others, but Holly soon interruptedhim with questions.
"Are there many of you?" he asked.
"Hrair," said Bigwig.
"All that left the warren with you?""Every one," replied Hazel proudly.
"No one hurt?""Oh, several have been hurt, one way and another.""Never a dull moment, really," said Bigwig.
"Who's this coming? I don't know him."Strawberry came running down from the hanger and as he joined them beganto make the same curious dancing gesture of head and forepaws which they hadfirst seen in the rainy meadow before they entered the great burrow. He checkedhimself in some confusion and, to forestall Bigwig's rebuke, spoke to Hazel atonce.
"Hazel-rah," he said (Holly looked startled, but said nothing), "everyone wantsto stay in the new warren tonight: and they're all hoping that Captain Holly willfeel able to tell them what's happened and how he came here.""Well, naturally, we all want to know," said Hazel to Holly. "This is Strawberry.
He joined us on our journey and we've been glad to have him. But do you thinkyou can manage it?""I can manage it," said Holly. "But I must warn you that it will strike the frostinto the heart of every rabbit that hears it."He himself looked so sad and dark as he spoke that no one made any reply, andafter a few moments all six rabbits made their way up the slope in silence. Whenthey reached the corner of the wood, they found the others feeding or basking inthe evening sun on the north side of the beech trees. After a glance round amongthem Holly went up to Silver, who was feeding with Fiver in a patch of yellowtrefoil.
"I'm glad to see you here, Silver," he said. "I hear you've had a rough time.""It hasn't been easy," answered Silver. "Hazel's done wonders and we owe a lotto Fiver here as well.""I've heard of you," said Holly, turning to Fiver. "You're the rabbit who saw itall coming. You talked to the Threarah, didn't you?""He talked to me," said Fiver.
"If only he'd listened to you! Well, it can't be changed now, till acorns grow onthistles. Silver, there's something I want to say and I can say it more easily to youthan to Hazel or Bigwig. I'm not out to make any trouble here -- trouble for Hazel,I mean. He's your Chief Rabbit now, that's plain. I hardly know him, but he mustbe good or you'd all be dead; and this is no time to be squabbling. If any of theother rabbits are wondering whether I might want to alter things, will you letthem know that I shan't?""Yes, I will," said Silver.
Bigwig came up. "I know it's not owl time yet," he said, "but everyone's soeager to hear you, Holly, that they want to go underground at once. Will that suityou?""Underground?" replied Holly. "But how can you all hear me underground? Iwas expecting to talk here.""Come and see," said Bigwig.
Holly and Bluebell were impressed by the Honeycomb.
"This is something quite new," said Holly. "What keeps the roof up?""It doesn't need to be kept up," said Bluebell. "It's right up the hill already.""An idea we found on the way," said Bigwig.
"Lying in a field," said Bluebell. "It's all right, master, I'll be quiet while you'respeaking.""Yes, you must," said Holly. "Soon no one will want jokes."Almost all the rabbits had followed them down. The Honeycomb, though bigenough for everybody, was not so airy as the great burrow and on this Juneevening it seemed somewhat close.
"We can easily make it cooler, you know," said Strawberry to Hazel. "In thegreat burrow they used to open tunnels for the summer and close them for thewinter. We can dig another run on the evening side tomorrow and pick up thebreeze."Hazel was just going to ask Holly to begin when Speedwell came down theeastern run. "Hazel," he said, "your -- er -- visitor -- your mouse. He wants tospeak to you.""Oh, I'd forgotten him," said Hazel. "Where is he?""Up the run."Hazel went up. The mouse was waiting at the top.
"You go now?" said Hazel. "You think safe?""Go now," said the mouse. "No wait owl. But a what I like a say. You 'elp amouse. One time a mouse 'elp a you. You want 'im 'e come.""Frith in a pond!" muttered Bigwig, further down the run. "And so will all hisbrothers and sisters. I dare say the place'll be crawling. Why don't you ask themto dig us a burrow or two, Hazel?"Hazel watched the mouse make off into the long grass. Then he returned to theHoneycomb and settled down near Holly, who had just begun to speak.
21. "For El-ahrairah to Cry"
Love the animals. God has given them the rudiments of thought and joyuntroubled. Don't trouble it, don't harass them, don't deprive them of theirhappiness, don't work against God's intent.
Dostoevsky, The Brothers KaramazovActs of injustice doneBetween the setting and the rising sunIn history lie like bones, each one.
W.H. Auden, The Ascent of F.6"The night you left the warren, the Owsla were turned out to look for you. Howlong ago it seems now! We followed your scent down to the brook, but when wetold the Threarah that you appeared to have set off downstream, he said therewas no point in risking lives by following you. If you were gone, you were gone.
But anyone who came back was to be arrested. So then I called off the search.
"Nothing unusual happened the next day. There was a certain amount of talkabout Fiver and the rabbits who'd gone with him. Everyone knew that Fiver hadsaid that something bad was going to happen and all sorts of rumors started. A lotof rabbits said there was nothing in it, but some thought that Fiver might haveforeseen men with guns and ferrets. That was the worst thing anyone could thinkof -- that or the white blindness.
"Willow and I talked things over with the Threarah. 'These rabbits,' he said,'who claim to have the second sight -- I've known one or two in my time. But it'snot usually advisable to take much notice of them. For one thing, many are justplain mischievous. A weak rabbit who can't hope to get far by fighting sometimestries to make himself important by other means and prophecy is a favorite. Thecurious thing is that when he turns out to be wrong, his friends seldom seem tonotice, as long as he puts on a good act and keeps talking. But then again, youmay get a rabbit who really has this odd power, for it does exist. He foretells aflood perhaps, or ferrets and guns. All right; so a certain number of rabbits willstop running. What's the alternative? To evacuate a warren is a tremendousbusiness. Some refuse to go. The Chief Rabbit leaves with as many as will come.
His authority is likely to be put to the most severe test and if he loses it he won'tget it back in a hurry. At the best, you've got a big bunch of hlessil trailing roundin the open, probably with does and kittens tacked on. Elil appear in hordes. Theremedy's worse than the disease. Almost always, it's better for the warren as awhole if rabbits sit tight and do their best to dodge their dangers underground.'""Of course, I never sat down and thought," said Fiver. "It would take theThrearah to think all that out. I simply had the screaming horrors. Great goldenFrith, I hope I never have them like that again! I shall never forget it -- that andthe night I spent under the yew tree. There's terrible evil in the world.""It comes from men," said Holly. "All other elil do what they have to do andFrith moves them as he moves us. They live on the earth and they need food. Menwill never rest till they've spoiled the earth and destroyed the animals. But I'dbetter go on with this tale of mine.
"The next day in the afternoon, it began to rain.
("Those scrapes we dug in the bank," whispered Buckthorn to Dandelion.)"Everyone was underground, just chewing pellets or sleeping. I'd gone up for afew minutes to pass hraka. I was on the edge of the wood, quite near the ditch,when I saw some men come through the gate at the top of the opposite slope, upby that board thing. I don't know how many there were -- three or four, Isuppose. They had long black legs and they were burning white sticks in theirmouths. They didn't seem to be going anywhere. They began walking slowlyabout in the rain, looking at the hedges and the brook. After a time they crossedthe brook and came clumping up toward the warren. Whenever they came to arabbit hole, one of them would prod at it; and they kept talking all the time. Iremember the smell of the elder bloom in the rain and the smell of the whitesticks. Later, when they came closer, I slipped underground again. I could hearthem for some time, thumping about and talking. I kept thinking, 'Well, they'vegot no guns and no ferrets.' But somehow I didn't like it.""What did the Threarah say?" asked Silver.
"I've no idea. I didn't ask him and neither did anyone else, as far as I know. Iwent to sleep and when I woke there was no sound up above. It was evening and Idecided to silflay. The rain had settled in, but I pottered round and fed for a whileall the same. I couldn't see that anything was altered, except that here and therethe mouth of a hole had been poked in.
"The next morning was clear and fine. Everyone was out for silflay as usual. Iremember Nightshade told the Threarah that he ought to be careful not to tirehimself now that he was getting on in years: and the Threarah said he'd show himwho was getting on in years and cuffed him and pushed him down the bank. Itwas all quite good-humored, you know, but he did it just to show Nightshade thatthe Chief Rabbit was still a match for him. I was going out for lettuces thatmorning and for some reason or other I'd decided to go alone.""Three's the usual number for a lettuce party," said Bigwig.
"Yes, I know three used to be the usual number, but there was some specialreason why I went alone that day. Oh, yes, I remember -- I wanted to see if therewere any early carrots. I thought they might just be ready, and I reckoned that if Iwas going hunting about in a strange part of the garden I'd be better off bymyself. I was out most of the morning and it can't have been long before ni-Frithwhen I came back through the wood. I was coming down Silent Bank -- I knowmost rabbits preferred the Green Loose, but I nearly always went by Silent Bank.
I'd got into the open part of the wood, where it comes down, toward the old fence,when I noticed a hrududu in the lane at the top of the opposite slope. It wasstanding at the gate by the board and a lot of men were getting out. There was aboy with them and he had a gun. They took down some big, long things -- I don'tknow how to describe them to you -- they were made of the same sort of stuff as ahrududu and they must have been heavy, because it took two men to carry one ofthem. The men carried these things into the field and the few rabbits who wereabove ground went down. I didn't. I'd seen the gun and I thought they wereprobably going to use ferrets and perhaps nets. So I stayed where I was andwatched. I thought, 'As soon as I'm sure what they're up to, I'll go and warn theThrearah.'
"There was more talking and more white sticks. Men never hurry, do they?
Then one of them got a spade and began filling in the mouths of all the holes hecould find. Every hole he came to, he cut out the turf above and pushed it into thehole. That puzzled me, because with ferrets they want to drive the rabbits out. ButI was expecting that they'd leave a few holes open and net them: although thatwould have been a foolish way to ferret, because a rabbit that went up a blockedrun would be killed underground and then the man wouldn't get his ferret backvery easily, you know.""Don't make it too grim, Holly," said Hazel, for Pipkin was shuddering at thethought of the blocked run and the pursuing ferret.
"Too grim?" replied Holly bitterly. "I've hardly started yet. Would anyone liketo go away?" No one moved and after a few moments he continued.
"Then another of the men fetched some long, thin, bending things. I haven'tgot words for all these men things, but they were something like lengths of verythick bramble. Each of the men took one and put it on one of the heavy things.
There was a kind of hissing noise and -- and -- well, I know you must find thisdifficult to understand, but the air began to turn bad. For some reason I got astrong scent of this stuff that came out of the bramble things, even though I wassome way off: and I couldn't see or think. I seemed to be falling. I tried to jumpup and run, but I didn't know where I was and I found I'd run down to the edge ofthe wood, toward the men. I stopped just in time. I was bewildered and I'd lost allidea of warning the Threarah. After that I just sat where I was.
"The men put a bramble into each hole they'd left open and after that nothinghappened for a little while. And then I saw Scabious -- you remember Scabious?
He came out of a hole along the hedge -- one they hadn't noticed. I could see atonce that he'd smelled this stuff. He didn't know what he was doing. The mendidn't see him for a few moments and then one of them stuck out his arm to showwhere he was and the boy shot him. He didn't kill him -- Scabious began toscream -- and one of the men went over and picked him up and hit him. I reallybelieve he may not have suffered very much, because the bad air had turned himsilly: but I wish I hadn't seen it. After that, the man stopped up the hole thatScabious had come out of.
"By this time the poisoned air must have been spreading through the runs andburrows underground. I can imagine what it must have been like--""You can't," said Bluebell. Holly stopped and after a pause Bluebell went on.
"I heard the commotion beginning before I smelled the stuff myself. The doesseemed to get it first and some of them began trying to get out. But the ones whohad litters wouldn't leave the kittens and they were attacking any rabbit whocame near them. They wanted to fight -- to protect the kittens, you know. Verysoon the runs were crammed with rabbits clawing and clambering over eachother. They went up the runs they were accustomed to use and found themblocked. Some managed to turn round, but they couldn't get back because of therabbits coming up. And then the runs began to be blocked lower down with deadrabbits and the live rabbits tore them to pieces.
"I shall never know how I got away with what I did. It was a chance in athousand. I was in a burrow near one of the holes that the men were using. Theymade a lot of noise putting the bramble thing in and I've got an idea it wasn'tworking properly. As soon as I picked up the smell of the stuff I jumped out of theburrow, but I was still fairly clear-headed. I came up the run just as the men weretaking the bramble out again. They were all looking at it and talking and theydidn't see me. I turned round, actually in the mouth of the hole, and went downagain.
"Do you remember the Slack Run? I suppose hardly a rabbit went down therein our lifetime -- it was so very deep and it didn't lead anywhere in particular. Noone knows even who made it. Frith must have guided me, for I went straightdown into the Slack Run and began creeping along it. I was actually digging attimes. It was all loose earth and fallen stones. There were all sorts of forgottenshafts and drops that led in from above, and down those were coming the mostterrible sounds -- cries for help, kittens squealing for their mothers, Owsla tryingto give orders, rabbits cursing and fighting each other. Once a rabbit cametumbling down one of the shafts and his claws just scratched me, like a horse-chestnut bur falling in autumn. It was Celandine and he was dead. I had to tear athim before I could get over him -- the place was so low and narrow -- and then Iwent on. I could smell the bad air, but I was so deep down that I must have beenbeyond the worst of it.
"Suddenly I found there was another rabbit with me. He was the only one Imet in the whole length of the Slack Run. It was Pimpernel and I could tell atonce that he was in a bad way. He was spluttering and gasping, but he was able tokeep going. He asked if I was all right, but all I said was, 'Where do we get out?' 'Ican show you that,' he said, 'if you can help me along.' So I followed him andevery time he stopped -- he kept forgetting where we were -- I shoved him hard. Ieven bit him once. I was terrified that he was going to die and block the run. Atlast we began to come up and I could smell fresh air. We found we'd got into oneof those runs that led out into the wood.""The men had done their work badly," resumed Holly. "Either they didn't knowabout the wood holes or they couldn't be bothered to come and block them.
Almost every rabbit that came up in the field was shot, but I saw two get away.
One was Nose-in-the-Air, but I don't remember who the other was. The noise wasvery frightening and I would have run myself, but I kept waiting to see whetherthe Threarah would come. After a while I began to realize that there were a fewother rabbits in the wood. Pine Needles was there, I remember, and Butterburand Ash. I got hold of all I could and told them to sit tight under cover.
"After a long time the men finished. They took the bramble things out of theholes and the boy put the bodies on a stick--"Holly stopped and pressed his nose under Bigwig's flank.
"Well, never mind about that bit," said Hazel in a steady voice. "Tell us howyou came away.""Before that happened," said Holly, "a great hrududu came into the field fromthe lane. It wasn't the one the men came in. It was very noisy and it was yellow --as yellow as charlock: and in front there was a great silver, shining thing that itheld in its huge front paws. I don't know how to describe it to you. It looked likeInlé, but it was broad and not so bright. And this thing -- how can I tell you -- ittore the field to bits. It destroyed the field."He stopped again.
"Captain," said Silver, "we all know you've seen things bad beyond telling. Butsurely that's not quite what you mean?""Upon my life," said Holly, trembling, "it buried itself in the ground andpushed great masses of earth in front of it until the field was destroyed. Thewhole place became like a cattle wade in winter and you could no longer tellwhere any part of the field had been, between the wood and the brook. Earth androots and grass and bushes it pushed before it and -- and other things as well,from underground.
"After a long time I went back through the wood. I'd forgotten any idea ofcollecting other rabbits, but there were three who joined me all the same --Bluebell here and Pimpernel and young Toadflax. Toadflax was the only memberof the Owsla I'd seen and I asked him about the Threarah, but he couldn't talk anykind of sense. I never found out what happened to the Threarah. I hope he diedquickly.
"Pimpernel was light-headed -- chattering nonsense -- and Bluebell and Iweren't much better. For some reason all I could think of was Bigwig. Iremembed how I'd gone to arrest him -- to kill him, really -- and I felt I had tofind him and tell him I'd been wrong: and this idea was all the sense I had left.
The four of us went wandering away and we must have gone almost in a half-circle, because after a long time we came to the brook, below what had been ourfield. We followed it down into a big wood; and that night, while we were still inthe wood, Toadflax died. He was clear-headed for a short time before and Iremember something he said. Bluebell had been saying that he knew the menhated us for raiding their crops and gardens, and Toadflax answered, 'That wasn'twhy they destroyed the warren. It was just because we were in their way. Theykilled us to suit themselves.' Soon after that he went to sleep, and a little later,when we were alarmed by some noise or other, we tried to wake him and realizedhe was dead.
"We left him lying where he was and went on until we reached the river. Ineedn't describe it because I know you were all there. It was morning by thistime. We thought you might be somewhere near and we began to go along thebank, upstream, looking for you. It wasn't long before we found the place whereyou must have crossed. There were tracks -- a great many -- in the sand under asteep bank, and hraka about three days old. The tracks didn't go upstream ordownstream, so I knew you must have gone over. I swam across and found moretracks on the other side: so then the others came over, too. The river was high. Isuppose you must have had it easier, before all the rain.
"I didn't like the fields on the other side of the river. There was a man with agun who kept walking everywhere. I took the other two on, across a road, andsoon we came to a bad place -- all heather and soft black earth. We had a hardtime there, but again I came upon hraka about three days old and no sign of holesor rabbits, so I thought there was a chance that they were yours. Bluebell was allright, but Pimpernel was feverish and I was afraid he was going to die, too.
"Then we had a bit of luck -- or so we thought at the time. That night we fell inwith a hlessi on the edge of the heather -- an old, tough rabbit with his nose allscratched and scarred -- and he told us that there was a warren not far off andshowed us which way to go. We came to woods and fields again, but we were somuch exhausted that we couldn't start looking for the warren. We crept into aditch and I hadn't the heart to tell one of the others to keep awake. I tried to keepawake myself, but I couldn't.""When was this?" asked Hazel.
"The day before yesterday," said Holly, "early in the morning. When I woke itwas still some time before ni-Frith. Everything was quiet and all I could smell wasrabbit, but I felt at once that something was wrong. I woke Bluebell and I was justgoing to wake Pimpernel when I realized that there was a whole bunch of rabbitsall round us. They were great, big fellows and they had a very odd smell. It waslike -- well, like--""We know what it was like," said Fiver.
"I thought you probably did. Then one of them said, 'My name's Cowslip. Whoare you and what are you doing here?' I didn't like the way he spoke, but Icouldn't see that they had any reason to wish us harm, so I told him that we'd hada bad time and come a long way and that we were looking for some rabbits fromour warren -- Hazel, Fiver and Bigwig. As soon as I said those names this rabbitturned to the others and cried, 'I knew it! Tear them to pieces!' And they all set onus. One of them got me by the ear and ripped it up before Bluebell could pull himoff. We were fighting the lot of them. I was so much taken by surprise that Icouldn't do a great deal at first. But the funny thing was that although they wereso big and yelling for our blood, they couldn't fight at all: they obviously didn'tknow the first thing about fighting. Bluebell knocked down a couple twice hissize, and although my ear was pouring with blood I was never really in danger. Allthe same, they were too many for us, and we had to run. Bluebell and I had justgot clear of the ditch when we realized that Pimpernel was still there. He was ill,as I told you, and he didn't wake in time. So after all he'd been through, poorPimpernel was killed by rabbits. What do you think of that?""I think it was a damned shame," said Strawberry, before anyone else couldspeak.
"We were running down the fields, beside a little stream," Holly went on.
"Some of these rabbits were still chasing us and suddenly I thought, 'Well, I'llhave one of them anyway.' I didn't care for the idea of doing nothing more thanjust run away to save our skins -- not after Pimpernel. I saw that this Cowslip wasahead of the others and out on his own, so I let him catch me up and then Isuddenly turned and went for him. I had him down and I was just going to riphim up when he squealed out, 'I can tell you where your friends have gone.'
'Hurry up, then,' I said, with my back legs braced in his stomach. 'They've gone tothe hills,' he panted. 'The high hills you can see away over there. They wentyesterday morning.' I pretended not to believe him and acted as though I wasgoing to kill him. But he didn't alter his story, so I scratched him and let him goand away we came. It was clear weather and we could see the hills plainly enough.
"After that we had the worst time of all. If it hadn't been for Bluebell's jokesand chatter we'd have stopped running for certain.""Hraka one end, jokes the other," said Bluebell. "I used to roll a joke along theground and we both followed it. That was how we kept going.""I can't really tell you much about the rest of it," said Holly. "My ear wasterribly painful and all the time I kept thinking that Pimpernel's death was myfault. If I hadn't gone to sleep he wouldn't have died. Once we tried to sleep again,but my dreams were more than I could bear. I was out of my mind, really. I hadonly this one idea -- to find Bigwig and tell him that he'd been right to leave thewarren.
"At last we reached the hills, just at nightfall of the next day. We were pastcaring -- we came over the flat, open land at owl time. I don't know what I'd beenexpecting. You know how you let yourself think that everything will be all right ifyou can only get to a certain place or do a certain thing. But when you get thereyou find it's not that simple. I suppose I'd had some sort of foolish notion thatBigwig would be waiting to meet us. We found the hills were enormous -- biggerthan anything we'd ever seen. No woods, no cover, no rabbits: and night settingin. And then everything seemed to go to pieces. I saw Scabious, as plain as grass --and heard him crying, too: and I saw the Threarah and Toadflax and Pimpernel. Itried to talk to them. I was calling Bigwig, but I didn't really expect him to hearbecause I was sure he wasn't there. I can remember coming out from a hedge intothe open and I know I was really hoping that the elil would come and make anend of me. But when I came to my senses, there was Bigwig. My first thought wasthat I must be dead, but then I began to wonder whether he was real or not. Well,you know the rest. It's a pity I frightened you so much. But if I wasn't the -- theBlack Rabbit, there's hardly a living creature that can ever have been closer tohim than we have."After a silence, he added, "You can imagine what it means to Bluebell and meto find ourselves underground, among friends. It wasn't I who tried to arrest you,Bigwig -- that was another rabbit, long, long ago."
22. The Story of the Trial of El-ahrairah
Has he not a rogue's face?... Has a damn'd Tyburn-face, without the benefit ofthe clergy.
Congreve, Love for LoveRabbits (says Mr. Lockley) are like human beings in many ways. One of theseis certainly their staunch ability to withstand disaster and to let the stream oftheir life carry them along, past reaches of terror and loss. They have a certainquality which it would not be accurate to describe as callousness or indifference.
It is, rather, a blessedly circumscribed imagination and an intuitive feeling thatLife is Now. A foraging wild creature, intent above all upon survival, is as strongas the grass. Collectively, rabbits rest secure upon Frith's promise to El-ahrairah.
Hardly a full day had elapsed since Holly had come crawling in delirium to thefoot of Watership Down. Yet already he was near recovery, while the more light-hearted Bluebell seemed even less the worse for the dreadful catastrophe that hehad survived. Hazel and his companions had suffered extremes of grief andhorror during the telling of Holly's tale. Pipkin had cried and trembled piteouslyat the death of Scabious, and Acorn and Speedwell had been seized withconvulsive choking as Bluebell told of the poisonous gas that murderedunderground. Yet, as with primitive humans, the very strength and vividness oftheir sympathy brought with it a true release. Their feelings were not false orassumed. While the story was being told, they heard it without any of the reserveor detachment that the kindest of civilized humans retains as he reads hisnewspaper. To themselves, they seemed to struggle in the poisoned runs and toblaze with rage for poor Pimpernel in the ditch. This was their way of honoringthe dead. The story over, the demands of their own hard, rough lives began to re-assert themselves in their hearts, in their nerves, their blood and appetites.
Would that the dead were not dead! But there is grass that must be eaten, pelletsthat must be chewed, hraka that must be passed, holes that must be dug, sleepthat must be slept. Odysseus brings not one man to shore with him. Yet he sleepssound beside Calypso and when he wakes thinks only of Penelope.
Even before Holly had finished his story, Hazel had fallen to sniffing at hiswounded ear. He had not previously been able to get a good look at it, but nowthat he did, he realized that terror and fatigue had probably not been theprincipal causes of Holly's collapse. He was badly wounded -- worse thanBuckthorn. He must have lost a lot of blood. His ear was in ribbons and there wasany amount of dirt in it. Hazel felt annoyed with Dandelion. As several of therabbits began to silflay, attracted by the mild June night and the full moon, heasked Blackberry to wait. Silver, who had been about to leave by the other run,returned and joined them.
"Dandelion and the other two seem to have cheered you up, all right," saidHazel to Holly. "It's a pity they didn't clean you up as well. That dirt's dangerous.""Well, you see--" began Bluebell, who had remained beside Holly.
"Don't make a joke," said Hazel. "You seem to think--""I wasn't going to," said Bluebell. "I was only going to say that I wanted toclean the captain's ear, but it's too tender to be touched.""He's quite right," said Holly. "I'm afraid I made them neglect it, but do as youthink best, Hazel, I'm feeling much better now."Hazel began on the ear himself. The blood had caked black and the task neededpatience. After a while the long, jagged wounds bled again as they slowly becameclean. Silver took over. Holly, bearing it as well as he could, growled and scuffled,and Silver cast about for something to occupy his attention.
"Hazel," he asked, "what was this idea you had -- about the mouse? You saidyou'd explain it later. How about trying it out on us now?""Well," said Hazel, "the idea is simply that in our situation we can't afford towaste anything that might do us good. We're in a strange place we don't knowmuch about and we need friends. Now, elil can't do us good, obviously, but thereare many creatures that aren't elil -- birds, mice, yonil and so on. Rabbits don'tusually have much to do with them, but their enemies are our enemies, for themost part. I think we ought to do all we can to make these creatures friendly. Itmight turn out to be well worth the trouble.""I can't say I fancy the idea myself," said Silver, wiping Holly's blood out of hisnose. "These small animals are more to be despised than relied upon, I reckon.
What good can they do us? They can't dig for us, they can't get food for us, theycan't fight for us. They'd say they were friendly, no doubt, as long as we werehelping them; but that's where it would stop. I heard that mouse tonight -- 'Youwant 'im, 'e come.' You bet he will, as long as there's any grub or warmth going,but surely we're not going to have the warren overrun with mice and -- and stagbeetles, are we?""No, I didn't mean quite that," said Hazel. "I'm not suggesting we should goabout looking for field mice and inviting them to join us. They wouldn't thank usfor that, anyway. But that mouse tonight -- we saved his life--""You saved his life," said Blackberry.
"Well, his life was saved. He'll remember that.""But how's it going to help us?" asked Bluebell.
"To start with, he can tell us what he knows about the place--""What mice know. Not what rabbits need to know.""Well, I admit a mouse might or might not come in handy," said Hazel. "ButI'm sure a bird would, if we could only do enough for it. We can't fly, but some ofthem know the country for a long way round. They know a lot about the weather,too. All I'm saying is this. If anyone finds an animal or bird, that isn't an enemy,in need of help, for goodness' sake don't miss the opportunity. That would be likeleaving carrots to rot in the ground.""What do you think?" said Silver to Blackberry.
"I think it's a good idea, but real opportunities of the kind Hazel has in mindaren't likely to come very often.""I think that's about right," said Holly, wincing as Silver resumed licking. "Theidea's all right as far as it goes, but it won't come to a great deal in practice.""I'm ready to give it a try," said Silver. "I reckon it'll be worth it, just to seeBigwig telling bedtime stories to a mole.""El-ahrairah did it once," said Bluebell, "and it worked. Do you remember?""No," said Hazel, "I don't know that story. Let's have it.""Let's silflay first," said Holly. "This ear's had all I can stand for the timebeing.""Well, at least it's clean now," said Hazel. "But I'm afraid it'll never be as goodas the other, you know. You'll have a ragged ear.""Never mind," said Holly. "I'm still one of the lucky ones."The full moon, well risen in a cloudless eastern sky, covered the high solitudewith its light. We are not conscious of daylight as that which displaces darkness.
Daylight, even when the sun is clear of clouds, seems to us simply the naturalcondition of the earth and air. When we think of the downs, we think of thedowns in daylight, as we think of a rabbit with its fur on. Stubbs may haveenvisaged the skeleton inside the horse, but most of us do not: and we do notusually envisage the downs without daylight, even though the light is not a part ofthe down itself as the hide is part of the horse itself. We take daylight for granted.
But moonlight is another matter. It is inconstant. The full moon wanes andreturns again. Clouds may obscure it to an extent to which they cannot obscuredaylight. Water is necessary to us, but a waterfall is not. Where it is to be found itis something extra, a beautiful ornament. We need daylight and to that extent it isutilitarian, but moonlight we do not need. When it comes, it serves no necessity.
It transforms. It falls upon the banks and the grass, separating one long bladefrom another; turning a drift of brown, frosted leaves from a single heap toinnumerable flashing fragments; or glimmering lengthways along wet twigs asthough light itself were ductile. Its long beams pour, white and sharp, betweenthe trunks of trees, their clarity fading as they recede into the powdery, mistydistance of beech woods at night. In moonlight, two acres of coarse bent grass,undulant and ankle deep, tumbled and rough as a horse's mane, appear like a bayof waves, all shadowy troughs and hollows. The growth is so thick and mattedthat even the wind does not move it, but it is the moonlight that seems to conferstillness upon it. We do not take moonlight for granted. It is like snow, or like thedew on a July morning. It does not reveal but changes what it covers. And its lowintensity -- so much lower than that of daylight -- makes us conscious that it issomething added to the down, to give it, for only a little time, a singular andmarvelous quality that we should admire while we can, for soon it will be goneagain.
As the rabbits came up by the hole inside the beech wood, a swift gust of windpassed through the leaves, checkering and dappling the ground beneath, stealingand giving light under the branches. They listened, but beyond the rustle of theleaves there came from the open down outside no sound except the monotonoustremolo of a grasshopper warbler, far off in the grass.
"What a moon!" said Silver. "Let's enjoy it while it's here."As they went over the bank they met Speedwell and Hawkbit returning.
"Oh, Hazel," said Hawkbit, "we've been talking to another mouse. He'd heardabout the kestrel this evening and was very friendly. He told us about a place justthe other side of the wood where the grass has been cut short -- something to dowith horses, he said. 'You like a nice a grass? 'E very fine grass.' So we went there.
It's first-rate."The gallop turned out to be a good forty yards wide, mown to less than sixinches. Hazel, with a delightful sense of having been proved right by events, set towork on a patch of clover. They all munched for some time in silence.
"You're a clever chap, Hazel," said Holly at last "You and your mouse. Mindyou, we'd have found the place ourselves sooner or later, but not as soon as this."Hazel could have pressed his chin glands for satisfaction, but he repliedmerely, "We shan't need to go down the hill so much, after all." Then he added,"But, Holly, you smell of blood, you know. It may be dangerous, even here. Let'sgo back to the wood. It's such a beautiful night that we can sit near the holes tochew pellets and Bluebell can tell us his story."They found Strawberry and Buckthorn on the bank; and when everyone wascomfortably chewing, with ears laid flat, Bluebell began.
-<*>-"Dandelion was telling me last night about Cowslip's warren and how he toldthe story of the King's Lettuce. That's what put me in mind of this tale, evenbefore Hazel explained his idea. I used to hear it from my grandfather and healways said that it happened after El-ahrairah had got his people out of themarshes of Kelfazin. They went to the meadows of Fenlo and there they dug theirholes. But Prince Rainbow had his eye on El-ahrairah; and he was determined tosee that he didn't get up to any more of his tricks.
"Now one evening, when El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle were sitting on a sunnybank, Prince Rainbow came through the meadows and with him was a rabbit thatEl-ahrairah had never seen before.
"'Good evening, El-ahrairah,' said Prince Rainbow. 'This is a greatimprovement on the marshes of Kelfazin. I see all your does are busy diggingholes along the bank. Have they dug a hole for you?'
"'Yes,' said El-ahrairah. 'This hole here belongs to Rabscuttle and myself. Weliked the look of this bank as soon as we saw it.'
"'A very nice bank,' said Prince Rainbow. 'But I am afraid I have to tell you, El-ahrairah, that I have strict orders from Lord Frith himself not to allow you toshare a hole with Rabscuttle.'
"'Not share a hole with Rabscuttle?' said El-ahrairah. 'Why ever not?'
"'El-ahrairah,' said Prince Rainbow, 'we know you and your tricks: andRabscuttle is nearly as slippery as you are. Both of you in one hole would bealtogether too much of a good thing. You would be stealing the clouds out of thesky before the moon had changed twice. No -- Rabscuttle must go and look afterthe holes at the other end of the warren. Let me introduce you. This is Hufsa. Iwant you to be his friend and look after him.'
"'Where does he come from?' asked El-ahrairah. 'I certainly haven't seen himbefore.'
"'He comes from another country,' said Prince Rainbow, 'but he is no differentfrom any other rabbit. I hope you will help him to settle down here. And while heis getting to know the place, I'm sure you will be glad to let him share your hole.'
"El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle felt desperately annoyed that they were not to beallowed to live together in their hole. But it was one of El-ahrairah's rules never tolet anyone see when he was angry and, besides, he felt sorry for Hufsa because hesupposed that he was feeling lonely and awkward, being far away from his ownpeople. So he welcomed him and promised to help him settle down. Hufsa wasperfectly friendly and seemed anxious to please everyone; and Rabscuttle moveddown to the other end of the warren.
"After a time, however, El-ahrairah began to find that something was alwaysgoing wrong with his plans. One night, in the spring, when he had taken some ofhis people to a cornfield to eat the green shoots, they found a man with a gunwalking about in the moonlight and were lucky to get away without trouble.
Another time, after El-ahrairah had reconnoitered the way to a cabbage gardenand scratched a hole under the fence, he arrived the next morning to find itblocked with wire, and he began to suspect that his plans were leaking out topeople who were not intended to learn them.
"One day he determined to set a trap for Hufsa, to find out whether it was hewho was at the bottom of the trouble. He showed him a path across the fields andtold him that it led to a lonely barn full of swedes and turnips: and he went on tosay that he and Rabscuttle meant to go there the next morning. In fact El-ahrairah had no such plans and took care not to say anything about the path orthe barn to anyone else. But next day, when he went cautiously along the path, hefound a wire set in the grass.
"This made El-ahrairah really angry, for any of his people might have beensnared and killed. Of course he did not suppose that Hufsa was setting wireshimself, or even that he had known that a wire was going to be set. But evidentlyHufsa was in touch with somebody who did not stick at setting a wire. In the end,El-ahrairah decided that probably Prince Rainbow was passing on Hufsa'sinformation to a farmer or a gamekeeper and not bothering himself about whathapppened as a result. His rabbits' lives were in danger because of Hufsa -- to saynothing of all the lettuces and cabbages they were missing. After this, El-ahrairahtried not to tell Hufsa anything at all. But it was difficult to prevent him fromhearing things because, as you all know, rabbits are very good at keeping secretsfrom other animals, but no good at keeping secrets from each other. Warren lifedoesn't make for secrecy. He considered killing Hufsa. But he knew that if he did,Prince Rainbow would come and they would end in more trouble. He feltdecidedly uneasy even about keeping things from Hufsa, because he thought thatif Hufsa realized that they knew he was a spy, he would tell Prince Rainbow andPrince Rainbow would probably take him away and think of something worse.
"El-ahrairah thought and thought. He was still thinking the next evening,when Prince Rainbow paid one of his visits to the warren.
"'You are quite a reformed character these days, El-ahrairah,' said PrinceRainbow. 'If you are not careful, people will begin to trust you. Since I waspassing by, I thought I would just stop to thank you for your kindness in lookingafter Hufsa. He seems quite at home with you.'
"'Yes, he does, doesn't he?' said El-ahrairah. 'We grow in beauty side by side;we fill one hole with glee. But I always say to my people, "Put not your trust inprinces, nor in any--"'
"'Well, El-ahrairah,' said Prince Rainbow, interrupting him, 'I am sure I cantrust you. And to prove it, I have decided that I will grow a nice crop of carrots inthe field behind the hill. It is an excellent bit of ground and I am sure they will dowell. Especially as no one would dream of stealing them. In fact, you can comeand watch me plant them, if you like.'
"'I will,' said El-ahrairah. 'That will be delightful.'
"El-ahrairah, Rabscuttle, Hufsa and several other rabbits accompanied PrinceRainbow to the field behind the hill; and they helped him to sow it with long rowsof carrot seed. It was a light, dry sort of soil -- just the thing for carrots -- and thewhole business infuriated El-ahrairah, because he was certain that PrinceRainbow was doing it to tease him and to show that he felt sure that he hadclipped his claws at last.
"'That will do splendidly,' said Prince Rainbow when they had finished. 'Ofcourse, I know that no one would dream of stealing my carrots. But if they did --if they did steal them, El-ahrairah -- I should be very angry indeed. If King Darzinstole them, for instance, I feel sure that Lord Frith would take away his kingdomand give it to someone else.'
"El-ahrairah knew that Prince Rainbow meant that if he caught him stealingthe carrots he would either kill him or else banish him and put some other rabbitover his people: and the thought that the other rabbit would probably be Hufsamade him grind his teeth. But he said, 'Of course, of course. Very right andproper.' And Prince Rainbow went away.
"One night, in the second moon after the planting, El-ahrairah and Rabscuttlewent to look at the carrots. No one had thinned them out and the tops were thickand green. El-ahrairah judged that most of the roots would be a little thinner thana forepaw. And it was while he was looking at them in the moonlight that his plancame to him. He had become so cautious about Hufsa -- and indeed no one everknew where Hufsa would be next -- that on the way back he and Rabscuttle madefor a hole in a lonely bank and went down it to talk together. And there El-ahrairah promised Rabscuttle not only that he would steal Prince Rainbow'scarrots, but also that between them they would see the back of Hufsa into thebargain. They came out of the hole and Rabscuttle went to the farm to steal someseed corn. El-ahrairah spent the rest of the night gathering slugs; and a nastybusiness it was.
"The next evening El-ahrairah went out early and after a little while foundYona the hedgehog pottering along the hedge.
"'Yona,' he said, "would you like a whole lot of nice, fat slugs?'
"'Yes, I would, El-ahrairah,' said Yona, 'but they're not so easily found. You'dknow that if you were a hedgehog.'
"'Well, here are some nice ones,' said El-ahrairah, 'and you can have them all.
But I can give you a great many more if you will do what I say and ask noquestions. Can you sing?'
"'Sing, El-ahrairah? No hedgehog can sing.'
"'Good,' said El-ahrairah. 'Excellent. But you will have to try if you want thoseslugs. Ah! There is an old, empty box, I see, that the farmer has left in the ditch.
Better and better. Now you listen to me.'
"Meanwhile, in the wood, Rabscuttle was talking to Hawock the pheasant.
"'Hawock,' he said, 'can you swim?'
"'I never go near water if I can avoid it, Rabscuttle,' said Hawock. 'I dislike itvery much. But I suppose if I had to, I could make shift to keep afloat for a littlewhile.'
"'Splendid,' said Rabscuttle. 'Now attend. I have a whole lot of corn -- and youknow how scarce it is at this time of year -- and you can have it all, if only you willdo a little swimming in the pond on the edge of the wood. Just let me explain aswe go down there.' And off they went through the wood.
"Fu Inlé, El-ahrairah strolled into his hole and found Hufsa chewing pellets.
'Ah, Hufsa, you're here,' he said. 'That's fine. I can't trust anyone else, but you'llcome with me, won't you? Just you and I -- no one else must know.'
"'Why, what's to be done, El-ahrairah?' asked Hufsa.
"'I've been looking at those carrots of Prince Rainbow's,' replied El-ahrairah. 'Ican't stand it any longer. They're the best I've ever seen. I'm determined to stealthem -- or most of them, anyway. Of course, if I took a lot of rabbits on anexpedition of this kind we'd soon be in trouble. Things would leak out and PrinceRainbow would be sure to get to hear. But if you and I go alone, no one will everknow who did it.'
"'I'll come,' said Hufsa. 'Let's go tomorrow night.' For he thought that thatwould give him time to tell Prince Rainbow.
"'No,' said El-ahrairah, 'I'm going now. At once.'
"He wondered whether Hufsa would try to turn him against this idea, butwhen he looked at him he could see that Hufsa was thinking that this would bethe end of El-ahrairah and that he himself would be made king of the rabbits.
"They set out together in the moonlight.
"They had gone a good way along the hedge when they came upon an old boxlying in the ditch. Sitting on top of the box was Yona the hedgehog. His prickleswere stuck all over with dog-rose petals and he was making an extraordinarysqueaking, grunting noise and waving his black paws. They stopped and looked athim.
"'Whatever are you doing, Yona?' asked Hufsa in astonishment.
"'Singing to the moon,' answered Yona. 'All hedgehogs have to sing to themoon to make the slugs come. Surely you know that?
"'O Slug-a-Moon, O Slug-a-Moon,O grant thy faithful hedgehog's boon!'
"'What a frightful noise!' said El-ahrairah and indeed it was. 'Let's get onquickly before he brings all the elil round us.' And on they went.
"After a time they drew near the pond on the edge of the wood. As theyapproached it they heard a squawking and splashing and then they saw Hawockthe pheasant scuttering about in the water, with his long tail feathers floating outbehind him.
"'Whatever has happened?' said Hufsa. 'Hawock, have you been shot?'
"'No, no,' replied Hawock. 'I always go swimming in the full moon. It makesmy tail grow longer and, besides, my head wouldn't stay red, white and greenwithout swimming. But you must know that, Hufsa, surely? Everyone knowsthat.'
"'The truth is, he doesn't like other animals to catch him at it,' whispered El-ahrairah. 'Let's go on.'
"A little further on they came to an old well by a big oak tree. The farmer hadfilled it up long ago, but the mouth looked very deep and black in the moonlight.
"'Let's have a rest,' said El-ahrairah, 'just for a short time.'
"As he spoke, a most curious-looking creature came out of the grass. It lookedsomething like a rabbit, but even in the moonlight they could see that it had a redtail and long green ears. In its mouth it was carrying the end of one of the whitesticks that men burn. It was Rabscuttle, but not even Hufsa could recognize him.
He had found some sheep-dip powder at the farm and sat in it to make his tailred. His ears were festooned with trails of bryony and the white stick was makinghim feel ill.
"'Frith preserve us!' said El-ahrairah. 'What can it be? Let's only hope it isn'tone of the Thousand!' He leaped up, ready to run. 'Who are you?' he asked,trembling.
"Rabscuttle spat out the white stick.
"'So!' he said commandingly. 'So you have seen me, El-ahrairah! Many rabbitslive out their lives and die, but few see me. Few or none! I am one of the rabbitmessengers of Lord Frith, who go about the earth secretly by day and returnnightly to his golden palace! He is even now awaiting me on the other side of theworld and I must go to him swiftly, through the heart of the earth! Farewell, El-ahrairah!'
"The strange rabbit leaped over the edge of the well and disappeared into thedarkness below.
"'We have seen what we should not!' said El-ahrairah in an awe-stricken voice.
'How dreadful is this place! Let us go quickly!'
"They hurried on and presently they came to Prince Rainbow's field of carrots.
How many they stole I cannot say; but of course, as you know, El-ahrairah is agreat prince and no doubt he used powers unknown to you and me. But mygrandfather always said that before morning the field was stripped bare. Thecarrots were hidden down a deep hole in the bank beside the wood and El-ahrairah and Hufsa made their way home. El-ahrairah collected two or threefollowers and stayed underground with them all day, but Hufsa went out in theafternoon without saying where he was going.
"That evening, as El-ahrairah and his people began to silflay under a fine redsky, Prince Rainbow came over the fields. Behind him were two great black dogs.
"'El-ahrairah,' he said, 'you are under arrest.'
"'What for?' asked El-ahrairah.
"'You know very well what for,' said Prince Rainbow. 'Let me have no more ofyour tricks and insolence, El-ahrairah. Where are the carrots?'
"'If I am under arrest,' said El-ahrairah, 'may I be told what for? It is not fair totell me I am under arrest and then to ask me questions.'
"'Come, come, El-ahrairah,' said Prince Rainbow, 'you are merely wasting time.
Tell me where the carrots are and I will only send you to the great North and notkill you.'
"'Prince Rainbow,' said El-ahrairah, 'for the third time, may I know for what Iam under arrest?'
"'Very well,' said Prince Rainbow, 'if this is the way you want to die, El-ahrairah, you shall have the full process of law. You are under arrest for stealingmy carrots. Are you seriously asking for a trial? I warn you that I have directevidence and it will go ill with you.'
"By this time all El-ahrairah's people were crowding round, as near as theydared for the dogs. Only Rabscuttle was nowhere to be seen. He had spent thewhole day moving the carrots to another secret hole and he was now hidingbecause he could not get his tail white again.
"'Yes, I would like a trial,' said El-ahrairah, 'and I would like to be judged by ajury of animals. For it is not right, Prince Rainbow, that you should both accuseme and be the judge as well.'
"'A jury of animals you shall have,' said Prince Rainbow. 'A jury of elil, El-ahrairah. For a jury of rabbits would refuse to convict you, in spite of theevidence.'
"To everyone's surprise, El-ahrairah immediately replied that he would becontent with a jury of elil: and Prince Rainbow said that he would bring them thatnight. El-ahrairah was sent down his hole and the dogs were put on guardoutside. None of his people was allowed to see him, although many tried.
"Up and down the hedges and copses the news spread that El-ahrairah was ontrial for his life and that Prince Rainbow was going to bring him before a jury ofelil. Animals came crowding in. Fu Inlé, Prince Rainbow returned with the elil --two badgers, two foxes, two stoats, an owl and a cat. El-ahrairah was brought upand placed between the dogs. The elil sat staring at him and their eyes glittered inthe moon. They licked their lips: and the dogs muttered that they had beenpromised the task of carrying out the sentence. There were a great many animals-- rabbits and others -- and every one of them felt sure that this time it was all upwith El-ahrairah.
"'Now,' said Prince Rainbow, 'let us begin. It will not take long. Where isHufsa?'
"Then Hufsa came out, bowing and bobbing his head, and he told the elil thatEl-ahrairah had come the night before, when he was quietly chewing pellets, andterrified him into going with him to steal Prince Rainbow's carrots. He hadwanted to refuse, but he had been too much frightened. The carrots were hiddenin a hole that he could show them. He had been forced to do what he did, but thenext day he had gone as quickly as possible to tell Prince Rainbow, whose loyalservant he was.
"'We will recover the carrots later,' said Prince Rainbow. 'Now, El-ahrairah,have you any evidence to call or anything to say? Make haste.'
"'I would like to ask the witness some questions,' said El-ahrairah; and the elilagreed that this was only fair.
"'Now, Hufsa,' said El-ahrairah, 'can we hear a little more about this journeythat you and I are supposed to have made? For really I can remember nothingabout it at all. You say we went out of the hole and set off in the night. Whathappened then?'
"'Why, El-ahrairah,' said Hufsa, 'you can't possibly have forgotten. We camealong by the ditch, and don't you remember that we saw a hedgehog sitting on abox singing a song to the moon?'
"'A hedgehog doing what?' said one of the badgers.
"'Singing a song to the moon,' said Hufsa eagerly. They do that, you know, tomake the slugs come. He had rose petals stuck all over him and he was waving hispaws and--'
"'Now, steady, steady,' said El-ahrairah kindly, 'I wouldn't like you to sayanything you don't mean. Poor fellow,' he added to the jury, 'he really believesthese things he says, you know. He doesn't mean any harm, but--'
"'But he was,' shouted Hufsa. 'He was singing, "O Slug-a-Moon! O Slug-a-Moon! O grant--"'
"'What the hedgehog sang is not evidence,' said El-ahrairah. 'Really, one isinclined to wonder what is. Well, all right. We saw a hedgehog covered with roses,singing a song on a box. What happened then?'
"'Well,' said Hufsa, 'then we went on and came to the pond, where we saw apheasant.'
"'Pheasant, eh?' said one of the foxes. 'I wish I'd seen it. What was it doing?'
"'It was swimming round and round in the water,' said Hufsa.
"'Wounded, eh?' said the fox.
"'No, no,' said Hufsa. 'They all do that, to make their tails grow longer. I'msurprised you don't know.'
"'To make what?' said the fox.
"'To make their tails grow longer,' said Hufsa sulkily. 'He said so himself.'
"'You've only had this stuff for a very short time,' said El-ahrairah to the elil. 'Ittakes a bit of getting used to. Look at me. I've been forced to live with it for thelast two months, day in and day out. I've been as kind and understanding as I can,but apparently just to my own harm.'
"A silence fell. El-ahrairah, with an air of fatherly patience, turned back to thewitness.
"'My memory is so bad,' he said. 'Do go on.'
"'Well, El-ahrairah,' said Hufsa, 'you're pretending very cleverly, but even youwon't be able to say you've forgotten what happened next. A huge, terrifyingrabbit, with a red tail and green ears, came out of the grass. He had a white stickin his mouth and he plunged into the ground down a great hole. He told us hewas going through the middle of the earth to see Lord Frith on the other side.'
"This time not one of the elil said a word. They were staring at Hufsa andshaking their heads.
"'They're all mad, you know,' whispered one of the stoats, 'nasty little beasts.
They'll say anything when they're cornered. But this one is the worst I've everheard. How much longer have we got to stay here? I'm hungry.'
"Now El-ahrairah had known beforehand that while elil detest all rabbits, theywould dislike most the one who looked the biggest fool. That was why he hadagreed to a jury of elil. A jury of rabbits might have tried, to get to the bottom ofHufsa's story; but not the elil, for they hated and despised the witness and wantedto be off hunting as soon as they could.
"'So it comes to this,' said El-ahrairah. 'We saw a hedgehog covered with roses,singing a song: and then we saw a perfectly healthy pheasant swimming roundand round the pond: and then we saw a rabbit with a red tail, green ears and awhite stick, and he jumped straight down a deep well. Is that right?'
"'Yes,' said Hufsa.
"'And then we stole the carrots?'
"'Yes.'
"'Were they purple with green spots?'
"'Were what purple with green spots?'
"'The carrots.'
"'Well, you know they weren't, El-ahrairah. They were the ordinary color.
They're down the hole!' shouted Hufsa desperately. 'Down the hole! Go and look!'
"The court adjourned while Hufsa led Prince Rainbow to the hole. They foundno carrots and returned.
"'I've been underground all day,' said El-ahrairah, 'and I can prove it. I oughtto have been asleep, but it's very difficult when m'learned friend -- well, nevermind. I simply mean that obviously I couldn't have been out moving carrots oranything else. If there ever were any carrots,' he added. 'But I've nothing more tosay.'
"'Prince Rainbow,' said the cat, 'I hate all rabbits. But I don't see how we canpossibly say that it's been proved that that rabbit took your carrots. The witness isobviously out of his mind -- mad as the mist and snow -- and the prisoner willhave to be released.' They all agreed.
"'You had better go quickly,' said Prince Rainbow to El-ahrairah. 'Go downyour hole, El-ahrairah, before I hurt you myself.'
"'I will, my lord,' said El-ahrairah. 'But may I beg you to remove that rabbit yousent among us, for he troubles us with his foolishness?'
"So Hufsa went away with Prince Rainbow and El-ahrairah's people were leftin peace, apart from indigestion brought on by eating too many carrots. But it wasa long time before Rabscuttle could get his tail white again, so my grandfatheralways said."
23. Kehaar
The wing trails like a banner in defeat,No more to use the sky for ever but live withfamine and pain a few days.
He is strong and pain is worse to the strongincapacity is worse.
No one but death the redeemer will humble that head,The intrepid readiness, the terrible eyes.
Robinson Jeffers, Hurt HawksHuman beings say, "It never rains but it pours." This is not very apt, for itfrequently does rain without pouring. The rabbits' proverb is better expressed.
They say, "One cloud feels lonely"; and indeed it is true that the appearance of asingle cloud often means that the sky will soon be overcast. However that may be,the very next day provided a dramatic second opportunity to put Hazel's idea intopractice.
It was early morning and the rabbits were beginning to silflay, coming up intoclear gray silence. The air was still chilly. There was a good deal of dew and nowind. Five or six wild duck flew overhead in a swiftly moving V, intent on somefar-off destination. The sound made by their wings came down distinctly,diminishing as they went away southward. The silence returned. With the meltingof the last of the twilight there grew a kind of expectancy and tension, as though itwere thawing snow about to slide from a sloping roof. Then the whole down andall below it, earth and air, gave way to the sunrise. As a bull, with a slight butirresistible movement, tosses its head from the grasp of a man who is leaning overthe stall and idly holding its horn, so the sun entered the world in smooth,gigantic power. Nothing interrupted or obscured its coming. Without a sound, theleaves shone and the grass coruscated along the miles of the escarpment.
Outside the wood, Bigwig and Silver combed their ears, sniffed the air andhopped away, following their own long shadows to the grass of the gallop. As theymoved over the short turf -- nibbling, sitting up and looking round them -- theyapproached a little hollow, no more than three feet across. Before they reachedthe edge Bigwig, who was ahead of Silver, checked and crouched, staring.
Although he could not see into the hollow, he knew that there was some creaturein it -- something fairly big. Peering through the blades of grass round his head,he could see the curve of a white back. Whatever the creature was, it was nearly asbig as himself. He waited, stock still, for some little time, but it did not move.
"What has a white back, Silver?" whispered Bigwig.
Silver considered. "A cat?""No cats here.""How do you know?"At that moment they both heard a low, breathy hissing from the hollow. Itlasted for a few moments. Then there was silence once more.
Bigwig and Silver had a good opinion of themselves. Apart from Holly, theywere the only survivors of the Sandleford Owsla and they knew that theircomrades looked up to them. The encounter with the rats in the barn had been nojoke and had proved their worth. Bigwig, who was generous and honest, hadnever for a moment resented Hazel's courage on the night when his ownsuperstitious fear had got the better of him. But the idea of going back to theHoneycomb and reporting that he had glimpsed an unknown creature in thegrass and left it alone was more than he could swallow. He turned his head andlooked at Silver. Seeing that he was game, he took a final look at the strange whiteback and then went straight up to the edge of the hollow. Silver followed.
It was no cat. The creature in the hollow was a bird -- a big bird, nearly a footlong. Neither of them had ever seen a bird like it before. The white part of itsback, which they had glimpsed through the grass, was in fact only the shouldersand neck. The lower back was light gray and so were the wings, which tapered tolong, black-tipped primaries folded together over the tail. The head was very darkbrown -- almost black -- in such sharp contrast to the white neck that the birdlooked as though it were wearing a kind of hood. The one dark red leg that theycould see ended in a webbed foot and three powerful, taloned toes. The beak,hooked slightly downward at the end, was strong and sharp. As they stared, itopened, disclosing a red mouth and throat. The bird hissed savagely and tried tostrike, but still it did not move.
"It's hurt," said Bigwig.
"Yes, you can tell that," replied Silver. "But it's not wounded anywhere that Ican see. I'll go round--""Look out!" said Bigwig. "He'll have you!"Silver, as he started to move round the hollow, had come closer to the bird'shead. He jumped back just in time to avoid a quick, darting blow of the beak.
"That would have broken your foot," said Bigwig.
As they squatted, looking at the bird -- for they both sensed intuitively that itwould not rise -- it suddenly burst into loud, raucous cries -- "Yark! Yark!
Yark!" -- a tremendous sound at close quarters -- that split the morning andcarried far across the down. Bigwig and Silver turned and ran.
They collected themselves sufficiently to pull up short of the wood and make amore dignified approach to the bank. Hazel came to meet them in the grass.
There was no mistaking their wide eyes and dilated nostrils.
"Elil?" asked Hazel.
"Well, I'm blessed if I know, to tell you the truth," replied Bigwig. "There's agreat bird out there, like nothing I've ever seen.""How big? As big as a pheasant?""Not quite so big," admitted Bigwig, "but bigger than a wood pigeon: and a lotfiercer.""Is that what cried?""Yes. It startled me, all right. We were actually beside it. But for some reasonor other it can't move.""Dying?""I don't think so.""I'll go and have a look at it," said Hazel.
"It's savage. For goodness' sake be careful."Bigwig and Silver returned with Hazel. The three of them squatted outside thebird's reach as it looked sharply and desperately from one to the other. Hazelspoke in the hedgerow patois.
"You hurt? You no fly?"The answer was a harsh gabbling which they all felt immediately to be exotic.
Wherever the bird came from, it was somewhere far away. The accent was strangeand guttural, the speech distorted. They could catch only a word here and there.
"Come keel -- kah! kah! -- you come keel -- yark! -- t'ink me finish -- me nofinish -- 'urt you damn plenty--" The dark brown head flickered from side to side.
Then, unexpectedly, the bird began to drive its beak into the ground. Theynoticed for the first time that the grass in front of it was torn and scored withlines. For some moments it stabbed here and there, then gave up, lifted its headand watched them again.
"I believe it's starving," said Hazel. "We'd better feed it. Bigwig, go and getsome worms or something, there's a good fellow.""Er -- what did you say, Hazel?""Worms.""Me dig for worms?""Didn't the Owsla teach -- oh, all right, I'll do it," said Hazel. "You and Silverwait here."After a few moments, however, Bigwig followed Hazel back to the ditch andbegan to join him in scratching at the dry ground. Worms are not plentiful on thedowns and there had been no rain for days. After a time Bigwig looked up.
"What about beetles? Wood lice? Something like that?"They found some rotten sticks and carried them back. Hazel pushed oneforward cautiously.
"Insects."The bird split the stick three ways in as many seconds and snapped up the fewinsects inside. Soon there was a small pile of debris in the hollow as the rabbitsbrought anything from which it could get food. Bigwig found some horse dungalong the track, dug the worms out of it, overcame his disgust and carried themone by one. When Hazel praised him, he muttered something about "the firsttime any rabbit's done this and don't tell the blackbirds." At last, long after theyhad all grown weary, the bird stopped feeding and looked at Hazel.
"Finish eat." It paused. "Vat for you do?""You hurt?" said Hazel.
The bird looked crafty. "No hurt. Plenty fight. Stay small time, den go.""You stay there you finish," said Hazel. "Bad place. Come homba, comekestrel.""Damn de lot. Fight plenty.""I bet it would, too," said Bigwig, looking with admiration at the two-inch beakand thick neck.
"We no want you finish," said Hazel. "You stay here you finish. We help youmaybe.""Piss off!""Come on," said Hazel immediately to the others. "Let it alone." He began tolollop back to the wood. "Let it try keeping the kestrels off for a bit.""What's the idea, Hazel?" said Silver. "That's a savage brute. You can't make afriend out of that.""You may be right," said Hazel. "But what's the good of a blue tit or a robin tous? They don't fly any distance. We need a big bird.""But why do you want a bird so particularly?""I'll explain later," said Hazel. "I'd like Blackberry and Fiver to hear as well.
But let's go underground now. If you don't want to chew pellets, I do."During the afternoon Hazel organized more work on the warren. TheHoneycomb was as good as finished -- though rabbits are not methodical and arenever really certain when anything is finished -- and the surrounding burrowsand runs were taking shape. Quite early in the evening, however, he made his wayonce more to the hollow. The bird was still there. It looked weaker and less alert,but snapped feebly as Hazel came up.
"Still here?" said Hazel. "You fight hawk?""No fight," answered the bird. "No fight, but vatch, vatch, alvays vatch. Ees nogood.""Hungry?"The bird made no reply.
"Listen," said Hazel. "Rabbits not eat birds. Rabbits eat grass. We help you.""Vat for 'elp me?""Never mind. We make you safe. Big hole. Food too."The bird considered. "Legs fine. Ving no good. 'E bad.""Well, walk, then.""You 'urt me, I 'urt you like damn."Hazel turned away. The bird spoke again.
"Ees long vay?""No, not far.""Come, den."It got up with a good deal of difficulty, staggering on its strong blood-red legs.
Then it opened its wings high above its body and Hazel jumped back, startled bythe great, arching span. But at once it closed them again, grimacing with pain.
"Ving no good. I come."It followed Hazel docilely enough across the grass, but he was careful to keepout of its reach. Their arrival outside the wood caused something of a sensation,which Hazel cut short with a peremptory sharpness quite unlike his usualmanner.
"Come on, get busy," he said to Dandelion and Buckthorn. "This bird's hurtand we're going to shelter it until it's better. Ask Bigwig to show you how to get itsome food. It eats worms and insects. Try grasshoppers, spiders -- anything.
Hawkbit! Acorn! Yes, and you too, Fiver -- come out of that rapt trance, orwhatever you're in. We need an open, wide hole, broader than it's deep, with a flatfloor a little below the level of the entrance: by nightfall.""We've been digging all the afternoon, Hazel--""I know. I'll come and help you," said Hazel, "in just a little while. Only getstarted. The night's coming."The astonished rabbits obeyed him, grumbling. Hazel's authority was put tosomething of a test, but held firm with the support of Bigwig. Although he had noidea what Hazel had in mind, Bigwig was fascinated by the strength and courageof the bird and had already accepted the idea of taking it in, without troublinghimself about the reason. He led the digging while Hazel explained to the bird, aswell as he could, how they lived, their ways of protecting themselves from theenemies and the kind of shelter they could provide. The amount of food therabbits produced was not very large, but once inside the wood the bird clearly feltsafer and was able to hobble about and do some foraging for itself.
By owl time Bigwig and his helpers had scratched out a kind of lobby inside theentrance to one of the runs leading down from the wood. They lined the floorwith beech twigs and leaves. As darkness began to fall, the bird was installed. Itwas still suspicious, but seemed to be in a good deal of pain. Evidently, since itcould not think of any better plan for itself, it was ready to try a rabbit hole tosave its life. From outside, they could see its dark head alert in the gloom, theblack eyes still watchful. It was not asleep when they themselves finished a latesilflay and went underground.
Black-headed gulls are gregarious. They live in colonies where they forage andfeed, chatter and fight all day long. Solitude and reticence are unnatural to them.
They move southward in the breeding season and at such times a wounded one isonly too likely to find itself deserted. The gull's savagery and suspicion had beendue partly to pain and partly to the unnerving knowledge that it had nocompanions and could not fly. By the following morning its natural instincts tomix with a flock and to talk were beginning to return. Bigwig made himself itscompanion. He would not hear of the gull going out to forage. Before ni-Frith therabbits had managed to produce as much as it could eat -- for a time, at all events-- and were able to sleep through the heat of the day. Bigwig, however, remainedwith the gull, making no secret of his admiration, talking and listening to it forseveral hours. At the evening feed he joined Hazel and Holly near the bank whereBluebell had told his story of El-ahrairah.
"How's the bird now?" asked Hazel.
"A good deal better, I think," replied Bigwig. "He's very tough, you know. Mygoodness, what a life he's had! You don't know what you're missing! I could sitand listen to him all day.""How was it hurt?""A cat jumped on him in a farmyard. He never heard it until the last moment.
It tore the muscle of one of his wings, but apparently he gave it something toremember before he made off. Then he got himself up here somehow or other andjust collapsed. Think of standing up to a cat! I can see now that I haven't reallystarted yet. Why shouldn't a rabbit stand up to a cat? Let's just suppose that--""But what is this bird?" interrupted Holly.
"Well, I can't quite make out," answered Bigwig. "But if I understand himproperly -- and I'm not at all sure that I do -- he says that where he comes fromthere are thousands of his kind -- more than we can possibly imagine. Their flocksmake the whole air white and in the breeding season their nests are like leaves ina wood -- so he says.""But where? I've never seen one, even.""He says," said Bigwig, looking very straight at Holly, "he says that a long wayfrom here the earth stops and there isn't any more.""Well, obviously it stops somewhere. What is there beyond?""Water.""A river, you mean?""No," said Bigwig, "not a river. He says there's a vast place of water, going onand on. You can't see to the other side. There isn't another side. At least there is,because he's been there. Oh, I don't know -- I must admit I can't altogetherunderstand it.""Was it telling you that it's been outside the world and come back again? Thatmust be untrue.""I don't know," said Bigwig, "but I'm sure he's not lying. This water,apparently, moves all the time and keeps breaking against the earth: and when hecan't hear that, he misses it. That's his name -- Kehaar. It's the noise the watermakes."The others were impressed in spite of themselves.
"Well, why's it here?" asked Hazel.
"He shouldn't be. He ought to have been off to this Big Water place a long timeago, to breed. Apparently a lot of them come away in winter, because it gets socold and wild. Then they go back in summer. But he's been hurt once already thisspring. It was nothing much, but it held him up. He rested and hung around arookery for a bit. Then he got stronger and left them, and he was coming alongwhen he stopped in the farmyard and met this foul cat.""So when it's better it'll go on again?" said Hazel.
"Yes.""We've been wasting our time, then.""Why, Hazel, what is it you have in mind?""Go and get Blackberry and Fiver: we'd better have Silver, too. Then I'llexplain."The quiet of the evening silflay, when the western sun shone straight along theridge, the grass tussocks threw shadows twice as long as themselves and the coolair smelled of thyme and dog roses, was something which they had all come toenjoy even more than former evenings in the meadows of Sandleford. Althoughthey could not know it, the down was more lonely than it had been for hundredsof years. There were no sheep, and villagers from Kingsclere and Sydmonton nolonger had any occasion to walk over the hills, either for business or for pleasure.
In the fields of Sandleford the rabbits had seen men almost every day. Here, sincetheir arrival, they had seen one, and him on a horse. Looking round the littlegroup that gathered on the grass, Hazel saw that all of them -- even Holly -- werelooking stronger, sleeker and in better shape than when they had first come to thedown. Whatever might lie ahead, at least he could feel that he had not failed themso far.
"We're doing well here," he began, "or so it seems to me. We're certainly not abunch of hlessil any more. But all the same, there's something on my mind. I'msurprised, as a matter of fact, that I should be the first one of us to start thinkingabout it. Unless we can find the answer, then this warren's as good as finished, inspite of all we've done.""Why, how can that be, Hazel?" said Bigwig.
"Do you remember Nildro-hain?" asked Hazel.
"She stopped running. Poor Strawberry.""I know. And we have no does -- not one -- and no does means no kittens andin a few years no warren."It may seem incredible that the rabbits had given no thought to so vital amatter. But men have made the same mistake more than once -- left the wholebusiness out of account, or been content to trust to luck and the fortune of war.
Rabbits live close to death and when death comes closer than usual, thinkingabout survival leaves little room for anything else. But now, in the eveningsunshine on the friendly, empty down, with a good burrow at his back and thegrass turning to pellets in his belly, Hazel knew that he was lonely for a doe. Theothers were silent and he could tell that his words had sunk in.
The rabbits grazed or lay basking in the sun. A lark went twittering up into thebrighter sunshine above, soared and sang and came slowly down, ending with asideways, spread-wing glide and a wagtail's run through the grass. The sundipped lower. At last Blackberry said, "What's to be done? Set out again?""I hope not," said Hazel. "It all depends. What I'd like to do is get hold of somedoes and bring them here.""Where from?""Another warren.""But are there any on these hills? How do we find out? The wind never bringsthe least smell of rabbits.""I'll tell you how," said Hazel "The bird. The bird will go and search for us.""Hazel-rah," cried Blackberry, "what a marvelous idea! That bird could find outin a day what we couldn't discover for ourselves in a thousand! But are youcertain it can be persuaded to do it? Surely as soon as it gets better if it'll simplyfly away and leave us?""I can't tell," answered Hazel. "All we can do is feed it and hope for the best.
But, Bigwig, since you seem to be getting on with it so well, perhaps you canexplain to it how much this means to us. It has only to fly over the downs and letus know what it sees.""You leave him to me," said Bigwig. "I think I know how to do it."Hazel's anxiety and the reason for it were soon known to all the rabbits andthere was not one who did not realize what they were up against. There wasnothing very startling in what he had said. He was simply the one -- as a ChiefRabbit ought to be -- through whom a strong feeling, latent throughout thewarren, had come to the surface. But his plan to make use of the gull excitedeveryone and was seen as something that not even Blackberry could have hitupon. Reconnaissance is familiar to all rabbits -- indeed, it is second nature -- butthe idea of making use of a bird, and one so strange and savage, convinced themthat Hazel, if he could really do it, must be as clever as El-ahrairah himself.
For the next few days a lot of hard work went into feeding Kehaar. Acorn andPipkin, boasting that they were the best insect-catchers in the warren, brought ingreat numbers of beetles and grasshoppers. At first the gull's principal hardshipwas lack of water. He suffered a good deal and was reduced to tearing at thestems of the long grasses for moisture. However, during his third night in thewarren it rained for three or four hours and puddles formed on the track. Acluttery spell set in, as it often does in Hampshire when haytime approaches.
High winds from the south laid the grass flat all day, turning it to a dull,damascene silver. The great branches of the beeches moved little, but spokeloudly. There were squalls of rain on the wind. The weather made Kehaar restless.
He walked about a good deal, watched the flying clouds and snapped upeverything the foragers brought. Searching became harder, for in the wet theinsects burrowed into the deep grass and had to be scratched out.
One afternoon Hazel, who now shared a burrow with Fiver as in the old days,was woken by Bigwig to be told that Kehaar had something to say to him. Hemade his way to Kehaar's lobby without coming above ground. The first thing henoticed was that the gull's head was molting and turning white, though a darkbrown patch remained behind each eye. Hazel greeted Him and was surprised tobe answered in a few words of halting, broken Lapine. Evidently Kehaar hadprepared a short speech.
"Meester 'Azel, ees rabbits vork 'ard," said Kehaar. "I no finish now. Soon I gofine.""That's good news," said Hazel. "I'm glad."Kehaar relapsed into hedgerow vernacular.
"Meester Pigvig, 'e plenty good fella.""Yes, he is.""'E say you no getting mudders. Ees finish mudders. Plenty trouble for you.""Yes, that's true. We don't know what to do. No mothers anywhere.""Listen. I get peeg, fine plan. I go fine now. Ving, 'e better. Vind finish, den Ifly. Fly for you. Find plenty mudders, tell you vere dey are, ya?""Why, what a splendid idea, Kehaar! How clever of you to think of it! You veryfine bird.""Ees finish mudders for me dis year. Ees too late. All mudders sitting on nestnow. Eggs come.""I'm sorry.""Nudder time I get mudder. Now I fly for you.""We'll do everything we possibly can to help you."The next day the wind dropped and Kehaar made one or two short flights.
However, it was not until three days later that he felt able to set out on his search.
It was a perfect June morning. He was snapping up numbers of the little white-shelled downland snails from the wet grass and cracking them in his great beak,when he suddenly turned to Bigwig and said,"Now I fly for you,"He opened his wings. The two-foot span arched above Bigwig, who satperfectly still while the white feathers beat the air round his head in a kind ofceremonious farewell. Laying his ears flat in the fanned draft, he stared up atKehaar as the gull rose, rather heavily, into the air. When he flew, his body, solong and graceful on the ground, took on the appearance of a thick, stumpycylinder, from the front of which his red beak projected between his round blackeyes. For a few moments he hovered, his body rising and falling between hiswings. Then he began to climb, sailed sideways over the grass and disappearednorthward below the edge of the escarpment. Bigwig returned to the hanger withthe news that Kehaar had set out.
The gull was away several days -- longer than the rabbits had expected. Hazelcould not help wondering whether he really would return, for he knew thatKehaar, like themselves, felt the mating urge and he thought it quite likely thatafter all he would be off to the Big Water and the raucous, teeming gull coloniesof which he had spoken with such feeling to Bigwig. As far as he was able, he kepthis anxiety to himself, but one day when they were alone, he asked Fiver whetherhe thought Kehaar would return.
"He will return," said Fiver unhesitatingly.
"And what will he bring with him?""How can I tell?" replied Fiver. But later, when they were underground, silentand drowsy, he said suddenly, "The gifts of El-ahrairah. Trickery; great danger;and blessing for the warren." When Hazel questioned him again, he seemed to beunaware that he had spoken and could add nothing more.
Bigwig spent most of the hours of daylight watching for Kehaar's return. Hewas inclined to be surly and short, and once, when Bluebell remarked that hethought Meester Pigvig's fur cap was molting in sympathy for absent friends, heshowed a flash of his old sergeant-major spirit and cuffed and abused him twiceround the Honeycomb, until Holly intervened to save his faithful jester fromfurther trouble.
It was late one afternoon, with a light north wind blowing and the smell of haydrifting up from the fields of Sydmonton, when Bigwig came hurtling down intothe Honeycomb to announce that Kehaar was back. Hazel suppressed hisexcitement and told everyone to keep out of the way while he went to see himalone. On second thoughts, however, he took Fiver and Bigwig with him.
The three of them found Kehaar back in his lobby. It was full of droppings,messy and malodorous. Rabbits will not excrete underground and Kehaar's habitof fouling his own nest had always disgusted Hazel. Now, in his eagerness to hearhis news, the guano smell seemed almost welcome.
"Glad to see you back, Kehaar," he said. "Are you tired?""Ving 'e still go tired. Fly liddle bit, stop liddle bit, everyt'ing go fine.""Are you hungry? Shall we get you some insects?""Fine. Fine. Good fellas. Plenty beetle." (All insects were "beetle" to Kehaar.)Clearly, he had missed their attentions and was ready to enjoy being back.
Although he no longer needed to have food brought to the lobby, he evidently feltthat he deserved it. Bigwig went to get his foragers and Kehaar kept them busyuntil sunset At last he looked shrewdly at Fiver and said,"Eh, Meester Liddle Von, you know vat I pring, ya?""I've no idea," replied Fiver, rather shortly.
"Den I tell. All dis peeg 'ill, I go along 'im, dis vay, dat vay, vere sun come up,vere sun go down. Ees no rabbits. Ees nodings, nodings."He stopped. Hazel looked at Fiver apprehensively.
"Den I go down, go down in bottom. Ees farm vid peeg trees all round, onliddle hill. You know?""No, we don't know it. But go on.""I show you. 'E not far. You see 'im. Und here ees rabbits. Ees rabbits live inbox; live vid men. You know?""Live with men? Did you say 'live with men'?""Ya, ya, live vid men. In shed; rabbits live in box in shed. Men pring food. Youknow?""I know this happens," said Hazel. "I've heard of it. That's fine, Kehaar. You'vebeen very thorough. But it can't help us, can it?""I t'ink ees mudders. In peeg box. But else ees no rabbits; not in fields, not invoods. No rabbits. Anyvays I no see 'em.""That sounds bad.""Vait. I tell more. Now you 'ear. I go flying, oder vay, vere sun go middle of day.
You know, dis vay ees Peeg Vater.""Did you go to the Big Water, then?" asked Bigwig.
"Na, na, not near so far. But out dis vay ees river, you know?""No, we haven't been so far.""Ees river," repeated Kehaar. "Und here ees town of rabbits.""On the other side of the river?""Na, na. You go dat vay, ees peeg fields all de vay. Den after long vay ees cometo town of rabbits, ver' big. Und after dat ees iron road und den river.""Iron road?" asked Fiver.
"Ya, ya, iron road. You not seen heem -- iron road? Men make heem."Kehaar's speech was so outlandish and distorted at the best of times that it wasonly too common for the rabbits to be unsure what he meant. The vernacularwords which he used now for "iron" and "road" (familiar enough to seagulls) hislisteners had scarcely ever heard. Kehaar was quick to impatience and now, asoften, they felt at a disadvantage in the face of his familiarity with a wider worldthan their own. Hazel thought quickly. Two things were clear. Kehaar hadevidently found a big warren some way off to the south: and whatever the ironroad was, the warren was on this side both of it and of a river. If he hadunderstood rightly, it seemed to follow that the iron road and the river could beignored for their purposes.
"Kehaar," he said, "I want to be certain. Can we get to the rabbits' town withoutbothering about the iron road and the river?""Ya, ya. Not go to iron road. Rabbits' town in bushes for peeg, lonely fields.
Plenty mudders.""How long would it take to go from here to the -- to the town?""I t'ink two days. Ees long vay.""Good for you, Kehaar. You've done everything we hoped. You rest now. We'llfeed you as long as you want""Sleep now. Tomorrow plenty beetle, ya, ya."The rabbits made their way back to the Honeycomb. Hazel told Kehaar's newsand a long, disorderly, intermittent discussion began. This was their way ofreaching a conclusion. The fact that there was a warren two or three days' journeyto the south flickered and oscillated down among them as a penny wavers downthrough deep water moving one way and the other, shifting, vanishing,reappearing, but always sinking toward the firm bottom. Hazel let the talk run onas long as it would, until at last they dispersed and slept.
The next morning they went about their lives as usual, feeding Kehaar andthemselves, playing and digging. But all this time, just as a drop of water slowlyswells until it is heavy enough to fall from a twig, the idea of what they meant todo was becoming clear and unanimous. By the following day Hazel saw it plain. Itso happened that the time for speaking came when he was sitting on the bank atsunrise, with Fiver and three or four others. There was no need to summon ageneral gathering. The thing was settled. When it reached them, those who werenot there would accept what he had said without having heard him at all.
"This warren that Kehaar found," said Hazel, "he said it was big.""So we can't take it by force," said Bigwig.
"I don't think I want to go and join it," said Hazel. "Do you?""And leave here?" replied Dandelion. "After all our work? Besides, I reckonwe'd have a thin time. No, I'm sure none of us wants to do that.""What we want is to get some does and bring them back here," said Hazel.
"Will that be difficult, do you think?""I should have thought not," said Holly. "Big warrens are often overcrowdedand some of the rabbits can't get enough to eat. The young does get edgy andnervous and some of them don't have any kittens on that account. At least, thekittens begin to grow inside them and then they melt away again into theirbodies. You know this?""I didn't know," said Strawberry.
"That's because you've never been overcrowded. But our warren -- theThrearah's warren -- was overcrowded a year or two back and a lot of the youngerdoes were re-absorbing their litters before they were born. The Threarah told methat long ago El-ahrairah made a bargain with Frith. Frith promised him thatrabbits were not to be born dead or unwanted. If there's little chance of a decentlife for them, it's a doe's privilege to take them back into her body unborn.""Yes, I remember the bargain story," said Hazel. "So you think there may bediscontented does? That's hopeful. We're agreed, then, that we ought to send anexpedition to this warren and that there's a good chance of being successfulwithout fighting. Do you want everyone to go?""I'd say not," said Blackberry. "Two or three days' journey; and we're all indanger, both going and coming. It would be less dangerous for three or fourrabbits than for hrair. Three or four can travel quickly and aren't conspicuous:
and the Chief Rabbit of this warren would be less likely to object to a fewstrangers coming with a civil request.""I'm sure that's right," said Hazel. "We'll send four rabbits: and they canexplain how we come to be in this difficulty and ask to be allowed to persuadesome does to come back with them. I don't see that any Chief Rabbit can object tothat. I wonder which of us would be the best to send?""Hazel-rah, you mustn't go," said Dandelion. "You're needed here and we don'twant to risk you. Everyone's agreed on that."Hazel had known already that they would not let him lead the embassy. It wasa disappointment, but nevertheless he felt that they were right The other warrenwould have little opinion of a Chief Rabbit who ran his own errands. Besides, hewas not particularly impressive in appearance or as a speaker. This was a job forsomeone else.
"All right," he said. "I knew you wouldn't let me go. I'm not the right fellowanyway -- Holly is. He knows everything about moving in the open and he'll beable to talk well when he gets there."No one contradicted this. Holly was the obvious choice, but to select hiscompanions was less easy. Everyone was ready to go, but the business was soimportant that at last they considered each rabbit in turn, discussing who wouldbe the most likely to survive the long journey, to arrive in good shape and to godown well in a strange warren. Bigwig, rejected on the grounds that he mightquarrel in strange company, was inclined to be sulky at first, but came roundwhen he remembered that he could go on looking after Kehaar. Holly himselfwanted to take Bluebell but, as Blackberry said, one funny joke at the expense ofthe Chief Rabbit might ruin everything. Finally they chose Silver, Buckthorn andStrawberry. Strawberry said little, but was obviously very much pleased. He hadsuffered a good deal to show that he was no coward and now he had thesatisfaction of knowing that he was worth something to his new friends.
They started early in the morning, in the gray light. Kehaar had undertaken tofly out later in the day, to make sure they were going in the right direction andbring back news of their progress. Hazel and Bigwig went with them to thesouthern end of the hanger and watched as they slipped away, heading to the westof the distant farm. Holly seemed confident and the other three were in highspirits. Soon they were lost to sight in the grass and Hazel and Bigwig turned backinto the wood.
"Well, we've done the best we can," said Hazel. "The rest's up to them and toEl-ahrairah now. But surely it ought to be all right?""Not a doubt of it," said Bigwig. "Let's hope they're back soon. I'm lookingforward to a nice doe and a litter of kittens in my burrow. Lots of little Bigwigs,Hazel! Think of that, and tremble!"
24. Nuthanger Farm
When Robyn came to Notyngham,Sertenly withouten layn,He prayed to God and myld MaryTo bryng hym out save agayn.
Beside him stod a gret-hedid munke,I pray to God woo he be!
Fful sone he knew gode Robyn,As sone as he hym se.
Robin Hood and the Monk (Child's Ballads, No. 119)Hazel sat on the bank in the midsummer night. There had been no more thanfive hours' darkness and that of a pallid, twilit quality which kept him wakefuland restless. Everything was going well. Kehaar had found Holly during theafternoon and corrected his line a little to the west. He had left him in the shelterof a thick hedge, sure of his course for the big warren. It seemed certain now thattwo days would be enough for the journey. Bigwig and some of the other rabbitshad already begun enlarging their burrows in preparation for Holly's return.
Kehaar had had a violent quarrel with a kestrel, screaming insults in a voice fit tostartle a Cornish harbor: and although it had ended inconclusively, the kestrelseemed likely to regard the neighborhood of the hanger with healthy respect forthe future. Things had not looked better since they had first set out fromSandleford.
A spirit of happy mischief entered into Hazel. He felt as he had on the morningwhen they crossed the Enborne and he had set out alone and found the beanfield.
He was confident and ready for adventure. But what adventure? Something worthtelling to Holly and Silver on their return. Something to -- well, not to diminishwhat they were going to do. No, of course not -- but just to show them that theirChief Rabbit was up to anything that they were up to. He thought it over as hehopped down the bank and sniffed out a patch of salad burnet in the grass. What,now, would be likely to give them just a little, not unpleasant shock? Suddenly hethought, "Suppose, when they got back, that there were one or two does herealready?" And in the same moment he remembered what Kehaar had said about abox full of rabbits at the farm. What sort of rabbits could they be? Did they evercome out of their box? Had they ever seen a wild rabbit? Kehaar had said that thefarm was not far from the foot of the down, on a little hill. So it could easily bereached in the early morning, before its men were about. Any dogs wouldprobably be chained, but the cats would be loose. A rabbit could outrun a cat aslong as he kept in the open and saw it coming first. The important thing was notto be stalked unawares. He should be able to move along the hedgerows withoutattracting elil, unless he was very unlucky.
But what did he intend to do, exactly? Why was he going to the farm? Hazelfinished the last of the burnet and answered himself in the starlight. "I'll just havea look round," he said, "and if I can find those box rabbits I'll try to talk to them;nothing more than that. I'm not going to take any risks -- well, not real risks --not until I see whether it's worth it, anyway."Should he go alone? It would be safer and more pleasant to take a companion;but not more than one. They must not attract attention. Who would be best?
Bigwig? Dandelion? Hazel rejected them. He needed someone who would do ashe was told and not start having ideas of his own. At once he thought of Pipkin.
Pipkin would follow him without question and do anything he asked. At thismoment he was probably asleep in the burrow which he shared with Bluebell andAcorn, down a short run leading off the Honeycomb.
Hazel was lucky. He found Pipkin close to the mouth of the burrow and alreadyawake. He brought him out without disturbing the other two rabbits and led himup by the run that gave on the bank. Pipkin looked about him uncertainly,bewildered and half expecting some danger.
"It's all right, Hlao-roo," said Hazel. "There's nothing to be afraid of. I wantyou to come down the hill and help me to find a farm I've heard about. We're justgoing to have a look round it.""Round a farm, Hazel-rah? What for? Won't it be dangerous? Cats and dogsand--""No, you'll be quite all right with me. Just you and me -- I don't want anyoneelse. I've got a secret plan; you mustn't tell the others -- for the time being,anyway. I particularly want you to come and no one else will do."This had exactly the effect that Hazel intended. Pipkin needed no furtherpersuasion and they set off together, over the grass track, across the turf beyondand down the escarpment. They went through the narrow belt of trees and cameinto the field where Holly had called Bigwig in the dark. Here Hazel paused,sniffing and listening. It was the time before dawn when owls return, usuallyhunting as they go. Although a full-grown rabbit is not really in danger from owls,there are few who take no account of them. Stoats and foxes might be abroadalso, but the night was still and damp and Hazel, secure in his mood of gayconfidence, felt sure that he would either smell or hear any hunter on four feet.
Wherever the farm might be, it must lie beyond the road that ran along theopposite edge of the field. He set off at an easy pace, with Pipkin close behind.
Moving quietly in and out of the hedgerow up which Holly and Bluebell had comeand passing, on their way, under the cables humming faintly in the darknessabove, they took only a few minutes to reach the road.
There are times when we know for a certainty that all is well. A batsman whohas played a fine innings will say afterward that he felt he could not miss the ball,and a speaker or an actor, on his lucky day, can sense his audience carrying himas though he were swimming in miraculous, buoyant water. Hazel had this feelingnow. All round him was the quiet summer night, luminous with starlight butpaling to dawn on one side. There was nothing to fear and he felt ready to skipthrough a thousand farmyards one after the other. As he sat with Pipkin on thebank above the tar-smelling road, it did not strike him as particularly lucky whenhe saw a young rat scuttle across from the opposite hedge and disappear into aclump of fading stitchwort below them. He had known that some guide or otherwould turn up. He scrambled quickly down the bank and found the rat nosing inthe ditch.
"The farm," said Hazel, "where's the farm -- near here, on a little hill?"The rat stared at him with twitching whiskers. It had no particular reason to befriendly, but there was something in Hazel's look that made a civil answernatural.
"Over road. Up lane."The sky was growing lighter each moment. Hazel crossed the road withoutwaiting for Pipkin, who caught him up under the hedge bordering the near side ofthe little lane. From here, after another listening pause, they began to make theirway up the slope toward the northern skyline.
Nuthanger is like a farm in an old tale. Between Ecchinswell and the foot ofWatership Down and about half a mile from each, there is a broad knoll, steeperon the north side but falling gently on the south -- like the down ridge itself.
Narrow lanes climb both slopes and come together in a great ring of elm treeswhich encircles the flat summit. Any wind -- even the lightest -- draws from theheight of the elms a rushing sound, multifoliate and powerful. Within this ringstands the farmhouse, with its barns and outbuildings. The house may be twohundred years old or it may be older, built of brick, with a stone-faced frontlooking south toward the down. On the east side, in front of the house, a barnstands clear of the ground on staddle stones; and opposite is the cow byre.
As Hazel and Pipkin reached the top of the slope, the first light showed clearlythe farmyard and buildings. The birds singing all about them were those to whichthey had been accustomed in former days. A robin on a low branch twittered aphrase and listened for another that answered him from beyond the farmhouse. Achaffinch gave its little falling song and further off, high in an elm, a chiffchaffbegan to call. Hazel stopped and then sat up, the better to scent the air. Powerfulsmells of straw and cow dung mingled with those of elm leaves, ashes and cattlefeed. Fainter traces came to his nose as the overtones of a bell sound in a trainedear. Tobacco, naturally: a good deal of cat and rather less dog and then, suddenlyand beyond doubt, rabbit. He looked at Pipkin and saw that he, too, had caught it.
While these scents reached them they were also listening. But beyond the lightmovements of birds and the first buzzing of the flies immediately around them,they could hear nothing but the continual susurration of the trees. Under thenorthern steep of the down the air had been still, but here the southerly breezewas magnified by the elms, with their myriads of small, fluttering leaves, just asthe effect of sunlight on a garden is magnified by dew. The sound, coming fromthe topmost branches, disturbed Hazel because it suggested some huge approach-- an approach that was never completed: and he and Pipkin remained still forsome time, listening tensely to this loud yet meaningless vehemence highoverhead.
They saw no cat, but near the house stood a flat-roofed dog kennel. They couldjust glimpse the dog asleep inside -- a large, smooth-haired, black dog, with headon paws. Hazel could not see a chain; but then, after a moment, he noticed theline of a thin rope that came out through the kennel door and ended in some sortof fastening on the roof. "Why a rope?" he wondered and then thought, "Becausea restless dog cannot rattle it in the night."The two rabbits began to wander among the outbuildings. At first they tookcare to remain in cover and continually on the watch for cats. But they saw noneand soon grew bolder, crossing open spaces and even stopping to nibble atdandelions in the patches of weeds and rough grass. Guided by scent, Hazel madehis way to a low-roofed shed. The door was half open and he went through it withscarcely a pause at the brick threshold. Immediately opposite the door, on abroad wooden shelf -- a kind of platform -- stood a wire-fronted hutch. Throughthe mesh he could see a brown bowl, some greenstuff and the ears of two or threerabbits. As he stared, one of the rabbits came close to the wire, looked out andsaw him.
Beside the platform, on the near side, was an up-ended bale of straw. Hazeljumped lightly on it and from there to the thick planks, which were old and soft-surfaced, dusty and covered with chaff. Then he turned back to Pipkin, waitingjust inside the door.
"Hlao-roo," he said, "there's only one way out of this place. You'll have to keepwatching for cats or we may be trapped. Stay at the door and if you see a catoutside, tell me at once.""Right, Hazel-rah," said Pipkin. "It's all clear at the moment."Hazel went up to the side of the hutch. The wired front projected over the edgeof the shelf so that he could neither reach it nor look in, but there was a knotholein one of the boards facing him and on the far side he could see a twitching nose.
"I am Hazel-rah," he said. "I have come to talk to you. Can you understandme?"The answer was in slightly strange but perfectly intelligible Lapine.
"Yes, we understand you. My name is Boxwood. Where do you come from?""From the hills. My friends and I live as we please, without men. We eat thegrass, lie in the sun and sleep underground. How many are you?""Four. Bucks and does.""Do you ever come out?""Yes, sometimes. A child takes us out and puts us in a pen on the grass.""I have come to tell you about my warren. We need more rabbits. We want youto run away from the farm and join us.""There's a wire door at the back of this hutch," said Boxwood. "Come downthere: we can talk more easily."The door was made of wire netting on a wooden frame, with two leather hingesnailed to the uprights and a hasp and staple fastened with a twist of wire. Fourrabbits were crowded against the wire, pressing their noses through the mesh.
Two -- Laurel and Clover -- were short-haired black Angoras. The others,Boxwood and his doe Haystack, were black-and-white Himalayans.
Hazel began to speak about the life of the downs and the excitement andfreedom enjoyed by wild rabbits. In his usual straightforward way he told aboutthe predicament of his warren in having no does and how he had come to look forsome. "But," he said, "we don't want to steal your does. All four of you arewelcome to join us, bucks and does alike. There's plenty for everyone on thehills." He went on to talk of the evening feed in the sunset and of early morning inthe long grass.
The hutch rabbits seemed at once bewildered and fascinated. Clover, theAngora doe -- a strong, active rabbit -- was clearly excited by Hazel's descriptionand asked several questions about the warren and the downs. It became plainthat they thought of their life in the hutch as dull but safe. They had learned agood deal about elil from some source or other and seemed sure that few wildrabbits survived for long. Hazel realized that although they were glad to talk tohim and welcomed his visit because it brought a little excitement and change intotheir monotonous life, it was not within their capacity to take a decision and acton it. They did not know how to make up their minds. To him and hiscompanions, sensing and acting was second nature; but these rabbits had neverhad to act to save their lives or even to find a meal. If he was going to get any ofthem as far as the down, they would have to be urged. He sat quiet for a little,nibbling a patch of bran spilled on the boards outside the hutch. Then he said,"I must go back now to my friends in the hills: but we shall return. We shallcome one night, and when we do, believe me, we shall open your hutch as easilyas the farmer does: and then, any of you who wish will be free to come with us."Boxwood was about to reply when suddenly Pipkin spoke from the floor.
"Hazel, there's a cat in the yard outside!""We're not afraid of cats," said Hazel to Boxwood, "as long as we're in theopen." Trying to appear unhurried, he went back to the floor by way of the strawbale and crossed over to the door. Pipkin was looking through the hinge. He wasplainly frightened.
"I think it's smelled us, Hazel," he said. "I'm afraid it knows where we are.""Don't stay there, then," said Hazel. "Follow me close and run when I do."Without waiting to look out through the hinge, he went round the half-open doorof the shed and stopped on the threshold.
The cat, a tabby with white chest and paws, was at the further end of the littleyard, walking slowly and deliberately along the side of a pile of logs. When Hazelappeared in the doorway it saw him at once and stood stock still, with staring eyesand twitching tail. Hazel hopped slowly across the threshold and stopped again.
Already sunlight was slanting across the yard, and in the stillness the flies buzzedabout a patch of dung a few feet away. There was a smell of straw and dust andhawthorn.
"You look hungry," said Hazel to the cat. "Rats getting too clever, I suppose?"The cat made no reply. Hazel sat blinking in the sunshine. The cat crouchedalmost flat on the ground, thrusting its head forward between its front paws.
Close behind, Pipkin fidgeted and Hazel, never taking his eyes from the cat, couldsense that he was trembling.
"Don't be frightened, Hlao-roo," he whispered, "I'll get you away, but you mustwait till it comes for us. Keep still."The cat began to lash its tail. Its hindquarters lifted and wagged from side toside in mounting excitement.
"Can you run?" said Hazel. "I think not. Why, you pop-eyed, back-door saucer-scraper--"The cat flung itself across the yard and the two rabbits leaped into flight withgreat thrusts of their hind legs. The cat came very fast indeed and although bothof them had been braced ready to move on the instant, they were barely out of theyard in time. Racing up the side of the long barn, they heard the Labrador barkingin excitement as it ran to the full extent of its rope. A man's voice shouted to it.
From the cover of the hedge beside the lane they turned and looked back. The cathad stopped short and was licking one paw with a pretense of nonchalance.
"They hate to look silly," said Hazel. "It won't give us any more trouble. If ithadn't charged at us like that, it would have followed us much further andprobably called up another as well. And somehow you can't make a dash unlessthey do it first. It's a good thing you saw it coming, Hlao-roo.""I'm glad if I helped, Hazel. But what were we up to, and why did you talk tothe rabbits in the box?""I'll tell you all about it later on. Let's go into the field now and feed; then wecan make our way home as slowly as you like."
25. The Raid
He went consenting, or else he was no king.... It was no one's place to say tohim, "It is time to make the offering."Mary Renault, The King Must DieAs things turned out, Hazel and Pipkin did not come back to the Honeycombuntil the evening. They were still feeding in the field when it came on to rain, witha cold wind, and they took shelter first in the nearby ditch and then -- since theditch was on a slope and had a fair flow of rainwater in about ten minutes --among some sheds halfway down the lane. They burrowed into a thick pile ofstraw and for some time remained listening for rats. But all was quiet and theygrew drowsy and fell asleep, while outside the rain settled in for the morning.
When they woke it was mid-afternoon and still drizzling. It seemed to Hazel thatthere was no particular hurry. The going would be troublesome in the wet, andanyway no self-respecting rabbit could leave without a forage round the sheds. Apile of mangels and swedes occupied them for some time and they set out onlywhen the light was beginning to fade. They took their time and reached thehanger a little before dark, with nothing worse to trouble them than thediscomfort of soaking-wet fur. Only two or three of the rabbits were out to arather subdued silflay in the wet. No one remarked on their absence and Hazelwent underground at once, telling Pipkin to say nothing about their adventure forthe time being. He found his burrow empty, lay down and fell asleep.
Waking, he found Fiver beside him as usual. It was some time before dawn.
The earth floor felt pleasantly dry and snug and he was about to go back to sleepwhen Fiver spoke.
"You've been wet through, Hazel.""Well, what about it? The grass is wet, you know.""You didn't get so wet on silflay. You were soaked. You weren't here at allyesterday, were you?""Oh, I went foraging down the hill.""Eating swedes: and your feet smell of farmyard -- hens' droppings and bran.
But there's some other funny thing besides -- something I can't smell. Whathappened?""Well, I had a bit of a brush with a cat, but why worry?""Because you're concealing something, Hazel. Something dangerous.""It's Holly that's in danger, not I. Why bother about me?""Holly?" replied Fiver in surprise. "But Holly and the others reached the bigwarren early yesterday evening. Kehaar told us. Do you mean to say you didn'tknow?"Hazel felt fairly caught out. "Well, I know now," he replied. "I'm glad to hearit.""So it comes to this," said Fiver. "You went to a farm yesterday and escapedfrom a cat. And whatever you were up to, it was so much on your mind that youforgot to ask about Holly last night.""Well, all right, Fiver -- I'll tell you all about it. I took Pipkin and went to thatfarm that Kehaar told us about where there are rabbits in a hutch. I found therabbits and talked to them and I've taken a notion to go back one night and getthem out, to come and join us here.""What for?""Well, two of them are does, that's what for.""But if Holly's successful we shall soon have plenty of does: and from all I'veever heard of hutch rabbits, they don't take easily to wild life. The truth is, you'rejust a silly show-off.""A silly show-off?" said Hazel. "Well, we'll just see whether Bigwig andBlackberry think so.""Risking your life and other rabbits' lives for something that's of little or novalue to us," said Fiver. "Oh, yes, of course the others will go with you. You'retheir Chief Rabbit. You're supposed to decide what's sensible and they trust you.
Persuading them will prove nothing, but three or four dead rabbits will proveyou're a fool, when it's too late.""Oh, be quiet," answered Hazel. "I'm going to sleep."During silflay next morning, with Pipkin for a respectful chorus, he told theothers about his visit to the farm. As he had expected, Bigwig jumped at the ideaof a raid to free the hutch rabbits.
"It can't go wrong," he said. "It's a splendid idea, Hazel! I don't know how youopen a hutch, but Blackberry will see to that. What annoys me is to think you ranfrom that cat. A good rabbit's a match for a cat, any day. My mother went for oneonce and she fairly gave it something to remember, I can tell you: scratched itsfur out like willow herb in autumn! Just leave the farm cats to me and one or twoof the others!"Blackberry took a little more convincing, but he, like Bigwig and Hazel himself,was secretly disappointed not to have gone on the expedition with Holly; andwhen the other two pointed out that they were relying on him to tell them how toget the hutch open, he agreed to come.
"Do we need to take everyone?" he asked. "You say the dog's tied up and Isuppose there can't be more than three cats. Too many rabbits will only be anuisance in the dark: someone will get lost and we shall have to spend timelooking for him.""Well, Dandelion, Speedwell and Hawkbit, then," said Bigwig, "and leave theothers behind. Do you mean to go tonight, Hazel-rah?""Yes, the sooner the better," said Hazel. "Get hold of those three and tell them.
Pity it's going to be dark -- we could have taken Kehaar: he'd have enjoyed it."However, their hopes for that night were disappointed, for the rain returnedbefore dusk, settling in on a northwest wind and carrying up the hill the sweet-sour smell of flowering privet from cottage hedges below. Hazel sat on the bankuntil the light had quite faded. At last, when it was clear that the rain was going tostay for the night, he joined the others in the Honeycomb. They had persuadedKehaar to come down out of the wind and wet, and one of Dandelion's tales of El-ahrairah was followed by an extraordinary story that left everyone mystified butfascinated, about a time when Frith had to go away on a journey, leaving thewhole world to be covered with rain. But a man built a great floating hutch thatheld all the animals and birds until Frith returned and let them out.
"It won't happen tonight, will it, Hazel-rah?" asked Pipkin, listening to the rainin the beech leaves outside. "There's no hutch here.""Kehaar'll fly you up to the moon, Hlao-roo," said Bluebell, "and you can comedown on Bigwig's head like a birch branch in the frost. But there's time to go tosleep first."Before Fiver slept, however, he talked again to Hazel about the raid.
"I suppose it's no good asking you not to go?" he said.
"Look here," answered Hazel, "have you got one of your bad turns about thefarm? If you have, why not say so straight out? Then we'd all know where wewere.""I've no feelings about the farm one way or the other," said Fiver. "But thatdoesn't necessarily mean it's all right. The feelings come when they will -- theydon't always come. Not for the lendri, not for the crow. If it comes to that, I've noidea what's happening to Holly and the others. It might be good or bad. Butthere's something that frightens me about you yourself, Hazel: just you, not anyof the others. You're all alone, sharp and clear, like a dead branch against thesky.""Well, if you mean you can see trouble for me and not for any of the others, tellthem and I'll leave it to them to decide whether I ought to keep out of it. Butthat's giving up a lot, Fiver, you know. Even with your word for it, someone'sbound to think I'm afraid.""Well, I say it's not worth the risk, Hazel. Why not wait for Holly to come back?
That's all we have to do.""I'll be snared if I wait for Holly. Can't you see that the very thing I want is tohave these does here when he comes back? But look, Fiver, I'll tell you what. I'vecome to trust you so much that I'll take the greatest care. In fact, I won't even gointo the farmyard myself. I'll stay outside, at the top of the lane: and if that's notmeeting your fears halfway, then I don't know what is."Fiver said no more and Hazel turned his thoughts to the raid and the difficultyhe foresaw of getting the hutch rabbits to go the distance back to the warren.
The next day was bright and dry, with a fresh wind that cleared up whatremained of the wet. The clouds came racing over the ridge from the south as theyhad on the May evening when Hazel first climbed the down. But now they werehigher and smaller, settling at last into a mackerel sky like a beach at low tide.
Hazel took Bigwig and Blackberry to the edge of the escarpment, whence theycould look across to Nuthanger on its little hill. He described the approach andwent on to explain how the rabbit hutch was to be found. Bigwig was in highspirits. The wind and the prospect of action excited him and he spent some timewith Dandelion, Hawkbit and Speedwell, pretending to be a cat and encouragingthem to attack him as realistically as they could. Hazel, whose talk with Fiver hadsomewhat clouded him, recovered as he watched them tussling over the grass andended by joining in himself, first as an attacker and then as the cat, staring andquivering for all the world like the Nuthanger tabby.
"I shall be disappointed if we don't meet a cat after all this," said Dandelion, ashe waited for his turn to run at a fallen beech branch from one side, claw it twiceand dash out again. "I feel a really dangerous animal.""You vatch heem, Meester Dando," said Kehaar, who was hunting for snails inthe grass nearby, "Meester Pigvig, 'e vant you t'ink all vun peeg yoke; make youprave. Cat 'e no yoke. You no see 'im, you no 'ear 'im. Den yomp! 'E come.""But we're not going there to eat, Kehaar," said Bigwig. "That makes all thedifference. We shan't stop watching for cats the whole time.""Why not eat the cat?" said Bluebell. "Or bring one back here for breeding?
That ought to improve the warren stock no end."Hazel and Bigwig had decided that the raid should be carried out as soon afterdark as the farm was quiet. This meant that they would cover the half mile to theoutlying sheds at sunset, instead of risking the confusion of a night journey overground that only Hazel knew. They could steal a meal among the swedes, halt tilldarkness and cover the short distance to the farm after a good rest. Then --provided they could cope with the cats -- there would be plenty of time to tacklethe hutch; whereas if they were to arrive at dawn they would be working againsttime before men came on the scene. Finally, the hutch rabbits would not bemissed until the following morning.
"And remember," said Hazel, "it'll probably take these rabbits a long time toget to the down. We shall have to be patient with them. I'd rather do that indarkness, elil or no elil. We don't want to be messing about in broad daylight.""If it comes to the worst," said Bigwig, "we can leave the hutch rabbits and bolt.
Elil take the hindmost, don't they? I know it's tough, but if there's real trouble weought to save our own rabbits first. Let's hope that doesn't happen, though."When they came to set out, Fiver was nowhere to be seen. Hazel felt relieved,for he had been afraid that Fiver might say something that would lower theirspirits. But there was nothing worse to contend with than Pipkin'sdisappointment at being left behind; and this was dispelled when Hazel assuredhim that the only reason was that he had already done his bit. Bluebell, Acorn andPipkin came with them to the foot of the hill and watched them down thehedgerow.
They reached the sheds in the twilight after sunset The summer nightfall wasunbroken by owls and so quiet that they could plainly hear the intermittent,monotonous "Chug chug chug" of a nightingale in the distant woods. Two ratsamong the swedes showed their teeth, thought better of it and left them alone.
When they had foraged, they rested comfortably in the straw until the westernlight was quite gone.
Rabbits do not name the stars, but nevertheless Hazel was familiar with thesight of Capella rising; and he watched it now until it stood gold and bright in thedark northeastern horizon to the right of the farm. When it reached a certainpoint which he had fixed, beside a bare branch, he roused the others and led themup the slope toward the elms. Near the top he slipped through the hedge andbrought them down into the lane.
Hazel had already told Bigwig of his promise to Fiver to keep out of danger;and Bigwig, who had changed much since the early days, had no fault to find.
"If that's what Fiver says, you'd better do it, Hazel," he said. "Anyhow it'll suitus. You stay outside the farm in a safe place and we'll bring the rabbits out to you:
then you can take over and get us all away." What Hazel had not said was that theidea that he should remain in the lane was his own suggestion, and that Fiver hadacquiesced only because he could not persuade him to give up the idea of the raidaltogether.
Crouching under a fallen branch on the verge of the lane, Hazel watched theothers as they followed Bigwig down toward the farmyard. They went slowly,rabbit fashion, hop, step and pause. The night was dark and they were soon out ofsight, though he could hear them moving down the side of the long barn. Hesettled down to wait.
Bigwig's hopes of action were fulfilled almost at once. The cat that he met as hereached the far end of the barn was not Hazel's tabby, but another; ginger, blackand white (and therefore a female); one of those slim, trotting, quick-moving,tail-twitching cats that sit on farm windowsills in the rain or keep watch from thetops of sacks on sunny afternoons. It came briskly round the corner of the barn,saw the rabbits and stopped dead.
Without an instant's hesitation Bigwig went straight for it, as though it hadbeen the beech branch on the down. But quicker even than he Dandelion ranforward, scratched it and leaped clear. As it turned, Bigwig threw his full weightupon it from the other side. The cat closed with him, biting and scratching, andBigwig rolled over on the ground. The others could hear him swearing like a cathimself and struggling for a hold. Then he sank one back leg into the cat's sideand kicked backward rapidly, several times.
Anyone who is familiar with cats knows that they do not care for a determinedassailant. A dog that tries to make itself pleasant to a cat may very well getscratched for its pains. But let that same dog rush in to the attack and many a catwill not wait to meet it. The farm cat was bewildered by the speed and fury ofBigwig's charge. It was no weakling and a good ratter, but it had the bad luck tobe up against a dedicated fighter who was spoiling for action. As it scrabbled outof Bigwig's reach, Speedwell cuffed it across the face. This was the last blowstruck, for the wounded cat made off across the yard and disappeared under thefence of the cow byre.
Bigwig was bleeding from three deep, parallel scratches on the inside of onehind leg. The others gathered round, praising him, but he cut them short, lookinground the dark yard as he tried to get his bearings.
"Come on," he said. "Quickly, too, while the dog's still quiet. The shed: thehutch -- where do we go?"It was Hawkbit who found the little yard. Hazel had been anxious in case theshed door might be shut; but it stood just ajar and the five of them slipped in oneafter the other. In the thick gloom they could not make out the hutch, but theycould both smell and hear the rabbits.
"Blackberry," said Bigwig quickly, "you come with me and get the hutch open.
You other three, keep watching. If another cat comes, you'll have to take it onyourselves.""Fine," said Dandelion. "Just leave it to us."Bigwig and Blackberry found the straw bale and climbed on the planks. As theydid so, Boxwood spoke from the hutch.
"Who's that? Hazel-rah, have you come back?""Hazel-rah has sent us," answered Blackberry. "We've come to let you out. Willyou come with us?"There was a pause and some movement in the hay and then Clover replied,"Yes, let us out."Blackberry sniffed his way round to the wire door and sat up, nosing over theframe, the hasp and the staple. It took him some time to realize that the leatherhinges were soft enough to bite. Then he found that they lay so smooth and flushwith the frame that he could not get his teeth to them. Several times he tried tofind a grip and at last sat back on his haunches, at a loss.
"I don't think this door's going to be any good," he said. "I wonder whetherthere's some other way?"At that moment it happened that Boxwood stood on his hind legs and put hisfront paws high on the wire. Beneath his weight the top of the door was pressedslightly outward and the upper of the two leather hinges gave slightly where theouter nail held it to the body of the hutch itself. As Boxwood dropped back on allfours, Blackberry saw that the hinge had buckled and risen just clear of the wood.
"Try it now," he said to Bigwig.
Bigwig got his teeth to the hinge and pulled. It tore a very little.
"By Frith, that'll do," said Blackberry, for all the world like the Duke ofWellington at Salamanca. "We just need time, that's all."The hinge had been well made and did not give way until they had put it to agreat deal more tugging and biting. Dandelion grew nervous and twice gave afalse alarm. Bigwig, realizing that the sentries were on the jump from watchingand waiting with nothing to do, changed places with him and sent Speedwell upto take over from Blackberry. When at last Dandelion and Speedwell had pulledthe leather strip off the nail, Bigwig came back to the hutch himself. But they didnot seem much nearer to success. Whenever one of the rabbits inside stood upand rested its forepaws on the upper part of the wire, the door pivoted lightly onthe axis of the staple and the lower hinge. But the lower hinge did not tear.
Blowing through his whiskers with impatience, Bigwig brought Blackberry backfrom the threshold. "What's to be done?" he said. "We need some magic, like thatlump of wood you shoved into the river."Blackberry looked at the door as Boxwood, inside, pushed it again. The uprightof the frame pressed tight against the lower strip of leather, but it held smoothand firm, offering no purchase for teeth.
"Push it the other way -- push from this side," he said, "You push, Bigwig. Tellthat rabbit inside to get down."When Bigwig stood up and pushed the top of the door inward, the frameimmediately pivoted much further than before, because there was no sill alongthe bottom of the outer side to stop it. The leather hinge twisted and Bigwignearly lost his balance. If it had not been for the metal staple arresting thepivoting, he might actually have fallen inside the hutch. Startled, he jumped back,growling.
"Well, you said magic, didn't you?" said Blackberry with satisfaction. "Do itagain."No strip of leather held by only one broad-headed nail at each end can standup for long to repeated twisting. Soon one of the nailheads was almost out ofsight under the frayed edges.
"Careful now," said Blackberry. "If it gives way suddenly, you'll go flying. Justpull it off with your teeth."Two minutes later the door hung sagging on the staple alone. Clover pushedthe hinge side open and came out, followed by Boxwood.
When several creatures -- men or animals -- have worked together to overcomesomething offering resistance and have at last succeeded, there follows often apause -- as though they felt the propriety of paying respect to the adversary whohas put up so good a fight. The great tree falls, splitting, cracking, rushing downin leaves to the final, shuddering blow along the ground. Then the foresters aresilent, and do not at once sit down. After hours, the deep snowdrift has beencleared and the lorry is ready to take the men home out of the cold. But theystand a while, leaning on their spades and only nodding unsmilingly as the car-drivers go through, waving their thanks. The cunning hutch door had becomenothing but a piece of wire netting, tacked to a frame made from four strips ofhalf-by-half; and the rabbits sat on the planks, sniffing and nosing it withouttalking. After a little while the other two occupants of the hutch, Laurel andHaystack, came hesitantly out and looked about them.
"Where is Hazel-rah?" asked Laurel.
"Not far away," said Blackberry. "He's waiting in the lane.""What is the lane?""The lane?" said Blackberry in surprise. "Surely--"He stopped as it came over him that these rabbits knew neither lane norfarmyard. They had not the least idea of their most immediate surroundings. Hewas reflecting on what this meant when Bigwig spoke.
"We mustn't wait about now," he said. "Follow me, all of you.""But where?" said Boxwood.
"Well, out of here, of course," said Bigwig impatiently. Boxwood looked abouthim. "I don't know--" he began.
"Well, I do," said Bigwig. "Just come with us. Never mind anything else."The hutch rabbits looked at each other in bewilderment. It was plain that theywere afraid of the great, bristling buck, with his strange shock of fur and his smellof fresh blood. They did not know what to do or understand what was expected ofthem. They remembered Hazel; they had been excited by the forcing of the doorand curious to come through it once it was open. Otherwise, they had no purposewhatever and no means of forming one. They had no more idea of what wasinvolved than a small child who says he will accompany the climbers up the fell.
Blackberry's heart sank. What was to be done with them? Left to themselves,they would hop slowly about the shed and the yard until the cats got them. Oftheir own accord they could no more run to the hills than fly to the moon. Wasthere no simple, plain idea that might get them -- or some of them -- on themove? He turned to Clover.
"I don't suppose you've ever eaten grass by night," he said. "It tastes muchbetter than by day. Let's all go and have some, shall we?""Oh, yes," said Clover, "I'd like that. But will it be safe? We're all very muchafraid of the cats, you know. They come and stare at us sometimes through thewire and it makes us shiver."This showed at least the beginnings of sense, thought Blackberry.
"The big rabbit is a match for any cat," he replied. "He nearly killed one on theway here tonight.""And he doesn't want to fight another if he can help it" said Bigwig briskly. "Soif you do want to eat grass by moonlight, let's go to where Hazel-rah's waiting forus."As Bigwig led the way into the yard, he could make out the shape of the cat thathe had beaten, watching from the woodpile. Cat-like, it was fascinated by therabbits and could not leave them alone, but it evidently had no stomach foranother fight and as they crossed the yard it stayed where it was.
The pace was frighteningly slow. Boxwood and Clover seemed to have graspedthat there was some sort of urgency and were clearly doing their best to keep up,but, the other two rabbits, once they had hopped into the yard, sat up and lookedabout them in a foolish manner, completely at a loss. After a good deal of delay,during which the cat left the woodpile and began to move stealthily round towardthe side of the shed, Blackberry managed to get them out into the farmyard. Buthere, finding themselves in an even more open place, they settled into a kind ofstatic panic, like that which sometimes comes upon inexperienced climbersexposed on a sheer face. They could not move, but sat blinking and staring aboutthem in the darkness, taking no notice of Blackberry's coaxing or Bigwig's orders.
At this moment a second cat -- Hazel's tabby -- came round the further end of thefarmhouse and made toward them. As it passed the kennel the Labrador wokeand sat up, thrusting out its head and shoulders and looking first to one side andthen the other. It saw the rabbits, ran to the length of its rope and began to bark.
"Come on!" said Bigwig. "We can't stay here. Up the lane, everybody, andquickly, too." Blackberry, Speedwell and Hawkbit ran at once, taking Boxwoodand Clover with them into the darkness under the barn. Dandelion remainedbeside Haystack, begging her to move and expecting every moment to feel thecat's claws in his back. Bigwig leaped across to him.
"Dandelion," he said in his ear, "get out of it, unless you want to be killed!""But the--" began Dandelion.
"Do as I say!" said Bigwig. The noise of barking was fearful and he himself wasclose to panic. Dandelion hesitated a moment longer. Then he left Haystack andshot up the lane, with Bigwig beside him.
They found the others gathered round Hazel, under the bank. Boxwood andClover were trembling and seemed exhausted. Hazel was talking to themreassuringly, but broke off as Bigwig appeared out of the dark. The dog stoppedbarking and there was quiet.
"We're all here," said Bigwig. "Shall we go, Hazel?""But there were four hutch rabbits," said Hazel. "Where are the other two?""In the farmyard," said Blackberry. "We couldn't do anything with them: andthen the dog began to bark.""Yes, I heard it. You mean they're loose?""They'll be a lot looser soon," said Bigwig angrily. "The cats are there.""Why did you leave them, then?""Because they wouldn't move. It was bad enough before the dog started.""Is the dog tied?" asked Hazel.
"Yes, it's tied. But do you expect any rabbit to stand his ground a few feet froman angry dog?""No, of course not," replied Hazel. "You've done wonders, Bigwig. They werejust telling me, before you came, that you gave one of the cats such a beating thatit was afraid to come back for more. Now look, do you think you and Blackberry,with Speedwell here and Hawkbit, can get these two rabbits back to the warren?
I'm afraid you may need most of the night. They can't go very fast and you'll haveto be patient with them. Dandelion, you come with me, will you?""Where, Hazel-rah?""To fetch the other two," said Hazel. "You're the fastest, so it won't be sodangerous for you, will it? Now, don't hang about, Bigwig, there's a good fellow.
I'll see you tomorrow."Before Bigwig could reply he had disappeared under the elms. Dandelionremained where he was, looking at Bigwig uncertainly.
"Are you going to do what he says?" asked Bigwig.
"Well, are you?" said Dandelion.
It took Bigwig no more than a moment to realize that if he said he was not,complete disorganization would follow. He could not take all the others back intothe farm, and he could not leave them alone. He muttered something about Hazelbeing too embleer clever by half, cuffed Hawkbit off a sow thistle he was nibblingand led his five rabbits over the bank into the field. Dandelion, left alone, set offafter Hazel into the farmyard.
As he went down the side of the barn, he could hear Hazel out in the open, nearthe doe Haystack. Neither of the hutch rabbits had moved from where he andBigwig had left them. The dog had returned to its kennel; but although it was notto be seen, he felt that it was awake and watchful. He came cautiously out of theshadow and approached Hazel.
"I'm just having a chat with Haystack here," said Hazel. "I've been explainingthat we've got a little way to go. Do you think you could hop across to Laurel andget him to join us?"He spoke almost gaily, but Dandelion could see his dilated eyes and the slighttrembling of his front paws. He himself was now sensing something peculiar -- akind of luminosity -- in the air. There seemed to be a curious vibrationsomewhere in the distance. He looked round for the cats and saw that, as hefeared, both were crouching in front of the farmhouse a little way off. Theirreluctance to come closer could be attributed to Bigwig: but they would not goaway. Looking across the yard at them, Dandelion felt a sudden clutch of horror.
"Hazel!" he whispered. "The cats! Dear Frith, why are their eyes glitteringgreen like that? Look!"Hazel sat up quickly and as he did so Dandelion leaped back in real terror, forHazel's eyes were shining a deep, glowing red in the dark. At that moment thehumming vibration grew louder, quenching the rushing of the night breeze in theelms. Then all four rabbits sat as though transfixed by the sudden, blinding lightthat poured over them like a cloudburst. Their very instinct was numbed in thisterrible glare. The dog barked and then became silent once more. Dandelion triedto move, but could not. The awful brightness seemed to cut into his brain.
The car, which had driven up the lane and over the brow under the elms, cameon a few more yards and stopped.
"Lucy's rabbits is out, look!""Ah! Best get 'un in quick. Leave loights on!"The sound of men's voices, from somewhere beyond the fierce light, broughtHazel to his senses. He could not see, but nothing, he realized, had happened tohis hearing or his nose. He shut his eyes and at once knew where he was.
"Dandelion! Haystack! Shut your eyes and run," he said. A moment later hesmelled the lichen and cool moisture of one of the staddle stones. He was underthe barn. Dandelion was near him and a little further away was Haystack.
Outside, the men's boots scraped and grated over the stones.
"That's it! Get round be'ind 'un.""'E won't go far!""Pick 'n up, then!"Hazel moved across to Haystack. "I'm afraid we'll have to leave Laurel," hesaid. "Just follow me."Keeping under the raised floor of the barn, they all three scuttled back towardthe elm trees. The men's voices were left behind. Coming out into the grass nearthe lane, they found the darkness behind the headlights full of the fumes ofexhaust -- a hostile, choking smell that added to their confusion. Haystack satdown once more and could not be persuaded to move.
"Shouldn't we leave her, Hazel-rah?" asked Dandelion. "After all, the menwon't hurt her -- they've caught Laurel and taken him back to the hutch.""If it was a buck, I'd say yes," said Hazel. "But we need this doe. That's what wecame for."At this moment they caught the smell of burning white sticks and heard themen returning up the farmyard. There was a metallic bumping as they rummagedin the car. The sound seemed to rouse Haystack. She looked round at Dandelion.
"I don't want to go back to the hutch," she said.
"You're sure?" asked Dandelion.
"Yes. I'll go with you."Dandelion immediately turned for the hedgerow. It was only when he hadcrossed it and reached the ditch beyond that he realized that he was on theopposite side of the lane from that on which they had first approached. He was ina strange ditch. However, there seemed to be nothing to worry about -- the ditchled down the slope and that was the way home. He moved slowly along it, waitingfor Hazel to join them.
Hazel had crossed the lane a few moments after Dandelion and Haystack.
Behind him, he heard the men moving away from the hrududu. As he topped thebank, the beam of a torch shone up the lane and picked out his red eyes and whitetail disappearing into the hedge.
"There's ol' woild rabbit, look!""Ah! Reckon rest of ours ain't s' far off. Got up there with 'un, see? Best go'n'ave a look."In the ditch, Hazel overtook Haystack and Dandelion under a clump ofbrambles.
"Get on quickly if you can," he said to Haystack. "The men are just behind.""We can't get on, Hazel," said Dandelion, "without leaving the ditch. It'sblocked."Hazel sniffed ahead. Immediately beyond the brambles, the ditch was closedby a pile of earth, weeds and rubbish. They would have to come into the open.
Already the men were over the bank and the torchlight was flickering up anddown the hedgerow and through the brambles above their very heads. Then, onlya few yards away, footfalls vibrated along the edge of the ditch. Hazel turned toDandelion.
"Listen," he said, "I'm going to run across the corner of the field, from thisditch to the other one, so that they see me. They'll try to shine that light on me forsure. While they're doing that, you and Haystack climb the bank, get into the laneand run down to the swede shed. You can hide there and I'll join you. Ready?"There was no time to argue. A moment later Hazel broke almost under themen's feet and ran across the field.
"There 'e goes!""Keep torch on 'un, then. Noice and steady!"Dandelion and Haystack scrambled over the bank and dropped into the lane.
Hazel, with the torch beam behind him, had almost reached the other ditch whenhe felt a sharp blow on one of his hind legs and a hot, stinging pain along his side.
The report of the cartridge sounded an instant later. As he somersaulted into aclump of nettles in the ditch bottom, he remembered vividly the scent ofbeanflowers at sunset. He had not known that the men had a gun.
Hazel crawled through the nettles, dragging his injured leg. In a few momentsthe men would shine their torch on him and pick him up. He stumbled along theinner wall of the ditch, feeling the blood flowing over his foot. Suddenly he wasaware of a draft against one side of his nose, a smell of damp, rotten matter and ahollow, echoing sound at his very ear. He was beside the mouth of a land drainwhich emptied into the ditch -- a smooth, cold tunnel, narrower than a rabbithole, but wide enough. With flattened ears and belly pressed to the wet floor hecrawled up it, pushing a little pile of thin mud in front of him, and lay still as hefelt the thud of boots coming nearer.
"I don' roightly know, John, whether you 'it 'e er not.""Ah, I 'it 'un all roight. That's blood down there, see?""Ah, well, but that don't signify. 'E might be a long ways off by now. I reckonyou've lost 'e.""I reckon 'e's in them nettles.""'Ave a look, then.""No, 'e ain't.""Well, us can't go beggarin' up and down 'ere 'alf bloody night. We got to catchthem as got out th'utch. Didn't ought 'ave fired be roights, John. Froightened theyoff, see? You c'n 'ave a look for 'im tomorrow, if 'e's 'ere."The silence returned, but still Hazel lay motionless in the whispering chill ofthe tunnel. A cold lassitude came over him and he passed into a dreaming, inertstupor, full of cramp and pain. After a time, a thread of blood began to trickleover the lip of the drain into the trampled, deserted ditch.
-<*>-Bigwig, crouched close to Blackberry in the straw of the cattle shed, leaped toflight at the sound of the shot two hundred yards up the lane. He checked himselfand turned to the others.
"Don't run!" he said quickly. "Where do you want to run to, anyway? No holeshere.""Further away from the gun," replied Blackberry, white-eyed.
"Wait!" said Bigwig, listening. "They're running down the lane. Can't you hearthem?""I can hear only two rabbits," answered Blackberry, after a pause, "and one ofthem sounds exhausted."They looked at each other and waited. Then Bigwig got up again.
"Stay here, all of you," he said. "I'll go and bring them in."Out on the verge he found Dandelion urging Haystack, who was lamed andspent.
"Come in here quickly," said Bigwig. "For Frith's sake, where's Hazel?""The men have shot him," replied Dandelion.
They reached the other five rabbits in the straw. Dandelion did not wait fortheir questions.
"They've shot Hazel," he said. "They'd caught that Laurel and put him back inthe hutch. Then they came after us. The three of us were at the end of a blockedditch. Hazel went out of his own accord, to distract their attention while we gotaway. But we didn't know they had a gun.""Are you sure they killed him?" said Speedwell.
"I didn't actually see him hit, but they were very close to him.""We'd better wait," said Bigwig.
They waited a long time. At last Dandelion and Bigwig went cautiously back upthe lane. They found the bottom of the ditch trampled by boots and streaked withblood, and returned to tell the others.
The journey back, with the three limping hutch rabbits, lasted more than twoweary hours. All were dejected and wretched. When at last they reached the footof the down Bigwig told Blackberry, Speedwell and Hawkbit to leave them and goon to the warren. They approached the wood just at first light and a rabbit ran tomeet them through the wet grass. It was Fiver. Blackberry stopped and waitedbeside him while the other two went on in silence.
"Fiver," he said, "there's bad news. Hazel--""I know," replied Fiver. "I know now.""How do you know?" asked Blackberry, startled.
"As you came through the grass just now," said Fiver, very low, "there was afourth rabbit behind you, limping and covered with blood. I ran to see who it was,and then there were only three of you, side by side."He paused and looked across the down, as though still seeking the bleedingrabbit who had vanished in the half-light. Then, as Blackberry said nothing more,he asked, "Do you know what happened?"When Blackberry had told his news, Fiver returned to the warren and wentunderground to his empty burrow. A little later Bigwig brought the hutch rabbitsup the hill and at once called everyone to meet in the Honeycomb. Fiver did notappear.
It was a dismal welcome for the strangers. Not even Bluebell could find acheerful word. Dandelion was inconsolable to think that he might have stoppedHazel breaking from the ditch. The meeting came to an end in a dreary silenceand a half-hearted silflay.
Later that morning Holly came limping into the warren. Of his threecompanions, only Silver was alert and unharmed. Buckthorn was wounded in theface and Strawberry was shivering and evidently ill from exhaustion. There wereno other rabbits with them.
26. Fiver Beyond
On his dreadful journey, after the shaman has wandered through dark forestsand over great ranges of mountains,... he reaches an opening in the ground. Themost difficult stage of the adventure now begins. The depths of the underworldopen before him.
Uno Harva, quoted by Joseph Campbell in The Hero with a ThousandFacesFiver lay on the earth floor of the burrow. Outside, the downs were still in theintense, bright heat of noon. The dew and gossamer had dried early from thegrass and by midmorning the finches had fallen silent. Now, along the lonelyexpanses of wiry turf, the air wavered. On the footpath that led past the warren,bright threads of light -- watery, a mirage -- trickled and glittered across theshortest, smoothest grass. From a distance the trees along the edge of the beechhanger appeared full of great, dense shadows, impenetrable to the dazzled eye.
The only sound was the "Zip, zip" of the grasshoppers, the only scent that of thewarm thyme.
In the burrow, Fiver slept and woke uneasily through the heat of the day,fidgeting and scratching as the last traces of moisture dried out of the earth abovehim. Once, when a trickle of powdery soil fell from the roof, he leaped out of sleepand was in the mouth of the run before he came to himself and returned to wherehe had been lying. Each time he woke, he remembered the loss of Hazel andsuffered once more the knowledge that had pierced him as the shadowy, limpingrabbit disappeared in the first light of morning on the down. Where was thatrabbit now? Where had it gone? He began to follow it among the tangled paths ofhis own thoughts, over the cold, dew-wet ridge and down into the dawn mist ofthe fields below.
The mist swirled round Fiver as he crept through thistles and nettles. Now hecould no longer see the limping rabbit ahead. He was alone and afraid, yetperceiving old, familiar sounds and smells -- those of the field where he was born.
The thick weeds of summer were gone. He was under the bare ash boughs and theflowering blackthorn of March. He was crossing the brook, going up the slopetoward the lane, toward the place where Hazel and he had come upon the noticeboard. Would the board still be there? He looked timidly up the slope. The viewwas blotted with mist, but as he neared the top he saw a man busy over a pile oftools -- a spade, a rope and other, smaller implements, the use of which he didnot know. The notice board lay flat on the ground. It was smaller than heremembered and fixed to a single, long, square post, sharpened at the further endto put into the earth. The surface of the board was white, just as he had seen itbefore, and covered with the sharp black lines like sticks. Fiver came hesitantlyup the slope and stopped close to the man, who stood looking down into a deep,narrow hole sunk in the ground at his feet. The man turned to Fiver with the kindof amiability that an ogre might show to a victim whom they both know that hewill kill and eat as soon as it suits him to do so.
"Ah! An' what am I doin', eh?" asked the man.
"What are you doing?" answered Fiver, staring and twitching with fear.
"I'm just putt'n up this 'ere ol' board," said the man. "And I s'pose you wants t'
know what for, eh?""Yes," whispered Fiver.
"It's fer that there old 'Azel," said the man. "On'y where 't'is, see, we got t' putup a bit of a notice, like, on 'is account. And what d'you reckon it says, eh?""I don't know," said Fiver. "How -- how can a board say anything?""Ah, but it do, see?" replied the man. "That's where we knows what you don't.
That's why we kills you when we 'as a mind to. Now, you wants take a good lookat that there board and then very likely you'll know more 'n what you knowsnow."In the livid, foggy twilight, Fiver stared at the board. As he stared, the blacksticks flickered on the white surface. They raised their sharp, wedge-shaped littleheads and chattered together like a nestful of young weasels. The sound, mockingand cruel, came faintly to his ears, as though muffled by sand or sacking. "Inmemory of Hazel-rah! In memory of Hazel-rah! In memory of Hazel-rah! Ha haha ha ha ha!""Well, that's where 't'is, see?" said the man. "And I've got t'ang 'im up on this'ere board. That's t' say, soon's I gets it stood up proper. Same as you'd 'ang upjay, like, or old stoat. Ah! Gon' 'ang 'im up.""No!" cried Fiver. "No, you shan't!""On'y I ain't got 'im, see?" went on the man. "That's why I can't get done. Ican't 'ang 'im up, 'cos 'e've gone down th' bloody 'ole, that's where 'e've gone. 'E'vegone down th' bloody 'ole, just when I'd got 'n lined an' all, and I can't get 'n out."Fiver crept up to the man's boots and peered into the hole. It was circular, acylinder of baked earthenware that disappeared vertically into the ground. Hecalled, "Hazel! Hazel!" Far down in the bole, something moved and he was aboutto call again. Then the man bent down and hit him between the ears.
Fiver was struggling in a thick cloud of earth, soft and powdery. Someone wassaying, "Steady, Fiver, steady!" He sat up. There was soil in his eyes, his ears andnostrils. He could not smell. He shook himself and said, "Who is it?""It's Blackberry. I came to see how you were. It's all right; a bit of the roof'sfallen, that's all. There've been falls all over the warren today -- it's the heat.
Anyway, it woke you from a nightmare, if I know anything. You were thrashingabout and calling out for Hazel. You poor old chap! What a miserable thing it is tohave happened! We must try to bear it as best we can. We've all got to stoprunning one day, you know. They say Frith knows all the rabbits, every one.""Is it evening?" asked Fiver.
"Not yet, no. But it's a fair time after ni-Frith. Holly and the others have comeback, you know. Strawberry's very ill and they haven't any does with them -- notone. Everything's as bad as it could be. Holly's still asleep -- he was completelyexhausted. He said he'd tell us what happened this evening. When we told himabout poor Hazel, he said -- Fiver, you're not listening. I expect you'd rather Ikept quiet.""Blackberry," said Fiver, "do you know the place where Hazel was shot?""Yes, Bigwig and I went and looked at the ditch before we came away. But youmustn't--""Could you go there with me now?""Go back there? Oh, no. It's a long way, Fiver, and what would be the good?
The risk, and this fearful heat, and you'd only make yourself wretched.""Hazel isn't dead," said Fiver.
"Yes, the men took him away. Fiver, I saw the blood.""Yes, but you didn't see Hazel, because he isn't dead. Blackberry, you must dowhat I ask.""You're asking too much.""Then I shall have to go alone. But what I'm asking you to do is to come andsave Hazel's life."When at last Blackberry had reluctantly given in and they had set out down thehill, Fiver went almost as fast as though he were running for cover. Again andagain he urged Blackberry to make haste. The fields were empty in the glare.
Every creature bigger than a bluebottle was sheltering from the heat. When theyreached the outlying sheds beside the lane, Blackberry began to explain how heand Bigwig had gone back to search; but Fiver cut him short.
"We have to go up the slope, I know that: but you must show me the ditch."The elms were still. There was not the least sound in the leaves. The ditch wasthick with cow parsley, hemlock and long trails of green-flowering bryony.
Blackberry led the way to the trampled patch of nettles and Fiver sat still amongthem, sniffing and looking about him in the silence. Blackberry watched himdisconsolately. A faint breath of wind stole across the fields and a blackbird beganto sing from somewhere beyond the elms. At last Fiver began to move along thebottom of the ditch. The insects buzzed round his ears and suddenly a little cloudof flies flew up, disturbed from a projecting stone. No, not a stone. It was smoothand regular -- a circular lip of earthenware. The brown mouth of a drain, stainedblack at the lower edge by a thin, dried thread of blood: of rabbit's blood.
"The bloody hole!" whispered Fiver. "The bloody hole!"He peered into the dark opening. It was blocked. Blocked by a rabbit. That wasplain to be smelled. A rabbit whose faint pulse could just be heard, magnified inthe confined tunnel.
"Hazel?" said Fiver.
Blackberry was beside him at once. "What is it, Fiver?""Hazel's in that hole," said Fiver, "and he's alive."
27. "You Can't Imagine It Unless You've Been There"
My Godda bless, never I see sucha people.
Signor Piozzi, quoted by Cecilia ThraleIn the Honeycomb, Bigwig and Holly were waiting to begin the second meetingsince the loss of Hazel. As the air began to cool, the rabbits woke and first one andthen another came down the runs that led from the smaller burrows. All weresubdued and doubtful at heart. Like the pain of a bad wound, the effect of a deepshock takes some while to be felt. When a child is told, for the first time in his life,that a person he has known is dead, although he does not disbelieve it, he maywell fail to comprehend it and later ask -- perhaps more than once -- where thedead person is and when he is coming back. When Pipkin had planted in himself,like some somber tree, the knowledge that Hazel would never return, hisbewilderment exceeded his grief: and this bewilderment he saw on every sideamong his companions. Faced with no crisis of action and with nothing toprevent them from continuing their life in the warren as before, the rabbits werenevertheless overcome by the conviction that their luck was gone. Hazel was deadand Holly's expedition had totally failed. What would follow?
Holly, gaunt, his staring pelt full of goose grass and fragments of burdock, wastalking with the three hutch rabbits and reassuring them as best he could. No onecould say now that Hazel had thrown away his life in a foolhardy prank. The twodoes were the only gain that anyone had made -- the warren's only asset. But theywere plainly so ill at ease in their new surroundings that Holly was alreadycontending against his own belief that there was little to be hoped for from them.
Does who are upset and on edge tend to be infertile; and how were these does tomake themselves at home in strange conditions and a place where everyone waslost so poorly in his thoughts? They would die, perhaps, or wander away. Hebuckled once more to the task of explaining that he was sure better times layahead -- and as he did so, felt himself the least convinced of any.
Bigwig had sent Acorn to see whether there was anyone still to come. Acornreturned to say that Strawberry felt too ill and that he could find neitherBlackberry nor Fiver.
"Well, leave Fiver," said Bigwig. "Poor fellow, he'll feel better by himself for atime, I dare say.""He's not in his burrow, though," said Acorn.
"Never mind," said Bigwig. But the thought came to him, "Fiver andBlackberry? Could they have left the warren without telling anyone? If they have,what will happen when the others get to know?" Should he ask Kehaar to go andlook for them while there was still light? But if Kehaar found them, what then?
They could not be compelled to return. Or if they were, what good would that do,if they wanted to be gone? At that moment Holly began to speak and everyonebecame quiet.
"We all know we're in a mess," said Holly, "and I suppose before long we shallhave to talk about what's best to be done. But I thought that first of all I ought totell you how it is that we four -- Silver, Buckthorn, Strawberry and I -- have comeback without any does. You don't have to remind me that when we set out,everyone thought it was going to be straightforward. And here we are, one rabbitsick, one wounded and nothing to show for it. You're all wondering why.""No one's blaming you, Holly," said Bigwig.
"I don't know whether I'm to blame or not," replied Holly. "But you'll tell methat when you've heard the story.
"That morning when we left, it was good weather for hlessil on the move andwe all felt there was no hurry. It was cool, I remember, and looked as if it wouldbe some time before the day got really bright and cloudless. There's a farm not faraway from the other end of this wood, and although there were no men about soearly, I didn't fancy going that way, so we kept up on high ground on the eveningside. We were all expecting to come to the edge of the down, but there isn't anysteep edge as there is on the north. The upland just goes on and on, open, dry andlonely. There's plenty of cover for rabbits -- standing corn, hedges and banks --but no real woodland: just great, open fields of light soil with big whiteflintstones. I was hoping that we might find ourselves in the sort of country weused to know -- meadows and woods -- but we didn't. Anyhow, we found a trackwith a good, thick hedge along one side and we decided to follow that. We took iteasy and stopped a good deal, because I was taking care to avoid running into elil.
I'm sure it's bad country for stoats as well as foxes, and I hadn't much idea whatwe were going to do if we met one.""I'm pretty certain we did pass close to a weasel," said Silver. "I could smell it.
But you know how it is with elil -- if they're not actually hunting, they often takeno notice of you. We left very little scent, and buried our hraka as though we werecats.""Well, before ni-Frith," went on Holly, "the track brought us to a long, thinwood running right across the way we were going. These downland woods arequeer, aren't they? This was no thicker than the one above us now, but itstretched as far as we could see either way, in a dead straight line. I don't likestraight lines: men make them. And sure enough, we found a road beside thiswood. It was a very lonely, empty road, but all the same I didn't want to hangabout there, so we went straight through the wood and out the other side. Kehaarspotted us in the fields beyond and told us to alter our direction. I asked him howwe were getting on and he said we were about halfway, so I thought we might aswell start looking for somewhere to lie up for the night. I didn't fancy the open,and in the end we made scrapes in the bottom of a kind of little pit we found.
Then we had a good feed and passed the night very well.
"I don't think we need tell you everything about the journey. It came on to rainjust after the morning feed and there was a nasty, cold wind with it, so we stayedwhere we were until after ni-Frith. It brightened up then and we went on. Thegoing wasn't very nice because of the wet, but by early evening I reckoned weought to be near the place. I was looking round when a hare came through thegrass and I asked him whether he knew of a big warren close by.
"'Efrafa?' he asked. 'Are you going to Efrafa?'*"'If that's what it's called,' I answered.
"'Do you know it?'
"'No,' I said, 'we don't. We want to know where it is.'
"'Well,' he said, 'my advice to you is to run, and quickly.'
"I was just wondering what to make of that, when suddenly three big rabbitscame over the bank, just the way I did that night when I came to arrest you,Bigwig: and one of them said, 'Can I see your marks?'
"'Marks?' I said. 'What marks? I don't understand.'
"'You're not from Efrafa?'
"'No,' I said, 'we're going there. We're strangers.'
"'Will you come with me?' No 'Have you come far?' or 'Are you wet through?'
or anything like that.
"So then these three rabbits took us off down the bank and that was how wecame to Efrafa, as they call it. And I'd better try and tell you something about it,so that you'll know what a dirty little bunch of sniveling hedge-scrapers we arehere.
"Efrafa is a big warren -- a good deal bigger than the one we came from -- theThrearah's, I mean. And the one fear of every rabbit in it is that men are going tofind them and infect them with the white blindness. The whole warren isorganized to conceal its existence. The holes are all hidden and the Owsla haveevery rabbit in the place under orders. You can't call your life your own: and inreturn you have safety -- if it's worth having at the price you pay.
"As well as the Owsla, they have what they call a Council, and each of theCouncil rabbits has some special thing he looks after. One looks after feeding;another's responsible for the ways in which they keep hidden; another looks afterbreeding, and so on. As far as the ordinary rabbits are concerned, only a certainnumber can be above ground at one time. Every rabbit is marked when he's akitten: they bite them, deep, and under the chin or in a haunch or forepaw. Thenthey can be told by the scar for the rest of their lives. You mustn't be found aboveground unless it's the right time of day for your Mark.""Who's to stop you?" growled Bigwig.
"That's the really frightening part. The Owsla -- well, you can't imagine itunless you've been there. The Chief is a rabbit named Woundwort: GeneralWoundwort, they call him. I'll tell you more about him in a minute. Then underhim there are captains -- each one in charge of a Mark -- and each captain has hisown officers and sentries. There's a Mark captain with his band on duty at everytime of the day and night. If a man happens to come anywhere near, which isn'toften, the sentries give warning long before he comes close enough to seeanything. They give warning of elil, too. They prevent anyone dropping hrakaexcept in special places in the ditches, where it's buried. And if they see any rabbitabove ground whom they don't recognize as having the right to be there, they askto see his mark. Frith knows what happens if he can't explain himself -- but I canguess pretty well. Rabbits in Efrafa quite often go days at a time without the sightof Frith. If their Mark's on night silflay, then they feed by night, wet or fine, warmor cold. They're all used to talking, playing and mating in the burrowsunderground. If a Mark can't silflay at their appointed time for some reason orother -- say there was a man working somewhere near -- that's just too bad. Theymiss their turn till next day.""But surely it alters them very much, living like that?" asked Dandelion.
"Very much indeed," replied Holly. "Most of them can't do anything but whatthey're told. They've never been out of Efrafa and never smelled an enemy. Theone aim of every rabbit in Efrafa is to get into the Owsla, because of theprivileges: and the one aim of everyone in the Owsla is to get into the Council.
The Council have the best of everything. But the Owsla have to keep very strongand tough. They take it in turn to do what they call Wide Patrol. They go out overthe country -- all round the place -- living in the open for days at a time. It's partlyto find out anything they can, and partly to train them and make them tough andcunning. Any hlessil they find they pick up and bring back to Efrafa. If they won'tcome, they kill them. They reckon hlessil a danger, because they may attract theattention of men. The Wide Patrols report back to General Woundwort, and theCouncil decide what to do about anything new that they think may be dangerous.""They missed you on the way in, then?" said Bluebell.
"Oh, no, they didn't! We learned later that some time after we'd been broughtin by this rabbit -- Captain Campion -- a runner arrived from a Wide Patrol to saythat they'd picked up the track of three or four rabbits coming toward Efrafa fromthe north, and were there any orders? He was sent back to say that we were safelyunder control.
"Anyway, this Captain Campion took us down to a hole in the ditch. The mouthof the hole was a bit of old earthenware pipe and if a man had pulled it out, theopening would have fallen in and showed no trace of the run inside. And there hehanded us over to another captain -- because he had to go back above ground forthe rest of his spell of duty, you see. We were taken to a big burrow and told tomake ourselves at home.
"There were other rabbits in the burrow and it was by listening to them andasking questions that I learned most of what I've been telling you. We got talkingto some of the does and I made friends with one called Hyzenthlay.* I told herabout our problem here and why we'd come, and then she told us about Efrafa.
When she'd finished I said, 'It sounds terrible. Has it always been like this?' Shesaid no, her mother had told her that in years gone by the warren had beenelsewhere and much smaller, but when General Woundwort came, he had madethem move to Efrafa and then he'd worked out this whole system of concealmentand perfected it until rabbits in Efrafa were as safe as stars in the sky. 'Mostrabbits here die of old age, unless the Owsla kill them off,' she said. 'But thetrouble is, there are more rabbits now than the warren can hold. Any freshdigging that's allowed has to be done under Owsla supervision and they do itterribly slowly and carefully. It all has to be hidden, you see. We're overcrowdedand a lot of rabbits don't get above ground as much as they need to. And for somereason there are not enough bucks and too many does. A lot of us have found wecan't produce litters, because of the overcrowding, but no one is ever allowed toleave. Only a few days ago, several of us does went to the Council and askedwhether we could form an expedition to start a new warren somewhere else. Wesaid we'd go far, far away -- as far away as they liked. But they wouldn't hear of it-- not on any account. Things can't go on like this -- the system's breaking down.
But it doesn't do to be heard talking about it.'
"Well, I thought, this sounds hopeful. Surely they won't object to ourproposals? We only want to take a few does and no bucks. They've got more doesthan there's room for and we want to take them further away than anyone herecan ever have been.
"A little later another captain came and said we were to come with him to theCouncil meeting.
"The Council meet in a kind of big burrow. It's long and rather narrow -- not asgood as this Honeycomb of ours, because they've got no tree roots to make a wideroof. We had to wait outside while they were talking about all sorts of otherthings. We were just one piece of daily Council business: 'Strangersapprehended.' There was another rabbit waiting and he was under special guard-- Owslafa, they call them: the Council police. I've never been near anyone sofrightened in my life -- I thought he'd go mad with fear. I asked one of theseOwslafa what was the matter and he said that this rabbit, Blackavar, had beencaught trying to run away from the warren. Well, they took him inside and first ofall we heard the poor fellow trying to explain himself, and then he was crying andbegging for mercy: and when he came out they'd ripped both his ears to shreds,worse than this one of mine. We were all sniffing at him, absolutely horror-stricken; but one of the Owslafa said, 'You needn't make such a fuss. He's lucky tobe alive.' So while we were chewing on that, someone came out and said theCouncil were ready for us.
"As soon as we got in, we were put up in front of this General Woundwort, andhe really is a grim customer. I don't think even you'd match up to him, Bigwig.
He's almost as big as a hare and there's something about his mere presence thatfrightens you, as if blood and fighting and killing were all just part of the day'swork to him. I thought he'd begin by asking us some questions about who wewere and what we wanted, but he didn't do anything like that. He said, 'I'm goingto explain the rules of the warren and the conditions on which you'll live here.
You must listen carefully, because the rules are to be kept and any breaking ofthem will be punished.' So then I spoke up at once and said that there was amisunderstanding. We were an embassy, I said, come from another warren to askfor Efrafa's goodwill and help. And I went on to explain that all we wanted wastheir agreement to our persuading a few does to come back with us. When I'dfinished, General Woundwort said that it was out of the question: there wasnothing to discuss. I replied that we'd like to stay with them for a day or two andtry to persuade them to change their mind.
"'Oh, yes,' he said, 'you'll stay. But there'll be no further occasion for you totake up the Council's time -- for the next few days at any rate.'
"I said that seemed very hard. Our request was surely a reasonable one. And Iwas just going to ask them to consider one or two things from our point of view,when another of the Councillors -- a very old rabbit -- said, 'You seem to thinkyou're here to argue with us and drive a bargain. But we're the ones to say whatyou're going to do.'
"I said they should remember that we were representing another warren, evenif it was smaller than theirs. We thought of ourselves as their guests. And it wasonly when I'd said that that I realized with a horrible shock that they thought ofus as their prisoners: or as good as prisoners, whatever they might call it.
"Well, I'd rather say no more about the end of that meeting. Strawberry triedall he could to help me. He spoke very well about the decency and comradeshipnatural to animals. 'Animals don't behave like men,' he said. 'If they have to fight,they fight; and if they have to kill they kill. But they don't sit down and set theirwits to work to devise ways of spoiling other creatures' lives and hurting them.
They have dignity and animality.'
"But it was all no use. At last we fell silent and General Woundwort said, 'TheCouncil can't spare any more time for you now, and I shall have to leave it to yourMark captain to tell you the rules. You'll join the Right Flank Mark under CaptainBugloss. Later, we shall see you again and you'll find us perfectly friendly andhelpful to rabbits who understand what's expected of them.'
"So then the Owsla took us out to join the Right Flank Mark. ApparentlyCaptain Bugloss was too busy to see us and I took care to keep out of his way,because I thought he might want to start marking us then and there. But soon Ibegan to understand what Hyzenthlay had meant when she said the systemwasn't working properly any more. The burrows were overcrowded -- at least byour standards. It was easy to escape attention. Even in one Mark the rabbits don'tall know each other. We found places in a burrow and tried to get some sleep, butearly in the night we were woken and told to silflay. I thought there might be achance to run for it in the moonlight, but there seemed to be sentries everywhere.
And besides the sentries, the Captain kept two runners with him, whose job wasto rush off at once in any direction from which an alarm might be given.
"When we'd fed we went underground again. Nearly all the rabbits were verysubdued and docile. We avoided them, because we meant to escape if we couldand we didn't want to get known. But try as I would, I couldn't think of a plan.
"We fed again some time before ni-Frith the next day, and then it was backunderground. The time dragged terribly. At last -- it must have been as eveningwas coming on -- I joined a little group of rabbits listening to a story. And do youknow, it was 'The King's Lettuce'? The rabbit who was telling it was nowhere nearas good as Dandelion, but I listened all the same, just for something to do. And itwas when he got to the bit where El-ahrairah dresses up and pretends to be thedoctor at King Darzin's palace that I suddenly had an idea. It was a very risky one,but I thought there was a chance that it might work, simply because every rabbitin Efrafa usually does what he's told without question. I'd been watching CaptainBugloss and he struck me as a nice enough fellow, conscientious and a bit weakand rather harassed by having more to do than he could really cope with.
"That night, when we were called to silflay, it was pitch dark and raining; butyou don't bother about a little thing like that in Efrafa -- you're only too glad toget out and get some food. All the rabbits trooped up; and we waited until thevery last. Captain Bugloss was out on the bank, with two of his sentries. Silverand the others went out in front of me and then I came up to him panting as if I'dbeen running.
"'Captain Bugloss?'
"'Yes?' he said. 'What is it?'
"'You're wanted by the Council, at once.'
"'Why, what do you mean?' he asked. 'What for?'
"'No doubt they'll tell you that when they see you,' I answered. 'I shouldn'tkeep them waiting if I were you.'
"'Who are you?' he said. 'You're not one of the Council runners. I know themall. What Mark are you?'
"'I'm not here to answer your questions,' I said. 'Shall I go back and tell themyou won't come?'
"He looked doubtful at that and I made as if I were going. But then, all of asudden, he said, 'Very well' -- he looked awfully frightened, poor fellow -- 'butwho's to take over here while I'm gone?'
"'I am,' I said. 'General Woundwort's orders. But come back quickly. I don'twant to hang about half the night doing your job.' He scuttled off. I turned to theother two and said, 'Stay here, and look alive, too. I'm going round the sentries.'
"Well, then the four of us ran off into the dark and, sure enough, after we'dgone a little way two sentries popped up and tried to stop us. We all piled straightinto them. I thought they'd run, but they didn't. They fought like mad and one ofthem tore Buckthorn all down the nose. But of course there were four of us; andin the end we broke past them and simply tore across the field. We had no ideawhich way we were going, what with the rain and the night: we just ran. I thinkthe reason why the pursuit was a bit slow off the mark was because poor oldBugloss wasn't there to give the orders. Anyway, we had a fair start. But presentlywe could hear that we were being followed -- and, what was worse, we were beingovertaken.
"The Efrafan Owsla are no joke, believe me. They're all picked for size andstrength and there's nothing they don't know about moving in wet and darkness.
They're all so much afraid of the Council that they're not afraid of anything else.
It wasn't long before I knew we were in trouble. The patrol that was after us couldactually follow us in the dark and rain faster than we could run away, and beforelong they were close behind. I was just going to tell the others that there wasnothing for it but to turn and fight when we came to a great, steep bank thatseemed to slope almost straight up into the air. It was steeper than this hillsidebelow us here, and the slope seemed to be regular, as if men had made it.
"Well, there was no time to think about it, so up we went. It was covered withrough grass and bushes. I don't know how far it was to the top exactly, but Ishould guess it was as high as a well-grown rowan tree -- perhaps a bit higher.
When we got to the top we found ourselves on small, light stones that shifted aswe ran on them. That gave us away completely. Then we came upon broad, flatpieces of wood and two great, fixed bars of metal that made a noise -- a kind oflow, humming noise in the dark. I was just saying to myself, 'This is men's work,all right,' when I fell over the other side. I hadn't realized that the whole top of thebank was only a very short distance across and the other side was just as steep. Iwent head over heels down the bank in the dark and fetched up against an elderbush -- and there I lay."Holly stopped and fell silent, as though pondering on what he remembered. Atlast he said,"It's going to be very hard to describe to you what happened next. Although allfour of us were there, we don't understand it ourselves. But what I'm going to saynow is the cold truth. Lord Frith sent one of his great Messengers to save us fromthe Efrafan Owsla. Each one of us had fallen over the edge of the bank in oneplace or another. Buckthorn, who was half blinded with his own blood, wentdown almost to the bottom. I'd picked myself up and was looking back at the top.
There was just enough light in the sky to see the Efrafans if they came over. Andthen -- then an enormous thing -- I can't give you any idea of it -- as big as athousand hrududil -- bigger -- came rushing out of the night. It was full of fireand smoke and light and it roared and beat on the metal lines until the groundshook beneath it. It drove in between us and the Efrafans like a thousandthunderstorms with lightning. I tell you, I was beyond being afraid. I couldn'tmove. The flashing and the noise -- they split the whole night apart. I don't knowwhat happened to the Efrafans: either they ran away or it cut them down. Andthen suddenly it was gone and we heard it disappearing, rattle and bang, rattleand bang, far away in the distance. We were completely alone.
"For a long time I couldn't move. At last I got up and found the others, one byone, in the dark. None of us said a word. At the bottom of the slope we discovereda kind of tunnel that went right through the bank from one side to the other. Wecrept into it and came out on the side where we'd gone up. Then we went a longway through the fields, until I reckoned we must be well clear of Efrafa. Wecrawled into a ditch and slept there, all four of us, until morning. There was noreason why anything shouldn't have come and killed us, and yet we knew we weresafe. You may think it's a wonderful thing to be saved by Lord Frith in his power.
How many rabbits has that happened to, I wonder? But I tell you, it was far morefrightening than being chased by the Efrafans. Not one of us will forget lying onthat bank in the rain while the fire creature went by above our heads. Why did itcome on our account? That's more than we shall ever know.
"The next morning I cast around a bit and soon I knew which was the rightdirection. You know how you always do. The rain had stopped and we set out. Butit was a very hard journey back. We were exhausted long before the end -- allexcept Silver: I don't know what we'd have done without him. We went on for aday and a night without any real rest at all. We all felt that the only thing wewanted to do was to get back here as soon as we could. When I reached the woodthis morning I was just limping along in a bad dream. I'm not really much betterthan poor old Strawberry, I'm afraid. He never complained, but he'll need a longrest and I rather think I shall, too. And Buckthorn -- that's the second bad woundhe's had. But that's not the worst now, is it? We've lost Hazel: the worst thing thatcould have happened. Some of you asked me earlier this evening if I would beChief Rabbit. I'm glad to know you trust me, but I'm completely done in and Ican't possibly take it on yet. I feel as dry and empty as an autumn puffball -- I feelas though the wind could blow my fur away."*The first syllable is stressed and not the second, as in the word "Majesty."*Hyzenthlay: "Shine-Dew-Fur" -- fur-shining-like-dew.
28. At the Foot of the Hill
Marvellous happy it was to beAlone, and yet not solitary.
O out of terror and dark, to comeIn sight of home.
Walter de la Mare, The Pilgrim"You're not too tired to silflay, are you?" asked Dandelion. "And at the propertime of day, for a change? It's a lovely evening, if my nose says right. We ought totry not to be more miserable than we can help, you know.""Just before we silflay," said Bigwig, "can I tell you, Holly, that I don't believeanyone else could have brought himself and three other rabbits safely back out ofa place like that?""Frith meant us to get back," replied Holly. "That's the real reason why we'rehere."As he turned to follow Speedwell up the run that led into the wood, he foundClover beside him. "You and your friends must find it strange to go outside andeat grass," he said. "You'll get used to it, you know. And I can promise you thatHazel-rah was right when he told you it's a better life here than in a hutch. Comewith me and I'll show you a patch of nice, short tail-grass, if Bigwig hasn't had itall while I've been away."Holly had taken to Clover. She seemed more robust and less timid thanBoxwood and Haystack and was evidently doing her best to adapt herself towarren life. What her stock might be he could not tell, but she looked healthy.
"I like it underground all right," said Clover, as they came up into the fresh air.
"The closed space is really very much like a hutch, except that it's darker. Thedifficult thing for us is going to be feeding in the open. We're not used to beingfree to go where we like and we don't know what to do. You all act so quickly andhalf the time I don't know why. I'd prefer not to feed very far from the hole, if youdon't mind."They moved slowly across the sunset grass, nibbling as they went: Clover wassoon absorbed in feeding, but Holly stopped continually to sit up and sniff abouthim at the peaceful, empty down. When he noticed Bigwig, a little way off, staringfixedly to the north, he at once followed his gaze.
"What is it?" he asked.
"It's Blackberry," replied Bigwig. He sounded relieved.
Blackberry came hopping rather slowly down from the skyline. He looked tiredout, but as soon as he saw the other rabbits he came on faster and made his wayto Bigwig.
"Where have you been?" asked Bigwig. "And where's Fiver? Wasn't he withyou?""Fiver's with Hazel," said Blackberry. "Hazel's alive. He's been wounded -- it'shard to tell how badly -- but he won't die."The other three rabbits looked at him speechlessly. Blackberry waited,enjoying the effect.
"Hazel's alive?" said Bigwig. "Are you sure?""Quite sure," said Blackberry. "He's at the foot of the hill at this very moment,in that ditch where you were the night Holly and Bluebell arrived.""I can hardly believe it," said Holly. "If it's true, it's the best news I've everheard in my life. Blackberry, you really are sure? What happened? Tell us.""Fiver found him," said Blackberry. "Fiver took me with him, nearly all the wayback to the farm: then he went along the ditch and found Hazel gone to groundup a land drain. He was very weak from loss of blood and he couldn't get out ofthe drain by himself. We had to drag him by his good hind leg. He couldn't turnround, you see.""But how on earth did Fiver know?""How does Fiver know what he knows? You'd better ask him. When we'd gotHazel into the ditch, Fiver looked to see how badly he was hurt. He's got a nastywound in one hind leg, but the bone isn't broken: and he's torn all along one side.
We cleaned up the places as well as we could and then we started out to bring himback. It's taken us the whole evening. Can you imagine it -- daylight, dead silenceand a lame rabbit reeking of fresh blood? Luckily, it's been the hottest day we'vehad this summer -- not a mouse stirring. Time and again we had to take cover inthe cow parsley and rest. I was all on the jump, but Fiver was like a butterfly on astone. He sat in the grass and combed his ears. 'Don't get upset,' he kept saying.
'There's nothing to worry about. We can take our time.' After what I'd seen, I'dhave believed him if he'd said we could hunt foxes. But when we got to the bottomof the hill Hazel was completely finished and he couldn't go any further. He andFiver have taken shelter in the overgrown ditch and I came on to tell you. Andhere I am."There was silence while Bigwig and Holly took in the news. At last Bigwig said,"Will they stay there tonight?""I think so," replied Blackberry. "I'm sure Hazel won't be able to manage thehill until he's a good deal stronger.""I'll go down there," said Bigwig. "I can help to make the ditch a bit morecomfortable, and probably Fiver will be able to do with someone else to help tolook after Hazel""I should hurry, then, if I were you," said Blackberry. "The sun will be downsoon.""Hah!" said Bigwig, "If I meet a stoat, it'd better look out, that's all. I'll bringyou one back tomorrow, shall I?" He raced off and disappeared over the edge.
"Let's go and get the others together," said Holly. "Come on, Blackberry, you'llhave to tell the whole thing, from the beginning."The three quarters of a mile in the blazing heat, from Nuthanger to the foot ofthe hill, had cost Hazel more pain and effort than anything in his life. If Fiver hadnot found him, he would have died in the drain. When Fiver's urging hadpenetrated his dark, ebbing stupor, he had at first actually tried not to respond. Itwas so much easier to remain where he was, on the far side of the suffering hehad undergone. Later, when he found himself lying in the green gloom of theditch, with Fiver searching his wounds and assuring him that he could stand andmove, still he could not face the idea of setting out to return. His torn sidethrobbed and the pain in his leg seemed to have affected his senses. He felt dizzyand could not hear or smell properly. At last, when he understood that Fiver andBlackberry had risked a second journey to the farm, in the broadest of daylight,solely to find him and save his life, he forced himself to his feet and began tostumble down the slope to the road. His sight was swimming and he had to stopagain and again. Without Fiver's encouragement he would have lain down oncemore and given up. In the road, he could not climb the bank and had to limpalong the verge until he could crawl under a gate. Much later, as they came underthe pylon line, he remembered the overgrown ditch at the foot of the hill and sethimself to reach it. Once there, he lay down and at once returned to the sleep oftotal exhaustion.
When Bigwig arrived, just before dark, he found Fiver snatching a quick feedin the long grass. It was out of the question to disturb Hazel by digging, and theyspent the night crouched beside him on the narrow floor.
Coming out in the gray light before dawn, the first creature Bigwig saw wasKehaar, foraging between the elders. He stamped to attract his attention andKehaar sailed across to him with one beat of his wings and a long glide.
"Meester Pigvig, you find Meester 'Azel?""Yes," said Bigwig, "he's in the ditch here.""'E not dead?""No, but he's wounded and very weak. The farm man shot him with a gun, youknow.""You get black stones out?""How do you mean?""Alvays vid gun ees coming liddle black stones. You never see?""No, I don't know about guns.""Take out black stones, 'e get better. 'E come now, ya?""I'll see," said Bigwig. He went down to Hazel and found him awake andtalking to Fiver. When Bigwig told him that Kehaar was outside he draggedhimself up the short run and into the grass.
"Dis damn gun," said Kehaar. "'E put liddle stones for 'urt you. I look, ya?""I suppose you'd better," said Hazel. "My leg's still very bad, I'm afraid."He lay down and Kehaar's head flicked from side to side as though he werelooking for snails in Hazel's brown fur. He peered closely up the length of the tornflank.
"Ees not stones 'ere," he said. "Go in, go out -- no stop. Now I see you leg.
Maybe 'urt you, not long."Two shotgun pellets were buried in the muscle of the haunch. Kehaar detectedthem by smell and removed them exactly as he might have picked spiders out of acrack. Hazel had barely time to flinch before Bigwig was sniffing at the pellets inthe grass.
"Now ees more bleed," said Kehaar. "You stay, vait maybe vun, two day. Dengoot like before. Dose rabbits up dere, all vait, vait for Meester 'Azel. I tell dem 'ecome." He flew off before they could reply.
As things turned out, Hazel stayed three days at the foot of the hill. The hotweather continued and for much of the time he sat under the elder branches,dozing above ground like some solitary hlessi and feeling his strength returning.
Fiver stayed with him, keeping the wounds clean and watching his recovery.
Often they would say nothing for hours together, lying in the rough, warm grasswhile the shadows moved to evening, until at last the local blackbird cocked itstail and tuck-tucked away to roost. Neither spoke of Nuthanger Farm, but Hazelshowed plainly enough that for the future Fiver, when he gave advice, would haveno hard task to get him to accept it.
"Hrairoo," said Hazel one evening, "what would we have done without you?
We'd none of us be here, would we?""You're sure we are here, then?" asked Fiver.
"That's too mysterious for me," replied Hazel. "What do you mean?""Well, there's another place -- another country, isn't there? We go there whenwe sleep; at other times, too; and when we die. El-ahrairah comes and goesbetween the two as he wants, I suppose, but I could never quite make that out,from the tales. Some rabbits will tell you it's all easy there, compared with thewaking dangers that they understand. But I think that only shows they don'tknow much about it. It's a wild place, and very unsafe. And where are we really --there or here?""Our bodies stay here -- that's good enough for me. You'd better go and talk tothat Silverweed fellow -- he might know more.""Oh, you remember him? I felt that when we were listening to him, you know.
He terrified me and yet I knew that I understood him better than anyone else inthat place. He knew where he belonged, and it wasn't here. Poor fellow, I'm surehe's dead. They'd got him, all right -- the ones in that country. They don't givetheir secrets away for nothing, you know. But look! Here come Holly andBlackberry, so we'd better feel sure we're here just for the moment, anyway."Holly had already come down the hill on the previous day to see Hazel and tellagain the story of his escape from Efrafa. When he had spoken of his deliveranceby the great apparition in the night, Fiver had listened attentively and asked onequestion, "Did it make a noise?" Later, when Holly had gone back, he told Hazelthat he felt sure there was some natural explanation, though he had no idea whatit could be. Hazel, however, had not been greatly interested. For him, theimportant thing was their disappointment and the reason for it. Holly hadachieved nothing and this was entirely due to the unexpected unfriendliness ofthe Efrafan rabbits. This evening, as soon as they had begun to feed, Hazelreturned to the matter.
"Holly," he said, "we're hardly any nearer to solving our problem, are we?
You've done wonders and got nothing to show for it, and the Nuthanger raid wasonly a silly lark, I'm afraid -- and an expensive one for me, at that. The real holehas still got to be dug.""Well," said Holly, "you say it was only a lark, Hazel, but at least it gave us twodoes: and they're the only two we've got.""Are they any good?"The kind of ideas that have become natural to many male human beings inthinking of females -- ideas of protection, fidelity, romantic love and so on -- are,of course, unknown to rabbits, although rabbits certainly do form exclusiveattachments much more frequently than most people realize. However, they arenot romantic and it came naturally to Hazel and Holly to consider the twoNuthanger does simply as breeding stock for the warren. This was what they hadrisked their lives for.
"Well, it's hard to say, yet," replied Holly. "They're doing their best to settledown with us -- Clover particularly. She seems very sensible. But they'reextraordinarily helpless, you know -- I've never seen anything like it -- and I'mafraid they may turn out to be delicate in bad weather. They might survive nextwinter and then again they might not. But you weren't to know that when you gotthem out of the farm.""With a bit of luck, they might each have a litter before the winter," said Hazel.
"I know the breeding season's over, but everything's so topsy-turvy with us herethat there's no saying.""Well, you ask me what I think," said Holly. "I'll tell you. I think they'reprecious little to be the only thing between us and the end of everything we'vemanaged to do so far. I think they may very well not have any kittens for sometime, partly because this isn't the season and partly because the life's so strange tothem. And when they do, the kittens will very likely have a lot of this man-bredhutch stock in them. But what else is there to hope for? We must do the best wecan with what we've got.""Has anyone mated with them yet?" asked Hazel.
"No, neither of them has been ready so far. But I can see some fine old fightsbreaking out when they are.""That's another problem. We can't go on with nothing but these two does.""But what else can we do?""I know what we've got to do," said Hazel, "but I still can't see how. We've gotto go back and get some does out of Efrafa.""You might as well say you were going to get them out of Inlé, Hazel-rah. I'mafraid I can't have given you a very clear description of Efrafa.""Oh, yes, you have -- the whole idea scares me stiff. But we're going to do it.""It can't be done.""It can't be done by fighting or fair words, no. So it will have to be done bymeans of a trick.""There's no trick will get the better of that lot, believe me. There are far moreof them than there are of us: they're very highly organized: and I'm only tellingthe truth when I say that they can fight, run and follow a trail every bit as well aswe can, and a lot of them, much better.""The trick," said Hazel, turning to Blackberry, who all this time had beennibbling and listening in silence, "the trick will have to do three things. First, itwill have to get the does out of Efrafa and secondly it will have to put paid to thepursuit. For a pursuit there's bound to be and we can't expect another miracle.
But that's not all. Once we're clear of the place, we've got to become impossible tofind -- beyond the reach of any Wide Patrol.""Yes," said Blackberry doubtfully. "Yes, I agree. To succeed we should have tomanage all those things.""Yes. And this trick, Blackberry, is going to be devised by you."The sweet, carrion scent of dogwood filled the air; in the evening sunshine, theinsects hummed around the dense white cymes hanging low above the grass. Apair of brown-and-orange beetles, disturbed by the feeding rabbits, took off froma grass stem and flew away, still coupled together.
"They mate. We don't," said Hazel, watching them go. "A trick, Blackberry: atrick to put us right once and for all.""I can see how to do the first thing," said Blackberry. "At least, I think I can.
But it's dangerous. The other two I can't see at all yet and I'd like to talk it overwith Fiver.""The sooner Fiver and I get back to the warren the better," said Hazel. "Myleg's good enough now, but all the same I think we'll leave it for tonight. Good oldHolly, will you tell them that Fiver and I will come early tomorrow morning? Itworries me to think that Bigwig and Silver may start fighting about Clover at anymoment.""Hazel," said Holly, "listen. I don't like this idea of yours at all. I've been inEfrafa and you haven't. You're making a bad mistake and you might very well getus all killed."It was Fiver who replied. "It ought to feel like that, I know," he said, "butsomehow it doesn't: not to me. I believe we can do it. Anyway, I'm sure Hazel'sright when he says it's the only chance we've got. Suppose we go on talking aboutit for a bit?""Not now," said Hazel. "Time for underground down here -- come on. But ifyou two race up the hill, you'll probably be in time for some more sunshine at thetop. Good night."
29. Return and Departure
He which hath no stomach to this fight,Let him depart, his passport shall be madeAnd crowns for convoy put into his purse.
We would not die in that man's companyThat fears his fellowship, to die with us.
Shakespeare, Henry VThe following morning all the rabbits were out at silflay by dawn and there wasa good deal of excitement as they waited for Hazel. During the previous few daysBlackberry had had to repeat several times the story of the journey to the farmand the finding of Hazel in the drain. One or two had suggested that Kehaar musthave found Hazel and told Fiver secretly. But Kehaar denied this and, whenpressed, replied cryptically that Fiver was one who had traveled a good dealfurther than he had himself. As for Hazel, he had acquired, in everyone's eyes, akind of magical quality. Of all the warren, Dandelion was the last rabbit to fail todo justice to a good story and he had made the most of Hazel's heroic dash out ofthe ditch to save his friends from the farmers. No one had even suggested thatHazel might have been reckless in going to the farm. Against all odds he had gotthem two does: and now he was bringing their luck back to the warren.
Just before sunrise Pipkin and Speedwell saw Fiver coming through the wetgrass near the summit of the down. They ran out to meet him and waited withhim until Hazel came up to them. Hazel was limping and had evidently found theclimb a strain, but after resting and feeding for a short time he was able to rundown to the warren almost as fast as the others. The rabbits crowded round.
Everyone wanted to touch him. He was sniffed and tussled with and rolled over inthe grass until he felt almost as though he were being attacked. Human beings, onoccasions of this kind, are usually full of questions, but the rabbits expressedtheir delight simply by proving to themselves through their senses that this wasreally Hazel-rah. It was all he could do to stand up to the rough play. "I wonderwhat would happen if I lay down under it?" he thought. "They'd kick me out, Idare say. They wouldn't have a crippled Chief Rabbit. This is a test as well as awelcome, even though they don't know it themselves. I'll test them, the rascals,before I'm done."He pushed Buckthorn and Speedwell off his back and broke away to the edgeof the wood. Strawberry and Boxwood were on the bank and he joined them andsat washing and combing himself in the sunrise.
"We can do with a few well-behaved fellows like you," he said to Boxwood.
"Look at that rough lot out there -- they nearly finished me off! What on earth doyou make of us and how are you settling down?""Well, of course we find it strange," said Boxwood, "but we're learning.
Strawberry here has been helping me a great deal. We were just seeing how manysmells I could tell on the wind, but that's something that'll only come slowly. Thesmells are awfully strong on a farm, you know, and they don't mean much whenyou live behind wire. As far as I can make out, you all live by smell.""Don't take too many risks to begin with," said Hazel. "Keep near the burrows-- don't go out alone -- all that sort of thing. And how about you, Strawberry? Areyou better?""More or less," answered Strawberry, "as long as I sleep a lot and sit in the sun,Hazel-rah. I've been terrified half out of my wits -- that's the bottom of it. I've hadthe shivers and the horrors for days. I kept thinking I was back in Efrafa.""What was it like in Efrafa?" asked Hazel.
"I'd rather die than go back to Efrafa," said Strawberry, "or risk goinganywhere near it. I don't know which was worse, the boredom or the fear. All thesame," he added after a few moments, "there are rabbits there who'd be the sameas we are if they could only live naturally, like us. Several would be glad to leavethe place if they only could."Before they went underground Hazel talked to almost all the rabbits. As heexpected, they were disappointed over the failure at Efrafa and full of indignationat the ill-treatment of Holly and his companions. More than one thought, likeHolly, that the two does were likely to give rise to trouble.
"There should have been more, Hazel," said Bigwig. "We shall all be at eachother's throats, you know -- I don't see how it's to be helped."Late in the afternoon Hazel called everyone into the Honeycomb.
"I've been thinking things over," he said. "I know you must all have been reallydisappointed not to have got rid of me at Nuthanger Farm the other day, so I'vedecided to go a bit further next time.""Where?" asked Bluebell.
"To Efrafa," replied Hazel, "if I can get anyone to come with me: and we shallbring back as many does as the warren needs."There were murmurs of astonishment, and then Speedwell asked, "How?""Blackberry and I have got a plan," said Hazel, "but I'm not going to explain itnow, for this reason. You all know that this is going to be a dangerous business. Ifany of you get caught and taken into Efrafa, they'll make you talk, all right. Butthose who don't know a plan can't give it away. I'll explain it later on, at theproper time.""Are you going to need many rabbits, Hazel-rah?" asked Dandelion. "From all Ihear, the whole lot of us wouldn't be enough to fight the Efrafans.""I hope we shan't have to fight at all," replied Hazel, "but there's always thepossibility. Anyway, it'll be a long journey home with the does, and if by anychance we meet a Wide Patrol on the way, there have got to be enough of us todeal with them.""Would we have to go into Efrafa?" asked Pipkin timidly.
"No," said Hazel, "we shall--""I never thought, Hazel," interrupted Holly, "I never thought that the timewould come when I should feel obliged to speak against you. But I can only sayagain that this is likely to be a complete disaster. I know what you think -- you'recounting on General Woundwort not having anyone as clever as Blackberry andFiver. You're quite right -- I don't think he has. But the fact remains that no onecan get a bunch of does away from that place. You all know that I've spent my lifepatrolling and tracking in the open. Well, there are rabbits in the Efrafan Owslawho are better at it than I am -- I'm admitting it: and they'll hunt you down withyour does and kill you. Great Frith! We all have to meet our match some time orother! I know you want only to help us all, but do be sensible and give thisscheme up. Believe me, the best thing to do with a place like Efrafa is to stay asfar away from it as possible."Talk broke out all over the Honeycomb. "That must be right!" "Who wants tobe torn to pieces?" "That rabbit with the mutilated ears--" "Well, but Hazel-rahmust know what's doing." "It's too far." "I don't want to go."Hazel waited patiently for quiet. At last he said, "It's like this. We can stay hereand try to make the best of things as they are, or we can put them right once andfor all. Of course there's a risk: anyone knows that who's heard what happened toHolly and the others. But haven't we faced one risk after another, all the way fromthe warren we left? What do you mean to do? Stay here and scratch each other'seyes out over two does, when there are plenty in Efrafa that you're afraid to goand get, even though they'd be only too glad to come and join us?"Someone called out, "What does Fiver think?""I'm certainly going," said Fiver quietly. "Hazel's perfectly right and there'snothing the matter with his plan. But I promise you this, all of you. If I do come,later on, to feel any kind of misgiving, I shan't keep it to myself.""And if that happens, I shan't ignore it," said Hazel.
There was silence. Then Bigwig spoke.
"You may as well all know that I'm going," he said, "and we shall have Kehaarwith us, if that appeals to you at all."There was a buzz of surprise.
"Of course, there are some of us who ought to stay here," said Hazel. "The farmrabbits can't be expected to go; and I'm not asking anyone who went the first timeto go back again.""I'll come, though," said Silver. "I hate General Woundwort and his Councilwith all my guts and if we're really going to make fools of them I want to be there,as long as I don't have to go back inside the place -- that I couldn't face. But, afterall, you're going to need someone who knows the way.""I'll come," said Pipkin. "Hazel-rah saved my -- I mean, I'm sure he knowswhat's--" He became confused. "Anyway, I'll come," he repeated, in a verynervous voice.
There was a scuffling in the run that led down from the wood and Hazel called,"Who's that?""It's I, Hazel-rah -- Blackberry.""Blackberry!" said Hazel. "Why, I thought you'd been here all the time. Wherehave you been?""Sorry not to have come before," said Blackberry. I've been talking to Kehaar,as a matter of fact, about the plan. He's improved it a good deal. If I'm notmistaken, General Woundwort's going to look remarkably silly before we'vefinished. I thought at first that it couldn't be done, but now I feel sure it can.""Come where the grass is greener," said Bluebell,"And the lettuces grow in rows,"And a rabbit of free demeanor"Is known by his well-scratched nose.
"I think I shall have to come, just to satisfy my curiosity. I've been opening andshutting my mouth like a baby bird to know about this plan and no one putsanything in. I suppose Bigwig's going to dress up as a hrududu and drive all thedoes across the field."Hazel turned on him sharply. Bluebell sat up on his hind legs and said, "Please,General Woundwort, sir, I'm only a little hrududu and I've left all my petrol onthe grass, so if you wouldn't mind eating the grass, sir, while I just give this lady aride--""Bluebell," said Hazel, "shut up!""I'm sorry, Hazel-rah," replied Bluebell in surprise. "I didn't mean any harm. Iwas only trying to cheer everyone up a bit. After all, most of us feel frightened atthe idea of going to this place and you can't blame us, can you? It sounds horriblydangerous.""Well, look here," said Hazel, "we'll finish this meeting now. Let's wait and seewhat we decide -- that's the rabbits' way. No one has to go to Efrafa who doesn'twant to, but it's clear enough that some of us mean to go. Now I'm off to talk toKehaar myself."He found Kehaar just inside the trees, snapping and tearing with his great beakat a foul-smelling piece of flaking brown flesh which seemed to be hanging from atracery of bones. He wrinkled his nose in disgust at the odor, which filled thewood around and was already attracting ants and bluebottles.
"What on earth is that, Kehaar?" he asked. "It smells appalling!""You not know? Heem feesh, feesh, come from Peeg Vater. Ees goot.""Come from Big Water? (Ugh!) Did you find it there?""Na, na. Men have heem. Down to farm ees plenty peeg rubbish place, all t'ingsdere. I go for food, find heem, all smell like Peeg Vater, pick heem up, pring heemback: make me t'ink all about Peeg Vater." He began to tear again at the half-eaten kipper. Hazel sat choking with nausea and disgust as Kehaar lifted it entireand beat it against a beech root, so that small fragments flew round them. Hecollected himself and made an effort.
"Kehaar," he said, "Bigwig says you told him you'd come and help us to get themothers out of the big warren.""Ya, ya, I come for you. Meester Pigvig, 'e need me for 'elp 'im. Van 'e dere, 'etalk to me, I not rabbit. Ees goot, ya?""Yes, rather. It's the only possible way. You're a good friend to us, Kehaar.""Ya, ya, 'elp you for get mudders. But now ees dis, Meester 'Azel. Always I vantPeeg Vater now -- alvays, alvays. Ees hearing Peeg Vater, vant to fly to Peeg Vater.
Now soon you go for get mudders, I 'elp you, 'ow you like. Den, ven you gettingmudders, I leave you dere, fly avay, no come back. But I come back anudder time,ya? Come in autumn, in vinter I come live 'ere vid you, ya?""We shall miss you, Kehaar. But when you come back we'll have a fine warrenhere, with lots of mothers. You'll be able to feel proud of all you did to help us.""Ya, vill be so. But Meester 'Azel, ven you go? I vant 'elp you, but I no vant vaitfor go Peeg Vater. Ees hard now for stay, you know? Dis vat you do, do heemqueek, ya?"Bigwig came up the run, put his head out of the hole and stopped in horror.
"Frith up a tree!" he said. "What a fearful smell! Did you kill it, Kehaar, or didit die under a stone?""You like, Meester Pigvig? I pring you nice liddle pit, ya?""Bigwig," said Hazel, "go and tell all the others that we're setting off atdaybreak tomorrow. Holly will be Chief Rabbit here until we get back andBuckthorn, Strawberry and the farm rabbits are to stay with him. Anyone elsewho wants to stay will be perfectly free to do so.""Don't worry," said Bigwig, from the hole. "I'll send them all up to silflay withKehaar. They'll go anywhere you like before a duck can dive."
PART III Efrafa 30. A New Journey
An undertaking of great advantage, but nobody to know what it is.
Company Prospectus of the South Sea BubbleWith the exception of Buckthorn and the addition of Bluebell, the rabbits whoset off from the southern end of the beech hanger early the next morning werethose who had left Sandleford with Hazel five weeks before. Hazel had saidnothing more to persuade them, feeling that it would be better simply to leavethings to set in his favor. He knew that they were afraid, for he was afraid himself.
Indeed, he guessed that they, like himself, could not be free from the thought ofEfrafa and its grim Owsla. But working against this fear was their longing andneed to find more does and the knowledge that there were plenty of does inEfrafa. Then there was their sense of mischief. All rabbits love to trespass andsteal and when it comes to the point very few will admit that they are afraid to doso; unless (like Buckthorn or Strawberry on this occasion) they know that theyare not fit and that their bodies may let them down in the pinch. Again, inspeaking about his secret plan, Hazel had aroused their curiosity. He had hopedthat, with Fiver behind him, he could lure them with hints and promises: and hehad been right. The rabbits trusted him and Fiver, who had gotten them out ofSandleford before it was too late, crossed the Enborne and the common, takenBigwig out of the wire, founded the warren on the downs, made an ally of Kehaarand produced two does against all odds. There was no telling what they would donext. But they were evidently up to something; and since Bigwig and Blackberryseemed to be confidently in on it, no one was ready to say that he would ratherstay out; especially since Hazel had made it clear that anyone who wished couldremain at home and welcome -- implying that if he was so poor-spirited as tochoose to miss the exploit, they could do without him. Holly, in whom loyalty wassecond nature, had said no more to queer the pitch. He accompanied them as faras the end of the wood with all the cheerfulness he could muster; only beggingHazel, out of hearing of the rest, not to underrate the danger. "Send news byKehaar when he reaches you," he said, "and come back soon."Nevertheless, as Silver guided them southward along higher ground to thewest of the farm, almost all, now that they were actually committed to theadventure, felt dread and apprehension. They had heard enough about Efrafa todaunt the stoutest heart. But before reaching it -- or wherever they were going --they had to expect two days on the open down. Foxes, stoats, weasels -- any ofthese might be encountered, and the only recourse would be flight above ground.
Their progress was straggling and broken, slower than that which Holly had madewith his picked band of three. Rabbits strayed, took alarm, stopped to rest. After atime Hazel divided them into groups, led by Silver, Bigwig and himself. Yet stillthey moved slowly, like climbers on a rock face, first some and then others takingtheir turn to cross the same piece of ground.
But at least the cover was good. June was moving toward July and highsummer. Hedgerows and verges were at their rankest and thickest. The rabbitssheltered in dim green sun-flecked caves of grass, flowering marjoram and cowparsley; peered round spotted hairy-stemmed clumps of viper's bugloss,blooming red and blue above their heads; pushed between towering stalks ofyellow mullein. Sometimes they scuttled along open turf, colored like a tapestrymeadow with self-heal, centaury and tormentil. Because of their anxiety about eliland because they were nose to ground and unable to see far ahead, the wayseemed long.
Had their journey been made in years gone by, they would have found thedowns far more open, without standing crops, grazed close by sheep; and theycould hardly have hoped to go far unobserved by enemies. But the sheep werelong gone and the tractors had plowed great expanses for wheat and barley. Thesmell of the green, standing corn was round them all day. The mice werenumerous and so were the kestrels. The kestrels were disturbing, but Hazel hadbeen right when he guessed that a healthy, full-grown rabbit was too large aquarry for them. At all events, no one was attacked from above.
Some time before ni-Frith, in the heat of the day, Silver paused in a little patchof thorn. There was no breeze and the air was full of the sweet, chrysanthemum-like smell of the flowering compositae of dry uplands -- corn chamomile, yarrowand tansy. As Hazel and Fiver came up and squatted beside him, he looked outacross the open ground ahead.
"There, Hazel-rah," he said, "that's the wood that Holly didn't like."Two or three hundred yards away and directly across their line, a belt of treesran straight across the down, stretching in each direction as far as they could see.
They had come to the line of the Portway -- only intermittently a road -- whichruns from north of Andover, through St. Mary Bourne with its bells and streamsand watercress beds, through Bradley Wood, on across the downs and so toTadley and at last to Silchester -- the Romans' Calleva Atrebatum. Where itcrosses the downs, the line is marked by Caesar's Belt, a strip of woodland asstraight as the road, narrow indeed but more than three miles long. In this hotnoonday the trees of the Belt were looped and netted with darkest shadow. Thesun lay outside, the shadows inside the trees. All was still, save for thegrasshoppers and the falling finch song of the yellowhammer on the thorn. Hazellooked steadily for a long time, listening with raised ears and wrinkling his nosein the unmoving air.
"I can't see anything wrong with it," he said at last. "Can you, Fiver?""No," replied Fiver. "Holly thought it was a strange kind of wood and so it is,but there don't seem to be any men there. All the same, someone ought to go andmake sure, I suppose. Shall I?"The third group had come up while Hazel had been gazing at the Belt, and nowall the rabbits were either nibbling quietly or resting, with ears laid flat, in thelight green sun-and-shade of the thorn thicket"Is Bigwig there?" asked Hazel.
Throughout the morning Bigwig had seemed unlike himself -- silent andpreoccupied, with little attention for what was going on around him. If hiscourage had not been beyond question, it might have been thought that he wasfeeling nervous. During one long halt Bluebell had overheard him talking withHazel, Fiver and Blackberry, and later had told Pipkin that it sounded for all theworld as though Bigwig were being reassured. "Fighting, yes, anywhere," he hadheard him say, "but I still reckon that this game is more in someone else's linethan mine." "No," replied Hazel, "you're the only one that can do it: andremember, this isn't sport, if the farm raid was. Everything depends on it." Then,realizing that Bluebell could hear him, he added, "Anyway, keep on thinkingabout it and try to get used to the idea. We must get on now." Bigwig had gonemoodily down the hedgerow to collect his group.
Now he came out of a nearby clump of mugwort and flowering thistle andjoined Hazel under the thorn.
"What do you want?" he asked abruptly.
"King of Cats" (Pfeffa-rah), answered Hazel, "would you like to go and have alook in those trees? And if you find any cats or men or anything like that, justchase them off, would you, and then come and tell us it's all right?"When Bigwig had slipped away, Hazel said to Silver, "Have you any idea howfar the Wide Patrols go out? Are we inside their range yet?""I don't know, but I'd guess that we are," said Silver. "As I understand it, therange is up to the patrol. Under a pushing sort of captain, a patrol may go out along way, I believe.""I see," said Hazel. "Well, I don't want to meet a patrol if it can possibly behelped, and if we do, not one of them must get back to Efrafa. That's one reasonwhy I brought so many of us. But by way of avoiding them, I'm going to try tomake use of this wood. Perhaps they don't fancy it any more than Holly did.""But surely it doesn't run the way we want to go?" said Silver.
"We're not going to Efrafa, though," said Hazel. "We're going to findsomewhere to hide, as near to it as we can safely get. Any ideas?""Only that it's terribly dangerous, Hazel-rah," said Silver. "You can't get nearEfrafa safely and I don't know how you can begin to look for somewhere to hide.
And then the patrol -- if there is one -- they'll be cunning brutes. They might verywell spot us and not show themselves at all -- simply go and report.""Well, here comes Bigwig back again," said Hazel. "Is it all right, Bigwig? Good-- let's get them into the wood and go down the length of it a little way. Then wemust slip out on the other side and make sure that Kehaar finds us. He's comingto look for us this afternoon and at all costs we mustn't miss him."Less than half a mile to the west, they came upon a spinney adjoining thesouthern edge of Caesar's Belt. To the west again was a shallow, dry downlandcombe, perhaps four hundred yards across and overgrown with weeds and rough,yellowing summer tussocks. There, well before sunset, Kehaar, flying westwarddown the Belt, spotted the rabbits lying up, all among the nettles and goose grass.
He sailed down and alighted near Hazel and Fiver.
"How's Holly?" asked Hazel.
"'E sad," said Kehaar. "'E say you no come back." Then he added, "Mees Clover,she ready for mudder.""That's good," said Hazel. "Is anyone doing anything about it?""Ya, ya, ees all to fight.""Oh, well, I suppose it'll sort itself out.""Vat you do now, Meester 'Azel?""This is where you start helping, Kehaar. We need a place to hide, as near thebig warren as we can safely get -- somewhere where those other rabbits won't findus. If you know the country well enough, perhaps you can suggest something.""Meester 'Azel, 'ow close you vant?""Well, no further away than Nuthanger Farm is from the Honeycomb. In fact,that's really about the limit.""Ees only von t'ing, Meester 'Azel. You go udder side river, den dey not findyou.""Over the river? You mean we swim across?""Na, na, rabbit no sveem dis river. Ees peeg, ees deep, go queek. But ees pridge,den udder side plenty place for hide. Ees close to varren, like you say.""And you think that's the best we can do?""Ees plenty trees und ees river. Udder rabbits no find you.""What do you think?" said Hazel to Fiver.
"It sounds better than I'd hoped for," said Fiver. "I hate to say it, but I think weought to go straight there as fast as we can, even if it makes everyone exhausted.
We're in danger all the time we're on the down, but once we get off it we can rest.""Well, I suppose we'd better go on by night, if they'll do it -- we've done itbefore -- but they must feed and rest first. Start fu Inlé? There'll be a moon.""Oh, how I've come to loathe those words 'start' and 'fu Inlé,'" said Blackberry.
However, the evening feed was peaceful and cool and after a time everyone feltrefreshed. As the sun was sinking, Hazel brought them all together, under closecover, to chew pellets and rest. Although he did his best to appear confident andcheerful, he could feel that they were on edge, and after parrying one or twoquestions about the plan, he began to wonder how he could distract theirthoughts and get them to relax until they were ready to set off again. Heremembered the time, on the first night of his leadership, when they had beenforced to rest in the wood above the Enborne. At least it was good to see that noone was exhausted now: they were as tough a bunch of hlessil as ever raided agarden. Not a blade of grass to choose between them, thought Hazel: Pipkin andFiver looked as fresh as Silver and Bigwig. Still, a little entertainment would be allto the good and raise their spirits. He was just going to speak up when Acornsaved him the trouble.
"Will you tell us a story, Dandelion?" he asked.
"Yes! Yes!" said several others. "Come on! Make it a stunner while you're at it!""All right," said Dandelion. "How about 'El-ahrairah and the Fox in theWater'?""Let's have 'The Hole in the Sky,'" said Hawkbit.
"No, not that," said Bigwig suddenly. He had spoken very little all the eveningand everyone looked round. "If you're going to tell a story, there's only one Iwant," he went on. "'El-ahrairah and the Black Rabbit of Inlé.'""Perhaps not that one," said Hazel.
Bigwig rounded on him, snarling. "If there's going to be a story, don't you thinkI've got as good a right as anyone to choose it?" he asked.
Hazel did not reply and after a pause, during which no one else spoke,Dandelion, with a rather subdued manner, began.
31. The Story of El-ahrairah and the Black Rabbit of Inlé
The power of the night, the press of the storm,The post of the foe;Where he stands, the Arch Fear in a visible form,Yet, the strong man must go.
Robert Browning, Prospice"Sooner or later, everything leaks out and animals get to hear what othersthink about them. Some say that it was Hufsa who told King Darzin the truthabout the trick with the lettuces. Others say that Yona the hedgehog wentgossiping in the copses. But, however it was, King Darzin got to know that he hadbeen made a fool when he delivered his lettuces to the marshes of Kelfazin. Hedid not call his soldiers out to fight -- not yet. But he made up his mind that hewould find an opportunity to get his own back on El-ahrairah. El-ahrairah knewthis and he warned all his people to be careful, especially when they went aboutalone.
"Now late one afternoon in February, Rabscuttle led some of the rabbits out toa rubbish heap on the edge of a garden, some way away from the warren. Theevening came on cold and misty, and well before twilight a fog came down thick.
They set off for home, but they got lost; and then they had trouble with an owland became confused over their direction. Anyway, Rabscuttle got separated fromthe others, and after wandering about for some time, he strayed into the guards'
quarters outside King Darzin's city; and they caught him and took him up to theKing.
"King Darzin saw his chance to spite El-ahrairah. He put Rabscuttle into aspecial prison hole and every day he was brought out and made to work,sometimes in the frost, digging and tunneling. But El-ahrairah swore he wouldget him out somehow. And so he did, for he and two of his does spent four daysdigging a tunnel from the wood into the back of the bank where Rabscuttle hadbeen set to work. And in the end this tunnel came near to the hole in the bankdown which Rabscuttle had been sent. He was supposed to be digging to turn thehole into a storeroom and the guards were watching outside while he worked. ButEl-ahrairah reached him, for he could hear him scratching in the dark; and theyall slipped away down the tunnel and escaped through the wood.
"When the news reached King Darzin, he became very angry indeed, and hedetermined that this time he would start a war and finish El-ahrairah once andfor all. His soldiers set out in the night and went to the meadows of Fenlo; butthey couldn't get down the rabbit holes. Some tried, to be sure, but they sooncame out again, because they met El-ahrairah and the other rabbits. They werenot used to fighting in narrow places in the dark and they got bitten andscratched until they were glad to come out tail-first.
"But they didn't go away: they sat outside and waited. Whenever any of therabbits tried to silflay they found their enemies ready to jump on them. KingDarzin and his soldiers couldn't watch all the holes -- there were too many -- butthey were quick enough to dash off wherever they saw a rabbit show his nose.
Very soon El-ahrairah's people found that it was all they could do to snatch amouthful or two of grass -- just enough to keep alive -- before they had to boltunderground again. El-ahrairah tried every trick he could think of, but hecouldn't be rid of King Darzin or get his own people away. The rabbits began tobecome thin and miserable underground and some of them fell ill.
"At last El-ahrairah felt quite desperate and one night, when he had beenrisking his life again and again to bring down a few mouthfuls of grass for a doeand her family whose father had been killed the day before, he called out, 'LordFrith! I would do anything to save my people! I would drive a bargain with a stoator a fox -- yes, or with the Black Rabbit of Inlé!'
"Now, as soon as he had said this, El-ahrairah realized in his heart that if therewas one creature anywhere who might have the will and certainly had the powerto destroy his enemies, it was the Black Rabbit of Inlé. For he was a rabbit, andyet more powerful than King Darzin a thousand times over. But the thought madeEl-ahrairah sweat and shudder, so that he had to crouch down where he was inthe run. After a time he went to his own burrow and began to think of what hehad said and what it meant.
"Now, as you all know, the Black Rabbit of Inlé is fear and everlastingdarkness. He is a rabbit, but he is that cold, bad dream from which we can onlyentreat Lord Frith to save us today and tomorrow. When the snare is set in thegap, the Black Rabbit knows where the peg is driven; and when the weaseldances, the Black Rabbit is not far off. You all know how some rabbits seem justto throw their lives away between two jokes and a theft: but the truth is that theirfoolishness comes from the Black Rabbit, for it is by his will that they do notsmell the dog or see the gun. The Black Rabbit brings sickness, too. Or again, hewill come in the night and call a rabbit by name: and then that rabbit must go outto him, even though he may be young and strong to save himself from any otherdanger. He goes with the Black Rabbit and leaves no trace behind. Some say thatthe Black Rabbit hates us and wants our destruction. But the truth is -- or so theytaught me -- that he, too, serves Lord Frith and does no more than his appointedtask -- to bring about what must be. We come into the world and we have to go:
but we do not go merely to serve the turn of one enemy or another. If that wereso, we would all be destroyed in a day. We go by the will of the Black Rabbit ofInlé and only by his will. And though that will seems hard and bitter to us all, yetin his way he is our protector, for he knows Frith's promise to the rabbits and hewill avenge any rabbit who may chance to be destroyed without the consent ofhimself. Anyone who has seen a gamekeeper's gibbet knows what the BlackRabbit can bring down on elil who think they will do what they will.
"El-ahrairah spent the night alone in his burrow and his thoughts wereterrible. As far as he knew, no rabbit had ever tried to do what he had in mind.
But the more he thought about it -- as well as he could for hunger and fear andthe trance that comes upon rabbits face to face with death -- the more it seemedto him that there was at least a chance of success. He would seek out the BlackRabbit and offer him his own life in return for the safety of his people. But if,when he offered his life, he did not mean the offer to be accepted, it would bebetter not to go near the Black Rabbit at all. The Black Rabbit might not accepthis life: yet still, perhaps, he might get a chance to try something else. Only, therecould be no cheating the Black Rabbit. If his people's safety were to be had, bywhatever means, the price would be his life. So unless he failed, he would notreturn. He would therefore need a companion to bring back whatever it was thatwas going to overthrow King Darzin and save the warren.
"In the morning, El-ahrairah went to find Rabscuttle and they talked far intothe day. Then he called his Owsla together and told them what he meant to do.
"Later that evening, in the last of the twilight, the rabbits came out andattacked King Darzin's soldiers. They fought very bravely and some of them werekilled. The enemy thought they were trying to break out of the warren and dideverything they could to surround them and force them back into their holes. Butthe truth was that all the fighting was simply to distract King Darzin's attentionand keep his soldiers busy. As darkness set in, El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle slippedout from the other end of the warren and made off down the ditch, while theOwsla fell back and King Darzin's soldiers jeered at them down the holes. As forKing Darzin, he sent a message to say that he was ready to talk to El-ahrairahabout terms of surrender.
"El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle set out on their dark journey. What way they wentI don't know and no rabbit knows. But I always remember what old Feverfew --d'you remember him? -- used to say when he told this story. 'They didn't takelong,' he said. 'They took no time at all. No. They limped and stumbled through abad dream to that terrible place they were bound for. Where they were traveling,the sun and moon mean nothing and winter and summer less. But you will neverknow' -- and then he used to look all round at us -- 'you will never know, andneither do I, how far El-ahrairah went on his journey into the dark. You see thetop of a great stone sticking out of the ground. How far is it to the middle? Splitthe stone. Then you'll know.'
"At last they came to a high place where there was no grass. They scrambledupward, over splinters of slate, among gray rocks bigger than sheep. Mist and icyrain swirled about them and there was no sound but the trickling of water andsometimes, from far above, the cry of some great, evil bird on the wing. And thesesounds echoed, for they were between black cliffs of stone, taller than the tallesttrees. The snow lay in patches all about, for the sun never shone to melt it. Themoss was slippery, and whenever they pushed out a pebble, it rattled down anddown behind them in the gullies. But El-ahrairah knew the way and on he went,until the mist grew so thick that they could see nothing. Then they kept close tothe cliff and little by little, as they went, it overhung them until it made a darkroof above their backs. Where the cliff ended was the mouth of a tunnel, like ahuge rabbit hole. In the freezing cold and silence, El-ahrairah stamped andflashed his tail to Rabscuttle. And then, as they were about to go into the tunnel,they realized that what they had thought, in the gloom, to be a part of the rockwas not rock. It was the Black Rabbit of Inlé, close beside them, still as lichen andcold as the stone.""Hazel," said Pipkin, staring into the dusk and trembling, "I don't like thisstory. I know I'm not brave--""It's all right, Hlao-roo," said Fiver, "you're not the only one." In fact hehimself seemed composed and even detached, which was more than could be saidfor any other rabbit in the audience: but Pipkin was hardly to realize this. "Let'sgo out there for a bit and watch the spiders catching moths, shall we?" said Fiver.
"I think I can remember where I left a patch of vetch -- it must be somewhere thisway." Still talking quietly, he led Pipkin out into the overgrown combe. Hazelturned to make sure of the direction they had taken and as he did so Dandelionhesitated, uncertain whether to resume.
"Go on," said Bigwig, "and don't leave anything out.""I think many things are left out, if only the truth could be known," saidDandelion, "for no one can say what happens in that country where El-ahrairahwent of his own accord and we do not. But, as I was told, when they first becameaware of the Black Rabbit, they fled down the tunnel -- as needs they must, forthere was nowhere else to run. And this they did although they had come onpurpose to encounter him and all depended on their doing so. They did nodifferently from all of us; and the end, too, was no different, for when they haddone slipping and tripping and falling along the tunnel, they found themselves ina vast stone burrow. All was of stone: the Black Rabbit had dug it out of themountain with his claws. And there they found, waiting for them, him fromwhom they had fled. There were others in that burrow also -- shadows withoutsound or smell. The Black Rabbit has his Owsla, too, you know. I would not careto meet them.
"The Black Rabbit spoke with the voice of water that falls into pools in echoingplaces in the dark.
"'El-ahrairah, why have you come here?'
"'I have come for my people,' whispered El-ahrairah.
"The Black Rabbit smelled as clean as last year's bones and in the dark El-ahrairah could see his eyes, for they were red with a light that gave no light.
"'You are a stranger here, El-ahrairah,' said the Black Rabbit. 'You are alive.'
"'My lord,' replied El-ahrairah, 'I have come to give you my life. My life for mypeople.'
"The Black Rabbit drew his claws along the floor.
"'Bargains, bargains, El-ahrairah,' he said. 'There is not a day or a night but adoe offers her life for her kittens, or some honest captain of Owsla his life for hisChief Rabbit's. Sometimes it is taken, sometimes it is not. But there is no bargain,for here what is is what must be.'
"El-ahrairah was silent. But he thought, 'Perhaps I can trick him into takingmy life. He would keep a promise, as Prince Rainbow kept his.'
"'You are my guest, El-ahrairah,' said the Black Rabbit. 'Stay in my burrow aslong as you wish. You may sleep here. And you may eat here, and they are fewindeed who can do as much. Let him eat,' he said to the Owsla.
"'We will not eat, my lord,' said El-ahrairah, for he knew that if he ate the foodwhich they gave him in that burrow, his secret thoughts would become plain andthere would be an end of tricks.
"'Then at least we must entertain you,' said the Black Rabbit. 'You must feel athome, El-ahrairah, and make yourself comfortable. Come, let us play bob-stones.'*"'Very well,' said El-ahrairah, 'and if I win, my lord, perhaps you will be sogood as to accept my life in return for my people's safety.'
"'I will,' said the Black Rabbit. 'But if I win, El-ahrairah, you shall give me bothyour tail and your whiskers.'
"The stones were brought and El-ahrairah sat down in the cold and the echoesto play against the Black Rabbit of Inlé. Now, as you may suppose, El-ahrairahknew how to play bob-stones. He could play as well as any rabbit that evercovered a cast. But there -- in that dreadful place, with the Black Rabbit's eyesupon him and the Owsla who made no sound -- try as he would, his wits desertedhim and even before he cast, he felt that the Black Rabbit knew what was down.
The Black Rabbit showed never the least haste. He played as the snow falls,without sound or change, until at last El-ahrairah's spirit failed him and he knewthat he could not win.
"'You can pay your stakes to the Owsla, El-ahrairah,' said the Black Rabbit,'and they will show you a burrow to sleep in. I shall return tomorrow and if youare still here I will see you. But you are free to leave whenever you wish.'
"Then the Owsla took El-ahrairah away and cut off his tail and pulled out hiswhiskers; and when he came to himself, he was alone with Rabscuttle in a hollowstone burrow, with an opening to the mountain outside.
"'Oh, master,' said Rabscuttle, 'what will you do now? For Frith's sake let us goaway. I can feel for both of us in the dark.'
"'Certainly not,' said El-ahrairah. He still hoped to get what he wanted fromthe Black Rabbit somehow and he felt sure that they had been put into thisburrow so that they would be tempted to steal away. 'Certainly not. I can make dovery well with some willow herb and clematis. Go out and get some, Rabscuttle,but make sure you come back before tomorrow evening. You had better try tobring some food, too, if you can.'
"Rabscuttle went out as he was told and El-ahrairah was left alone. He sleptvery little, partly for the pain and partly for the fear that never left him; butchiefly because he was still searching for some trick that would serve his turn. Thenext day Rabscuttle returned with some pieces of turnip, and after El-ahrairahhad eaten them, Rabscuttle helped him to patch himself up with a gray tail andwhiskers made from the winter drift of clematis and ragwort. In the evening hewent to meet the Black Rabbit as though nothing had happened.
"'Well, El-ahrairah,' said the Black Rabbit -- and he did not wrinkle his nose upand down when he sniffed, but thrust it forward, as a dog does -- 'my burrowcannot be what you are used to: but perhaps you have done your best to makeyourself comfortable?'
"'I have, my lord,' said El-ahrairah. 'I am glad that you allow me to stay.'
"'Perhaps we will not play bob-stones tonight,' said the Black Rabbit. 'Youmust understand, El-ahrairah, that I have no wish to make you suffer. I am notone of the Thousand. I repeat, you may stay or leave as you please. But if you aregoing to remain, perhaps you would care to hear a story; and to tell one yourself,if you like.'
"'Certainly, my lord,' said El-ahrairah. 'And if I can tell a story as good asyours, perhaps you will accept my life and grant the safety of my people.'
"'I will,' said the Black Rabbit. 'But if not, El-ahrairah, you will have to forfeityour ears.' He waited to see whether El-ahrairah would refuse the wager but hedid not.
"Then the Black Rabbit told such a tale of fear and darkness as froze the heartsof Rabscuttle and El-ahrairah where they crouched on the rock, for they knewthat every word was true. Their wits turned. They seemed to be plunged in icyclouds that numbed their senses; and the Black Rabbit's story crept into theirhearts like a worm into a nut, leaving them shriveled and empty. When at lastthat terrible story was ended, El-ahrairah tried to speak. But he could not collecthis thoughts and he stammered and ran about the floor, like a mouse when thehawk glides low. The Black Rabbit waited silently, with no sign of impatience. Atlast it was clear that there would be no story from El-ahrairah, and the Owslatook him and put him into a deep sleep: and when he woke, his ears were goneand only Rabscuttle was beside him in the stone burrow, crying like a kitten.
"'Oh, master,' said Rabscuttle, 'what good can this suffering bring? For thesake of Lord Frith and the green grass, let me take you home.'
"'Nonsense,' said El-ahrairah. 'Go out and get me two good, big dock leaves.
They will do very well for ears.'
"'They will wither, master,' said Rabscuttle, 'and I am withered now.'
"'They will last long enough,' said El-ahrairah grimly, for what I have to do. ButI cannot find the way.'
"When Rabscuttle was gone, El-ahrairah forced himself to think clearly. TheBlack Rabbit would not accept his life. Also, it was plain that he himself wouldnever be able to win any sort of wager against him: he might as well try to run arace across a sheet of ice. But if the Black Rabbit did not hate him, why did heinflict these sufferings upon him? To destroy his courage and make him give upand go away. But why not simply send him away? And why wait, before hurtinghim, till he himself proposed a wager and lost it? The answer came to himsuddenly. These shadows had no power either to send him away or to hurt him,except with his own consent. They would not help him, no. They would seekpossession of his will and break it if they could. But supposing that he could findamong them something that would save his people, could they stop him fromtaking it away?
"When Rabscuttle came back, he helped El-ahrairah to diguise his horrible,maimed head with two dock leaves in place of ears, and after a while they slept.
But El-ahrairah kept dreaming of his starving rabbits waiting in the runs to pushback King Darzin's soldiers and placing all their hopes on him: and at last hewoke, cold and cramped, and wandered out into the runs of the stone warren. Ashe limped along, trailing the dock leaves on either side of his head -- for he couldnot raise or move them like the ears he had lost -- he came to a place from whichseveral narrow runs led down deeper into the ground; and here he found two ofthe ghastly, shadowy Owsla moving about some dark business of their own. Theyturned and stared, to make him afraid, but El-ahrairah was past being afraid andhe stared back at them, wondering what they had in mind to persuade him tolose.
"'Turn back, El-ahrairah,' said one at last. 'You have no business here, in thepit. You are alive; and have suffered much already.'
"'Not as much as my people,' replied El-ahrairah.
"'There is enough suffering here for a thousand warrens,' said the shadow. 'Donot be stubborn, El-ahrairah. In these holes lie all the plagues and diseases thatcome to rabbits -- fever and mange and the sickness of the bowels. And here, too,in this nearest hole, lies the white blindness, that sends creatures hobbling out todie in the fields, where even the elil will not touch their rotting bodies. This is ourtask, to see that all these are ready for the use of Inlé-rah. For what is is whatmust be.'
"Then El-ahrairah knew that he must give himself no time to think. Hepretended to go back, but suddenly turned, rushed upon the shadows andplunged into the nearest hole faster than a raindrop into the ground. And there helay, while the shadows flickered and gibbered about the entrance, for they had nopower to move him, except by fear. After a time they went away and El-ahrairahwas left alone, wondering whether he would be able to reach King Darzin's armyin time without the use of whiskers or ears.
"At last, when he was sure that he must have stayed in the hole long enough tobe infected, El-ahrairah came out and began to make his way back along the run.
He did not know how soon the disease would appear or how long he would taketo die, but plainly he ought to return as quickly as he could -- if possible, beforethere was any sign of illness on him. Without going near Rabscuttle, he must tellhim to hurry ahead, reach the rabbits in the warren and warn them to block allthe holes and stay inside until King Darzin's army was destroyed.
"He blundered into a stone in the dark, for he was shivering and feverish andin any case he could feel little or nothing without his whiskers. At that moment aquiet voice said, 'El-ahrairah, where are you going?' He had heard nothing, but heknew that the Black Rabbit was beside him.
"'I am going home, my lord,' he replied. 'You said that I might go when Iwished.'
"'You have some purpose, El-ahrairah,' said the Black Rabbit. 'What is it?'
"'I have been in the pit, my lord,' answered El-ahrairah. 'I am infected with thewhite blindness and I am going to save my people by destroying the enemy.'
"'El-ahrairah,' said the Black Rabbit, 'do you know how the white blindness iscarried?'
"A sudden misgiving seized upon El-ahrairah. He said nothing.
"'It is carried by the fleas in rabbits' ears, said the Black Rabbit. 'They passfrom the ears of a sick rabbit to those of his companions. But, El-ahrairah, youhave no ears and fleas will not go to dock leaves. You can neither catch nor carrythe white blindness.'
"Then at last El-ahrairah felt that his strength and courage were gone. He fellto the ground. He tried to move, but his back legs dragged along the rock and hecould not get up. He scuffled and then lay still in the silence.
"'El-ahrairah,' said the Black Rabbit at last, 'this is a cold warren: a bad placefor the living and no place at all for warm hearts and brave spirits. You are anuisance to me. Go home. I myself will save your people. Do not have theimpertinence to ask me when. There is no time here. They are already saved.'
"In that moment, while King Darzin and his soldiers were still jeering down theholes of the warren, confusion and terror came upon them in the falling darkness.
The fields seemed full of huge rabbits with red eyes, stalking among the thistles.
They turned and fled. They vanished in the night; and that is why no rabbit whotells the tales of El-ahrairah can say what kind of creatures they were or what theylooked like. Not one of them has ever been seen, from that day to this.
"When at last El-ahrairah was able to rise to his feet, the Black Rabbit wasgone and Rabscuttle was coming down the run, looking for him. Together theywent out to the mountainside and made their way down the stone-rattling gullyin the mist. They did not know where they were going, except that they weregoing away from the Black Rabbit's warren. But after a time it became plain thatEl-ahrairah was ill from shock and exhaustion. Rabscuttle dug a scrape and therethey stayed for several days.
"Later, when El-ahrairah began to get better, they wandered on, but they couldnot find their way back. They were confused in their wits and had to beg help andshelter of other animals whom they met. Their journey home lasted threemonths, and many adventures they had. Some these, as you know, are stories inthemselves. Once they lived with a lendri and found pheasants' eggs for him inthe wood. And once they barely escaped from the middle of a hayfield when thehay was cutting. All the time, Rabscuttle looked after El-ahrairah, brought himfresh dock leaves and kept the flies from his wounds until they healed.
"At last, one day, they came back to the warren. It was evening, and as the sunstretched out all the hills, they could see any number of rabbits at silflay, nibblingin the grass and playing over the ant heaps. They stopped at the top of the field,sniffing the gorse and herb robert on the wind.
"'Well, they look all right,' said El-ahrairah. 'A healthy lot, really. Let's just slipin quietly and see whether we can find one or two of the Owsla captainsunderground. We don't want a lot of fuss.'
"They made their way along the hedgerow, but could not altogether get theirbearings, because apparently the warren had grown bigger and there were moreholes than before, both in the bank and in the field. They stopped to speak to agroup of smart young bucks and does sitting under the elder bloom.
"'We want to find Loosestrife,' said Rabscuttle. 'Can you tell us where hisburrow is?'
"'I never heard of him,' answered one of the bucks. 'Are you sure he's in thiswarren?'
"'Unless he's dead,' said Rabscuttle. 'But surely you must have heard of CaptainLoosestrife? He was an officer of the Owsla in the fighting.'
"'What fighting?' asked another buck.
"'The fighting against King Darzin,' replied Rabscuttle.
"'Here, do me a favor, old fellow, will you?' said the buck. 'That fighting -- Iwasn't born when it finished.'
"'But surely you know the Owsla captains who were?' said Rabscuttle.
"'I wouldn't be seen dead with them,' said the buck. 'What, that white-whiskered old bunch? What do we want to know about them?'
"'What they did,' said Rabscuttle.
"'That war lark, old fellow?' said the first buck. 'That's all finished now. That'sgot nothing to do with us.'
"'If this Loosestrife fought King What's-His-Name, that's his business,' saidone of the does. 'It's not our business, is it?'
"'It was all a very wicked thing,' said another doe. 'Shameful, really. If nobodyfought in wars, there wouldn't be any, would there? But you can't get old rabbitsto see that.'
"'My father was in it,' said the second buck. 'He gets on about it sometimes. Ialways go out quick. "They did this and then we did that" and all that caper.
Makes you curl up, honest. Poor old geezer, you'd think he'd want to forget aboutit. I reckon he makes half of it up. And where did it get him, tell me that?'
"'If you don't mind waiting a little while, sir,' said a buck to El-ahrairah, 'I'll goand see if I can find Captain Loosestrife for you. I don't actually know him myself,but then it's rather a big warren.'
"'That's good of you,' said El-ahrairah, 'but I think I've got my bearings nowand I can manage by myself.'
"El-ahrairah went along the hedgerow to the wood and sat alone under a nutbush, looking out across the fields. As the light began to fail, he suddenly realizedthat Lord Frith was close beside him, among the leaves.
"'Are you angry, El-ahrairah?' asked Lord Frith.
"'No, my lord,' replied El-ahrairah, 'I am not angry. But I have learned thatwith creatures one loves, suffering is not the only thing for which one may pitythem. A rabbit who does not know when a gift has made him safe is poorer than aslug, even though he may think otherwise himself.'
"'Wisdom is found on the desolate hillside, El-ahrairah, where none comes tofeed, and the stony bank where the rabbit scratches a hole in vain. But, speakingof gifts, I have brought a few trifles for you. A pair of ears, tail and some whiskers.
You may find the ears slightly strange at first. I put a little starlight in them, but itis really quite faint: not enough, I am sure, to give away a clever thief like you. Ah,there is Rabscuttle coming back. Good, I have something for him, too. Shall we--'""Hazel! Hazel-rah!" It was Pipkin's voice from behind a clump of burdock onthe edge of the little circle of listeners. "There's a fox coming up the combe!"*Bob-stones is a traditional game of rabbits. It is played with small stones,fragments of sticks or the like. Fundamentally it is a very simple kind ofgambling, on the lines of "Odds or Evens." A "cast" of stones on the ground iscovered by the player's front paw. The opponent must then hazard some sort ofsurmise about its nature -- e.g., one or two, light or dark, rough or smooth.
32. Across the Iron Road
Esprit de rivalité et de mésintelligence qui préserva plus d'une fois l'arméeanglaise d'une défaite.
General Jourdan, Mémoires MilitairesSome people have the idea that rabbits spend a good deal of their time runningaway from foxes. It is true that every rabbit fears the fox and will bolt if it smellsone. But many rabbits go all their lives without seeing a fox and probably only afew actually fall victim to an enemy who smells strongly and cannot run as fast asthey can. A fox trying to catch a rabbit usually creeps upwind under cover --perhaps through a patch of woodland to the edge. Then, if he succeeds in gettingclose to where the rabbits are at silflay along the bank or in the field, he lies stilland watches his chance for a quick snatch. It is said that sometimes he fascinatesthem, as the weasel does, by rolling and playing in the open, coming closer littleby little until he can make a grab. However this may be, it is certain that no foxhunts rabbits by going openly up a combe at sunset.
Neither Hazel nor any of the rabbits who had been listening to Dandelion'sstory had ever seen a fox. Nevertheless, they knew that a fox in the open, plain tobe seen, is not dangerous as long as it is spotted in time. Hazel realized that hehad been careless to allow everyone to gather round Dandelion and to have failedto post even one sentry. What wind there was was from the northeast and the fox,coming up the combe from the west, might have broken in upon them withoutwarning. But from this danger they had been saved by Fiver and Pipkin going intothe open. Even in his flash of alarm as Pipkin spoke, it crossed Hazel's mind thatFiver, no doubt reluctant to advise him in front of the others, had probably seizedthe opportunity provided by Pipkin's fear to post himself as a sentry.
Hazel thought quickly. If the fox were not too close, all they had to do was run.
There was woodland nearby and they could vanish into it, keeping more or lesstogether, and simply continue on their way. He pushed through the burdocks.
"How close is it?" he asked. "And where's Fiver?""I'm here," replied Fiver, from a few yards away. He was squatting under thelong briars of a dog rose and did not turn his head as Hazel came up beside him.
"And there's the fox," he added. Hazel followed his gaze.
The rough, weed-covered ground of the combe sloped away below them, a longdip bounded on the north by Caesar's Belt. The last of the setting sun shonestraight up it through a break in the trees. The fox was below them and still someway off. Although it was almost directly downwind and therefore must be able tosmell them, it did not look as though it were particularly interested in rabbits. Itwas trotting steadily up the combe like a dog, trailing its white-tipped brush. Incolor it was sandy brown, with dark legs and ears. Even now, though obviouslynot hunting, it had a crafty, predatory look that made the watchers among thedog roses shiver. As it passed behind a patch of thistles and disappeared fromview, Hazel and Fiver returned to the others.
"Come on," said Hazel. "If you've never seen a fox, don't bother to go and looknow. Just follow me."He was about to lead the way up the south side of the combe when suddenly arabbit shouldered him roughly aside, pushed past Fiver and was gone into theopen. Hazel stopped and looked round in amazement.
"Who was that?" he asked.
"Bigwig," answered Fiver, staring.
Together they went quickly back to the briars and once more looked into thecombe. Bigwig, in full view, was loping warily downhill, straight toward the fox.
They watched him, aghast. He drew near, but still the fox paid no attention.
"Hazel," said Silver from behind, "shall I--?""No one is to move," said Hazel quickly. "Keep still, all of you."At about thirty yards' distance the fox saw the approaching rabbit. It pausedfor a moment and then continued to trot forward. It was almost upon him beforeBigwig turned and began to limp up the north slope of the combe toward the treesof the Belt. The fox hesitated again and then followed him.
"What's he up to?" muttered Blackberry.
"Trying to draw it off, I suppose," replied Fiver.
"But he didn't have to! We should have got away without that.""Confounded fool!" said Hazel. "I don't know when I've been so angry."The fox had quickened its pace and was now some distance away from them. Itappeared to be overtaking Bigwig. The sun had set and in the failing light theycould just make him out as he entered the undergrowth. He disappeared and thefox followed. For several moments all was quiet. Then, horribly clear across thedarkening, empty combe, there came the agonizing squeal of a stricken rabbit.
"O Frith and Inlé!" cried Blackberry, stamping. Pipkin turned to bolt. Hazel didnot move.
"Shall we go, Hazel?" asked Silver. "We can't help him now."As he spoke, Bigwig suddenly broke out of the trees, running very fast. Almostbefore they could grasp that he was alive, he had recrossed the entire upper slopeof the combe in a single dash and bolted in among them.
"Come on," said Bigwig, "let's get out of here!""But what -- what -- Are you wounded?" asked Bluebell in bewilderment.
"No," said Bigwig, "never better! Let's go!""You can wait until I'm ready," said Hazel in a cold, angry tone. "You've doneyour best to kill yourself and acted like a complete fool. Now hold your tongueand sit down!" He turned and, although it was rapidly becoming too dark to seeany distance, made as though he were still looking out across the combe. Behindhim, the rabbits fidgeted nervously. Several had begun to feel a dreamlike senseof unreality. The long day above ground, the close, overgrown combe, thefrightening story in which they had been absorbed, the sudden appearance of thefox, the shock of Bigwig's inexplicable adventure -- all these, following one uponanother, had flooded their spirits and left them dull and bemused.
"Get them out, Hazel," whispered Fiver, "before they all go tharn."Hazel turned at once. "Well, no fox," he said cheerfully. "It's gone and we'll go,too. For goodness' sake keep close together, because if anyone gets lost in thedark we may not find him again. And remember, if we come upon any strangerabbits, you're to attack them at once and ask questions afterward."They skirted the side of the wood that lay along the southern edge of the combeand then, in ones and twos, slipped across the empty road beyond. Little by littletheir spirits cleared. They found themselves in open farmland -- indeed, theycould both smell and hear the farm, not far away on the evening side -- and thegoing was easy: smooth, wide pasture fields, sloping gently downhill and dividednot by hedges but by broad, low banks, each as wide as a lane and overgrown withelder, dogwood and spindle. It was true rabbit country, reassuring after the Beltand the tangled, goose-grassed combe; and when they had covered a gooddistance over the turf -- halting continually to listen and sniff and running, nowone and now another, from each piece of cover to the next -- Hazel felt safe ingiving them a rest. As soon as he had sent out Speedwell and Hawkbit as sentries,he led Bigwig to one side.
"I'm angry with you," he said. "You're the one rabbit we're not going to be ableto do without and you have to go and run a silly risk like that. It wasn't necessaryand it wasn't even clever. What were you up to?""I'm afraid I just lost my head, Hazel," replied Bigwig. "I've been strung up allday, thinking about this business at Efrafa -- got me really on edge. When I feellike that I have to do something -- you know, fight or run a risk. I thought if Icould make that fox look a fool I wouldn't feel so worried about the other thing.
What's more, it worked -- I feel a lot better now.""Playing El-ahrairah," said Hazel. "You duffer, you might have thrown your lifeaway for nothing -- we all thought you had. Don't try it again, there's a good chap.
You know everything's going to depend on you. But tell me, whatever happenedin the trees? Why did you cry like that, if you were all right?""I didn't," said Bigwig. "It was very queer, what happened, and bad, too, I'mafraid. I was going to lose the homba in the trees, you see, and then come back.
Well, I went into the undergrowth, and I'd just stopped limping and was startingto run really fast when suddenly I found myself face to face with a bunch ofrabbits -- strangers. They were coming toward me, as if they were going out intothe open combe. Of course, I didn't have time to get a good look at them, but theyseemed to be big fellows. 'Look out -- run!' I said as I dashed up to them, but allthey did was try to stop me. One of them said, 'You stay here!' or something likethat, and then he got right in my way. So I knocked him down -- I had to -- andraced off, and the next thing I heard was this dreadful squealing. Of course, Iwent even faster then and I got clear of the trees and came back to you.""So the homba got this other rabbit?""It must have. After all, I led it right onto them, even though I didn't mean to.
But I never saw what actually happened.""What became of the others?""I've no idea. They must have run, I suppose.""I see," said Hazel thoughtfully. "Well, perhaps it's all for the best. But lookhere, Bigwig, no more fancy tricks until the proper time -- there's too much atstake. You'd better stay near Silver and me -- we'll keep you in good heart."At that moment Silver came up to them.
"Hazel," he said, "I've just realized where we are and it's a lot too close toEfrafa. I think we ought to make off as soon as we can.""I want to go right round Efrafa -- wide," said Hazel. "Do you think you canfind the way to that iron road Holly told us about?""I think so," replied Silver. "But we can't make too big a circle or they'll becompletely exhausted. I can't say I know the way, but I can tell the direction allright.""Well, we'll just have to take the risk," said Hazel. "If only we can get there byearly morning, they can rest at the other end."They met with no more adventures that night, moving quietly along the edgesof the fields under the dim light of a quarter-moon. The half-darkness was full ofsounds and movement. Once Acorn put up a plover, which flew round them,calling shrilly, until at length they crossed a bank and left it behind. Soon after,somewhere near them, they heard the unceasing bubbling of a nightjar -- apeaceful sound, without menace, which died gradually away as they pushed on.
And once they heard a corncrake calling as it crept among the long grass of a pathverge. (It makes a sound like a human fingernail drawn down the teeth of acomb.) But elil they met none and although they were continually on the watchfor signs of an Efrafan patrol, they saw nothing but mice, and a few hedgehogshunting for slugs along the ditches.
At last, as the first lark rose toward the light that was still far up in the sky,Silver, his pale fur sodden dark with dew, came limping back to where Hazel wasencouraging Bluebell and Pipkin.
"You can pluck up your spirits, Bluebell," he said. "I think we're close to theiron road.""I wouldn't care about my spirits," said Bluebell, "if my legs weren't so tired.
Slugs are lucky not to have legs. I think I'll be a slug.""Well, I'm a hedgehog," said Hazel, "so you'd better get on!""You're not," replied Bluebell. "You haven't enough fleas. Now, slugs don'thave fleas, either. How comforting to be a slug, among the dandelions so snug--""And feel the blackbird's sudden tug," said Hazel. "All right, Silver, we'recoming. But where is the iron road? Holly said a steep, overgrown bank. I can'tmake out anything like that.""No, that's away up by Efrafa. Down here it runs in a sort of combe of its own.
Can't you smell it?"Hazel sniffed. In the cool damp, he picked up at once the unnatural smells ofmetal, coal smoke and oil. They went forward and in a very short time foundthemselves looking down from among the bushes and undergrowth on the edgeof the railway cutting. All was quiet, but as they paused at the top of the bank, atussling pack of six or seven sparrows flew down to the line and began to peckabout between the sleepers. Somehow, the sight was reassuring.
"Are we to cross, Hazel-rah?" asked Blackberry.
"Yes," said Hazel, "at once. Put it between us and Efrafa: then we'll feed."They went rather hesitantly down into the cutting, half expecting the fiery,thundering angel of Frith to appear out of the twilight; but the silence remainedunbroken. Soon they were all feeding in the meadow beyond, too tired to payattention to concealment or to anything but the ease of resting their legs andnibbling the grass.
From above the larches Kehaar sailed down among them, alighted and foldedhis long, pale gray wings.
"Meester 'Azel, vat you do? You no stay 'ere?""They're tired out, Kehaar. They've got to have a rest.""Ees not to rest 'ere. Ees rabbits come.""Yes, but not just yet. We can--""Ya, ya, ees coming for find you! Ees close!""Oh, curse these confounded patrols!" cried Hazel. "Come on, all of you, getdown the field into that wood! Yes, you, too, Speedwell, unless you want to haveyour ears chewed off in Efrafa. Come on, move!"They tottered over the pasture to the woodland beyond and lay completelyexhausted on flat, bare ground under fir trees. Hazel and Fiver consulted Kehaaragain.
"It's no good expecting them to go any further, Kehaar," said Hazel. "They'vebeen going all night, you know. We'll have to sleep here today. Did you actuallysee a patrol?""Ya, ya, come all along by udder side iron road. Yoost in time you go.""Well, then, you saved us. But look, Kehaar, could you go and see where theyare now? If they're gone, I'm going to tell our lot to go to sleep -- not that theyneed telling: look at them!"Kehaar returned with the news that the Efrafan patrol had turned back withoutcrossing the iron road. Then he offered to keep watch himself until the eveningand Hazel, greatly relieved, at once told the rabbits to sleep. One or two hadalready fallen asleep, lying on their sides on the open ground. Hazel wonderedwhether he ought to wake them and tell them to get under thicker cover, but as hewas thinking about it he fell asleep himself.
The day came on hot and still. Among the trees the wood pigeons calleddrowsily and from time to time a late cuckoo stammered. In the fields, nothingmoved except the constantly swishing tails of the cows gathered flank to flank inthe shade.
33. The Great River
Never in his life had he seen a river before -- this sleek, sinuous, full-bodiedanimal.... All was a-shake and a-shiver -- glints and gleams and sparkles, rustleand swirl, chatter and bubble.
Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the WillowsWhen Hazel woke, he started up at once, for the air around him was full of thesharp cries of some creature hunting. He looked quickly round, but could see nosigns of alarm. It was evening. Several of the rabbits were already awake andfeeding on the edge of the wood. He realized that the cries, urgent and startlingthough they were, were too small and shrill for any kind of elil. They came fromabove his head. A bat flittered through the trees and out again without touching atwig. It was followed by another. Hazel could sense that there were many allabout, taking flies and moths on the wing and uttering their minute cries as theyflew. A human ear would hardly have heard them, but to the rabbits the air wasfull of their calls. Outside the wood, the field was still bright with eveningsunshine, but among the firs the light was dusky and here the bats were comingand going thickly. Mixed with the resinous scent of the firs there came anothersmell, strong and fragrant, yet sharp -- the perfume of flowers, but of some kindunknown to Hazel. He followed it to its source at the edge of the wood. It camefrom several thick patches of soapwort growing along the edge of the pasture.
Some of the plants were not yet in bloom, their buds curled in pink, pointedspirals held in the pale green calices, but most were already star-flowering andgiving off their strong scent. The bats were hunting among the flies and mothsattracted to the soapwort.
Hazel passed hraka and began to feed in the field. He was disturbed to findthat his hind leg was troubling him. He had thought that it was healed, but theforced journey over the downs had evidently proved too much for the muscle tornby the shotgun pellets. He wondered whether it was far to the river of whichKehaar had spoken. If it was, he was in for trouble.
"Hazel-rah," said Pipkin, coming up from among the soapwort, "are you allright? Your leg looks queer -- you're dragging it.""No, it's all right," said Hazel. "Look, Hlao-roo, where's Kehaar? I want to talkto him.""He's flown out to see if there's a patrol anywhere near, Hazel-rah. Bigwigwoke some time ago and he and Silver asked Kehaar to go. They didn't want todisturb you."Hazel felt irritated. It would have been better to be told at once which way togo, rather than to wait while Kehaar looked for patrols. They were going to cross ariver and, as far as he was concerned, they could not do it too soon. Fretting, hewaited for Kehaar. Soon he had become as tense and nervous as he had ever beenin his life. He was beginning to believe that after all he might have been rash. Itwas clear that Holly had not underrated their danger near Efrafa. He had littledoubt that Bigwig, by sheer chance, had led the fox onto a Wide Patrol which hadbeen following their trail. Then, in the morning, again by luck and the help ofKehaar, they had evidently just missed another at the crossing of the iron road.
Perhaps Silver's fear was well founded and a patrol had already spotted andreported them without their knowing? Had General Woundwort got some sort ofKehaar of his own? Perhaps a bat was at this moment talking to him? How wasone to foresee and guard against everything? The grass seemed sour, the sunshinechilly. Hazel sat hunched under the firs, worrying dismally. He felt less annoyed,now, with Bigwig: he could understand his feelings. Waiting was bad. He fidgetedfor some kind of action. Just as he had decided to wait no longer, but to collecteveryone and go immediately, Kehaar came flying from the direction of thecutting. He flapped clumsily down among the firs, silencing the bats.
"Meester 'Azel, ees no rabbits. I t'ink maybe dey no like for go across ironroad.""Good. Is it far to the river, Kehaar?""Na, na. Ees close, in vood.""Splendid. We can find this crossing in daylight?""Ya, ya. I show you pridge."The rabbits had gone only a short distance through the wood when they sensedthat they were already near the river. The ground became soft and damp. Theycould smell sedge and water. Suddenly, the harsh, vibrating cry of a moor henechoed through the trees, followed by a flapping of wings and a watery scuttering.
The rustling of the leaves seemed also to echo, as though reflected distantly fromhard ground. A little further on, they could distinctly hear the water itself -- thelow, continuous pouring of a shallow fall. A human being, hearing from a distancethe noise of a crowd, can form an idea of its size. The sound of the river told therabbits that it must be bigger than any they had known before -- wide, smoothand swift. Pausing among the comfrey and ground elder, they stared at eachother, seeking reassurance. Then they began to lollop hesitantly forward intomore open ground. There was still no river to be seen, but in front they couldperceive a flicker and dance of mirrored light in the air. Soon afterward Hazel,limping ahead with Fiver near him, found himself on a narrow green path thatdivided the wilderness from the riverbank.
The path was almost as smooth as a lawn and clear of bushes and weeds, for itwas kept cut for fishermen. Along its further side the riparian plants grew thickly,so that it was separated from the river by a kind of hedge of purple loosestrife,great willow herb, fleabane, figwort and hemp agrimony, here and there alreadyin bloom. Two or three more of the rabbits emerged from the wood. Peeringthrough the plant clumps, they could catch glimpses of the smooth, glitteringriver, evidently much wider and swifter than the Enborne. Although there was noenemy or other danger to be perceived, they felt the apprehension and doubt ofthose who have come unawares upon some awe-inspiring place where theythemselves are paltry fellows of no account. When Marco Polo came at last toCathay, seven hundred years ago, did he not feel -- and did his heart not falter ashe realized -- that this great and splendid capital of an empire had had its beingall the years of his life and far longer, and that he had been ignorant of it? That itwas in need of nothing from him, from Venice, from Europe? That it was full ofwonders beyond his understanding? That his arrival was a matter of noimportance whatever? We know that he felt these things, and so has many atraveler in foreign parts who did not know what he was going to find. There isnothing that cuts you down to size like coming to some strange and marvelousplace where no one even stops to notice that you stare about you.
The rabbits were uneasy and confused. They crouched on the grass, sniffingthe water smells in the cooling, sunset air: and moved closer together, eachhoping not to see in the others the nervousness he felt in himself. As Pipkinreached the path a great, shimmering dragonfly, four inches long, all emerald andsable, appeared at his shoulder, hovered, droning and motionless, and was gonelike lightning into the sedge. Pipkin leaped back in alarm. As he did so there camea shrill, vibrant cry and he caught sight, between the plants, of a brilliant azurebird flashing past over the open water. A few moments later there came, fromclose behind the plant hedge, the sound of a fairly heavy splash: but what creaturemight have made it there was no telling.
Looking round for Hazel, Pipkin caught sight of Kehaar, a little way off,standing in a patch of shallow water between two clumps of willow herb. He wasstabbing and snapping at something in the mud and after a few moments pulledout a six-inch leech and swallowed it whole. Beyond him, some distance down thepath, Hazel was combing the goose grass out of his coat and evidently listening toFiver as they sat together under a rhododendron. Pipkin ran along the bank andjoined them.
"There's nothing wrong with the place," Fiver was saying. "There's no moredanger here than anywhere else. Kehaar's going to show us where to get across,isn't he? The thing to do is to get on with it before it gets dark.""They'll never stop here," replied Hazel. "We can't stay and wait for Bigwig in aplace like this. It's unnatural for rabbits.""Yes, we can -- calm down. They'll get used to it quicker than you think. I tellyou, it's better than one or two other places we've been in. Not all strange thingsare bad. Would you like me to take them over? Say it's because of your leg.""Fine," said Hazel. "Hlao-roo, can you get everyone along here?"When Pipkin had gone, he said, "I feel troubled, Fiver. I'm asking so much ofthem, and there are so many risks in this plan.""They're a better lot than you give them credit for," replied Fiver. "If you wereto--"Kehaar called raucously across, startling a wren out of the bushes.
"Meester 'Azel, vat for you vait?""To know where to go," answered Fiver.
"Pridge near. You go on, you see."Where they were, the undergrowth stood close to the green path, but beyond --downstream, as they all intuitively felt -- it gave way to open parkland. Out intothis they went, Hazel following Fiver.
Hazel did not know what a bridge was. It was another of Kehaar's unknownwords that he did not feel up to questioning. Despite his trust in Kehaar and hisrespect for his wide experience, he felt still more disturbed as they came into theopen. Clearly, this was some sort of man place, frequented and dangerous. Ashort way ahead was a road. He could see its smooth, unnatural surfacestretching away over the grass. He stopped and looked at it. At length, when hewas sure that there were no men anywhere near, he went cautiously up to theverge.
The road crossed the river on a bridge about thirty feet long. It did not occur toHazel that there was anything unusual in this. The idea of a bridge was beyondhim. He saw only a line of stout posts and rails on either side of the road.
Similarly, simple African villagers who have never left their remote homes maynot be particularly surprised by their first sight of an airplane: it is outside theircomprehension. But their first sight of a horse pulling a cart will set thempointing and laughing at the ingenuity of the fellow who thought of that one.
Hazel saw without surprise the road crossing the river. What worried him wasthat where it did so there were only very narrow verges of short grass, offering nocover. His rabbits would be exposed to view and unable to bolt, except along theroad.
"Do you think we can risk it, Fiver?" he asked.
"I can't see why you're bothered," answered Fiver. "You went into the farmyardand the shed where the hutch rabbits were. This is much less dangerous. Come on-- they're all watching while we hesitate."Fiver hopped out on the road. He looked round for a moment and then madehis way to the nearer end of the bridge. Hazel followed him along the verge,keeping close beside the rail on the upstream side. Looking round, he saw Pipkinclose behind. In the middle of the bridge Fiver, who was perfectly calm andunhurried, stopped and sat up. The other two joined him.
"Let's put on a bit of an act," said Fiver. "Make them inquisitive. They'll followus just to see what we're looking at."There was no sill along the edge of the bridge: they could have walked off itinto the water three feet below. From under the lowest rail they looked out,upstream, and now, for the first time, saw the whole river plainly. If the bridgehad not startled Hazel, the river did. He remembered the Enborne, its surfacebroken by gravel spits and plant growth. The Test, a weed-cut, carefully tendedtrout stream, seemed to him like a world of water. A good ten yards wide it was,fast-flowing and smooth, spangling and dazzling in the evening sun. The treereflections on the even current were unbroken as on a lake. There was not a reedor a plant to be seen above the water. Close by, under the left bank, a bed ofcrowfoot trailed downstream, the wheel-like leaves all submerged. Darker still,almost black, were the mats of water moss, their thick masses motionless on thebed of the river and only the trailing fronds waving slowly from side to side.
Waving, too, were the wider expanses of pale green cressweed; but these rippledwith the current, lightly and quickly. The water was very clear, with a bed of cleanyellow gravel, and even in the middle was hardly four feet deep. As the rabbitsstared down they could discern, here and there, a very fine scour, like smoke --chalk and powdered gravel carried along by the river as dust is blown on thewind. Suddenly, from under the bridge, with a languid movement of its flat tail,swam a gravel-colored fish as long as a rabbit. The watchers, immediately above,could see the dark, vivid spots along its sides. Warily it hung in the current belowthem, undulating from side to side. It reminded Hazel of the cat in the yard. Asthey stared, it swam upward with a lithe flicker and stopped just below thesurface. A moment later its blunt nose thrust clear of the stream and they saw theopen mouth, pure white inside. Rhythmically, without haste, it sucked down afloating sedge fly and sank back under water. A ripple spread outward insubsiding circles, breaking both the reflections and the transparency. Graduallythe stream grew smooth and once more they saw the fish below them, waving itstail as it held its place in the current.
"A water hawk!" said Fiver. "So they hunt and eat down there, too! Don't fallin, Hlao-roo. Remember El-ahrairah and the pike.""Would it eat me?" asked Pipkin, staring.
"There may be creatures in there that could," said Hazel. "How do we know?
Come on, let's get across. What would you do if a hrududu came?""Run," said Fiver simply, "like this." And he scurried off the further end of thebridge into the grass beyond.
On this far side of the river, undergrowth and a grove of great horse chestnutsextended almost down to the bridge. The ground was marshy, but at least therewas plenty of cover. Fiver and Pipkin began at once on some scrapes, while Hazelsat chewing pellets and resting his injured leg. Soon they were joined by Silverand Dandelion, but the other rabbits, more hesitant even than Hazel, remainedcrouching in the long grass on the right bank. At last, just before darkness fell,Fiver re-crossed the bridge and coaxed them to follow him back. Bigwig, toeveryone's surprise, showed considerable reluctance, and only crossed in the endafter Kehaar, returning from another flight over Efrafa, had asked whether hewould like him to go and fetch a fox.
The night that followed seemed to all of them disorganized and precarious.
Hazel, still conscious of being in man country, was half expecting either a dog or acat. But although they heard owls more than once, no elil attacked them and bythe morning they were in better spirits.
As soon as they had fed, Hazel set them to exploring the surroundings. Itbecame even more plain that the ground near the river was too wet for rabbits.
Indeed, in places it was almost bog. Marsh sedge grew there, pink, sweet-scentedvalerian and the drooping water avens. Silver reported that it was drier up in thewoodland away from the bank, and at first Hazel had the idea of picking a freshspot and digging again. But presently the day grew so hot and humid that allactivity was quenched. The faint breeze vanished. The sun drew up a torpidmoisture from the watery thickets. The smell of water mint filled all thehydrophanic air. The rabbits crept into the shade, under any cover that offered.
Long before ni-Frith, all were drowsing in the undergrowth.
It was not until the dappled afternoon began to grow cool that Hazel wokesuddenly, to find Kehaar beside him. The gull was strutting from side to side withshort, quick steps and pecking impatiently in the long grass. Hazel sat up quickly.
"What is it, Kehaar? Not a patrol?""Na, na. Ees all fine for sleep like bloody owls. Maybe I go for Peeg Vater.
Meester 'Azel, you getting mudders now soon? Vat for vait now?""No, you're right, Kehaar, we must start now. The trouble is, I can see how tostart but not how to finish."Hazel made his way through the grass, roused the first rabbit he found -- whohappened to be Bluebell -- and sent him to fetch Bigwig, Blackberry and Fiver.
When they came, he took them to join Kehaar on the short grass of the riverbank.
"This is the problem, Blackberry," he said. "You remember that when we wereunder the down that evening I said we should have to do three things: get thedoes out of Efrafa, break up the pursuit and then get right away so that theywouldn't find us. This plan you've thought up is clever. It'll do the first two things,all right, I'm sure of that. But what about the last one? The Efrafan rabbits arefast and savage. They'll find us if we're to be found and I don't believe we can runaway faster than they can follow -- especially with a lot of does who've never beenout of Efrafa. We couldn't possibly stand and fight them to a finish -- we're toofew. And on top of that, my leg seems to be bad again. So what's to be done?""I don't know," answered Blackberry. "But, obviously, we shall need todisappear. Could we swim the river? No scent then, you know.""It's too swift," said Hazel. "We'd be carried away. But even if we did swim it,we couldn't count on not being followed. From what I've heard of these Efrafans,they'd certainly swim the river if they thought we had. What it comes to is that,with Kehaar to help us, we can break up a pursuit while we're getting the doesout, but they'll know which way we've gone and they won't leave it at that. No,you're right, we've got to vanish without a trace, so that they can't even track us.
But how?""I don't know," said Blackberry again. "Shall we go up the river a little way andhave a look at it? Perhaps there's somewhere we could use for a hiding place. Canyou manage that, with your leg?""If we don't go too far," replied Hazel.
"Can I come, Hazel-rah?" asked Bluebell, who had been waiting about, a littleway off.
"Yes, all right," said Hazel good-naturedly, as he began to limp along the bankupstream.
They soon realized that the woodland on this left bank was lonely, thick andovergrown -- denser than the nut copses and bluebell woods of Sandleford.
Several times they heard the drumming of a great woodpecker, the shyest ofbirds. As Blackberry was suggesting that perhaps they might look for a hidingplace somewhere in this jungle, they became aware of another sound -- the fallingwater which they had heard on their approach the day before. Soon they reacheda place where the river curved round in a bend from the east, and here they cameupon the broad, shallow fall. It was no more than a foot high -- one of thoseartificial falls, common on the chalk streams, made to attract trout. Several werealready rising to the evening hatch of fly. Just above the fall a plank footbridgecrossed the river. Kehaar flew up, circled the pool and perched on the hand rail.
"This is more sheltered and lonely than the bridge we crossed last night," saidBlackberry. "Perhaps we could make some use of it. You didn't know about thisbridge, Kehaar, did you?""Na, not know, not see heem. But ees goot pridge -- no von come.""I'd like to go across, Hazel-rah," said Blackberry.
"Well, Fiver's the rabbit for that," replied Hazel. "He simply loves crossingbridges. You carry on. I'll come behind, with Bigwig and Bluebell here."The five rabbits hopped slowly along the planks, their great, sensitive ears fullof the sound of the falling water. Hazel, who was not sure of his footing, had tostop several times. When at length he reached the further side, he found thatFiver and Blackberry had already gone a little way downstream below the fall andwere looking at some large object sticking out from the bank. At first he thoughtthat it must be a fallen tree trunk, but as he came closer he saw that, although itwas certainly wooden, it was not round, but flat, or nearly flat, with raised edges-- some man thing. He remembered how once, long ago, sniffing over a farmrubbish heap with Fiver, he had come upon a similar object -- large, smooth andflat. (That had, in fact, been an old, discarded door.) It had been of no use to themand they had left it alone. His inclination was to leave this alone, too.
One end of the thing was pressed into the bank, but along its length itdiverged, sticking out slightly into the stream. There were ripples round it, forunder the banks the current was as swift as in midstream, on account of weed-cutting and sound camp-sheeting. As Hazel came nearer, he saw that Blackberryhad actually scrambled on the thing. His claws made a faint hollow sound on thewood, so there must be water underneath. Whatever it might be, the thing did notextend downward to the bottom: it was lying on the water.
"What are you after, Blackberry?" he said rather sharply.
"Food," replied Blackberry. "Flayrah. Can't you smell it?"Kehaar had alighted on the middle of the thing, and was snapping away atsomething white. Blackberry scuttered along the wood toward him and began tonibble at some kind of greenstuff. After a little while Hazel also ventured out onthe wood and sat in the sunshine, watching the flies on the warm, varnishedsurface and sniffing the strange river smells that came up from the water.
"What is this man thing, Kehaar?" he asked. "Is it dangerous?""Na, no dangerous. You not know? Ees poat. At Peeg Vater is many, manypoat. Men make dem, go on vater. Ees no harm."Kehaar went on pecking at the broken pieces of stale bread. Blackberry, whohad finished the fragments of lettuce he had found, was sitting up and lookingover the very low side, watching a stone-colored, black-spotted trout swim upinto the fall. The "boat" was a miniature punt, used for reed-cutting -- little morethan a raft, with a single thwart amidships. Even when it was unmanned, as now,there were only a few inches of freeboard.
"You know," said Fiver from the bank, "seeing you sitting there reminds me ofthat other wooden thing you found when the dog was in the wood and you gotPipkin and me over the river. Do you remember?""I remember shoving you along," said Bigwig. "It was jolly cold.""What puzzles me," said Blackberry, "is why this boat thing doesn't go along.
Everything in this river goes along, and fast, too -- see there." He looked out at apiece of stick floating down on the even two-mile-an-hour current. "So what'sstopping this thing from going?"Kehaar had a short-way-with-landlubbers manner which he sometimes used tothose of the rabbits that he did not particularly like. Blackberry was not one of hisfavorites: he preferred straightforward characters such as Bigwig, Buckthorn andSilver.
"Ees rope. You like bite heem, den you go damn queek, all de vay.""Yes, I see," said Fiver. "The rope goes round that metal thing where Hazel'ssitting: and the other end's fixed on the bank here. It's like the stalk of a big leaf.
You could gnaw it through and the leaf -- the boat -- would drop off the bank.""Well, anyway, let's go back now," said Hazel, rather dejectedly. "I'm afraid wedon't seem to be any nearer to finding what we're looking for, Kehaar. Can youpossibly wait until tomorrow? I had the idea that we might all move tosomewhere a bit drier before tonight -- higher up in the wood, away from theriver.""Oh, what a pity!" said Bluebell. "Do you know, I'd quite decided to become awater rabbit.""A what?" asked Bigwig.
"A water rabbit," repeated Bluebell. "Well, there are water rats and waterbeetles and Pipkin says that last night he saw a water hawk. So why not a waterrabbit? I shall float merrily along--""Great golden Frith on a hill!" cried Blackberry suddenly. "Great jumpingRabscuttle! That's it! That's it! Bluebell, you shall be a water rabbit!" He beganleaping and skipping about on the bank and cuffing Fiver with his front paws.
"Don't you see, Fiver? Don't you see? We bite the rope and off we go: and GeneralWoundwort doesn't know!"Fiver paused. "Yes, I do see," he replied at length. "You mean on the boat. Imust say, Blackberry, you're a clever fellow. I remember now that after we'dcrossed that other river you said that that floating trick might come in handyagain sometime.""Here, wait a moment," said Hazel. "We're just simple rabbits, Bigwig and I.
Do you mind explaining?"Then and there, while the black gnats settled on their ears, by the plank bridgeand the pouring waterfall, Blackberry and Fiver explained.
"Could you just go and try the rope, Hazel-rah?" added Blackberry, when hehad finished. "It may be too thick."They went back to the punt.
"No, it's not," said Hazel, "and it's stretched tight, of course, which makes itmuch easier to gnaw. I can gnaw that, all right.""Ya, ees goot," said Kehaar. "You go fine. But you do heem queek, ya? Maybesomet'ing change. Man come, take poat -- you know?""There's nothing more to wait for," said Hazel. "Go on, Bigwig, straightaway,and may El-ahrairah go with you. And remember, you're the leader now. Sendword by Kehaar what you want us to do; we shall all be here, ready to back youup."Afterward, they all remembered how Bigwig had taken his orders. No onecould say that he did not practice what he preached. He hesitated a few momentsand then looked squarely at Hazel.
"It's sudden," he said. "I wasn't expecting it tonight. But that's all to the good --I hated waiting. See you later."He touched his nose to Hazel's, turned and hopped away into the undergrowth.
A few minutes later, guided by Kehaar, he was running up the open pasture northof the river, straight for the brick arch in the overgrown railway embankment andthe fields that lay beyond.
34. General Woundwort
Like an obelisk towards which the principal streets of a town converge, thestrong will of a proud spirit stands prominent and commanding in the middle ofthe art of war.
Clausewitz, On WarDusk was falling on Efrafa. In the failing light, General Woundwort waswatching the Near Hind Mark at silflay along the edge of the great pasture fieldthat lay between the warren and the iron road. Most of the rabbits were feedingnear the Mark holes, which were close beside the field, concealed among the treesand undergrowth bordering a lonely bridle path. A few, however, had venturedout into the field, to browse and play in the last of the sun. Further out still werethe sentries of the Owsla, on the alert for the approach of men or elil and also forany rabbit who might stray too far to be able to get underground quickly if thereshould be an alarm.
Captain Chervil, one of the two officers of the Mark, had just returned from around of his sentries and was talking to some of the does near the center of theMark ground when he saw the General approaching. He looked quickly about tosee whether anything was at fault. Since all seemed to be well, he began nibblingat a patch of sweet vernal with the best air of indifference that he could manage.
General Woundwort was a singular rabbit. Some three years before, he hadbeen born -- the strongest of a litter of five -- in a burrow outside a cottage gardennear Cole Henley. His father, a happy-go-lucky and reckless buck, had thoughtnothing of living close to human beings except that he would be able to forage intheir garden in the early morning. He had paid dearly for his rashness. After twoor three weeks of spoiled lettuces and nibbled cabbage plants, the cottager hadlain in wait and shot him as he came through the potato patch at dawn. The samemorning the man set to work to dig out the doe and her growing litter.
Woundwort's mother escaped, racing across the kale field toward the downs, herkittens doing their best to follow her. None but Woundwort succeeded. Hismother, bleeding from a shotgun pellet, made her way along the hedges in broaddaylight, with Woundwort limping beside her.
It was not long before a weasel picked up the scent of the blood and followed it.
The little rabbit cowered in the grass while his mother was killed before his eyes.
He made no attempt to run, but the weasel, its hunger satisfied, left him aloneand made off through the bushes. Several hours later a kind old schoolmasterfrom Overton, walking through the fields, came upon Woundwort nuzzling thecold, still body and crying. He carried him home to his own kitchen and saved hislife, feeding him with milk from a nasal dropper until he was old enough to eatbran and greenstuff. But Woundwort grew up very wild and, like Cowper's hare,would bite when he could. In a month he was big and strong and had becomesavage. He nearly killed the schoolmaster's cat, which had found him at liberty inthe kitchen and tried to torment him. One night, a week later, he tore the wirefrom the front of his hutch and escaped to the open country.
Most rabbits in his situation, lacking almost all experience of wild life, wouldhave fallen victim at once to the elil: but not Woundwort. After a few days'
wandering, he came upon a small warren and, snarling and clawing, forced themto accept him. Soon he had become Chief Rabbit, having killed both the previousChief and a rival named Fiorin. In combat he was terrifying, fighting entirely tokill, indifferent to any wounds he received himself and closing with hisadversaries until his weight overbore and exhausted them. Those who had noheart to oppose him were not long in feeling that here was a leader indeed.
Woundwort was ready to fight anything except a fox. One evening he attackedand drove off a foraging Aberdeen puppy. He was impervious to the fascination ofthe mustelidae, and hoped someday to kill a weasel, if not a stoat. When he hadexplored the limits of his own strength, he set to work to satisfy his longing forstill more power in the only possible way -- by increasing the power of the rabbitsabout him. He needed a bigger kingdom. Men were the great danger, but thiscould be circumvented by cunning and discipline. He left the small warren, takinghis followers with him, and set out to look for a place suited to his purpose, wherethe very existence of rabbits could be concealed and extermination made verydifficult.
Efrafa grew up round the crossing point of two green bridle paths, one ofwhich (the east-to-west) was tunnel-like, bordered on both sides by a thickgrowth of trees and bushes. The immigrants, under Woundwort's direction, dugtheir holes between the roots of the trees, in the undergrowth and along theditches. From the first the warren prospered. Woundwort watched over themwith a tireless zeal that won their loyalty even while they feared him. When thedoes stopped digging, Woundwort himself went on with their work while theyslept. If a man was coming, Woundwort spotted him half a mile away. He foughtrats, magpies, gray squirrels and, once, a crow. When litters were kindled, he keptan eye on their growth, picked out the strongest youngsters for the Owsla andtrained them himself. He would allow no rabbit to leave the warren. Quite earlyon, three who tried to do so were hunted down and forced to return.
As the warren grew, so Woundwort developed his system to keep it undercontrol. Crowds of rabbits feeding at morning and evening were likely to attractattention. He devised the Marks, each controlled by its own officers and sentries,with feeding times changed regularly to give all a share of early morning andsunset -- the favorite hours for silflay. All signs of rabbit life were concealed asclosely as possible. The Owsla had privileges in regard to feeding, mating andfreedom of movement. Any failure of duty on their part was liable to be punishedby demotion and loss of privileges. For ordinary rabbits, the punishments weremore severe.
When it was no longer possible for Woundwort to be everywhere, the Councilwas set up. Some of the members came from the Owsla, but others were selectedsolely for their loyalty or their cunning as advisers. Old Snowdrop was growingdeaf, but no one knew more than he about organizing a warren for safety. On hisadvice, the runs and burrows of the various Marks were not connectedunderground, so that disease or poison, if they came, would spread less readily.
Conspiracy would also spread less readily. To visit the burrows of another Markwas not allowed without an officer's permission. It was on Snowdrop's advice,too, that Woundwort at length ordered that the warren was not to extend further,on account of the risk of detection and the weakening of central control. He waspersuaded only with difficulty, for the new policy frustrated his restless desire ofpower after power. This now needed another outlet, and soon after the warrenhad been stopped from growing he introduced the Wide Patrols.
The Wide Patrols began as mere forays or raids, led by Woundwort, into thesurrounding country. He would simply pick four or five of the Owsla and takethem out to look for trouble. On the first occasion they were lucky enough to findand kill a sick owl that had eaten a mouse that had eaten poison-dressed seedcorn. On the next, they came upon two hlessil whom they compelled to returnwith them to join the warren. Woundwort was no mere bully. He knew how toencourage other rabbits and to fill them with a spirit of emulation. It was not longbefore his officers were asking to be allowed to lead patrols. Woundwort wouldgive them tasks -- to search for hlessil in a certain direction or to find out whethera particular ditch or barn contained rats which could later be attacked in forceand driven out. Only from farms and gardens were they ordered to keep clear.
One of these patrols, led by a certain Captain Orchis, discovered a small warrentwo miles to the east, beyond the Kingsclere-Overton road, on the outskirts ofNutley Copse. The General led an expedition against it and broke it up, theprisoners being brought back to Efrafa, where a few of them later rose to beOwsla members themselves.
As the months went on, the Wide Patrols became systematic; during summerand early autumn there were usually two or three out at a time. There came to beno other rabbits for a long way round Efrafa and any who might wander into theneighborhood by chance were quickly picked up. Casualties in the Wide Patrolswere high, for the elil got to know that they went out. Often it would take all aleader's courage and skill to complete his task and bring his rabbits -- or some ofhis rabbits -- back to the warren. But the Owsla were proud of the risks they ran:
and, besides, Woundwort was in the habit of going out himself to see how theywere getting on. A patrol leader, more than a mile from Efrafa, limping up ahedgerow in the rain, would come upon the General squatting like a hare under atussock of darnel, and find himself required then and there to report what he hadbeen doing or why he was off his route. The patrols were the training grounds ofcunning trackers, swift runners and fierce fighters, and the casualties -- althoughthere might be as many as five or six in a bad month -- suited Woundwort'spurpose, for numbers needed keeping down and there were always freshvacancies in the Owsla, which the younger bucks did their best to be good enoughto fill. To feel that rabbits were competing to risk their lives at his orders gratifiedWoundwort, although he believed -- and so did his Council and his Owsla -- thathe was giving the warren peace and security at a price which was modest enough.
Nevertheless, this evening, as he came out from among the ash trees to talk toCaptain Chervil, the General was feeling seriously concerned about several things.
It was less and less easy to keep the size of the warren under control.
Overcrowding was becoming a grave problem, and this despite the fact that manyof the does were re-absorbing their litters before birth. While their doing so wasall to the good in itself, some of them were growing restive and hard to manage.
Not long ago a group of does had come before the Council and asked to leave thewarren. They had been peaceable at first, offering to go as far away as the Councilwished: but when it had become plain that their request was not going to begranted on any terms, they had become first petulant and then aggressive and theCouncil had had to take strong measures. There was still a good deal of badfeeling over the business. Then, in the third place, the Owsla had lately lost acertain amount of respect among the rank and file.
Four wandering rabbits -- giving themselves out to be some kind of embassyfrom another warren -- had been held and impressed into the Right Flank Mark.
He had intended, later, to find out where they had come from. But they hadsucceeded in playing a very simple trick, bamboozling the Mark commander,attacking his sentries and escaping by night. Captain Bugloss, the officerresponsible, had, of course, been demoted and expelled from the Owsla, but hisdisgrace, though very proper, only added to the General's difficulties. The truthwas that Efrafa had become, for the moment, short of good officers. OrdinaryOwsla -- sentries -- were not too hard to find, but officers were another matterand he had lost three in less than a month. Bugloss was as good as a casualty: hewould never hold rank again. But, worse, Captain Charlock -- a brave andresourceful rabbit -- while leading the pursuit of the fugitives, had been run downon the iron road by a train: a further proof, if any were needed, of the wickedmalice of men. Worst of all, only two nights ago a patrol which had been out tothe north had returned with the shocking news that its leader, Captain Mallow, anofficer of exceptional prestige and experience, had been killed by a fox. It was anodd business. The patrol had picked up the scent of a fairly large party of rabbitsevidently coming toward Efrafa from the north. They had been following it buthad not yet sighted their quarry when suddenly a strange rabbit had burst inupon them as they were nearing the edge of some woodland. They had, of course,tried to stop him and at that moment the fox, which had apparently beenfollowing him closely, had come from the open combe beyond and killed poorMallow in an instant. All things considered, the patrol had come away in goodorder and Groundsel, the second in command, had done well. But nothing morehad been seen of the strange rabbit; and the loss of Mallow, with nothing to showfor it, had upset and demoralized the Owsla a good deal.
Other patrols had been sent out at once, but all that they had established wasthat the rabbits from the north had crossed the iron road and disappearedsouthward. It was intolerable that they should have passed so close to Efrafa andgone their way without being apprehended. Even now they might possibly becaught, if only there were a really enterprising officer to put in charge of thesearch. It would certainly need an enterprising officer -- Captain Campionperhaps -- for patrols seldom crossed the iron road, and the wet country beyond-- the country near the river -- was only partly known. He would have gonehimself, but with the recent disciplinary troubles in the warren he could not takethe risk; and Campion could hardly be spared just now. No -- infuriating as itwas, the strangers were best forgotten for the moment. The first thing was toreplace the Owsla losses -- and preferably with rabbits who knew how to dealruthlessly with any further signs of dissension. They would simply have topromote the best they had got, draw their horns in for a time and concentrate ontraining until things got back to normal.
Woundwort greeted Captain Chervil rather abstractedly and went on turningthe problem over in his mind.
"What are your sentries like, Chervil?" he asked at length. "Do I know any ofthem?""They're a good lot, sir," replied Chervil. "You know Marjoram: he's been onpatrol with you as a runner. And I think you know Moneywort.""Yes, I know them," said Woundwort, "but they wouldn't make officers. Weneed to replace Charlock and Mallow: that's what I'm getting at.""That's difficult, sir," said Chervil. "That sort of rabbit doesn't hop out of thegrass.""Well, they've got to hop from somewhere," said Woundwort. "You'd betterthink about it and tell me any ideas that occur to you. Anyway, I want to go roundyour sentries now. Come with me, will you?"They were about to set off when a third rabbit approached -- none other thanCaptain Campion himself. It was Campion's principal duty to search the outskirtsof Efrafa at morning and evening and to report anything new -- the tire marks ofa tractor in mud, the droppings of a sparrow hawk or the spreading of fertilizer ona field. An expert tracker, he missed little or nothing and was one of the very fewrabbits for whom Woundwort felt a genuine respect.
"Do you want me?" said Woundwort, pausing.
"Well, I think so, sir," replied Campion. "We've picked up a hlessi and broughthim in.""Where was he?""Down by the arch, sir. Just this side of it.""What was he doing?""Well, sir, he says he's come a long way on purpose to join Efrafa. That's why Ithought you might like to see him.""Wants to join Efrafa?" asked Woundwort, puzzled.
"That's what he says, sir.""Why can't the Council see him tomorrow?""Just as you like, sir, of course. But he strikes me as being a bit out of theordinary. I'd say, a distinctly useful rabbit.""H'm," said Woundwort, considering. "Well, all right. I haven't got long,though. Where is he now?""At the Crixa, sir." Campion meant the crossing point of the two bridle paths,which was about fifty yards away, among the trees. "Two of my patrol are withhim."Woundwort made his way back to the Crixa. Chervil, being on duty with hisMark, remained where he was. Campion accompanied the General.
At this hour the Crixa was all green shade, with red gleams of sun that winkedthrough the moving leaves. The damp grass along the edges of the paths wasdotted with spikes of mauve bugle, and the sanicles and yellow archangelsflowered thickly. Under an elder bush, on the far side of the track, two Owslafa, orCouncil police, were waiting; and with them was the stranger.
Woundwort saw at once what Campion had meant. The stranger was a bigrabbit, heavy but alert, with a rugged, seasoned appearance and the look of afighter. He had a curious thick growth of fur -- a kind of topknot -- on the crownof his head. He stared at Woundwort with a detached, appraising air which theGeneral had not encountered for a very long time.
"Who are you?" said Woundwort.
"My name is Thlayli," replied the Stranger.
"Thlayli, sir," prompted Campion.
The stranger said nothing.
"The patrol brought you in, I'm told. What were you doing?""I've come to join Efrafa.""Why?""I'm surprised you ask. It's your warren, isn't it? Is there anything odd aboutsomeone wanting to join?"Woundwort was nonplused. He was no fool and it was, he could not helpfeeling, extremely odd that any right-minded rabbit should choose to walk intoEfrafa of his own accord. But he could hardly say so.
"What can you do?""I can run and fight and spoil a story telling it. I've been an officer in anOwsla.""Fight, can you? Could you fight him?" said Woundwort, looking at Campion.
"Certainly, if you wish." The stranger reared up and aimed a heavy cuff atCampion, who leaped back just in time.
"Don't be a fool," said Woundwort. "Sit down. Where were you in an Owsla?""Far off. The warren was destroyed by men, but I escaped. I've been wanderingsome time. It won't surprise you that I heard of Efrafa. I've come a long way tojoin it. I thought you might have some use for me.""Are you alone?""I am now."Woundwort considered again. It was likely enough that this rabbit had been anofficer in an Owsla. Any Owsla would want him. If he was speaking the truth, hehad had wits enough to escape the destruction of his warren and survive a longjourney through open country. It must have been a very long journey, for therewas no warren within the normal range of the Efrafan patrols.
"Well," he said at length, "I dare say we might be able to find some use for you,as you put it. Campion here will look after you tonight, and tomorrow morningyou'll come before the Council. Meanwhile, don't start fighting, do you see? Wecan give you plenty to do without that.""Very well."The following morning, after the Council had discussed the predicament of thewarren due to the recent losses, General Woundwort proposed that, for a start,they might do worse than try the big newcomer as an officer in the Near HindMark, under the instruction of Captain Chervil. The Council, having seen him,agreed. By ni-Frith Thlayli, still bleeding from the Mark gash inflicted in his lefthaunch, had taken up his duties.
35. Groping
This world, where much is to be done, and little known...
Dr. Johnson"And then before the Mark silflay," said Chervil, "I always have a look at theweather. The previous Mark send a runner, of course, to say when they're goingdown, and he reports on the weather, but I always go and have a look for myselfas well. In moonlight we put the sentries fairly close in and keep on the moveourselves to make sure no one goes too far. But in rain or darkness we send theMark up in small groups, one after the other, and each group has a sentry incharge. In absolutely desperate weather we ask the General's permission topostpone the silflay.""But do they often try to run away?" asked Bigwig. During the afternoon hehad been up and down the runs and crowded burrows with Chervil and Avens,the other Mark officer, and had thought to himself that never in his life had heseen such a cheerless, dispirited lot of rabbits. "They don't strike me as a verydifficult bunch.""Most of them are no trouble, it's true," said Avens, "but you never know whentrouble's coming. For instance, you'd have said there wasn't a more docile lot inEfrafa than the Right Flank. And then one day they get four hlessil wished onthem by the Council, and the next evening Bugloss isn't very quick in the uptakefor some reason, and suddenly these hlessil play a trick on him and bunk. Andthat's the end of him -- to say nothing of poor old Charlock, killed on the ironroad. When something like that happens, it happens like lightning and it isn'talways planned: sometimes it's more like a frenzy. A rabbit tears away on impulseand if you don't knock him over quick, the next thing you know three more will beoff after him. The only safe way is to watch all the time when they're aboveground and do your own relaxing when you can. After all, that's what we're herefor -- that and the patrols.""Now, about burying hraka," said Chervil, "you can't be too strict. If theGeneral finds any hraka in the fields he'll stuff your tail down your throat. Theyalways try to dodge burying, though. They want to be natural, the anti-social littlebeasts. They just don't realize that everyone's good depends on everyone'scooperation. What I do is to set three or four of them to dig a new trough in theditch every day, as a punishment. You can nearly always find someone to punishif you try hard enough. Today's squad fills up yesterday's trough and digs another.
There are special runs leading into the bottom of the ditch and the Mark have gotto use those and no others when they go out to pass hraka. We keep a hrakasentry in the ditch to make sure they come back.""How do you check them in after silflay?" asked Bigwig.
"Well, we know them all by sight," replied Chervil, "and we watch them godown. There are only two entrance holes for the Mark and one of us sits at eachhole. Every rabbit knows which hole he has to use and I should certainly miss anyof mine who didn't go down. The sentries come in last of all -- I only call them inwhen I'm quite sure that all the Mark are down. And once they're down, ofcourse, they can't very well get out, with a sentry at each hole. Digging I shouldhear. You're not allowed to dig in Efrafa without permission from the Council.
The only really dangerous time is when there's an alarm -- say, a man or a fox.
Then we all bolt for the nearest hole, of course. So far, it doesn't seem to haveoccurred to anyone that he could bolt the other way and have quite a long startbefore he was missed. Still, no rabbit will bolt toward elil, and that's the realsafeguard.""Well, I admire your thoroughness," said Bigwig, thinking to himself that hissecret task seemed to be even more hopeless than he had expected. "I'll get thehang of it all as soon as I can. When do we have the chance of a patrol?""I expect the General will take you on patrol himself, to begin with," saidAvens. "He did me. You may not be so keen when you've had a day or two withhim -- you'll be worn out. Still, I must admit, Thlayli, you're a fine size, and ifyou've been living rough for some time you'll probably manage it all right."At this moment a rabbit with a white scar across his throat came down the run.
"The Neck Mark's just going down, Captain Chervil, sir," he said. "It's abeautiful evening: I should make the most of it.""I was wondering when you were going to show up," replied Chervil. "TellCaptain Sainfoin I'm bringing my Mark up at once."Turning to one of his own sentries who was close by, Chervil told him to goround the burrows and send everyone up for silflay.
"Now," he said, "Avens, you go to the further hole as usual, and Thlayli can joinme on the nearer one. We'll send four sentries out to the line, to start with, andwhen the Mark have all gone out we'll add four more and keep two in reserve. I'llsee you in the usual place, by the big flint in the bank."Bigwig followed Chervil along the run, down which came the scents of warmgrass, clover and hop trefoil. He had found most of the runs closer and stuffierthan he was used to, no doubt because there were so few holes into the open air.
The prospect of an evening silflay, even in Efrafa, was pleasant. He thought of thebeech leaves rustling above the far-off Honeycomb, and sighed. "I wonder howold Holly's getting on," he thought, "and whether I'll ever see him again: or Hazeleither, for the matter of that. Well, I'll give these blighters something to thinkabout before I've finished. I do feel lonely, though. How hard it is to carry a secretby yourself!"They reached the mouth of the hole and Chervil went outside to look round.
When he returned, he took up station at the top of the run. As Bigwig found aplace alongside, he noticed for the first time, in the opposite wall of the run, akind of recess like an open cave. In this, three rabbits were squatting. Those oneither side had the tough, stolid look of members of the Owslafa. But it was at theone in the middle that he stared. This rabbit had very dark fur -- almost black.
But this was not the most remarkable thing about him. He was dreadfullymutilated. His ears were nothing but shapeless shreds, ragged at the edges,seamed with ill-knit scars and beaded here and there with lumps of proud, bareflesh. One eyelid was misshapen and closed askew. Despite the cool, exciting airof the July evening, he seemed apathetic and torpid. He kept his gaze fixed on theground and blinked continually. After a time he lowered his head and rubbed hisnose on his forepaws in a listless manner. Then he scratched his neck and settleddown in his former drooping position.
Bigwig, his warm, impulsive nature stirred by curiosity and pity, went acrossthe run.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"My name is Blackavar, sir," replied the rabbit. He did not look up and spokewithout expression, as though he had answered this question many times before.
"Are you going to silflay?" said Bigwig. No doubt, he thought, this was somehero of the warren, wounded in a great fight and now infirm, whose past servicesmerited an honorable escort when he went out.
"No, sir," answered the rabbit.
"Why ever not?" said Bigwig. "It's a lovely evening.""I don't silflay at this time, sir.""Then why are you here?" asked Bigwig, with his usual directness.
"The Mark that has the evening silflay, sir," began the rabbit. "The Mark thathas -- they come -- I--" He hesitated and fell silent.
One of the Owslafa spoke. "Get on with it," he said.
"I come here for the Mark to see me," said the rabbit in his low, drained voice.
"Every Mark should see how I have been punished as I deserve for my treacheryin trying to leave the warren. The Council were merciful -- the Council weremerciful -- the Council -- I can't remember it, sir, I really can't," he burst out,turning to the sentry who had spoken. "I can't seem to remember anything."The sentry said nothing. Bigwig, after staring in shocked silence for a fewmoments, rejoined Chervil.
"He's supposed to tell everybody who asks," said Chervil, "but he's getting sortof stupid after half a month of it. He tried to run away. Campion caught him andbrought him back and the Council ripped up his ears and said he had to be shownat every morning and evening silflay, as an example to the others. But if you askme, he won't last much longer. He'll meet a blacker rabbit than himself one ofthese nights."Bigwig shuddered, partly at Chervil's tone of callous indifference and partly athis own memories. The Mark were filing up now and he watched as they wentpast, each darkening the entrance for a moment before hopping out under thehawthorn. It was clear that Chervil prided himself on knowing his rabbits byname. He spoke to most of them and was at pains to show that he had someknowledge of their personal lives. It seemed to Bigwig that the answers he gotwere not particularly warm or friendly, but he did not know whether to put thatdown to dislike of Chervil or merely to the lack of spirit that seemed to becommon to the rank and file in Efrafa. He was closely on the watch -- asBlackberry had advised him to be -- for any signs of disaffection or rebellion, buthe could see little grounds for hope in the expressionless faces that went by. Atthe end came a little group of three or four does, talking among themselves.
"Well, are you getting on all right with your new friends, Nelthilta?" saidChervil to the first, as she passed him.
The doe, a pretty, long-nosed rabbit not more than three months old, stoppedand looked at him.
"You'll get on yourself one day, Captain, I dare say," she replied. "Like CaptainMallow -- he got on, you know. Why don't you send some does on Wide Patrol?"She paused for Chervil to reply, but he made no answer and did not speak tothe does who followed Nelthilta out into the field.
"What did she mean by that?" asked Bigwig.
"Well, there's been trouble, you know," said Chervil. "A bunch of does in theNear Fore started a row at a Council meeting. The General said they must bebroken up and we had a couple sent to us. I've been keeping an eye on them.
They're no trouble themselves, but Nelthilta's taken up with them and it seems tohave made her cheeky and resentful: sort of thing you saw just now. I don't reallymind that -- it shows they feel the Owsla's on top. If the young does became quietand polite I should be much more worried: I should wonder what they were up to.
All the same, Thlayli, I'd like you to do what you can to get to know thoseparticular does and bring them a bit more into line.""Right," said Bigwig. "By the way, what are the rules about mating?""Mating?" said Chervil. "Well, if you want a doe, you have one -- any doe in theMark, that is. We're not officers for nothing, are we? The does are under ordersand none of the bucks can stop you. That just leaves you and me and Avens; andwe shall hardly quarrel. There are plenty of does, after all.""I see," said Bigwig. "Well, I'll silflay now. Unless you've got any other ideas,I'll go and talk to some of the Mark and then go round the sentries and get the lieof the land. What about Blackavar?""Leave him," said Chervil. "He's none of our business. The Owslafa will keephim here until the Mark come back and after that they'll take him away."Bigwig made his way into the field, conscious of the wary glances of the rabbitshe passed. He felt perplexed and apprehensive. How was he to begin hisdangerous task? Begin he must, in one way or another, for Kehaar had made itclear that he was not ready to wait. There was nothing for it but to take a chanceand trust somebody. But whom? A warren like this must be full of spies. Probablyonly General Woundwort knew who the spies were. Was there a spy watching himnow?
"I shall just have to trust my feelings," he thought. "I'll go round the place a bitand see if I can make any friends. But I know one thing -- if I do succeed ingetting any does out of here, I'll take that poor wretched Blackavar with me aswell. Frith on a bridge! It makes me angry just to think of him being forced to sitthere like that. General Woundwort indeed! A gun's too good for him."Nibbling and pondering, he moved slowly over the open meadow in theevening sun. After a while he found that he was approaching a small hollow,much like the one on Watership Down where he and Silver had found Kehaar. Inthis hollow there were four does, with their backs to him. He recognized them asthe little group who had gone out last. They had evidently finished the hungry,intent stage of feeding and were browsing and talking at leisure, and he could seethat one of them had the attention of the other three. Even more than mostrabbits, Bigwig loved a story and now he felt attracted by the prospect of hearingsomething new in this strange warren. He moved quietly up to the edge of thehollow just as the doe began to speak.
At once he realized that this was no story. Yet he had heard the like before,somewhere. The rapt air, the rhythmic utterance, the intent listeners -- what wasit they recalled? Then he remembered the smell of carrots, and Silverweeddominating the crowd in the great burrow. But these verses went to his heart asSilverweed's had not.
Long agoThe yellowhammer sang, high on the thorn.
He sang near a litter that the doe brought out to play,He sang in the wind and the kittens played below.
Their time slipped by all under the elder bloom.
But the bird flew away and now my heart is darkAnd time will never play in the fields again.
Long agoThe orange beetles clung to the rye-grass stems.
The windy grass was waving. A buck and doeRan through the meadow. They scratched a hole in the bank,They did what they pleased all under the hazel leaves.
But the beetles died in the frost and my heart is dark;And I shall never choose a mate again.
The frost is falling, the frost falls into my body.
My nostrils, my ears are torpid under the frost.
The swift will come in the spring, crying "News! News!
Does, dig new holes and flow with milk for your litters."I shall not hear. The embryos returnInto my dulled body. Across my sleepThere runs a wire fence to imprison the wind.
I shall never feel the wind blowing again.
The doe was silent and her three companions said nothing: but their stillnessshowed plainly enough that she had spoken for all of them. A flock of starlingspassed overhead, chattering and whistling, and a liquid dropping fell into thegrass among the little group, but none moved or startled. Each seemed taken upwith the same melancholy thoughts -- thoughts which, however sad, were at leastfar from Efrafa.
Bigwig's spirit was as tough as his body and quite without sentimentality, but,like most creatures who have experienced hardship and danger, he couldrecognize and respect suffering when he saw it. He was accustomed to sizing upother rabbits and deciding what they were good for. It struck him that these doeswere not far from the end of their powers. A wild animal that feels that it nolonger has any reason to live reaches in the end a point when its remainingenergies may actually be directed toward dying. It was this state of mind thatBigwig had mistakenly attributed to Fiver in the warren of the snares. Since thenhis judgment had matured. He felt that despair was not far from these does; andfrom all that he had heard of Efrafa, both from Holly and from Chervil, he couldunderstand why. He knew that the effects of overcrowding and tension in awarren show themselves first in the does. They become infertile and aggressive.
But if aggression cannot mend their troubles, then often they begin to drifttoward the only other way out. He wondered what point on this dismal path theseparticular does had reached.
He hopped down into the hollow. The does, disturbed from their thoughts,looked at him resentfully and drew back.
"I know you're Nelthilta," said Bigwig to the pretty young doe who had retortedto Chervil in the run. "But what's your name?" he went on, turning to the doebeside her.
After a pause, she answered reluctantly, "Thethuthinnang, sir."*"And yours?" said Bigwig, to the doe who had spoken the verses.
She turned to him a look of such wretchedness, so full of accusation andsuffering, that it was all he could do not to beg her then and there to believe thathe was her secret friend and that he hated Efrafa and the authority which herepresented. Nelthilta's rejoinder to Chervil in the run had been full of hatred, butthis doe's gaze spoke of wrongs beyond her power to express. As Bigwig staredback at her, he suddenly recalled Holly's description of the great yellow hrududuthat had torn open the earth above the destroyed warren. "That might have met alook like this," he thought. Then the doe answered, "My name is Hyzenthlay, sir.""Hyzenthlay?" said Bigwig, startled out of his self-possession. "Then it was youwho--" He stopped. It might be dangerous to ask whether she rememberedspeaking to Holly. But whether she did or not, here, evidently, was the rabbit whohad told Holly and his companions about the troubles of Efrafa and thediscontent of the does. If he remembered Holly's story rightly, she had alreadymade some sort of attempt to leave the warren. "But," he thought, as he met oncemore her desolate eyes, "what is she good for now?""May we have permission to go, sir?" asked Nelthilta. "The company of officersabsolutely overpowers us, you see: we find a little of it goes an awfully long way.""Oh -- yes -- certainly -- by all means," replied Bigwig in confusion. Heremained where he was as the does hopped away, Nelthilta raising her voice toremark, "What a great oaf!" and half looking round in the evident hope that hewould take her up.
"Oh, well, there's one of them with some spirit left, anyway," he thought, as hemade his way out to the sentries.
He spent some time talking to the sentries and learning how they wereorganized. It was a depressingly efficient system. Each sentry could reach hisneighbor in a matter of moments; and the appropriate stamping signal -- for theyhad more than one -- would bring out the officers and the reserves. If necessary,the Owslafa could be alerted in almost no time at all and so could CaptainCampion, or whatever officer might be patrolling the outskirts of the warren.
Since only one Mark fed at a time, there could hardly be any confusion aboutwhere to go if an alarm were given. One of the sentries, Marjoram, told him aboutthe attempted escape by Blackavar.
"He pretended to feed his way out as far as he could," said Marjoram, "andthen he made a dash. He actually managed to knock down two sentries who triedto stop him; and I doubt whether anyone on his own has ever done as much asthat. He ran like mad, but Campion had got the alarm, you see, and he simplymoved round and intercepted him further down the fields. Of course, if he hadn'tsmashed up the sentries, the Council might have let him off more lightly.""Do you like the warren life?" asked Bigwig.
"It's not too bad now I'm in the Owsla," answered Marjoram, "and if I can getto be an officer it'll be better still. I've done two Wide Patrols now -- they're thething for getting yourself noticed. I can track and fight as well as most, but ofcourse they want more than that from an officer. I think our officers are a strongbunch, don't you?""Yes, I do," said Bigwig with feeling. It struck him that Marjoram evidently didnot know that he himself was a newcomer to Efrafa. At any rate, he showedneither jealousy nor resentment. Bigwig was beginning to realize that in this placenobody was told more than was good for him, or got to know much except whatwas before his nose. Marjoram probably supposed that he, Bigwig, had beenpromoted out of another Mark.
As darkness fell, just before the end of the silflay, Captain Campion came upthe field with a patrol of three and Chervil ran out to meet him on the sentry line.
Bigwig joined them and listened to the talk. He gathered that Campion had beenout as far as the iron road but had found nothing unusual.
"Don't you ever go beyond the iron road?" he asked.
"Not very often," answered Campion. "It's wet, you know -- bad rabbit country.
I have been there, but on these ordinary circuit patrols I'm really looking nearerhome. My job is partly to notice anything new that the Council ought to knowabout, and partly to make sure we pick up anyone who bolts. Like that miserableBlackavar -- and he gave me a bite I shan't forget, before I got him down. On afine evening like this, I generally go down as far as the bank of the iron road andthen work along this side of it. Or sometimes I go out in the other direction, as faras the barn. It all depends what's wanted. By the way, I saw the General earlierthis evening and I rather think he means to take you on patrol in two or threedays' time, as soon as you've settled down and your Mark have come off the dawnand evening silflay.""Why wait for that?" said Bigwig with all the enthusiasm he could assume.
"Why not sooner?""Well, a Mark generally keeps a full Owsla when it's on dawn and eveningsilflay. The rabbits are more lively at those times, you see, and need moresupervision. But a Mark that's on ni-Frith and fu-Inlé silflay can generally spareOwsla for a Wide Patrol. Now I'll leave you here. I've got to take my lot to theCrixa and report to the General."As soon as the Mark had gone underground and Blackavar had been takenaway by his escort, Bigwig excused himself to Chervil and Avens and went to hisown burrow. Although the rank and file were cramped underground, the sentrieshad two large, roomy burrows to themselves, while each officer had a privateburrow. By himself at last, Bigwig settled down to think over his problem.
The difficulties were bewildering. He was fairly certain that with Kehaar's helphe himself could escape from Efrafa whenever he wished. But how in the worldwas he to bring a bunch of does out -- supposing that any were ready to try it? Ifhe took it upon himself to call the sentries in during a silflay, Chervil would see ina matter of moments what he had done. The only possibility, then, was to makethe break-out during the day: to wait until Chervil was asleep and then order asentry to leave his post at the mouth of one of the holes. Bigwig considered. Hecould see no flaw in this idea. Then the thought came to him, "And what aboutBlackavar?" Blackavar presumably spent the day under guard in some specialburrow. Probably hardly anyone knew where -- no one knew anything in Efrafa --and certainly no one would tell. So he would have to leave Blackavar: no realisticplan could include him.
"I'll be jiggered if I leave him," muttered Bigwig to himself. "I know Blackberrywould say I was a fool. Still, he's not here and I'm doing this myself. But suppose Iwreck the whole thing because of Blackavar? Oh, Frith in a barn! What abusiness!"He thought until he realized that he was thinking in circles. After a time, he fellasleep. When he woke, he could tell that it was moonlight outside, fine and still. Itoccurred to him that perhaps he might start his venture from the other end -- bypersuading some of the does to join him and working out a plan afterward,perhaps with their help. He went down the run until he came upon a young rabbitsleeping as best he could outside an overcrowded burrow. He woke him.
"Do you know Hyzenthlay?" he asked.
"Oh, yes, sir," replied the rabbit, with a rather pathetic attempt to sound briskand ready.
"Go and find her and tell her to come to my burrow," said Bigwig. "No one elseis to come with her. Do you understand?""Yes, sir."When the youngster had scurried off, Bigwig returned to his burrow,wondering whether there would be any suspicion. It seemed unlikely. From whatChervil had said, it was common enough for Efrafan officers to send for does. Ifhe were questioned he had only to play up. He lay down and waited.
In the dark, a rabbit came slowly up the run and stopped at the entrance to theburrow. There was a pause.
"Hyzenthlay?" said Bigwig.
"I am Hyzenthlay.""I want to talk to you," said Bigwig.
"I am in the Mark, sir, and under your orders. But you have made a mistake.""No, I haven't," replied Bigwig. "You needn't be afraid. Come in here, closebeside me."Hyzenthlay obeyed. He could feel her fast pulse. Her body was tense: her eyeswere closed and her claws dug into the floor.
"Hyzenthlay," whispered Bigwig in her ear, "listen carefully. You rememberthat many days ago now, four rabbits came to Efrafa in the evening. One had verypale gray fur and one had a healed rat bite in his foreleg. You talked with theirleader -- his name was Holly. I know what he told you."She turned her head in fear. "How do you know?""Never mind. Only listen to me."Then Bigwig spoke of Hazel and Fiver; of the destruction of the Sandlefordwarren and the journey to Watership Down. Hyzenthlay neither moved norinterrupted.
"The rabbits who talked to you that evening," said Bigwig, "who told you aboutthe warren that was destroyed and of how they had come to ask for does fromEfrafa -- do you know what became of them?"Hyzenthlay's reply was no more than the faintest murmur in his ear.
"I know what I heard. They escaped the next evening. Captain Charlock waskilled pursuing them.""And was any other patrol sent after them, Hyzenthlay? The next day, I mean?""We heard that there was no officer to spare, with Bugloss under arrest andCharlock dead.""Those rabbits returned to us safely. One of them is not far away now, with ourChief Rabbit and several more. They are cunning and resourceful. They arewaiting for me to bring does out of Efrafa -- as many as I can get to come. I shallbe able to send them a message tomorrow morning.""How?""By a bird -- if all goes well." Bigwig told her about Kehaar. When he hadfinished, Hyzenthlay made no reply and he could not tell whether she wasconsidering all that he had said or whether fear and disbelief had so troubled herthat she did not know what to say. Did she think he was a spy trying to trap her?
Did she perhaps wish only that he would let her go away? At last he said,"Do you believe me?""Yes, I believe you.""Might I not be a spy sent by the Council?""You are not. I can tell.""How?""You spoke of your friend -- the one who knew that that warren was a badplace. He is not the only such rabbit. Sometimes I can tell these things, too: butnot often now, for my heart is in the frost.""Then will you join me -- and persuade your friends as well? We need you:
Efrafa doesn't need you."Again she was silent. Bigwig could hear a worm moving in the earth nearbyand faintly down the tunnel came the sound of some small creature patteringthrough the grass outside. He waited quietly, knowing that it was vital that heshould not upset her.
At last she spoke again, so low in his ear that the words seemed barely morethan broken cadences of breathing.
"We can escape from Efrafa. The danger is very great, but in that we cansucceed. It is beyond that I cannot see. Confusion and fear at nightfall -- and thenmen, men, it is all things of men! A dog -- a rope that snaps like a dry branch. Arabbit -- no, it is not possible! -- a rabbit that rides in a hrududu! Oh, I havebecome foolish -- tales for kittens on a summer evening. No, I cannot see as I didonce: it is like the shapes of trees beyond a field of rain.""Well, you'd better come and meet this friend of mine," said Bigwig. "He talksjust like that, and I've come to trust him, so I trust you, too. If you feel we're goingto succeed, that's fine. But what I'm asking is whether you'll bring your friends tojoin us."After another silence, Hyzenthlay said, "My courage -- my spirit: it's so muchless than it was. I'm afraid to let you rely on me.""I can tell that. What is it that's worn you down? Weren't you the leader of thedoes who went to the Council?""There was myself and Thethuthinnang. I don't know what's happened to theother does who were with us. We were all in the Right Fore Mark then, you know.
I've still got the Right Fore mark, but I've been marked again since. Blackavar --you saw him?""Yes, of course.""He was in that Mark. He was our friend and encouraged us. Only a night ortwo after the does went up to speak to the Council, he tried to run away, but hewas caught. You've seen what they did to him. That was the same evening thatyour friends came: and the next night they escaped. After that, the Council sentfor us does once more. The General said that no one else would have the chanceto run away. We were to be split up among the Marks, no more than two to eachMark. I don't know why they left Thethuthinnang and me together. Perhaps theydidn't stop to think. Efrafa's like that, you know. The order was 'Two to eachMark,' so as long as the order was carried out it didn't particularly matter whichtwo. Now I'm frightened and I feel the Council are always watching.""Yes, but I'm here now," said Bigwig.
"The Council are very cunning.""They'll need to be. We've got some rabbits who are far more cunning, believeme. El-ahrairah's Owsla, no less. But tell me -- was Nelthilta with you when youwent to the Council?""Oh, no, she was born here, in the Near Hind. She's got spirit, you know, butshe's young and silly. It excites her to let everyone see that she's a friend ofrabbits who are thought of as rebels. She doesn't realize what she's doing or whatthe Council are really like. It's all a kind of game to her -- to cheek the officers andso on. One day she'll go too far and get us into trouble again. She couldn't betrusted with a secret, on any account.""How many does in this Mark would be ready to join an escape?""Hrair. There's a great deal of discontent, you know. But, Thlayli, they mustn'tbe told until a very short time before we run -- not just Nelthilta, but all of them.
No one can keep a secret in a warren and there are spies everywhere. You and Imust make a plan ourselves and tell no one but Thethuthinnang. She and I willget enough does to come with us when the time comes."Bigwig realized that he had stumbled, quite unexpectedly, upon what heneeded most of all: a strong, sensible friend who would think on her own accountand help to bear his burden.
"I'll leave it to you to pick the does," he said. "I can make the chance to run ifyou'll have them ready to take it.""When?""Sunset will be best, and the sooner the better. Hazel and the others will meetus and fight any patrol that follows. But the main thing is that the bird will fightfor us. Even Woundwort won't be expecting that."Hyzenthlay was silent again and Bigwig realized with admiration that she wasgoing over what he had said and searching for flaws.
"But how many can the bird fight?" she said at last. "Can he drive them allaway? This is going to be a big break-out and, make no mistake, Thlayli, theGeneral himself will be after us with the best rabbits he has. We can't go onrunning away forever. They won't lose track of us and sooner or later they'llovertake us.""I told you our rabbits were more cunning than the Council. I don't think you'dreally understand this part, however carefully I explained. Have you ever seen ariver?""What is a river?""Well, there you are. I can't explain. But I promise you we shan't have to runfar. We shall actually disappear before the Owsla's eyes -- if they're there to see. Imust say I'm looking forward to that."She said nothing and he added, "You must trust me, Hyzenthlay. Upon my life,we're going to vanish. I'm not deceiving you.""If you were wrong, those who died quickly would be the lucky ones.""No one's going to die. My friends have prepared a trick that El-ahrairahhimself would be proud of.""If it is to be at sunset," she said, "it must be tomorrow or the next night. Intwo days the Mark loses the evening silflay. You know that?""Yes, I'd heard. Tomorrow, then. Why wait longer? But there is one otherthing. We're going to take Blackavar.""Blackavar? How? He is guarded by Council police.""I know. It adds very much to the risk, but I've decided that I can't leave himbehind. What I mean to do is this. Tomorrow evening, when the Mark silflay, youand Thethuthinnang must keep the does near you -- as many as you've gottogether -- ready to run. I shall meet the bird a little way out in the meadow andtell him to attack the sentries as soon as he sees me go back into the hole. Then Ishall come back and deal with Blackavar's guards myself. They won't be expectinganything of the sort. I'll have him out in a moment and join you. There'll becomplete confusion and in that confusion we'll run. The bird will attack anyonewho tries to follow us. Remember, we go straight down to the great arch in theiron road. My friends will be waiting there. You've only to follow me -- I'll lead theway.""Captain Campion may be on patrol.""Oh, I do hope he is," said Bigwig. "I really do.""Blackavar may not run at once. He will be as startled as the guards.""Is it possible to warn him?""No. His guards never leave him and they take him out to silflay alone.""For how long will he have to live like that?""When he has been to every Mark in turn, the Council will kill him. We all feelsure of that.""Then that settles it. I won't go without him.""Thlayli, you are very brave. Are you cunning, too? All our lives will depend onyou tomorrow.""Well, can you see anything wrong with the plan?""No, but I am only a doe who has never been out of Efrafa. Suppose somethingunexpected happens?""Risk is risk. Don't you want to get out and come and live on the high downswith us? Think of it!""Oh, Thlayli! Shall we mate with whom we choose and dig our own burrowsand bear our litters alive?""You shall: and tell stories in the Honeycomb and silflay whenever you feel likeit. It's a fine life, I promise you.""I'll come! I'll run any risk.""What a stroke of luck that you should be in this Mark," said Bigwig. "Beforethis talk with you tonight, I was at my wits' end, wondering whatever I was goingto do.""I'll go back to the lower burrows now, Thlayli. Some of the other rabbits arebound to wonder why you sent for me. It's not mating time with me, you see. If Igo now, we can say you made a mistake and were disappointed. Don't forget tosay that.""I won't. Yes, go now, and have them ready at silflay tomorrow evening, Ishan't fail you."When she had gone, Bigwig felt desperately tired and lonely. He tried to holdin his mind that his friends were not far off and that he would see them again inless than a day. But he knew that all Efrafa lay between himself and Hazel. Histhoughts broke up into the dismal fancies of anxiety. He fell into a half-dream, inwhich Captain Campion turned into a seagull and flew screaming over the river,until he woke in panic: and dozed again, to see Captain Chervil driving Blackavarbefore him toward a shining wire in the grass. And over all, as big as a horse in afield, aware of all that passed from one end of the world to the other, brooded thegigantic figure of General Woundwort. At last, worn out with his apprehensions,he passed into a deep sleep where even his fear could not follow, and lay withoutsound or movement in the solitary burrow.
*Thethuthinnang: "Movement of Leaves." The first and last syllables arestressed, as in the phrase "Once in a way."
36. Approaching Thunder
We was just goin' ter scarperWhen along comes Bill 'Arper,So we never done nuffin' at allMusic Hall SongBigwig wavered gradually up from sleep, like a bubble of marsh gas from thebed of a still stream. There was another rabbit beside him in the burrow -- a buck.
He started up at once and said, "Who is it?""Avens," replied the other. "Time for silflay, Thlayli. Larks have gone up.
You're a sound sleeper.""I dare say," said Bigwig. "Well, I'm ready." He was about to lead the way downthe run, but Avens' next words brought him to a halt.
"Who's Fiver?" said Avens.
Bigwig grew tense. "What did you say?""I said, who's Fiver?""How should I know?""Well, you were talking in your sleep. You kept saying, 'Ask Fiver, ask Fiver.' Iwondered who he was.""Oh, I see. A rabbit I knew once. He used to foretell the weather and so on.""Well, he could do it now, then. Can you smell the thunder?"Bigwig sniffed. Mixed with the scents of grass and cattle came the warm, thicksmell of a heavy cloud mass, still far off. He perceived it uneasily. Almost allanimals are disturbed by the approach of thunder, which oppresses them with itsmounting tension and breaks the natural rhythm by which they live. Bigwig'sinclination was to go back to his burrow, but he had little doubt that no meretrifle like a thundery morning would be allowed to interfere with the timetable ofan Efrafan Mark.
He was right. Chervil was already at the entrance, squatting opposite Blackavarand his escort. He looked round as his officers came up the run.
"Come on, Thlayli," he said. "Sentries are out already. Does the thunder worryyou?""It does rather," replied Bigwig.
"It won't break today," said Chervil. "It's a long way off yet. I'd give it untiltomorrow evening. Anyway, don't let the Mark see it affects you. Nothing's to bealtered unless the General says so.""Couldn't wake him up," said Avens, with a touch of malice. "There was a doein your burrow last night, Thlayli, wasn't there?""Oh, was there?" said Chervil. "Which one?""Hyzenthlay," replied Bigwig.
"Oh, the marli tharn,"* said Chervil. "Funny, I didn't think she was ready.""She wasn't," said Bigwig. "I made a mistake. But if you remember, you askedme to do what I could to get to know the awkward squad and bring them a bitmore under control, so I kept her talking for a time, just the same.""Get anywhere?""Hard to say, really," said Bigwig, "but I'll keep at it."He spent the time while the Mark went out in deciding upon the best andquickest way to enter the hole and attack Blackavar's escort. He would have to putone of them out of action in no time at all and then go straight for the other, whowould be that much less unprepared. If he had to fight him, it would be better toavoid doing it between Blackavar and the mouth of the hole, for Blackavar wouldbe as bewildered as the rest and might bolt back down the run. If he was going tobolt anywhere he must bolt outward. Of course, with any luck, the second guardmight make off underground without fighting at all, but one could not count onthat. Efrafan Owslafa were not given to running away.
As he went out into the field, he wondered whether he would be spotted byKehaar. The arrangement had been that Kehaar would find him whenever hemight come above ground on the second day.
He need not have worried. Kehaar had been over Efrafa since before dawn. Assoon as he saw the Mark come up, he alighted a little way out in the field, halfwaybetween the undergrowth and the sentry line, and began pecking about in thegrass. Bigwig nibbled his way slowly toward him and then settled down to feedwithout a glance in his direction. After a while, he sensed that Kehaar was behindhim, a little to one side.
"Meester Pigvig, I t'ink ees not goot ve talk much. Meester 'Azel, 'e say vat youdo? Vat you vant?""I want two things, Kehaar -- both at sunset tonight. First, our rabbits must bedown by the big arch. I shall come through that arch with the does. If we'repursued, you and Hazel and the rest must be ready to fight. The boat thing, is itstill there?""Ya, ya, men no take heem. I tell Meester 'Azel vat you say.""Good. Now listen, Kehaar, this is the second thing, and it's terribly important.
You see those rabbits out beyond us, in the field? They're the sentries. At sunset,you meet me here. Then I shall run back to those trees and go down a hole. Assoon as you see me go in, attack the sentries -- terrify them, drive them away. Ifthey won't run, hurt them. They must be driven off. You'll see me come out againalmost at once and then the does -- the mothers -- will start running with me andwe'll go straight down to the arch. But we may very well be attacked on the way. Ifthat happens, can you pile in again?""Ya, ya. I fly at dem -- dey no stop you.""Splendid. That's it, then. Hazel and the others -- are they all right?""Fine -- fine. Dey say you damn good fella. Meester Pluebell, 'e say to pring onemudder for everyone else and two for 'im."Bigwig was trying to think of some appropriate reply to this when he sawChervil running across the grass toward him. At once, without speaking again toKehaar, he took a few hops in Chervil's direction and began biting busily at apatch of clover. As Chervil came up, Kehaar flew low above their heads anddisappeared over the trees.
Chervil looked after the flying gull and then turned to Bigwig.
"Aren't you afraid of those birds?" he asked.
"Not particularly," answered Bigwig.
"They sometimes attack mice, you know, and rabbit kittens, too," said Chervil.
"You were taking a risk, feeding there. Why were you so careless?"For answer, Bigwig sat up and gave Chervil a playful cuff, hard enough to rollhim over.
"That's why," he said.
Chervil got up with a sulky air. "All right, so you're heavier than I am," he said.
"But you've got to learn, Thlayli, that there's more than weight to being anEfrafan officer. And it doesn't alter the fact that those birds can be dangerous.
Anyway, it's not the season for them and that's odd, for a start. It'll have to bereported.""Whatever for?""Because it's unusual. Everything unusual has to be reported. If we don'treport it and someone else does, nice fools we shall look when we have to say wesaw it. We couldn't say we didn't -- several of the Mark have seen it. In fact, I shallgo and report it now. Silflay's nearly over, so if I'm not back in time, you andAvens had better see the Mark underground yourselves."As soon as Chervil had left him, Bigwig went to look for Hyzenthlay. He foundher in the hollow with Thethuthinnang. Most of the Mark did not appear to beunduly affected by the thunder, which was still distant, as Chervil had said. Thetwo does, however, were subdued and nervous. Bigwig told them what he hadarranged with Kehaar.
"But will this bird really attack the sentries?" asked Thethuthinnang. "I'venever heard of anything like that.""It will, I promise you. Get the does together as soon as silflay begins thisevening. When I come out with Blackavar, the sentries will be running for cover.""And which way do we run?" asked Thethuthinnang.
Bigwig took them well out into the field, so that they could see the distant archin the embankment about four hundred yards away.
"We're bound to meet Campion," said Thethuthinnang. "You know that?""I believe he had some trouble stopping Blackavar," replied Bigwig. "So I'msure he won't be good enough for me and the bird. Look, there's Avens bringingin the sentries -- we'll have to go. Now, don't worry. Chew your pellets and getsome sleep. If you can't sleep, sharpen up your claws: you may need them."The Mark went underground and Blackavar was taken away by the escort.
Bigwig returned to his burrow and tried to put the coming evening out of hismind. After some time he gave up the idea of spending the day alone. He made around of the lower burrows, joined a game of bob-stones, heard two stories andtold one himself, passed hraka in the ditch and then, on an impulse, went toChervil and obtained his consent to visit another Mark. He wandered across theCrixa, found himself in the middle of the ni-Frith silflay with the Left Flank Markand went underground with them. Their officers shared a single large burrow andhere he met some experienced veterans and listened with interest to their storiesof Wide Patrols and other exploits. In the mid-afternoon he came back to theNear Hind relaxed and confident, and slept until one of the sentries woke him forsilflay.
He went up the run. Blackavar was already slumped in his alcove. Squattingbeside Chervil, Bigwig watched the Mark go out. Hyzenthlay and Thethuthinnangpassed him without a glance. They looked tense but steady. Chervil followed thelast rabbit.
Bigwig waited until he was sure that Chervil had had time to get well awayfrom the hole. Then, with a last, quick look to where Blackavar was sitting, hewent out himself. The bright sunset dazzled him and he sat up on his hind legs,blinking and combing the fur along one side of his face as his eyes got accustomedto the light. A few moments later he saw Kehaar come flying across the field.
"This is it, then," he said to himself. "Here we go."At that moment a rabbit spoke from behind him.
"Thlayli, I want a few words with you. Just come back under the bushes, willyou?"Bigwig dropped on his front paws and looked round.
It was General Woundwort.
*Marli -- a doe. Tharn -- stupefied, distraught. In this particular context, thenearest translation might be "the maiden all forlorn."
37. The Thunder Builds Up
You k'n hide de fier, but w'at you gwine do wid de smoke?
Joel Chandler Harris, Proverbs of Uncle RemusBigwig's first impulse was to fight Woundwort on the spot. He realizedimmediately that this would be futile and would only bring the whole place roundhis ears. There was nothing to do but obey. He followed Woundwort through theundergrowth and into the shade of the bridle path. Despite the sunset, theevening seemed heavy with cloud and among the trees it was sultry and gray. Thethunder was building up. He looked at Woundwort and waited.
"You were out of the Near Hind burrows this afternoon?" began Woundwort.
"Yes, sir," replied Bigwig. He still disliked addressing Woundwort as "sir," butsince he was supposed to be an Efrafan officer, he could not very well dootherwise. However, he did not add that Chervil had given him permission. Hehad not been accused of anything as yet.
"Where did you go?"Bigwig swallowed his annoyance. No doubt Woundwort knew perfectly wellwhere he had been.
"I went to the Left Flank Mark, sir. I was in their burrows.""Why did you go?""To pass the time and learn something from listening to the officers.""Did you go anywhere else?""No, sir.""You met one of the Left Flank Owsla -- a rabbit named Groundsel.""Very likely. I didn't learn all their names.""Have you ever seen that rabbit before?""No, sir. How could I?"There was a pause.
"May I ask what this is all about, sir?" said Bigwig.
"I'll ask the questions," said Woundwort. "Groundsel has seen you before. Heknew you by the fur on your head. Where do you think he saw you?""I've no idea.""Have you ever run from a fox?""Yes, sir, a few days ago, while I was coming here.""You led it onto some other rabbits and it killed one of them. Is that correct?""I didn't intend to lead it onto them. I didn't know they were there.""You didn't tell us anything about this?""It never occurred to me. There's nothing wrong in running from a fox.""You've caused the death of an Efrafan officer.""Quite by accident. And the fox might have got him anyway, even if I'd notbeen there.""It wouldn't," said Woundwort. "Mallow wasn't the rabbit to run onto a fox.
Foxes aren't dangerous to rabbits who know their business.""I'm sorry the fox got him, sir. It was a stroke of very bad luck."Woundwort stared at him out of his great, pale eyes.
"Then one more question, Thlayli. That patrol was on the track of a band ofrabbits -- strangers. What do you know about them?""I saw their tracks too, about that time. I can't tell you any more than that.""You weren't with them?""If I'd been with them, sir, would I have come to Efrafa?""I told you I'd ask the questions. You can't tell me where they might havegone?""I'm afraid I can't, sir."Woundwort stopped staring and sat silent for some time. Bigwig felt that theGeneral was waiting for him to ask if that was all and whether he could now go.
He determined to remain silent himself.
"Now there's another thing," said Woundwort at last. "About this white bird inthe field this morning. You're not afraid of these birds?""No, sir. I've never heard of one hurting a rabbit.""But they have been known to, for all your wide experience, Thlayli. Anyway,why did you go near it?"Bigwig thought quickly. "To tell you the truth, sir, I think I may have beentrying to make an impression on Captain Chervil.""Well, you could have a worse reason. But if you're going to impress anyone,you'd better start with me. The day after tomorrow I'm taking out a Wide Patrolmyself. It will cross the iron road and try to pick up traces of those rabbits -- therabbits Mallow would have found if you hadn't gone and blundered into him. Soyou'd better come along and show us how good you are then.""Very well, sir; I shall be glad to."There was another silence. This time Bigwig decided to make as if to go. He didso, and immediately a fresh question stopped him short.
"When you were with Hyzenthlay, did she tell you why she was put into theNear Hind Mark?""Yes, sir.""I'm not at all sure the trouble's over there, Thlayli. Keep an eye on it. If she'lltalk to you, so much the better. Perhaps those does are settling down and perhapsthey aren't. I want to know.""Very well, sir," said Bigwig.
"That's all," said Woundwort. "You'd better get back to your Mark now."Bigwig made his way into the field. The silflay was almost over, the sun had setand it was growing dark. Heavy clouds dimmed the afterlight. Kehaar wasnowhere to be seen. The sentries came in and the Mark began to go underground.
Sitting alone in the grass, he waited until the last rabbit had disappeared. Therewas still no sign of Kehaar. He hopped slowly to the hole. Entering, he knockedinto one of the police escort, who was blocking the mouth to make sure thatBlackavar did not try to bolt as he was taken down.
"Get out of my way, you dirty little tale-bearing bloodsucker," said Bigwig.
"Now go and report that," he added over his shoulder, as he went down to hisburrow.
-<*>-As the light faded from the thick sky, Hazel slipped once more across the hard,bare earth under the railway arch, came out on the north side and sat up to listen.
A few moments later Fiver joined him and they crept a little way into the field,toward Efrafa. The air was close and warm and smelled of rain and ripeningbarley. There was no sound close by, but behind and below them, from the watermeadow on the nearer bank of the Test, came faintly the shrill, incessant fussingof a pair of sandpipers. Kehaar flew down from the top of the embankment.
"You're sure he said tonight?" asked Hazel for the third time.
"Ees bad," said Kehaar. "Maybe dey catch 'im. Ees finish Meester Pigvig. Yout'ink?"Hazel made no reply.
"I can't tell," said Fiver. "Clouds and thunder. That place up the field -- it's likethe bottom of a river. Anything could be happening in there.""Bigwig's there. Suppose he's dead? Suppose they're trying to make him tellthem--""Hazel," said Fiver. "Hazel-rah, you won't help him by staying here in the darkand worrying. Quite likely there's nothing wrong. He's just had to sit tight forsome reason. Anyway, he won't come tonight -- that's certain now -- and ourrabbits are in danger here. Kehaar can go up tomorrow at dawn and bring usanother message.""I dare say you're right," said Hazel, "but I hate to go. Just suppose he were tocome. Let Silver take them back and I'll stay here.""You couldn't do any good by yourself, Hazel, even if your leg was all right.
You're trying to eat grass that isn't there. Why don't you give it a chance to grow?"They returned under the arch and as Silver came out of the bushes to meetthem, they could hear the other rabbits stirring uneasily among the nettles.
"We'll have to give it up for tonight, Silver," said Hazel. "We must get themback over the river now, before it's completely dark.""Hazel-rah," said Pipkin, as he slipped by, "it -- it is going to be all right, isn'tit? Bigwig will come tomorrow, won't he?""Of course he will," said Hazel, "and we'll all be here to help him. And I'll tellyou something else, Hlao-roo. If he doesn't come tomorrow, I'm going into Efrafamyself.""I'll come with you, Hazel-rah," said Pipkin.
-<*>-Bigwig crouched in his burrow, pressed against Hyzenthlay. He was trembling,but not with cold: the stuffy runs of the Mark were dense with thunder; the airfelt like a deep drift of leaves. Bigwig was close to utter nervous exhaustion. Sinceleaving General Woundwort, he had become more and more deeply entangled inall the age-old terrors of the conspirator. How much had Woundwort discovered?
Clearly, there was no information that failed to reach him. He knew that Hazeland the rest had come from the north and crossed the iron road. He knew aboutthe fox. He knew that a gull, which should have been far away at this time of year,was hanging round Efrafa and that he, Bigwig, had deliberately been near it. Heknew that Bigwig had made a friend of Hyzenthlay. How long could it be beforehe took the final step of fitting all these things together? Perhaps he had alreadydone so and was merely waiting to arrest them in his own time?
Woundwort had every advantage. He sat secure at the junction of all paths,seeing clearly down each, while he, Bigwig, ludicrous in his efforts to measure upto him as an enemy, clambered clumsily and ignorantly through theundergrowth, betraying himself with every movement. He did not know how toget in touch with Kehaar again. Even if he managed to do so, would Hazel be ableto bring the rabbits a second time? Perhaps they had already been spotted byCampion on patrol? To speak to Blackavar would be suspect. To go near Kehaarwould be suspect. Through more holes than he could possibly stop, his secret wasleaking -- pouring -- out.
There was worse to come.
"Thlayli," whispered Hyzenthlay, "do you think you and I and Thethuthinnangcould get away tonight? If we fought the sentry at the mouth of the run, we mightbe able to get clear before a patrol could start after us.""Why?" asked Bigwig. "What makes you ask that?""I'm frightened. We told the other does, you see, just before the silflay. Theywere ready to run when the bird attacked the sentries, and then nothinghappened. They all know about the plan -- Nelthilta and the rest -- and it can't belong before the Council find out. Of course we've told them that their lives dependon keeping quiet and that you're going to try again. Thethuthinnang's watchingthem now: she says she'll do her best not to sleep. But no secret can be kept inEfrafa. It's even possible that one of the does is a spy, although Frith knows wechose them as carefully as we could. We may all be arrested before tomorrowmorning."Bigwig tried to think clearly. He could certainly succeed in getting out with acouple of resolute, sensible does. But the sentry -- unless he could kill him --would raise the alarm at once and he could not be sure of finding the way to theriver in the dark. Even if he did, it was possible that the pursuit might follow himover the plank bridge and into the middle of his unprepared, sleeping friends.
And at the best he would have come out of Efrafa with no more than a couple ofdoes, because his nerve had failed. Silver and the others would not know what hehad had to endure. They would know only that he had run away.
"No, we mustn't give up yet," he said, as gently as he could. "It's the thunderand the waiting that make you feel so much upset. Listen, I promise you that bythis time tomorrow you'll be out of Efrafa forever and the others with you. Nowgo to sleep here for a little while and then go back and help Thethuthinnang. Keepthinking of those high downs and all that I told you. We'll get there -- ourtroubles won't last much longer."As she fell asleep beside him, Bigwig wondered how on earth he was going tofulfill this promise and whether they would be woken by the Council police. "If weare," he thought, "I'll fight until they tear me to bits. They'll make no Blackavarout of me."-<*>-When he woke, he found that he was alone in the burrow. For a moment hewondered whether Hyzenthlay had been arrested. Then he felt sure that theOwslafa could not have removed her while he slept. She must have woken andslipped back to Thethuthinnang without disturbing him.
It was a little before dawn, but the oppression in the air had not lessened. Heslipped up the run to the entrance. Moneywort, the sentry on duty, was peeringuneasily out of the mouth of the hole, but turned as he approached.
"I wish it would rain, sir," he said. "The thunder's enough to turn the grasssour, but not much hope of it breaking before the evening, I'd say.""It's bad luck for the Mark's last day on dawn and evening," replied Bigwig.
"Go and wake Captain Chervil. I'll take your place here until the Mark come up."When Moneywort had gone, Bigwig sat in the mouth of the hole and sniffedthe heavy air. The sky seemed as close as the tops of the trees, covered with stillcloud and flushed on the morning side with a lurid, foxy glow. Not a lark was up,not a thrush singing. The field before him was empty and motionless. The longingto run came over him. In less than no time he could be down to the arch. It was asafe bet that Campion and his patrol would not be out in weather like this. Everyliving creature up and down the fields and copses must be muted, pressed downas though under a great, soft paw. Nothing would be moving, for the day wasunpropitious and instincts were blurred and not to be trusted. It was a time tocrouch and be silent. But a fugitive would be safe. Indeed, he could not hope for abetter chance.
"O Lord with the starlight ears, send me a sign!" said Bigwig.
He heard movement in the run behind him. It was the Owslafa bringing up theprisoner. In the thundery twilight, Blackavar looked more sick and dejected thanever. His nose was dry and the whites of his eyes showed. Bigwig went out intothe field, pulled a mouthful of clover and brought it back.
"Cheer up," he said to Blackavar. "Have some clover.""That's not allowed, sir," said one of the escort.
"Oh, let him have it, Bartsia," said the other. "There's no one to see. It's hardenough for everyone on a day like this, let alone the prisoner."Blackavar ate the clover and Bigwig took up his usual place as Chervil arrivedto watch the Mark go out.
The rabbits were slow and hesitant and Chervil himself seemed unable to riseto his usual brisk manner. He had little to say as they passed him. He let bothThethuthinnang and Hyzenthlay go by in silence. Nelthilta, however, stopped ofher own accord and stared impudently at him.
"Under the weather, Captain?" she said "Brace up, now. You may have asurprise soon, who knows?""What do you mean?" answered Chervil sharply.
"Does might grow wings and fly," said Nelthilta, "and before very much longer,too. Secrets go faster than moles underground."She followed the other does into the field. For a moment Chervil looked asthough he were going to call her back.
"I wonder whether you could have a look at my off hind foot?" said Bigwig. "Ithink I've got a thorn in it.""Come on, then," said Chervil, "outside. Not that we'll be able to see muchbetter there."But whether because he was still thinking about what Nelthilta had said, or forsome other reason, he did not make a particularly thorough search for the thorn-- which was perhaps as well, for there was no thorn there.
"Oh, confound it!" he said, looking up, "there's that dratted white bird again.
What's it keep coming here for?""Why does it worry you?" asked Bigwig. "It's not doing any harm -- onlylooking for snails.""Anything out of the ordinary is a possible source of danger," replied Chervil,quoting Woundwort. "And you keep away from it today, Thlayli, d'you see? That'san order.""Oh, very well," said Bigwig. "But surely you know how to get rid of them? Ithought all rabbits knew that.""Don't be ridiculous. You're not suggesting attacking a bird that size, with abeak as thick as my front paw?""No, no -- it's a sort of charm thing that my mother taught me. You know, like'Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home.' That works and so does this -- or it alwaysused to with my mother.""The ladybird thing only works because all ladybirds crawl to the top of thestem and then fly.""Well, all right," said Bigwig, "have it your own way. But you don't like the birdand I've offered to get rid of it for you. We had a lot of these charms and sayingsin my old warren. I only wish we'd had one to get rid of men.""Well, what is the charm?" said Chervil.
"You say,"O fly away, great bird so white,And don't come back until tonight.
"Of course, you have to use hedgerow talk. No use expecting them tounderstand Lapine. Let's have a go, anyway. If it doesn't work, we're none theworse, and if it does, the Mark will think it was you who drove the bird away.
Where's it got to? I can hardly see anything in this light. Oh, there it is, look,behind those thistles. Well, you run like this. Now you have to hop to this side,then to the other side, scratch with your legs -- that's right, splendid -- cock yourears and then go straight on until -- ah! Here we are; now then:
"O fly away, great bird so white,And don't come back until tonight.
"There you are, you see. It did work. I think there's more than we know tosome of these old rhymes and spells. Of course, it might have been just going tofly away anyway. But you must admit it's gone.""Probably all that prancing about as we came up to it," said Chervil sourly. "Wemust have looked completely mad. What on earth will the Mark think? Anyway,now we're out here, we may as well go round the sentries.""I'll stop and feed, if you don't mind," said Bigwig. "I didn't get much lastnight, you know."-<*>-Bigwig's luck was not altogether out. Later that morning, quite unexpectedly,he came upon a chance to talk to Blackavar alone. He had been through thesweltering burrows, finding everywhere quick breathing and feverish pulses; andhe was just wondering whether he could not plausibly go and press Chervil to askthe Council's permission for the Mark to spend part of the day in the bushesabove ground -- for that might very well bring some sort of opportunity with it --when he began to feel the need to pass hraka. No rabbit passes hrakaunderground: and, like schoolchildren who know that they cannot very well berefused a request to go to the lavatory as long as it is not too soon after the lasttime, the Efrafan rabbits used to slip into the ditch for a breath of air and achange of scene. Although they were not supposed to be allowed to go more oftenthan was necessary, some of the Owsla were easier than others. As Bigwigapproached the hole that led into the ditch, he found two or three young bucksloitering in the run and, as usual, set himself to act his part as convincingly as hecould.
"Why are you hanging about here?" he asked.
"The prisoner's escort are up at the hole and they turned us back, sir,"answered one. "They're not letting anyone out for the moment.""Not to pass hraka?" said Bigwig.
"No, sir."Indignant, Bigwig made his way to the mouth of the hole. Here he foundBlackavar's escort talking to the sentry on duty.
"I'm afraid you can't go out for the moment, sir," said Bartsia. "The prisoner'sin the ditch, but he won't be long.""Neither shall I," said Bigwig. "Just get out of the way, will you?" He pushedBartsia to one side and hopped into the ditch.
The day had become even more lowering and overcast. Blackavar wassquatting a little way off, under an overhanging plume of cow parsley. The flieswere walking on his shreds of ears, but he seemed not to notice them. Bigwigwent along the ditch and squatted beside him.
"Blackavar, listen," he said quickly. "This is the truth, by Frith and the BlackRabbit. I am a secret enemy of Efrafa. No one knows this but you and a few of theMark does. I'm going to escape with them tonight and I'm going to take you aswell. Don't do anything yet. When the time comes I'll be there to tell you. Justbrace up and get yourself ready."Without waiting for an answer, he moved away as though to find a better spot.
Even so, he was back at the hole before Blackavar, who evidently meant to stayoutside for as long as the escort -- clearly in no hurry themselves -- would allow.
"Sir," said Bartsia, as Bigwig came in, "that's the third time, sir, that you'vedisregarded my authority. Council police can't be treated in this way. I'm afraid Ishall have to report it, sir."Bigwig made no reply and returned up the run.
"Wait a bit longer if you can," he said as he passed the bucks. "I don't supposethat poor fellow will get out again today."He wondered whether to go and look for Hyzenthlay, but decided that it wouldbe prudent to keep away from her. She knew what to do, and the less they wereseen together the better. His head ached in the heat and he wanted only to bealone and quiet. He went back to his burrow and slept.
38. The Thunder Breaks
Why, now, blow wind, swell billow and swim bark!
The storm is up and all is on the hazard!
Shakespeare, Julius CaesarLate in the afternoon it came on dark and very close. It was plain that therewould be no true sunset. On the green path by the riverbank, Hazel sat fidgetingas he tried to imagine what might be going on in Efrafa.
"He told you he wanted you to attack the sentries while the rabbits werefeeding, didn't he," he said to Kehaar, "and that he'd bring the mothers out in theconfusion?""Ya, say dis, but not 'appen. Den 'e say go away, come again tonight.""So that's still what he means to do. The question is, when will they befeeding? It's getting dark already. Silver, what do you think?""If I know them, they won't alter anything they usually do," said Silver. "But ifyou're worried in case we're not there in time, why not go now?""Because they're always patrolling. The longer we wait up there, the greater therisk. If a patrol finds us before Bigwig comes, it won't be just a matter of gettingourselves away. They'll realize we're there for some purpose and give the alarm,and that'll be the end of any chance he's got.""Listen, Hazel-rah," said Blackberry. "We ought to reach the iron road at thesame time as Bigwig and not a moment before. Why don't you take them all overthe river now and wait in the undergrowth, near the boat? Once Kehaar's attackedthe sentries, he can fly back and tell us.""Yes, that's it," answered Hazel. "But once he's told us, we must get up there inno time at all. Bigwig's going to need us as well as Kehaar.""Well, you won't be able to dash up to the arch," said Fiver, "with your leg. Thebest thing you can do is to get on the boat and have the rope gnawed half throughby the time we come back. Silver can look after the fighting, if there's going to beany."Hazel hesitated. "But some of us are probably going to get hurt. I can't staybehind.""Fiver's right," said Blackberry. "You will have to wait on the boat, Hazel. Wecan't risk your being left to be picked up by the Efrafans. Besides, it's veryimportant that the rope should be half gnawed -- that's a job for someonesensible. It mustn't break too soon or we're all finished."It took them some time to persuade Hazel. When at last he agreed, he was stillreluctant.
"If Bigwig doesn't come tonight," he said, "I shall go and find him, wherever heis. Frith knows what may have happened already."As they set off up the left bank, the wind began to blow in fitful, warm gusts,with a multifoliate rustling through the sedges. They had just reached the plankbridge when there came a rumble of thunder. In the intense, strange light, theplants and leaves seemed magnified and the fields beyond the river very near.
There was an oppressive stillness.
"You know, Hazel-rah," said Bluebell, "this really is the funniest evening I'veever gone looking for a doe.""It's going to get a lot funnier soon," said Silver. "There'll be lightning andpouring rain. For goodness' sake, all of you, don't panic, or we'll never see ourwarren again. I think this is going to be a rough business," he added quietly toHazel. "I don't like it much."-<*>-Bigwig woke to hear his name repeated urgently.
"Thlayli! Thlayli! Wake up! Thlayli!"It was Hyzenthlay.
"What is it?" he said. "What's the matter?""Nelthilta's been arrested."Bigwig leaped to his feet.
"How long ago? How did it happen?""Just now. Moneywort came down to our burrow and told her to come up toCaptain Chervil at once. I followed them up the run. When she got to Chervil'sburrow, there were two Council police waiting just outside and one of them saidto Chervil, 'Well, as quick as you can, and don't be long.' And then they took herstraight out. They must have gone to the Council. Oh, Thlayli, what shall we do?
She'll tell them everything--""Listen to me," said Bigwig. "There's not a moment to lose. Go and getThethuthinnang and the others and bring them up to this burrow. I shan't behere, but you must wait quietly until I come back. It won't be long. Quick now!
Everything depends on it."Hyzenthlay had hardly disappeared down the run when Bigwig heard anotherrabbit approaching from the opposite direction.
"Who's there?" he said, turning swiftly.
"Chervil," answered the other. "I'm glad you're awake. Listen, Thlayli, there'sgoing to be a whole lot of trouble. Nelthilta's been arrested by the Council. I wassure she would be, after my report to Vervain this morning. Whatever it was shewas talking about, they'll get it out of her. I dare say the General will be herehimself as soon as he knows what's what. Now look here, I've got to go over to theCouncil burrow at once. You and Avens are to stay here and get the sentries onduty immediately. There'll be no silflay and no one is to go outside for any reasonwhatever. All the holes are to be double-guarded. Now, you understand theseorders, don't you?""Have you told Avens?""I haven't time to go looking for Avens; he's not in his burrow. Go and alert thesentries yourself. Send someone to find Avens and someone else to tell Bartsiathat Blackavar won't be wanted this evening. Then sit on those holes -- and thehraka holes, too -- with every sentry you've got. For all I know, there may be someplot to make a break-out. We arrested Nelthilta as quietly as we could, but theMark are bound to realize what's happened. If necessary you're to get rough, doyou see? Now I'm off.""Right," said Bigwig. "I'll get busy at once."He followed Chervil to the top of the run. The sentry at the hole was Marjoram.
As he stood clear to let Chervil pass, Bigwig came up behind him and looked outinto the overcast.
"Did Chervil tell you?" he said. "Silflay's early tonight, on account of theweather. The orders are that we're to get on with it at once."He waited for Marjoram's reply. If Chervil had already told him that no onewas to go out, it would be necessary to fight him. But after a moment Marjoramsaid, "Have you heard any thunder yet?""Get on with it at once, I said," answered Bigwig. "Go down and get Blackavarand the escort up, and be quick, too. We'll need to get the Mark out immediatelyif they're to feed before the storm breaks."Marjoram went and Bigwig hurried back to his own burrow. Hyzenthlay hadlost no time. Three or four does were crammed into the burrow itself and nearby,in a side run, Thethuthinnang was crouching with several more. All were silentand frightened and one or two were close to the stupefaction of terror.
"This is no time to go tharn," said Bigwig. "Your lives depend on doing as I say.
Listen, now. Blackavar and the police guards will be up directly. Marjoram willprobably come up behind them and you must find some excuse to keep himtalking. Soon after, you'll hear fighting, because I'm going to attack the policeguards. When you hear that, come up as fast as you can and follow me out intothe field. Don't stop for anything."As he finished speaking, he heard the unmistakable sound of Blackavar and theguards approaching. Blackavar's weary, dragging gait was like that of no otherrabbit. Without waiting for the does to reply, Bigwig returned to the mouth of therun. The three rabbits came up in single file, Bartsia leading.
"I'm afraid I've brought you up here for nothing," said Bigwig. "I've just beentold that silflay's canceled for this evening. Have a look outside and you'll seewhy."As Bartsia went to look out of the hole, Bigwig slipped quickly between himand Blackavar.
"Well, it looks very stormy, certainly," said Bartsia, "but I shouldn't havethought--""Now, Blackavar!" cried Bigwig, and leaped on Bartsia from behind.
Bartsia fell forward out of the hole with Bigwig on top of him. He was not amember of the Owslafa for nothing and was reckoned a good fighter. As theyrolled over on the ground, he turned his head and sank his teeth in Bigwig'sshoulder. He had been trained to get a grip at once and to hold it at all costs.
More than once in the past this had served him well. But in fighting a rabbit ofBigwig's strength and courage it proved a mistake. His best chance would havebeen to keep clear and use his claws. He retained his hold like a dog, and Bigwig,snarling, brought both his own back legs forward, sank his feet in Bartsia's sideand then, ignoring the pain in his shoulder, forced himself upward. He feltBartsia's closed teeth come tearing out through his flesh and then he wasstanding above him as he fell back on the ground, kicking helplessly. Bigwigleaped clear. It was plain that Bartsia's haunch was injured. He struggled, butcould not get up.
"Think yourself lucky," said Bigwig, bleeding and cursing, "that I don't killyou."Without waiting to see what Bartsia would do, he jumped back into the hole.
He found Blackavar grappling with the other guard. Just beyond them,Hyzenthlay was coming up the run with Thethuthinnang behind her. Bigwig gavethe guard a tremendous cuff on the side of the head, which knocked him clearacross the run and into the prisoner's alcove. He picked himself up, panting, andstared at Bigwig without a word.
"Don't move," said Bigwig. "There'll be worse to come if you do. Blackavar, areyou all right?""Yes, sir," said Blackavar, "but what do we do now?""Follow me," said Bigwig, "all of you. Come on!"He led the way out again. There was no sign of Bartsia, but as he looked backto make sure that the others were following, he caught a glimpse of theastonished face of Avens peering out of the other hole.
"Captain Chervil wants you!" he called, and dashed away into the field.
As he reached the clump of thistles where he had spoken to Kehaar thatmorning, a long roll of thunder sounded from across the valley beyond. A fewgreat, warm drops of rain were falling. Along the western horizon the lowerclouds formed a single purple mass, against which distant trees stood out minuteand sharp. The upper edges rose into the light, a far land of wild mountains.
Copper-colored, weightless and motionless, they suggested a glassy fragility likethat of frost. Surely, when the thunder struck them again they would vibrate,tremble and shatter, till warm shards, sharp as icicles, fell flashing down from theruins. Racing through the ocher light, Bigwig was impelled by a frenzy of tensionand energy. He did not feel the wound in his shoulder. The storm was his own.
The storm would defeat Efrafa.
He was well out into the great field and looking for a sight of the distant archwhen he felt along the ground the first stamping thuds of the alarm. He pulled upand looked about him. There did not seem to be any stragglers. The does --however many there were -- were well up with him, but scattered to either side.
Rabbits in flight tend to keep away from each other, and the does had opened outas they left the hole. If there was a patrol between him and the iron road theywould not get past it without loss unless they came closer together. He wouldhave to collect them, despite the delay. Then another thought came to him. If theycould get out of sight, their pursuers might be puzzled, for the rain and the failinglight would make tracking difficult.
The rain was falling faster now and the wind was rising. Over on the eveningside, a hedge ran down the length of the field toward the iron road. He sawBlackavar nearby and ran across to him.
"I want everyone the other side of that hedge," he said. "Can you get hold ofsome of them and bring them that way?"Bigwig remembered that Blackavar knew nothing except that they were on therun. There was no time to explain about Hazel and the river.
"Go straight to that ash tree in the hedge," he said, "and take all the does youcan pick up on the way. Get through to the other side and I'll be there as soon asyou are."At this moment Hyzenthlay and Thethuthinnang came running toward them,followed by two or three other does. They were plainly confused and uncertain.
"The stamping, Thlayli!" panted Thethuthinnang. "They're coming!""Well, run, then," said Bigwig. "Keep near me, all of you."They were better runners than he had dared to hope. As they made for the ashtree, more does fell in with them and it seemed to him that they ought now to be amatch for a patrol, unless it were a very strong one. Once through the hedge heturned south and, keeping close beside it, led them down the slope. There, aheadof him, was the arch in the overgrown embankment. But would Hazel be there?
And where was Kehaar?
-<*>-"Well, and what was to happen after that, Nelthilta?" asked GeneralWoundwort. "Make sure you tell us everything, because we know a good dealalready. Let her alone, Vervain," he added. "She can't talk if you keep cuffing her,you fool.""Hyzenthlay said -- oh! oh! -- she said a big bird would attack the Owslasentries," gasped Nelthilta, "and we would run away in the confusion. And then--""She said a bird would attack the sentries?" interrupted Woundwort, puzzled.
"Are you telling the truth? What sort of a bird?""I don't -- I don't know," panted Nelthilta. "The new officer -- she said he hadtold the bird--""What do you know about a bird?" said Woundwort, turning to Chervil.
"I reported it, sir," replied Chervil. "You'll not forget, sir, that I reported thebird--"There was a scuffling outside the crowded Council burrow and Avens camepushing his way in.
"The new officer, sir!" he cried. "He's gone! Taken a crowd of the Mark doeswith him. Jumped on Bartsia and broke his leg, sir! Blackavar's cut and run, too.
We never had a chance to stop them. Goodness knows how many have joinedhim. Thlayli -- it's Thlayli's doing!""Thlayli?" cried Woundwort. "Embleer Frith, I'll blind him when I catch him!
Chervil, Vervain, Avens -- yes and you two as well -- come with me. Which wayhas he gone?""He was going downhill, sir," answered Avens.
"Lead the way you saw him take," said Woundwort.
As they came out from the Crixa, two or three of the Efrafan officers checked atthe sight of the murky light and increasing rain. But the sight of the General wasmore alarming still. Pausing only to stamp the escape alarm, they set out behindhim toward the iron road.
Very soon they came upon traces of blood which the rain had not yet washedaway, and these they followed toward the ash tree in the hedge to the west of thewarren.
-<*>-Bigwig came out from the further side of the railway arch, sat up and lookedround him. There was no sign either of Hazel or of Kehaar. For the first time sincehe had attacked Bartsia he began to feel uncertain and troubled. Perhaps, afterall, Kehaar had not understood his cryptic message that morning? Or had somedisaster overtaken Hazel and the rest? If they were dead -- scattered -- if therewas no one left alive to meet him? He and his does would wander about the fieldsuntil the patrols hunted them down.
"No, it shan't come to that," said Bigwig to himself. "At the worst we can crossthe river and try to hide in the woodland. Confound this shoulder! It's going to bemore nuisance than I thought. Well, I'll try to get them down to the plank bridgeat least. If we're not overtaken soon, perhaps the rain will discourage whoever'safter us; but I doubt it."He turned back to the does waiting under the arch. Most of them lookedbewildered. Hyzenthlay had promised that they were to be protected by a greatbird and that the new officer was going to work a secret trick to evade the pursuit-- a trick which would defeat even the General. These things had not happened.
They were wet through. Runnels of water were trickling through the arch fromthe uphill side, and the bare earth was beginning to turn into mud. Ahead of themthere was nothing to be seen but a track leading through the nettles into anotherwide and empty field.
"Come on," said Bigwig. "It's not far now and then we'll all be safe. This way."All the rabbits obeyed him at once. There was something to be said for Efrafandiscipline, thought Bigwig grimly, as they left the arch and met the force of therain.
Along one side of the field, beside the elms, farm tractors had pounded abroad, flat path downhill toward the water meadow below -- that same path upwhich he had run three nights before, after he had left Hazel by the boat. It wasturning muddy now -- unpleasant going for rabbits -- but at least it led straight tothe river and was open enough for Kehaar to spot them if he should turn up.
He had just begun to run once more when a rabbit overtook him.
"Stop, Thlayli! What are you doing here? Where are you going?"Bigwig had been half expecting Campion to appear and had made up his mindto kill him if necessary. But now that he actually saw him at his side, disregardingthe storm and the mud, self-possessed as he led his patrol, no more than fourstrong, into the thick of a pack of desperate runaways, he could feel only what apity it was that the two of them should be enemies and how much he would haveliked to have taken Campion with him out of Efrafa.
"Go away," he said. "Don't try to stop us, Campion. I don't want to hurt you."He glanced to his other side. "Blackavar, get the does to close up. If there areany stragglers the patrol will jump on them.""You'd do better to give in now," said Campion, still running beside him. "Ishan't let you out of my sight, wherever you go. There's an escape patrol on theway -- I heard the signal. When they get here you won't stand a chance. You'rebleeding badly now.""Curse you!" cried Bigwig, striking at him. "You'll bleed too, before I've done.""Can I fight him, sir?" said Blackavar. "He won't beat me a second time.""No," answered Bigwig, "he's only trying to delay us. Keep running.""Thlayli!" cried Thethuthinnang suddenly, from behind him. "The General!
The General! Oh, what shall we do?"Bigwig looked back. It was indeed a sight to strike terror into the bravest heart.
Woundwort had come through the arch ahead of his followers and was runningtoward them by himself, snarling with fury. Behind him came the patrol. In onequick glance Bigwig recognized Chervil, Avens and Groundsel. With them wereseveral more, including a heavy, savage-looking rabbit whom he guessed to beVervain, the head of the Council police. It crossed his mind that if he were to run,immediately and alone, they would probably let him go as he had come, and feelglad to be so easily rid of him. Certainly the alternative was to be killed. At thismoment Blackavar spoke.
"Never mind, sir," he said. "You did your very best and it nearly came off. Wemay even be able to kill one or two of them before it's finished. Some of thesedoes can fight well when they're put to it."Bigwig rubbed his nose quickly against Blackavar's mutilated ear and sat backon his haunches as Woundwort came up to them.
"You dirty little beast," said Woundwort. "I hear you've attacked one of theCouncil police and broken his leg. We'll settle with you here. There's no need totake you back to Efrafa.""You crack-brained slave-driver," answered Bigwig. "I'd like to see you try.""All right," said Woundwort, "that's enough. Who have we got? Vervain,Campion, put him down. The rest of you, start getting these does back to thewarren. The prisoner you can leave to me.""Frith sees you!" cried Bigwig. "You're not fit to be called a rabbit! May Frithblast you and your foul Owsla full of bullies!"At that instant a dazzling claw of lightning streaked down the length of the sky.
The hedge and the distant trees seemed to leap forward in the brilliance of theflash. Immediately upon it came the thunder: a high, tearing noise, as thoughsome huge thing were being ripped to pieces close above, which deepened andturned to enormous blows of dissolution. Then the rain fell like a waterfall. In afew seconds the ground was covered with water and over it, to a height of inches,rose a haze formed of a myriad minute splashes. Stupefied with the shock, unableeven to move, the sodden rabbits crouched inert, almost pinned to the earth bythe rain.
A small voice spoke in Bigwig's mind.
"Your storm, Thlayli-rah. Use it."Gasping, he struggled up and pushed Blackavar with his foot.
"Come on," he said, "get hold of Hyzenthlay. We're going."He shook his head, trying to blink the rain out of his eyes. Then it was nolonger Blackavar who was crouching in front of him but Woundwort, drenched inmud and rain, glaring and scrabbling in the silt with his great claws.
"I'll kill you myself," said Woundwort.
His long front teeth were bared like the fangs of a rat. Afraid, Bigwig watchedhim closely. He knew that Woundwort, with all the advantage of weight, wouldjump and try to close with him. He must try to avoid him and rely on his claws.
He shifted his ground uneasily and felt himself slipping in the mud. Why didWoundwort not jump? Then he realized that Woundwort was no longer lookingat him, but staring over his head at something beyond, something that he himselfcould not see. Suddenly, Woundwort leaped backward and in the same moment,through the all-enveloping sound of the rain, there sounded a raucous clamor.
"Yark! Yark! Yark!"Some big white thing was striking at Woundwort, who was cowering andguarding his head as best he could. Then it was gone, sailing upward and turningin the rain.
"Meester Pigvig, ees rabbits come!"Sights and feelings swirled through Bigwig as though in a dream. The thingsthat were happening no longer seemed connected by anything except his owndazed senses. He heard Kehaar screaming as he dived again to attack Vervain. Hefelt the rain pouring cold into the open gash in his shoulder. Through the curtainof rain he glimpsed Woundwort dodging among his officers and urging them backinto the ditch on the edge of the field. He saw Blackavar striking at Campion andCampion turning to run. Then someone beside him was saying, "Hullo, Bigwig.
Bigwig! Bigwig! What do you want us to do?" It was Silver.
"Where's Hazel?" he said.
"Waiting at the boat. I say, you're wounded! What--""Then get these does down there," said Bigwig.
All was confusion. In ones and twos the does, utterly bemused and scarcelyable to move or to understand what was said to them, were urged into getting upand stumbling their way down the field. Other rabbits began to appear throughthe rain: Acorn, clearly frightened, but determined not to run; Dandelionencouraging Pipkin; Speedwell and Hawkbit making toward Kehaar -- the onlycreature visible above the ground haze. Bigwig and Silver brought them togetheras best they could and made them understand that they were to help to get thedoes away.
"Go back to Blackberry, go back to Blackberry," Silver kept repeating. "I leftthree of our rabbits in different places to mark the way back," he explained toBigwig. "Blackberry's first, then Bluebell, then Fiver -- he's quite near the river.""And there is Blackberry," said Bigwig.
"You did it, then, Bigwig," said Blackberry, shivering. "Was it very bad? Goodheavens, your shoulder--""It's not finished yet," said Bigwig. "Has everyone passed you?""You're the last," said Blackberry. "Can we go? This storm's terrifying me!"Kehaar alighted beside them.
"Meester Pigvig," he said, "I fly on does damn rabbits, but dey no run, dey getin ditch. I no catch 'em in dere. Dey coming all along beside you.""They'll never give up," said Bigwig. "I warn you, Silver, they'll be at us beforeit's done. There's thick cover in the water meadow -- they'll use that. Acorn, comeback, keep away from that ditch!""Go back to Bluebell! Go back to Bluebell!" repeated Silver, running from sideto side.
They found Bluebell by the hedge at the bottom of the field. He was white-eyedand ready to bolt.
"Silver," he said, "I saw a bunch of rabbits -- strangers, Efrafans, I suppose --come out of the ditch over there and slip across into the water meadow. They'rebehind us now. One of them was the biggest rabbit I've ever seen.""Then don't stay here," said Silver. "There goes Speedwell. And who's that?
Acorn and two does with him. That's everyone. Come on, quick as you can."It was only a short distance now to the river, but among the sodden patches ofrushes, the bushes and sedge and deep puddles, they found it next to impossibleto tell their direction. Expecting to be attacked at any moment, they scuttered andfloundered through the undergrowth, finding here a doe and there one of theirown rabbits and forcing them on. Without Kehaar they would certainly have lostall touch with each other and perhaps never reached the river. The gull kept flyingbackward and forward along the direct line to the bank, only alighting now andthen to guide Bigwig toward some straggling doe whom he had spotted going thewrong way.
"Kehaar," said Bigwig, as they waited for Thethuthinnang to struggle up tothem through a half-flattened clump of nettles, "will you go and see whether youcan spot the Efrafans? They can't be far away. But why haven't they attacked us?
We're all so scattered that they could easily do us a lot of harm. I wonder whatthey're up to?"Kehaar was back in a very short time.
"Dey hiding at pridge," he said, "all under pushes. I come down, dat peeg fella'e make for fight me.""Did he?" said Bigwig. "The brute's got courage, I'll give him that.""Dey t'ink you got to cross river dere or else go all along pank. Dey not knowheem poat. You near poat now."Fiver came running through the undergrowth.
"We've been able to get some of them on the boat, Bigwig," he said, "but mostof them won't trust me. They just keep asking where you are."Bigwig ran behind him and came out on the green path by the bank. All thesurface of the river was winking and plopping in the rain. The level did not appearto have risen much as yet. The boat was just as he remembered it -- one endagainst the bank, the other a little way out in the stream. On the raised part at thenear end Hazel was crouching, his ears drooping on either side of his head and hisflattened fur completely black with rain. He was holding the taut rope in histeeth. Acorn, Hyzenthlay and two more were crouching near him on the wood,but the rest were huddled here and there along the bank. Blackberry was tryingunsuccessfully to persuade them to get out on the boat.
"Hazel's afraid to leave the rope," he said to Bigwig. "Apparently he's bitten itvery thin already. All these does will say is that you're their officer."Bigwig turned to Thethuthinnang.
"This is the magic trick now," he said. "Get them over there, whereHyzenthlay's sitting, do you see? All of them -- quickly."Before she could reply, another doe gave a squeal of fear. A little waydownstream, Campion and his patrol had emerged from the bushes and werecoming up the path. From the opposite direction Vervain, Chervil and Groundselwere approaching. The doe turned and darted for the undergrowth immediatelybehind her. Just as she reached it, Woundwort himself appeared in her way,reared up and dealt her a great, raking blow across the face. The doe turned oncemore and ran blindly across the path and onto the boat.
Bigwig realized that since the moment when Kehaar had attacked him in thefield, Woundwort had not only retained control over his officers but had actuallymade a plan and put it into effect. The storm and the difficult going had upset thefugitives and disorganized them. Woundwort, on the other hand, had taken hisrabbits into the ditch and then made use of it to get them down to the watermeadow, unexposed to further attack from Kehaar. Once there, he must havegone straight for the plank bridge -- which he evidently knew about -- and set anambush under cover. But as soon as he had grasped that for some reason therunaways were not making for the bridge after all, he had instantly sent Campionto make his way round through the undergrowth, regain the bank downstreamand cut them off; and Campion had done this without error or delay. NowWoundwort meant to fight them, here on the bank. He knew that Kehaar couldnot be everywhere and that the bushes and undergrowth provided enough cover,at a pinch, to dodge him. It was true that the other side had twice his numbers,but most of them were afraid of him and none was a trained Efrafan officer. Nowthat he had them pinned against the river, he would split them up and kill asmany as possible. The rest could run away and come to grief as they might.
Bigwig began to understand why Woundwort's officers followed him andfought for him as they did.
"He's not like a rabbit at all," he thought. "Flight's the last thing he ever thinksof. If I'd known three nights ago what I know now, I don't believe I'd ever havegone into Efrafa. I suppose he hasn't realized about the boat, too? It wouldn'tsurprise me." He dashed across the grass and jumped on the planking besideHazel.
The appearance of Woundwort had achieved what Blackberry and Fiver couldnot. Every one of the does ran from the bank to the boat. Blackberry and Fiverran with them. Woundwort, following them close, reached the edge of the bankand came face to face with Bigwig. As he stood his ground, Bigwig could hearBlackberry just behind him, speaking urgently to Hazel.
"Dandelion's not here," said Blackberry. "He's the only one."Hazel spoke for the first time. "We shall have to leave him," he answered. "It'sa shame, but these fellows will be at us in a moment and we can't stop them."Bigwig spoke without taking his eyes from Woundwort. "Just a few moremoments, Hazel," he said. "I'll keep them off. We can't leave Dandelion."Woundwort sneered up at him. "I trusted you, Thlayli," he said. "You can trustme now. You'll either go into the river or be torn to pieces here -- the whole lot ofyou. There's nowhere left to run."Bigwig had caught sight of Dandelion looking out of the undergrowth opposite.
He was plainly at a loss.
"Groundsel! Vervain!" said Woundwort. "Come over here beside me. When Igive the word, we'll go straight into them. As for that bird, it's not dangerous--""There it is!" cried Bigwig. Woundwort looked up quickly and leaped back.
Dandelion shot out of the bushes, crossed the path in a flash and was on the boatbeside Hazel. In the same moment the rope parted and immediately the littlepunt began to move along the bank in the steady current. When it had gone a fewyards, the stern swung slowly outward until it was broadside on to the stream. Inthis position it drifted to the middle of the river and into the southward bend.
Looking back, the last thing Bigwig saw was the face of General Woundwortstaring out of the gap in the willow herb where the boat had lain. It reminded himof the kestrel on Watership Down which had pounced into the mouth of the holeand missed the mouse.
PART IV Hazel-rah  39. The Bridges
Boatman dance, boatman sing,Boatman do most anything,Dance, boatman, dance.
Dance all night till the broad daylight,Go home with the girls in the morning.
Hey, ho, boatman row,Sailing down the river on the Ohio.
American Folk SongOn almost any other river, Blackberry's plan would not have worked. The puntwould not have left the bank or, if it had, would have run aground or been fouledby weeds or some other obstruction. But here, on the Test, there were nosubmerged branches and no gravel spits or beds of weed above the surface at all.
From bank to bank the current, regular and unvaried, flowed as fast as a manstrolling. The punt slipped downstream smoothly, without any alteration of thespeed which it had gained within a few yards of leaving the bank.
Most of the rabbits had very little idea of what was happening. The Efrafandoes had never seen a river and it would certainly have been beyond Pipkin orHawkbit to explain to them that they were on a boat. They -- and nearly all theothers -- had simply trusted Hazel and done as they were told. But all -- bucksand does alike -- realized that Woundwort and his followers had vanished.
Wearied by all they had gone through, the sodden rabbits crouched withouttalking, incapable of any feeling but a dull relief and without even the energy towonder what was going to happen next.
That they should feel any relief -- dull or otherwise -- was remarkable in thecircumstances and showed both how little they understood their situation andhow much fear Woundwort could inspire, for their escape from him seemed to betheir only good fortune. The rain was still falling. Already so wet that they nolonger felt it, they were nevertheless shivering with cold and weighted with theirdrenched fur. The punt was holding over half an inch of rainwater. There was onesmall, slatted floorboard and this was floating. Some of the rabbits, in the firstconfusion of boarding the punt, had found themselves in this water, but now allhad got clear of it -- most either to bows or stern, though Thethuthinnang andSpeedwell were hunched on the narrow thwart, amidships. In addition to theirdiscomfort, they were exposed and helpless. Finally, there was no way ofcontrolling the punt and they did not know where they were going. But these lastwere troubles beyond the understanding of everyone but Hazel, Fiver andBlackberry.
Bigwig had collapsed beside Hazel and lay on his side, exhausted. The feverishcourage which had brought him from Efrafa to the river had gone and hiswounded shoulder had begun to hurt badly. In spite of the rain and the throbbingpulse down his foreleg, he felt ready to sleep where he was, stretched upon theplanking. He opened his eyes and looked up at Hazel.
"I couldn't do it again, Hazel-rah," he said.
"You haven't got to," replied Hazel.
"It was touch and go, you know," said Bigwig. "A chance in a thousand.""Our children's children will hear a good story," answered Hazel, quoting arabbit proverb. "How did you get that wound? It's a nasty one.""I fought a member of the Council police," said Bigwig.
"A what?" The term "Owslafa" was unknown to Hazel.
"A dirty little beast like Hufsa," said Bigwig.
"Did you beat him?""Oh, yes -- or I shouldn't be here. I should think he'll stop running. I say,Hazel-rah, we've got the does. What's going to happen now?""I don't know," said Hazel. "We need one of these clever rabbits to tell us. AndKehaar -- where's he gone? He's supposed to know about this thing we're sittingon."Dandelion, crouching beside Hazel, got up at the mention of "clever rabbits,"made his way across the puddled floor and returned with Blackberry and Fiver.
"We're all wondering what to do next," said Hazel.
"Well," said Blackberry, "I suppose we shall drift into the bank before long andthen we can get out and find cover. There's no harm, though, in going a good longway from those friends of Bigwig's.""There is," said Hazel. "We're stuck here in full view and we can't run. If a mansees us we're in trouble.""Men don't like rain," said Blackberry. "Neither do I, if it comes to that, but itmakes us safer just now."At this moment Hyzenthlay, sitting just behind him, started and looked up.
"Excuse me, sir, for interrupting you," she said, as though speaking to anofficer in Efrafa, "but the bird -- the white bird -- it's coming toward us."Kehaar came flying up the river through the rain and alighted on the narrowside of the punt. The does nearest to him backed away nervously.
"Meester 'Azel," he said, "pridge come. You see 'im pridge?"It had not occurred to any of the rabbits that they were floating beside the pathup which they had come earlier that evening before the storm broke. They wereon the opposite side of the hedge of plants along the bank and the whole riverlooked different. But now they saw, not far ahead, the bridge which they hadcrossed when they first came to the Test four nights before. This they recognizedat once, for it looked the same as it had from the bank.
"Maybe you go under 'im, maybe not," said Kehaar. "But you sit dere, eestrouble."The bridge stretched from bank to bank between two low abutments. It wasnot arched. Its underside, made of iron girders, was perfectly straight -- parallelwith the surface and about eight inches above it. Just in time Hazel saw whatKehaar meant. If the punt did pass under the bridge without sticking, it would doso by no more than a claw's breadth. Any creature above the level of the sideswould be struck and perhaps knocked into the river. He scuttered through thewarm bilgewater to the other end and pushed his way up among the wet, crowdedrabbits.
"Get down in the bottom! Get down in the bottom!" he said. "Silver, Hawkbit --all of you. Never mind the water. You, and you -- what's your name? Oh,Blackavar, is it? -- get everyone into the bottom. Be quick."Like Bigwig, he found that the Efrafan rabbits obeyed him at once. He sawKehaar fly up from his perch and disappear over the wooden rails. The concreteabutments projected from each bank, so that the narrowed river ran slightlyfaster under the bridge. The punt had been drifting broadside on, but now oneend swung forward, so that Hazel lost his bearings and found that he was nolonger looking at the bridge but at the bank. As he hesitated, the bridge seemed tocome at him in a dark mass, like snow sliding from a bough. He pressed himselfinto the bilge. There was a squeal and a rabbit tumbled on top of him. Then aheavy blow vibrated along the length of the punt and its smooth movement waschecked. This was followed by a hollow sound of scraping. It grew dark and a roofappeared, very low above him. For a moment Hazel had the vague idea that hewas underground. Then the roof vanished, the punt was gliding on and he heardKehaar calling. They were below the bridge and still drifting downstream.
The rabbit who had fallen on him was Acorn. He had been struck by the bridgeand the blow had sent him flying. However, though dazed and bruised, he seemedto have escaped injury.
"I wasn't quick enough, Hazel-rah," he said. "I'd better go to Efrafa for a bit.""You'd be wasted," said Hazel. "But I'm afraid there's someone at the other endwho hasn't been so lucky."One of the does had held back from the bilgewater, and the upstream girderunder the bridge had caught her across the back. It was plain that she wasinjured, but how badly Hazel could not tell. He saw Hyzenthlay beside her and itseemed to him that since there was nothing he could do to help, it would probablybe best to let them alone. He looked round at his bedraggled, shivering comradesand then at Kehaar, spruce and brisk on the stem.
"We ought to get back on the bank, Kehaar," he said. "How can we do it?
Rabbits weren't meant for this, you know.""You not stop poat. But again is nudder pridge more. 'E stop 'im."There was nothing to be done but wait. They drifted on and came to a secondbend, where the river curved westward. The current did not slacken and the puntcame round the bend almost in the middle of the stream, revolving as it did so.
The rabbits had been frightened by what had happened to Acorn and to the doe,and remained squatting miserably, half in and half out of the bilge. Hazel creptback to the raised bow and looked ahead.
The river broadened and the current slackened. He realized that they hadbegun to drift more slowly. The nearer bank was high and the trees stood closeand thick, but on the further bank the ground was low and open. Grassy, itstretched away, smooth as the mown gallops on Watership Down. Hazel hopedthat they might somehow drop out of the current and reach that side, but thepunt moved quietly on, down the very center of the broad pool. The open bankslipped by and now the trees towered on both sides. Downstream, the pool wasclosed by the second bridge, of which Kehaar had spoken.
It was old, built of darkened bricks. Ivy trailed over it and the valerian andcreeping mauve toadflax. Well out from either bank stood four low arches --scarcely more than culverts, each filled by the stream to within a foot of the apex.
Through them, thin segments of daylight showed from the downstream side. Thepiers did not project, but against each lay a little accumulation of flotsam, fromwhich driftweed and sticks continually broke away to be carried through thebridge.
It was plain that the punt would drift against the bridge and be held there. As itapproached, Hazel dropped back into the bilgewater. But this time there was noneed. Broadside on, the punt struck gently against two of the piers and stopped,pinned squarely across the mouth of one of the central culverts. It could go nofurther.
They had floated not quite half a mile in just over fifteen minutes.
Hazel put his forepaws on the low side and looked gingerly over upstream.
Immediately below, a shallow ripple spread all along the waterline, where thecurrent met the woodwork. It was too far to jump to the shore and both bankswere steep. He turned and looked upward. The brickwork was sheer, with aprojecting course half way between him and the parapet. There was noscrambling up that.
"What's to be done, Blackberry?" he asked, making his way to the bolt fixed onthe bow, with its ragged remnant of painter. "You got us on this thing. How do weget off?""I don't know, Hazel-rah," replied Blackberry. "Of all the ways we could finishup, I never thought of this. It looks as though we'll have to swim.""Swim?" said Silver. "I don't fancy it, Hazel-rah. I know it's no distance, butlook at those banks. The current would take us down before we could get out: andthat means into one of these holes under the bridge."Hazel tried to look through the arch. There was very little to be seen. The darktunnel was not long -- perhaps not much longer than the punt itself. The waterlooked smooth. There seemed to be no obstructions and there was room for thehead of a swimming animal between the surface of the water and the apex of thearch. But the segment was so narrow that it was impossible to see exactly what layon the other side of the bridge. The light was failing. Water, green leaves, movingreflections of leaves, the splashing of the raindrops and some curious thing thatappeared to be standing in the water and to be made of vertical gray lines -- thesewere all that could be made out. The rain echoed dismally up the culvert. Thehard, ringing noise from under the soffit, so much unlike any sound to be heardin an earth tunnel, was disturbing. Hazel returned to Blackberry and Silver.
"This is as bad a fix as we've been in," he said. "We can't stay here, but I can'tsee any way out."Kehaar appeared on the parapet above them, flapped the rain out of his wingsand dropped down to the punt.
"Ees finish poat," he said. "Not vait more.""But how can we get to the bank, Kehaar?" said Hazel.
The gull was surprised. "Dog sveem, rat sveem. You no sveem?""Yes, we can swim as long as it's not very far. But the banks are too steep forus, Kehaar. We wouldn't be able to stop the current taking us down one of thesetunnels and we don't know what's at the other end.""Ees goot -- you get out fine."Hazel felt at a loss. What exactly was he to understand from this? Kehaar wasnot a rabbit. Whatever the Big Water was like, it must be worse than this andKehaar was used to it. He never said much in any case and what he did say wasalways restricted to the simplest, since he spoke no Lapine. He was doing them agood turn because they had saved his life but, as Hazel knew, he could not helpdespising them for timid, helpless, stay-at-home creatures who could not fly. Hewas often impatient. Did he mean that he had looked at the river and consideredit as if he were a rabbit? That there was slack water immediately below the bridge,with a low, shelving bank where they could get out easily? That seemed too muchto hope for. Or did he simply mean that they had better hurry up and take achance on being able to do what he himself could do without difficulty? Thisseemed more likely. Suppose one of them did jump out of the boat and go downwith the current -- what would that tell the others, if he did not come back?
Poor Hazel looked about him. Silver was licking Bigwig's wounded shoulder.
Blackberry was fidgeting on and off the thwart, strung up, able to feel only tooclearly all that Hazel felt himself. As he still hesitated, Kehaar let out a squawk.
"Yark! Damn rabbits no goot. Vat I do, I show you."He tumbled clumsily off the raised bow. There was no gap between the puntand the dark mouth of the culvert. Sitting low in the water like a mallard, hefloated into the tunnel and vanished. Peering after him, Hazel could at first seenothing. Then he made out Kehaar's shape black against the light at the far end.
It floated into daylight, turned sideways and passed out of the restricted view.
"What does that prove?" said Blackberry, his teeth chattering. "He may haveflown off the surface or put his great webbed feet down. It's not he that's soakedthrough and shivering and twice as heavy with wet fur."Kehaar reappeared on the parapet above.
"You go now," he said shortly.
Still the wretched Hazel hung back. His leg had begun to hurt again. The sightof Bigwig -- Bigwig of all rabbits -- at the end of his tether, half unconscious,playing no part in this desperate exploit, lowered his courage still more. He knewthat he had not got it in him to jump into the water. The horrible situation wasbeyond him. He stumbled on the slippery planking and, as he sat up, found Fiverbeside him.
"I'll go, Hazel," said Fiver quietly. "I think it'll be all right."He put his front paws on the edge of the bow. Then, on the instant, all therabbits froze motionless. One of the does stamped on the puddled floor of thepunt. From above came the sounds of approaching footsteps and men's voices,and the smell of a burning white stick.
Kehaar flew away. Not a rabbit moved. The footsteps grew nearer, the voiceslouder. They were on the bridge above, no further away than the height of ahedge. Every one of the rabbits was seized by the instinct to run, to gounderground. Hazel saw Hyzenthlay looking at him and returned her stare,willing her with all his might to keep still. The voices, the smell of men's sweat, ofleather, of white sticks, the pain in his leg, the damp, chuckling tunnel at his veryear -- he had known them all before. How could the men not see him? They mustsee him. He was lying at their feet. He was wounded. They were coming to pickhim up.
Then the sounds and smells were receding into the distance, the thudding ofthe footsteps diminished. The men had crossed the bridge without looking overthe parapet. They were gone.
Hazel came to. "That settles it," he said. "Everyone's got to swim. Come on,Bluebell, you say you're a water rabbit. Follow me." He got on the thwart andwent along it to the side.
But it was Pipkin that he found next to him.
"Quick, Hazel-rah," said Pipkin, twitching and trembling. "I'll come, too. Onlybe quick."Hazel shut his eyes and fell over the side into the water.
As in the Enborne, there was an instant shock of cold. But more than this, andat once, he felt the pull of the current. He was being drawn away by a force like ahigh wind, yet smooth and silent. He was drifting helplessly down a suffocating,cold run, with no hold for his feet. Full of fear, he paddled and struggled, got hishead up and took a breath, scrabbled his claws against rough bricks under waterand lost them again as he was dragged on. Then the current slackened, the runvanished, the dark became light and there were leaves and sky above him oncemore. Still struggling, he fetched up against something hard, bumped off it,struck it again and then for a moment touched soft ground. He flounderedforward and found that he was dragging himself through liquid mud. He was outon a clammy bank. He lay panting for several moments and then wiped his faceand opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was Pipkin, plastered with mud,crawling to the bank a few feet away.
Full of elation and confidence, all his terrors forgotten, Hazel crawled over toPipkin and together they slipped into the undergrowth. He said nothing andPipkin did not seem to expect him to speak. From the shelter of a clump of purpleloosestrife they looked back at the river.
The water came out from the bridge into a second pool. All round, on bothbanks, trees and undergrowth grew close. There was a kind of swamp here and itwas hard to tell where water ended and woodland began. Plants grew in clumpsboth in and out of the muddy shallows. The bottom was covered with fine silt andmud that was half water and in this the two rabbits had made furrows as theydragged themselves to shore. Running diagonally across the pool, from thebrickwork of the bridge near the opposite bank to a point a little below them ontheir own side, was a grating of thin, vertical iron rods. In the cutting season theriver weed, drifting in tangled mats from the fishing reaches above, was heldagainst this grating and raked out of the pool by men in waders, who piled it to beused as compost. The left bank was a great rubbish heap of rotting weed amongthe trees. It was a green, rank-smelling place, humid and enclosed.
"Good old Kehaar!" said Hazel, gazing with satisfaction round the fetidsolitude. "I should have trusted him."As he spoke, a third rabbit came swimming out from under the bridge. Thesight of him, struggling in the current like a fly in a spider's web, filled them bothwith fear. To watch another in danger can be almost as bad as sharing it. Therabbit fetched up against the grating, drifted a little way along it, found thebottom and crawled out of the turbid water. It was Blackavar. He lay on his sideand seemed unaware of Hazel and Pipkin when they came up to him. After a littlewhile, however, he began to cough, vomited some water and sat up.
"Are you all right?" asked Hazel.
"More or less," said Blackavar. "But have we got to do much more tonight, sir?
I'm very tired.""No, you can rest here," said Hazel. "But why did you risk it on your own? Wemight already have gone under, for all you knew.""I thought you gave an order," replied Blackavar.
"I see," said Hazel. "Well, at that rate you're going to find us a sloppy lot, I'mafraid. Was there anyone else who looked like coming when you jumped in?""I think they're a bit nervous," answered Blackavar. "You can't blame them.""No, but the trouble is that anything can happen," said Hazel, fretting. "Theymay all go tharn, sitting there. The men may come back. If only we could tellthem it's all right--""I think we can, sir," said Blackavar. "Unless I'm wrong, it's only a matter ofslipping up the bank there and down the other side. Shall I go?"Hazel was disconcerted. From what he had gathered, this was a disgracedprisoner from Efrafa -- not even a member of the Owsla, apparently -- and he hadjust said that he felt exhausted. He was going to take some living up to.
"We'll both go," he said. "Hlao-roo, can you stay here and keep a lookout? Withany luck, they'll start coming through to you. Help them if you can."Hazel and Blackavar slipped through the dripping undergrowth. The grasstrack which crossed the bridge ran above them, at the top of a steep bank. Theyclimbed the bank and looked out cautiously from the long grass at the verge. Thetrack was empty and there was nothing to be heard or smelled. They crossed itand reached the end of the bridge on the upstream side. Here the bank droppedalmost sheer to the river, some six feet below. Blackavar scrambled down withouthesitation, but Hazel followed more slowly. Just above the bridge, between it anda thorn bush upstream, was a ledge of turf which overhung the water. Out in theriver, a few feet away, the punt lay against the weedy piers.
"Silver!" said Hazel. "Fiver! Come on, get them into the water. It's all rightbelow the bridge. Get the does in first, if you can. There's no time to lose. Themen may come back."It was no easy matter to rouse the torpid, bewildered does and make themunderstand what they had to do. Silver went from one to another. Dandelion, assoon as he saw Hazel on the bank, went at once to the bow and plunged in.
Speedwell followed, but as Fiver was about to go Silver stopped him.
"If all our bucks go, Hazel," he said, "the does will be left alone and I don'tthink they'll manage it.""They'll obey Thlayli, sir," said Blackavar, before Hazel could reply. "I thinkhe's the one to get them started."Bigwig was still lying in the bilgewater, in the place he had taken up when theycame to the first bridge. He seemed to be asleep, but when Silver nuzzled him heraised his head and looked about in a dazed manner.
"Oh, hello, Silver," he said. "I'm afraid this shoulder of mine's going to be abother. I feel awfully cold, too. Where's Hazel?"Silver explained. Bigwig got up with difficulty and they saw that he was stillbleeding. He limped to the thwart and climbed on it.
"Hyzenthlay," he said, "your friends can't be any wetter, so we'll get them tojump in now. One by one, don't you think? Then there'll be no risk of themscratching or hurting each other as they swim."In spite of what Blackavar had said, it was a long time before everyone had leftthe boat. There were in fact ten does altogether -- though none of the rabbitsknew the number -- and although one or two responded to Bigwig's patienturging, several were so much exhausted that they remained huddled where theywere, or looked stupidly at the water until others were brought to take their place.
From time to time Bigwig would ask one of the bucks to give a lead and in thisway Acorn, Hawkbit and Bluebell all scrambled over the side. The injured doe,Thrayonlosa, was clearly in a bad way and Blackberry and Thethuthinnang swamthrough together, one in front of her and one behind.
As darkness closed in, the rain stopped. Hazel and Blackavar went back to thebank of the pool below the bridge. The sky cleared and the oppression lifted asthe thunder moved away eastward. But it was fu Inlé before Bigwig himself camethrough the bridge with Silver and Fiver. It was as much as ever he could do tokeep afloat, and when he reached the grating he rolled over in the water, bellyuppermost, like a dying fish. He drifted into the shallows and, with Silver's help,pulled himself out. Hazel and several of the others were waiting for him, but hecut them short with a flash of his old bullying manner. "Come on, get out of theway," he said. "I'm going to sleep now, Hazel, and Frith help you if you say I'mnot.""That's how we go on, you see," said Hazel to the staring Blackavar. "You'll getused to it after a bit, Now, let's look for somewhere dry that no one else has foundand then perhaps we can sleep, too."Every dry spot among the undergrowth seemed to be crowded with exhausted,sleeping rabbits. After searching for a time they found a fallen tree trunk, fromthe underside of which the bark had pulled away. They crept beneath the twigsand leaves, settled themselves in the smooth, curved trough -- which soon took onsome of the warmth of their bodies -- and slept at once.
40. The Way Back
Dame Hickory, Dame Hickory,Here's a wolf at your door,His teeth grinning white.
And his tongue wagging sore!
"Nay," said Dame Hickory, "Ye False Faerie!"But a wolf t'was indeed, and famished was he.
Walter de la Mare, Dame HickoryThe first thing that Hazel learned the next morning was that Thrayonlosa haddied during the night. Thethuthinnang was distressed, for it was she who hadpicked Thrayonlosa as one of the more sturdy and sensible does in the Mark andpersuaded her to join in the escape. After they had come through the bridgetogether, she had helped her ashore and fallen asleep beside her in theundergrowth, hoping that she might have recovered by the next day. But she hadwoken to find Thrayonlosa gone and, searching, had found her in a clump ofreeds downstream. Evidently the poor creature had felt that she was going to dieand, in the manner of animals, had slipped away.
The news depressed Hazel. He knew that they had been lucky to get so manydoes out of Efrafa and to escape from Woundwort without having to stand andfight. The plan had been a good one, but the storm and the frightening efficiencyof the Efrafans had nearly defeated it. For all the courage of Bigwig and of Silver,they would have failed without Kehaar. Now Kehaar was going to leave them,Bigwig was wounded, and his own leg was none too good. With the does to lookafter, they would not be able to travel in the open as fast or as easily as they hadon the way down from Watership. He would have liked to stay where they werefor a few days, so that Bigwig could recover his strength and the does find theirfeet and get used to life outside a warren. But the place, he realized, washopelessly inhospitable. Although there was good cover, it was too wet forrabbits. Besides, it was evidently close to a road busier than any they had known.
Soon after daylight they began to hear and smell hrududil passing, not so faraway as the breadth of a small field. There was continual disturbance and thedoes in particular were startled and uneasy. Thrayonlosa's death made mattersworse. Worried by the noise and vibration and unable to feed, the does keptwandering downstream to look at the body and whisper together about thestrange and dangerous surroundings.
He consulted Blackberry, who pointed out that probably it would not be longbefore men found the boat; then very likely several would be close by for sometime. This decided Hazel that they had better set out at once and try to reachsomewhere where they could rest more easily. He could hear and smell that theswamp extended a long way downstream. With the road lying to the south, theonly way seemed to be northward, over the bridge, which was in any case the wayhome.
Taking Bigwig with him, he climbed the bank to the grass track. The first thingthey saw was Kehaar, picking slugs out of a clump of hemlock near the bridge.
They came up to him without speaking and began to nibble the short grassnearby.
After a little while Kehaar said, "Now you getting mudders, Meester 'Azel. Allgo fine, eh?""Yes. We'd never have done it without you, Kehaar. I hear you turned up just intime to save Bigwig last night.""Dis bad rabbit, pig fella, 'e go fight me. Plenty clever, too.""Yes. He got a shock for once, though.""Ya, ya. Meester 'Azel, soon is men come. Vat you do now?""We're going back to our warren, Kehaar, if we can get there.""Ees finish here now for me. I go to Peeg Vater.""Shall we see you again, Kehaar?""You go back hills? Stay dere?""Yes, we mean to get there. It's going to be hard going with so many rabbits,and there'll be Efrafan patrols to dodge, I expect.""You get dere, later on ees vinter, plenty cold, plenty storm on Peeg Vater.
Plenty bird come in. Den I come back, see you vere you live.""Don't forget, then, Kehaar, will you?" said Bigwig. "We shall be looking out foryou. Come down suddenly, like you did last night.""Ya, ya, frighten all mudders und liddle rabbits, all liddle Pigvigs run avay."Kehaar arched his wings and rose into the air. He flew over the parapet of thebridge and upstream. Then he turned in a circle to the left, came back over thegrass track and flew straight down it, skimming just over the rabbits' heads. Hegave one of his raucous cries and was gone to the southward. They gazed afterhim as he disappeared above the trees.
"Oh, fly away, great bird so white," said Bigwig. "You know, he made me feel Icould fly, too. That Big Water! I wish I could see it."As they continued to look in the direction where Kehaar had gone, Hazelnoticed for the first time a cottage at the far end of the track, where the grasssloped up to join the road. A man, taking care to keep still, was leaning over thehedge and watching them intently. Hazel stamped and bolted into theundergrowth of the swamp, with Bigwig hard on his heels.
"You know what he's thinking about?" said Bigwig. "He's thinking about thevegetables in his garden.""I know," replied Hazel. "And we shan't be able to keep this lot away fromthem once they get the idea into their heads. The quicker we push on the better."Shortly afterward the rabbits set out across the park to the north. Bigwig soonfound that he was not up to a long journey. His wound was painful and theshoulder muscle would not stand hard use. Hazel was still lame and the does,though willing and obedient, showed that they knew little about the life of hlessil.
It was a trying time.
In the days that followed -- days of clear sky and fine weather -- Blackavarproved his worth again and again, until Hazel came to rely on him as much as onany of his veterans. There was a great deal more to him than anyone could haveguessed. When Bigwig had determined not to come out of Efrafa withoutBlackavar, he had been moved entirely by pity for a miserable, helpless victim ofWoundwort's ruthlessness. It turned out, however, that Blackavar, when notcrushed by humiliation and ill-treatment, was a good cut above the ordinary. Hisstory was an unusual one. His mother had not been born an Efrafan. She hadbeen one of the rabbits taken prisoner when Woundwort attacked the warren atNutley Copse. She had mated with an Efrafan captain and had had no other mate.
He had been killed on Wide Patrol. Blackavar, proud of his father, had grown upwith the resolve to become an officer in the Owsla. But together with this -- andparadoxically -- there had come to him from his mother a certain resentmentagainst Efrafa and a feeling that they should have no more of him than he caredto give them. Captain Mallow, to whose Mark -- the Right Fore -- he had beensent on trial, had praised his courage and endurance but had not failed to noticethe proud detachment of his nature. When the Right Flank needed a junior officerto help Captain Chervil, it was Avens and not Blackavar who had been selected bythe Council. Blackavar, who knew his own worth, felt convinced that his mother'sblood had prejudiced the Council against him. While still full of his wrongs hehad met Hyzenthlay and made himself a secret friend and adviser of thediscontented does in the Right Fore. He had begun by urging them to try to getthe Council's consent to their leaving Efrafa. If they had succeeded they wouldhave asked for him to be allowed to go with them. But when the does' deputationto the Council failed, Blackavar turned to the idea of escape. At first he had meantto take the does with him, but his nerve, strained to the limit, as Bigwig's hadbeen, by the dangers and uncertainties of conspiracy, had given way and in theend he had simply made a dash on his own, to be caught by Campion. Under thepunishment inflicted by the Council his mercurial spirit had fallen low and he hadbecome the apathetic wretch the sight of whom had so much shocked Bigwig. Yetat the whispered message in the hraka pit this spirit had flickered up again whereanother's might well have failed to do so, and he had been ready to set all on thehazard and have another shot. Now, free among these easy-going strangers, hesaw himself as a trained Efrafan using his skill to help them in their need.
Although he did all that he was told, he did not hesitate to make suggestions aswell, particularly when it came to reconnoitering and looking for signs of danger.
Hazel, who was ready to accept advice from anybody when he thought it wasgood, listened to most of what he said and was content to leave it to Bigwig -- forwhom, naturally, Blackavar entertained a tremendous respect -- to see that he didnot overreach himself in his warm-hearted, rather candid zeal.
After two or three days of slow, careful journeying, with many halts in cover,they found themselves, late one afternoon, once more in sight of Caesar's Belt,but further west than before, close to a little copse at the top of some risingground. Everyone was tired and when they had fed -- "evening silflay every day,just as you promised," said Hyzenthlay to Bigwig -- Bluebell and Speedwellsuggested that it might be worthwhile to dig some scrapes in the light soil underthe trees and live there for a day or two. Hazel felt willing enough, but Fiverneeded persuasion.
"I know we can do with a rest, but somehow I don't altogether like it, Hazel-rah," he said. "I suppose I've got to try to think why?""Not on my account," answered Hazel. "But I doubt you'll shift the others thistime. One or two of these does are 'ready for mudder,' as Kehaar would say, andthat's the real reason why Bluebell and the rest are prepared to be at the troubleof digging scrapes. Surely it'll be all right at that rate, won't it? You know whatthey say -- 'Rabbit underground, rabbit safe and sound.'""Well, you may be right," said Fiver. "That Vilthuril's a beautiful doe. I'd like achance to get to know her better. After all, it's not natural to rabbits, is it? -- onand on day after day."Later, however, when Blackavar returned with Dandelion from a patrol theyhad undertaken on their own initiative, he came out more strongly against theidea.
"This is no place to stop, Hazel-rah," he said. "No Wide Patrol would bivouachere. It's fox country. We ought to try to get further before dark."Bigwig's shoulder had been hurting him a good deal during the afternoon andhe felt low and surly. It seemed to him that Blackavar was being clever at otherpeople's expense. If he got his way they would have to go on, tired as they were,until they came to somewhere which was suitable by Efrafan standards. Therethey would be as safe -- no more and no less -- than they would have been if theyhad stayed at this copse; but Blackavar would be the clever fellow who had savedthem from a fox that had never existed outside his own fancy. His Efrafanscoutcraft act was getting to be a bore. It was time someone called his bluff.
"There are likely to be foxes anywhere about the downs," said Bigwig sharply.
"Why is this fox country more than anywhere else?"Tact was a quality which Blackavar valued about as much as Bigwig did; andnow he made the worst possible reply.
"I can't exactly tell you why," he said. "I've formed a strong impression, but it'shard to explain quite what it's based on.""Oh, an impression, eh?" sneered Bigwig. "Did you see any hraka? Pick up anyscent? Or was it just a message from little green mice singing under a toadstool?"Blackavar felt hurt. Bigwig was the last rabbit he wanted to quarrel with.
"Ye think I'm a fool, then," he answered, his Efrafan accent becoming moremarked. "No, there was neether hraka ner scent, but I still think that this is aplace where a fox comes. On these patrols we used to do, ye know, we--""Did you see or smell anything?" said Bigwig to Dandelion.
"Er -- well, I'm not really quite sure," said Dandelion. "I mean, Blackavarseems to know an awful lot about patrolling and he asked me whether I didn't feela sort of--""Well, we can go on like this all night," said Bigwig. "Blackavar, do you knowthat earlier this summer, before we had the benefit of your experience, we wentfor days across every kind of country -- fields, heather, woods, downs -- and neverlost one rabbit?""It's the idea of scrapes, that's all," said Blackavar apologetically, "New scrapesget noticed; and digging can be heard a surprisingly long way, ye know.""Let him alone," said Hazel, before Bigwig could speak again. "You didn't gethim out of Efrafa to bully him. Look, Blackavar, I suppose I've got to decide this. Ithink you're probably right and there is a certain amount of risk. But we're at riskall the time until we get back to our warren and everyone's so tired that I think wemight just as well stop here for a day or two. We shall be all the better for it."Enough scrapes were finished by soon after sunset and next day, sure enough,all the rabbits felt a great deal better for a night underground. As Hazel hadforeseen, there was some mating and a scuffle or two, but no one was hurt. By theevening a kind of holiday spirit prevailed. Hazel's leg was stronger and Bigwig feltfitter than at any time since he went into Efrafa. The does, harassed and bony twodays before, were beginning to look quite sleek.
On the second morning, silflay did not begin until some time after dawn. Alight wind was blowing straight into the north bank of the copse, where thescrapes had been dug, and Bluebell, when he came up, swore he could smellrabbits on it.
"It's old Holly pressing his chin glands for us, Hazel-rah," he said. "A rabbit'ssneeze on the morning breeze sets homesick hearts aglow--""Sitting with his rump in a chicory clump and longing for a nice plump doe,"replied Hazel.
"That won't do, Hazel-rah," said Bluebell. "He's got two does up there.""Only hutch does," replied Hazel. "I dare say they're fairly tough and fast bynow, but all the same they'll never be quite like our own kind. Clover, for instance-- she'd never go far from the hole on silflay, because she knew she couldn't run asfast as we can. But these Efrafan does, you see -- they've been kept in by sentriesall their lives. Yet now there aren't any, they wander about quite happily. Look atthose two, right away under the bank there. They feel they can -- Oh, great Frith!"As he spoke a tawny shape, dog-like, sprang out of the overhanging nut bushesas silently as light from behind a cloud. It landed between the two does, grabbedone by the neck and dragged her up the bank in a flash. The wind veered and thereek of fox came over the grass. With stamping and flashing of tails every rabbiton the slope dashed for cover.
Hazel and Bluebell found themselves crouched with Blackavar. The Efrafanwas matter-of-fact and detached.
"Poor little beast," he said. "You see, their instincts are weakened by life in theMark. Fancy feeding under bushes on the windward side of a wood! Never mind,Hazel-rah, these things happen. But look, I tell you what. Unless there are twohombil, which would be very bad luck, we've got till ni-Frith at least to get away.
That homba won't be hunting any more for some time. I suggest we all move onas soon as we can."With a word of agreement, Hazel went out to call the rabbits together. Theymade a scattered but swift run to the northeast, along the edge of a field ofripening wheat. No one spoke of the doe. They had covered more than threequarters of a mile before Bigwig and Hazel halted to rest and to make sure that noone had fallen behind. Blackavar came up with Hyzenthlay, Bigwig said,"You told us how it would be, didn't you? And I was the one who wouldn'tlisten.""Told you?" said Blackavar. "I don't understand.""That there was likely to be a fox.""I don't remember, I'm afraid. But I don't see that any of us could possiblyhave known. Anyway, what's a doe more or less?"Bigwig looked at him in astonishment, but Blackavar, apparently unconcernedeither to stress what he had said or to break off the talk, simply began to nibblethe grass. Bigwig, puzzled moved away and himself began to feed a little distanceoff, with Hyzenthlay and Hazel.
"What's he getting at?" he asked after a while. "You were all there when hewarned us, two nights ago, that there was likely to be a fox. I treated him badly.""In Efrafa," said Hyzenthlay, "if a rabbit gave advice and the advice wasn'taccepted, he immediately forgot it and so did everyone else. Blackavar thoughtwhat Hazel decided; and whether it turned out later to be right or wrong was allthe same. His own advice had never been given.""I can believe that," said Bigwig. "Efrafa! Ants led by a dog! But we're not inEfrafa now. Has he really forgotten that he warned us?""Probably he really has. But whether or not, you'd never get him to admit thathe warned you or to listen while you told him he'd been right. He could no moredo that than pass hraka underground.""But you're an Efrafan. Do you think like that, too?""I'm a doe," said Hyzenthlay.
-<*>-During the early afternoon they began to approach the Belt and Bigwig was thefirst to recognize the place where Dandelion had told the story of the Black Rabbitof Inlé.
"It was the same fox, you know," he said to Hazel. "That's almost certain. Iought to have realized how likely it was that--""Look here," said Hazel, "you know very well what we owe to you. The does allthink El-ahrairah sent you to get them out of Efrafa. They believe no one elsecould have done it. As for what happened this morning, it was my fault as muchas yours. But I never supposed we would get home without losing some rabbits.
In fact we've lost two and that's better than I expected. We can get back to theHoneycomb tonight if we press on. Let's forget about the homba now, Bigwig -- itcan't be altered -- and try to -- Hello, who's this?"They were coming to a thicket of juniper and dog roses, tangled at ground levelwith nettles and trails of bryony on which the berries were now beginning toripen and turn red. As they stopped to pick a line into the undergrowth, four bigrabbits appeared out of the long grass and sat looking down at them. One of thedoes, coming up the slope a little way behind, stamped and turned to bolt. Theyheard Blackavar check her sharply.
"Well, why don't you answer his question, Thlayli?" said one of the rabbits.
"Who am I?"There was a pause. Then Hazel spoke.
"I can see they're Efrafans because they're marked," he said. "Is thatWoundwort?""No," said Blackavar, at his shoulder. "That's Captain Campion.""I see," said Hazel. "Well, I've heard of you, Campion. I don't know whetheryou mean us any harm, but the best thing you can do is to let well alone. As far aswe're concerned, our dealings with Efrafa are finished.""You may think that," replied Campion, "but you'll find it's otherwise. That doebehind you must come with us; and so must any others that are with you."As he spoke, Silver and Acorn appeared lower down the slope, followed byThethuthinnang. After a glance at the Efrafans, Silver spoke quickly toThethuthinnang, who slipped back through the burdocks. Then he came up toHazel.
"I've sent for the white bird, Hazel," he said quietly.
As a piece of bluff it was effective. They saw Campion look upward nervouslyand another of the patrol glanced back to the cover of the bushes.
"What you're saying is stupid," said Hazel to Campion. "There are a lot of ushere and unless you've got more rabbits than I can see, we're too many for you."Campion hesitated. The truth was that for once in his life he had acted rashly.
He had seen Hazel and Bigwig approaching, with Blackavar and one doe behindthem. In his eagerness to have something really worthwhile to show on his returnto the Council, he had jumped to the conclusion that they were alone. TheEfrafans usually kept fairly close together in the open and it had not occurred toCampion that other rabbits might straggle more widely. He had seen a goldenopportunity to attack -- perhaps kill -- the detestable Thlayli and Blackavar,together with their one companion -- who seemed to be lame -- and bring the doeback to the Council. This he could certainly have done; and he had decided toconfront rather than ambush them, in the hope that the bucks would surrenderwithout fighting. But now, as more rabbits began to appear in ones and twos, herealized that he had made a mistake.
"I have a great many more rabbits," he said. "The does must stay here. The restof you can go. Otherwise we shall kill you.""Very well," said Hazel. "Bring your whole patrol into the open and we'll do asyou say."By this time a considerable number of rabbits was coming up the slope.
Campion and his patrol looked at them in silence but made no move.
"You'd better stay where you are," said Hazel at length. "If you try to interferewith us it will be the worse for you. Silver and Blackberry, take the does and goon. The rest of us will join you.""Hazel-rah," whispered Blackavar, "the patrol must be killed -- all of them.
They mustn't report back to the General."This had also occurred to Hazel. But as he thought of the dreadful fight and thefour Efrafans actually torn to pieces -- for that was what it would mean -- hecould not find it in his heart to do it. Like Bigwig, he felt a reluctant liking forCampion. Besides, it would take some doing. Quite probably some of his ownrabbits would be killed -- certainly wounded. They would not reach theHoneycomb that night and they would leave a fresh blood trail wherever theywent. Apart from his dislike of the whole idea, there were disadvantages thatmight be fatal.
"No, we'll let them alone," he replied firmly.
Blackavar was silent and they sat watching Campion as the last of the doesdisappeared through the bushes.
"Now," said Hazel, "take your patrol and go the same way that you saw uscome. Don't speak -- go."Campion and the patrol made off downhill and Hazel, relieved to be rid ofthem so easily, hurried after Silver, with the others close behind.
Once through the Belt, they made excellent progress. After the rest of a dayand a half the does were in good shape. The promise of an end to the journey thatnight and the thought that they had escaped both the fox and the patrol madethem eager and responsive. The only cause of delay was Blackavar, who seemeduneasy and kept hanging about in the rear. At last, in the late afternoon, Hazelsent for him and told him to go ahead, on the line of the path they were following,and look out for the long strip of the beech hanger in the dip on the morning side.
Blackavar had not been gone very long before he came racing back.
"Hazel-rah, I've been quite close to that wood you spoke of," he said, "andthere are two rabbits playing about on a patch of short grass just outside it.""I'll come and see," said Hazel. "Dandelion, you come, too, will you?"As they ran down the hill to the right of the track, Hazel fairly skipped torecognize the beech hanger. He noticed one or two yellow leaves and a faint touchof bronze here and there in the green boughs. Then he caught sight of Buckthornand Strawberry running toward them across the grass.
"Hazel-rah!" cried Buckthorn. "Dandelion! What happened? Where are theothers? Did you get any does? Is everyone all right?""They'll be here very soon," said Hazel. "Yes, we've got a lot of does andeveryone who went has come back. This is Blackavar, who's come out of Efrafa.""Good for him," said Strawberry. "Oh, Hazel-rah, we've watched at the end ofthe wood every evening since you went. Holly and Boxwood are all right -- they'reback at the warren: and what do you think? Clover's going to kindle. That's fine,isn't it?""Splendid," said Hazel. "She'll be the first. My goodness, we've had a time, Ican tell you. And so I will -- what a story! -- but it must wait a bit. Come on -- let'sgo and bring the others in."By sunset the whole party -- twenty rabbits all told -- had made their way upthe length of the beech hanger and reached the warren. They fed among the dewand the long shadows, with twilight already fallen in the fields below. Then theycrowded down into the Honeycomb to hear Hazel and Bigwig tell the story oftheir adventures to those who had waited so eagerly and so long to hear it.
As the last rabbits disappeared underground the Wide Patrol, which hadfollowed them from Caesar's Belt with superlative skill and discipline, veeredaway in a half-circle to the east and then turned for Efrafa. Campion was expert atfinding a night's refuge in the open. He planned to rest until dawn and then coverthe three miles back by evening of the following day.
41. The Story of Rowsby Woof and the Fairy Wogdog
Be not merciful unto them that offend of malicious wickedness. They grin likea dog and run about through the city. But thou, O Lord, shalt have them inderision. Thou shalt laugh all the heathen to scorn.
Psalm 59Now came the dog days -- day after day of hot, still summer, when for hours ata time light seemed the only thing that moved; the sky -- sun, clouds and breeze --awake above the drowsing downs. The beech leaves grew darker on the boughsand fresh grass grew where the old had been nibbled close. The warren wasthriving at last and Hazel could sit basking on the bank and count their blessings.
Above and under ground, the rabbits fell naturally into a quiet, undisturbedrhythm of feeding, digging and sleeping. Several fresh runs and burrows weremade. The does, who had never dug in their lives before, enjoyed the work. BothHyzenthlay and Thethuthinnang told Hazel that they had had no idea how muchof their frustration and unhappiness in Efrafa had been due simply to not beingallowed to dig. Even Clover and Haystack found that they could manage prettywell and boasted that they would bear the warren's first litters in burrows thatthey had dug themselves. Blackavar and Holly became close friends. They talked agreat deal about their different ideas of scouting and tracking, and made somepatrols together, more for their own satisfaction than because there was any realneed. One early morning they persuaded Silver to come with them and traveledover a mile to the outskirts of Kingsclere, returning with a tale of mischief andfeasting in a cottage garden. Blackavar's hearing had weakened since themutilation of his ears; but Holly found that his power of noticing and drawingconclusions from anything unusual was almost uncanny and that he seemed to beable to become invisible at will.
Sixteen bucks and ten does made a happy enough society for a warren. Therewas some bickering here and there, but nothing serious. As Bluebell said, anyrabbits who felt discontented could always go back to Efrafa; and the thought ofall that they had faced together was enough to take the sting out of anything thatmight have made a real quarrel. The contentment of the does spread to everyoneelse, until one evening Hazel remarked that he felt a perfect fraud as Chief Rabbit,for there were no problems and hardly a dispute to be settled.
"Have you thought about the winter yet?" asked Holly.
Four or five of the bucks, with Clover, Hyzenthlay and Vilthuril, were feedingalong the sunny west side of the hanger about an hour before sunset. It was stillhot and the down was so quiet that they could hear the horses tearing the grass inthe paddock of Cannon Heath Farm, more than half a mile away. It certainly didnot seem a time to think of winter.
"It'll probably be colder up here than any of us have been used to," said Hazel.
"But the soil's so light and the roots break it up so much that we can dig a lotdeeper before the cold weather comes. I think we ought to be able to get belowthe frost. As for the wind, we can block some of the holes and sleep warm. Grassis poor in winter, I know; but anyone who wants a change can always go out withHolly here and try his luck at pinching some greenstuff or cattle roots. It's a timeof year to be careful of the elil, though. Myself, I shall be quite happy to sleepunderground, play bob-stones and hear a few stories from time to time.""What about a story now?" said Bluebell. "Come on, Dandelion. 'How I NearlyMissed the Boat.' What about that?""Oh, you mean 'Woundwort Dismayed,'" said Dandelion. "That's Bigwig's story-- I wouldn't presume to tell it. But it makes a change to be thinking about winteron an evening like this. It reminds me of a story I've listened to but never tried totell myself. So some of you may know it and perhaps some won't. It's the story ofRowsby Woof and the Fairy Wogdog.""Off you go," said Fiver, "and lay it on thick.""There was a big rabbit," said Dandelion. "There was a small rabbit. There wasEl-ahrairah; and he had the frost in his fine new whiskers. The earth up and downthe runs of the warren was so hard that you could cut your paws on it, and therobins answered each other across the bare, still copses, 'This is my bit here. Yougo and starve in your own.'
"One evening, when Frith was sinking huge and red in a green sky, El-ahrairahand Rabscuttle limped trembling through the frozen grass, picking a bite here andthere to carry them on for another long night underground. The grass was asbrittle and tasteless as hay, and although they were hungry, they had beenmaking the best of the miserable stuff so long that it was as much as they coulddo to get it down. At last Rabscuttle suggested that they might take a risk for oncein a way and slip across the fields to the edge of the village, where there was a bigvegetable garden.
"This particular garden was bigger than any of the others round about. Theman who worked in it lived in a house at one end and he used to dig or cut greatquantities of vegetables, put them into a hrududu and drive them away. He hadput wire all round the garden to keep rabbits out. All the same, El-ahrairah couldusually find a way in if he wanted to; but it was dangerous, because the man had agun and often shot jays and pigeons and hung them up.
"'It isn't only the gun we'd be risking, either,' said El-ahrairah, thinking it over.
'We'd have to keep an eye open for that confounded Rowsby Woof as well.'
"Now, Rowsby Woof was the man's dog; and he was the most objectionable,malicious, disgusting brute that ever licked a man's hand. He was a big, woollysort of animal with hair all over his eyes and the man kept him to guard thevegetable garden, especially at night. Rowsby Woof, of course, did not eatvegetables himself and anyone might have thought that he would be ready to let afew hungry animals have a lettuce or a carrot now and then and no questionsasked. But not a bit of it. Rowsby Woof used to run loose from evening till dawnthe next day; and not content with keeping men and boys out of the garden, hewould go for any animals he found there -- rats, rabbits, hares, mice, even moles-- and kill them if he could. The moment he smelled anything in the nature of anintruder he would start barking and kicking up a shine, although very often it wasonly this foolish noise which warned a rabbit and enabled him to get away intime. Rowsby Woof was reckoned to be a tremendous ratter and his master hadboasted about this skill of his so often and showed him off so much that he hadbecome revoltingly conceited. He believed himself to be the finest ratter in theworld. He ate a lot of raw meat (but not in the evening, because he was lefthungry at night to keep him active) and this made it rather easier to smell himcoming. But even so, he made the garden a dangerous place.
"'Well, let's chance Rowsby Woof for once,' said Rabscuttle. 'I reckon you and Iought to be able to give him the slip if we have to.'
"El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle made their way across the fields to the outskirts ofthe garden. When they got there, the first thing they saw was the man himself,with a white stick burning away in his mouth, cutting row after row of frostedcabbages. Rowsby Woof was with him, wagging his tail and jumping about in aridiculous manner. After a time the man piled as many of the cabbages as hecould into a wheel thing and pushed them away to the house. He came backseveral times and when he had taken all the cabbages to the door of the house hebegan carrying them inside.
"'What's he doing that for?' asked Rabscuttle.
"'I suppose he wants to get the frost out of them tonight,' replied El-ahrairah,'before he takes them away in the hrududu tomorrow.'
"'They'd be much better to eat with the frost out of them, wouldn't they?' saidRabscuttle. 'I wish we could get at them while they're in there. Still, never mind.
Now's our chance. Let's see what we can do up this end of the garden while he'sbusy down there.'
"But hardly had they crossed the top of the garden and got among the cabbagesthan Rowsby Woof had winded them and down he came, barking and yelping,and they were lucky to get out in time.
"'Dirty little beasts,' shouted Rowsby Woof. 'How--how! How--how dare youcome snou--snou--snouting round here? Get out -- out! Out -- out!'
"'Contemptible brute!' said El-ahrairah, as they scurried back to the warrenwith nothing to show for all their trouble. 'He's really annoyed me. I don't knowyet how it's going to be done, but, by Frith and Inlé, before this frost thaws, we'lleat his cabbages inside the house and make him look a fool into the bargain!'
"'That's saying too much, master,' said Rabscuttle. 'A pity to throw your lifeaway for a cabbage, after all we've done together.'
"'Well, I shall be watching my chance,' said El-ahrairah. 'I shall just bewatching my chance, that's all.'
"The following afternoon Rabscuttle was out, nosing along the top of the bankbeside the lane, when a hrududu came by. It had doors at the back and thesedoors had somehow come open and were swinging about as the hrududu wentalong. There were things inside wrapped up in bags like the ones men sometimesleave about the fields; and as the hrududu passed Rabscuttle, one of these bagsfell out into the lane. When the hrududu had gone Rabscuttle, who hoped that thebag might have something to eat inside, slipped down into the lane to have a sniffat it. But he was disappointed to find that all it contained was some kind of meat.
Later he told El-ahrairah about his disappointment.
"'Meat?' said El-ahrairah. 'Is it still there?'
"'How should I know?' said Rabscuttle. 'Beastly stuff.'
"'Come with me,' said El-ahrairah. 'Quickly, too.'
"When they got to the lane the meat was still there. El-ahrairah dragged thebag into the ditch and they buried it.
"'But what good will this be to us, master?' said Rabscuttle.
"'I don't know yet,' said El-ahrairah. 'But some good it will surely be, if the ratsdon't get it. Come home now, though. It's getting dark.'
"As they were going home, they came on an old black wheel-covering thrownaway from a hrududu, lying in the ditch. If you've ever seen these things, you'llknow that they're something like a huge fungus -- smooth and very strong, butpad-like and yielding too. They smell unpleasant, and are no good to eat.
"'Come on,' said El-ahrairah immediately. 'We have to gnaw off a good chunkof this. I need it.'
"Rabscuttle wondered whether his master was going mad, but he did as he wastold. The stuff had grown fairly rotten and before long they were able to gnaw offa lump about as big as a rabbits head. It tasted dreadful, but El-ahrairah carried itcarefully back to the warren. He spent a lot of time that night nibbling at it andafter morning silflay the next day he continued. About ni-Frith he wokeRabscuttle, made him come outside and put the lump in front of him.
"'What does that look like?' he said. 'Never mind the smell. What does it looklike?'
"Rabscuttle looked at it. 'It looks rather like a dog's black nose, master,' heanswered, 'except that it's dry.'
"'Splendid,' said El-ahrairah, and went to sleep.
"It was still frosty -- very clear and cold -- that night, with half a moon, but fuInlé, when all the rabbits were keeping warm underground, El-ahrairah toldRabscuttle to come with him. El-ahrairah carried the black nose himself and onthe way he pushed it well into every nasty thing he could find. He found a--""Well, never mind," said Hazel. "Go on with the story.""In the end," continued Dandelion, "Rabscuttle kept well away from him, butEl-ahrairah held his breath and still carried the nose somehow, until they got tothe place where they had buried the meat.
"'Dig it up,' said El-ahrairah. 'Come on.'
"They dug it up and the paper came off. The meat was all bits joined togetherin a kind of trail like a spray of bryony, and poor Rabscuttle was told to drag italong to the bottom of the vegetable garden. It was hard work and he was gladwhen he was able to drop it.
"'Now,' said El-ahrairah, 'we'll go round to the front.'
"When they got to the front, they could tell that the man had gone out. For onething, the house was all dark but, besides, they could smell that he had beenthrough the gate a little while before. The front of the house had a flower gardenand this was separated from the back and the vegetable garden by a high, close-boarded fence that ran right across and ended in a big clump of laurels. Just theother side of the fence was the back door that led into the kitchen.
"El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle went quietly through the front garden and peepedthrough a crack in the fence. Rowsby Woof was sitting on the gravel path, wideawake and shivering in the cold. He was so near that they could see his eyes blinkin the moonlight. The kitchen door was shut, but nearby, along the wall, therewas a hole above the drain where a brick had been left out. The kitchen floor wasmade of bricks and the man used to wash it with a rough broom and sweep thewater out through the hole. The hole was plugged up with an old cloth to keep outthe cold.
"After a little while El-ahrairah said in a low voice,"'Rowsby Woof! O Rowsby Woof!'
"Rowsby Woof sat up and looked about him, bristling.
"'Who's there?' he said. 'Who are you?'
"'O Rowsby Woof!' said El-ahrairah, crouching on the other side of the fence.
'Most fortunate, most blessed Rowsby Woof! Your reward is at hand! I bring youthe best news in the world!'
"'What?' said Rowsby Woof. 'Who's that? None of your tricks, now!'
"'Tricks, Rowsby Woof?' said El-ahrairah. 'Ah, I see you do not know me. Buthow should you? Listen, faithful, skillful hound. I am the Fairy Wogdog,messenger of the great dog spirit of the East, Queen Dripslobber. Far, far in theEast her palace lies. Ah, Rowsby Woof, if only you could see her mighty state, thewonders of her kingdom! The carrion that lies far and wide upon the sands! Themanure, Rowsby Woof! The open sewers! Oh, how you would jump for joy andrun nosing all about!'
"Rowsby Woof got to his feet and looked about in silence. He could not tellwhat to make of the voice, but he was suspicious.
"'Your fame as a ratter has come to the ears of the Queen,' said El-ahrairah.
'We know you -- and honor you -- as the greatest ratter in the world. That is why Iam here. But poor, bewildered creature! I see you are perplexed, and well youmay be. Come here, Rowsby Woof! Come close to the fence and know me better!'
"Rowsby Woof came up to the fence and El-ahrairah pushed the rubber noseinto the crack and moved it about. Rowsby Woof stood close, sniffing.
"'Noble rat-catcher,' whispered El-ahrairah, 'it is indeed I, the Fairy Wogdog,sent to honor you!'
"'Oh, Fairy Wogdog!' cried Rowsby Woof, dribbling and piddling all over thegravel. 'Ah, what elegance! What aristocratic distinction! Can that really bedecayed cat that I smell? With a delicate overtone of rotten camel! Ah, thegorgeous East!'
("What on earth's 'camel'?" said Bigwig.
"I don't know," replied Dandelion. "But it was in the story when I heard it, so Isuppose it's some creature or other.")"'Happy, happy dog!' said El-ahrairah. 'I must tell you that Queen Dripslobberher very self has expressed her gracious wish that you should meet her. But notyet, Rowsby Woof, not yet. First you must be found worthy. I am sent to bringyou both a test and a proof. Listen, Rowsby Woof. Beyond the far end of thegarden there lies a long rope of meat. Aye, real meat, Rowsby Woof, for thoughwe are fairy dogs, yet we bring real gifts to noble, brave animals such as you. Gonow -- find and eat that meat. Trust me, for I will guard the house until youreturn. That is the test of your belief.'
"Rowsby Woof was desperately hungry and the cold had got into his stomach,but still he hesitated. He knew that his master expected him to guard the house.
"'Ah, well,' said El-ahrairah, 'never mind. I will depart. In the next village therelives a dog--'
"'No, no,' cried Rowsby Woof. 'No, Fairy Wogdog, do not leave me! I trust you!
I will go at once! Only guard the house and do not fail me!'
"'Have no fear, noble hound,' said El-ahrairah. 'Only trust the word of the greatQueen.'
"Rowsby Woof went bounding away in the moonlight and El-ahrairah watchedhim out of sight.
"'Are we to go into the house now, master?' asked Rabscuttle. 'We shall have tobe quick.'
"'Certainly not,' said El-ahrairah. 'How could you suggest such double-dealing?
For shame, Rabscuttle! We will guard the house.'
"They waited silently and after a while Rowsby Woof returned, licking his lipsand grinning. He came sniffing up to the fence.
"'I perceive, honest friend,' said El-ahrairah, 'that you found the meat as swiftlyas though it had been a rat. The house is safe and all is well. Now hark. I shallreturn to the Queen and tell her of all that has passed. It was her graciouspurpose that if you showed yourself worthy tonight, by trusting her messenger,she would herself send for you and honor you. Tomorrow night she will bepassing through this land on her way to the Wolf Festival of the North and shemeans to break her journey in order that you may appear before her. Be ready,Rowsby Woof!'
"'Oh, Fairy Wogdog!' cried Rowsby Woof. 'What joy it will be to grovel andabase myself before the Queen! How humbly I shall roll upon the ground! Howutterly shall I make myself her slave! What menial cringing will be mine! I willshow myself a true dog!'
"'I do not doubt it,' said El-ahrairah. 'And now, farewell. Be patient and awaitmy return!'
"He withdrew the rubber nose and very quietly they crept away.
"The following night was, if anything, still colder. Even El-ahrairah had to pullhimself together before he could set out over the fields. They had hidden therubber nose outside the garden and it took them some time to get it ready forRowsby Woof. When they had made sure that the man had gone out, they wentcautiously into the front garden and up to the fence. Rowsby Woof was paddingup and down outside the back door, his breath steaming in the frosty air. WhenEl-ahrairah spoke, he put his head on the ground between his front paws andwhined for joy.
"'The Queen is coming, Rowsby Woof,' said El-ahrairah from behind the nose,'with her noble attendants, the fairies Postwiddle and Sniffbottom. And this is herwish. You know the crossroads in the village, do you not?'
"'Yes, yes!' whined Rowsby Woof. 'Yes, yes! Oh, let me show how abject I canbe, dear Fairy Wogdog. I will--'
"'Very well,' said El-ahrairah. 'Now, O fortunate dog, go to the crossroads andawait the Queen. She is coming on the wings of night. It is far that she must come,but wait patiently. Only wait. Do not fail her and great blessing will be yours,'
"'Fail her? No, no!' cried Rowsby Woof. 'I will wait like a worm upon the road.
Her beggar am I, Fairy Wogdog! Her mendicant, her idiot, her--'
"'Quite right, most excellent,' said El-ahrairah. 'Only make haste.'
"As soon as Rowsby Woof had gone, El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle went quicklythrough the laurels, round the end of the fence and along to the back door. El-ahrairah pulled the cloth out of the hole above the drain with his teeth and led theway into the kitchen.
"The kitchen was as warm as this bank and at one end was a great pile ofvegetables ready for the hrududu in the morning -- cabbages, brussels sproutsand parsnips. They were thawed out and the delicious smell was quiteoverpowering. El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle began at once to make amends for thepast days of frozen grass and tree bark.
"'Good, faithful fellow,' said El-ahrairah with his mouth full. 'How grateful hewill be to the Queen for keeping him waiting. He will be able to show her the fullextent of his loyalty, won't he? Have another parsnip, Rabscuttle.'
"Meanwhile, down at the crossroads, Rowsby Woof waited eagerly in the frost,listening for the coming of Queen Dripslobber. After a long time he heardfootsteps. They were not the steps of a dog but of a man. As they came near, herealized that they were the steps of his own master. He was too stupid to run awayor hide, but merely remained where he was until his master -- who was returninghome -- came up to the crossroads.
"'Why, Rowsby Woof,' said his master, 'what are you doing here?'
"Rowsby Woof looked foolish and nosed about. His master was puzzled. Thena thought came to him.
"'Why, good old chap,' he said, 'you came to meet me, did you? Good fellow,then! Come on, we'll go home together.'
"Rowsby Woof tried to slip away, but his master grabbed him by the collar, tiedhim by a bit of string he had in his pocket and led him home.
"Their arrival took El-ahrairah by surprise. It fact, he was so busy stuffingcabbage that he heard nothing until the doorhandle rattled. He and Rabscuttlehad only just time to slip behind a pile of baskets before the man came in, leadingRowsby Woof. Rowsby Woof was quiet and dejected and did not even notice thesmell of rabbit, which anyway was all mixed up with the smell of the fire and thelarder. He lay on the mat while the man made some sort of drink for himself.
"El-ahrairah was watching his chance to dash out of the hole in the wall. Butthe man, as he sat drinking and puffing away at a white stick, suddenly lookedround and got up. He had noticed the draft coming in through the open hole. Tothe rabbits' horror, he picked up a sack and plugged the hole up very tightlyindeed. Then he finished his drink, made up the fire and went away to sleep,leaving Rowsby Woof shut in the kitchen. Evidently he thought it too cold to turnhim out for the night.
"At first Rowsby Woof whined and scratched at the door, but after a time hecame back to the mat by the fire and lay down. El-ahrairah moved very quietlyalong the wall until he was behind a big metal box in the corner under the sink.
There were sacks and old papers here, too, and he felt fairly sure that RowsbyWoof could not manage to see behind it. As soon as Rabscuttle had joined him, hespoke.
"'O Rowsby Woof!' whispered El-ahrairah.
"Rowsby Woof was up in a flash.
"'Fairy Wogdog!' he cried. 'Is that you I hear?'
"'It is indeed,' said El-ahrairah. 'I am sorry for your disappointment, RowsbyWoof. You did not meet the Queen.'
"'Alas, no,' said Rowsby Woof: and he told what had happened at thecrossroads.
"'Never mind,' said El-ahrairah. Do not be downhearted, Rowsby Woof. Therewas good reason why the Queen did not come. She received news of danger -- ah,great danger, Rowsby Woof! -- and avoided it in time. I myself am here at the riskof my own safety to warn you. You are lucky indeed that I am your friend, forotherwise your good master must have been stricken with mortal plague.'
"'With plague?' cried Rowsby Woof. 'Oh, how, good fairy?'
"'Many fairies and spirits there are in the animal kingdoms of the East,' saidEl-ahrairah. 'Some are friends and there are those -- may misfortune strike themdown -- who are our deadly enemies. Worst of them all, Rowsby Woof, is thegreat rat spirit, the giant of Sumatra, the curse of Hamelin. He dares not openlyfight our noble Queen, but he works by stealth, by poison, by disease. Soon afteryou left me, I learned that he has sent his hateful rat goblins through the clouds,carrying sickness. I warned the Queen; but still I remained here, Rowsby Woof, towarn you. If the sickness falls -- and the goblins are very near -- it will harm notyou, but your master it will slay -- and me, too, I fear. You can save him, and youalone. I cannot.'
"'Oh, horror!' cried Rowsby Woof. 'There is no time to be lost! What must I do,Fairy Wogdog?'
"'The sickness works by a spell,' said El-ahrairah. 'But if a real dog of flesh andblood could run four times round the house, barking as loudly as he could, thenthe spell would be broken and the sickness would have no power. But alas! Iforgot! You are shut in, Rowsby Woof. What is to be done? I fear that all is lost!'
"'No, no!' said Rowsby Woof. 'I will save you, Fairy Wogdog, and my dearmaster, too. Leave it to me!'
"Rowsby Woof began to bark. He barked to raise the dead. The windowsshook. The coal fell in the grate. The noise was terrifying. They could hear theman upstairs, shouting and cursing. Still Rowsby Woof barked. The man camestamping down. He flung open the window and listened for thieves, but he couldhear nothing, partly because there was nothing to hear and partly because of theceaseless barking. At last he picked up his gun, flung open the door and wentcautiously out to see what was the matter. Out shot Rowsby Woof, bellowing likea bull, and tore around the house. The man followed him at a run, leaving thedoor wide.
"'Quick!' said El-ahrairah. 'Quicker than Wogdog from the Tartar's bow! Comeon!'
"El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle dashed into the garden and disappeared throughthe laurels. In the field beyond they paused for a moment. From behind came thesounds of yelping and woofing, mixed with shouts and angry cries of 'Come 'ere,damn you!'
"'Noble fellow,' said El-ahrairah. 'He has saved his master, Rabscuttle. He hassaved us all. Let us go home and sleep sound in our burrow.'
"For the rest of his life Rowsby Woof never forgot the night when he hadwaited for the great Dog Queen. True, it was a disappointment, but this, he felt,was a small matter, compared with the recollection of his own noble conduct andof how he had saved both his master and the good fairy Wogdog from the wickedrat spirit."
42. News at Sunset
You will be sure to prove that the act is unjust and hateful to the gods?
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 Acorn as sentry. 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 chattering effusively.
"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 nibbling 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 irritation. "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 inquisitive.
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 briefly, 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 bent 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 rumors. 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 Holly 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 rumor 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, triumphant look which attracted everyone's attentionimmediately. He squatted 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 bucks and three does, shesays.""You'd better go up in the beech 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 browsed 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!" gasped Holly. "Get everyone underground! There's nota moment to lose." His eyes rolled white and he panted foam 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? Fugitives, 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 scattered 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 resolutely 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 disperse 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 catastrophe.
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 savage brute 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.
43. The Great Patrol
What is the world, O soldiers?
It is I.
I, this incessant snow,This northern sky;Soldiers, this solitudeThrough which we goIs I.
Walter de la Mare, NapoleonWhen the punt floated down the river in the rain, part of General Woundwort'sauthority went with it. He could not have appeared more openly and completelyat a loss if Hazel and his companions had flown away over the trees. Until thatvery moment he had shown up strongly, a most formidable adversary. His officershad been demoralized by Kehaar's unexpected attack. He had not. On thecontrary, he had kept up the pursuit in spite of Kehaar and had actually carriedout a scheme to cut off the fugitives' retreat. Cunning and resourceful inadversity, he had nearly succeeded in hurting the gull when he leaped at him outof the close cover by the plank bridge. Then, when he had his quarry cornered in aplace where Kehaar could not have done a great deal to help them, they hadsuddenly shown their own cunning greater than his, and left him bewildered onthe bank. He had overheard the very word -- tharn -- spoken by one of his officersto another as they returned to Efrafa through the rain. Thlayli, Blackavar and thedoes of the Near Hind had vanished. He had tried to stop them and he hadconspicuously failed.
For a great part of that night Woundwort remained awake, considering whatwas best to be done. The following day he called a Council meeting. He pointedout that it would be no good taking an expedition down the river to look forThlayli unless it were strong enough to defeat him if it found him. That wouldmean taking several officers and a number of the Owsla. There would be the riskof trouble at home while they were away. There might be another break-out. Theodds were that they would not find Thlayli at all, for there would be no trail andthey did not know where to search for him. If they did not find him, they wouldlook even bigger fools when they came back.
"And fools we look now," said Woundwort. "Make no mistake about that.
Vervain will tell you what the Marks are saying -- that Campion was chased intothe ditch by the white bird and Thlayli called down lightning from the sky andFrith knows what besides.""The best thing," said old Snowdrop, "will be to say as little about it as possible.
Let it blow over. They've got short memories.""There's one thing I think worth doing," said Woundwort. "We know now thatthere was one place where we did find Thlayli and his gang, only nobody realizedit at the time. That was when Mallow was after them with his patrol, just beforehe was killed by the fox. Something tells me that where they were once, therethey'll be again, sooner or later.
"But we can hardly stay out there with enough rabbits to fight them, sir," saidGroundsel, "and it would mean digging in and living there for some time.""I agree with you," replied Woundwort. "A patrol will be stationed therecontinuously until further notice. They'll dig scrapes and live there. They'll berelieved every two days. If Thlayli comes, he's to be watched and followedsecretly. When we know where he's taken the does, then we may be able to dealwith him. And I'll tell you this," he ended, glaring round at them with his great,pale eyes. "If we do find out where he is, I shall be ready to go to a great deal oftrouble. I told Thlayli I'd kill him myself. He may have forgotten that, but Ihaven't."Woundwort led the first patrol in person, taking Groundsel to show him whereMallow had picked up the strangers' southward trail. They dug scrapes among thescrub along the edge of Caesar's Belt and waited. After two days their hopes werelower. Vervain relieved Woundwort. He was relieved two days later by Campion.
By this time there were captains in the Owsla who said privately to each otherthat the General was in the grip of an obsession. Some way would have to befound of getting him to drop it before it went too far. At the Council meeting thenext evening it was suggested that the patrol should be discontinued in two days'
time. Woundwort, snarling, told them to wait and see. An argument began,behind which he sensed more opposition than he had ever encountered before. Inthe middle of this, with a dramatic effect that could not have been better timedfrom the General's point of view, Campion and his patrol came in, dead beat, withthe report that they had met Thlayli and his rabbits exactly where Woundworthad said they would. Unseen, they had followed them to the warren, which,though a long way off, was not too distant to be attacked, especially since no timewould have to be spent in searching for it. It did not appear to be very large andcould probably be surprised.
The news put an end to all opposition and brought both Council and Owslaback under Woundwort's undisputed control. Several of the officers were forstarting at once, but Woundwort, now that he was sure of his followers and hisenemy, took his time. Having learned from Campion that he had actually comeface to face with Thlayli, Blackavar and the rest, he decided to wait some littlewhile, in case they might be on their guard. Besides, he wanted time both toreconnoiter the way to Watership and to organize the expedition. His idea wasthat, if possible, they should make the journey in one day. This would forestallany possible rumors of their approach. To satisfy himself that they could do thisand still be fit to fight when they arrived, he took Campion and two others, andhimself covered the three and a half miles to the down east of Watership. Here, hegrasped at once the best way to approach the beech hanger without being seen orsmelled. The prevailing wind was westerly, as at Efrafa. They would arrive atevening and then assemble and rest in the combe south of Cannon Heath Down.
As soon as twilight fell and Thlayli and his rabbits had gone underground, theywould come along the ridge and attack the warren. With luck, there would be nowarning whatever. They would be safe for the night in the captured warren andthe following day he himself and Vervain would be able to return to Efrafa. Theremainder, under Campion, could have a day's rest and then make their way backwith the does and any other prisoners there might be. The whole thing could befinished in three days.
It would be best not to take too many rabbits. Anyone not strong enough to gothe distance and then fight would only be a nuisance. In the event, speed mightturn out to be everything. The slower the journey, the more dangerous it wouldbe, and stragglers would attract elil and discourage the rest. Besides, asWoundwort very well knew, his leadership was going to be vital. Every rabbitwould need to feel that he was close to the General; and if he felt himself one of apicked band as well, that would be all to the good.
The rabbits to go were chosen most carefully. There were in fact about twenty-six or -seven of them, half Owsla and the rest promising youngstersrecommended by their Mark officers. Woundwort believed in emulation and helet it be known that there would be plenty of chances to win rewards. Campionand Chervil were kept busy taking out endurance patrols, and tussles and trainingfights were organized at morning silflay. The members of the expedition wereexcused all sentry duties and allowed to silflay whenever they wished.
They started before dawn one clear August morning, going due north in groupsalong the banks and hedges. Before they had reached the Belt, Groundsel's partywas attacked by a pair of stoats, one old and the other a yearling. Woundwort,hearing the squealing from behind him, covered the distance in a few momentsand set upon the veteran stoat with slashing teeth and great kicks from hisneedle-clawed back paws. With one of its forelegs ripped to the shoulder, itturned and made off, the younger one following.
"You ought to be able to see to these things yourself," said Woundwort toGroundsel. "Stoats aren't dangerous. Come on."Shortly after ni-Frith, Woundwort went back to pick up stragglers. He foundthree, one injured by a piece of glass. He stopped the bleeding, brought the threeup to rejoin their groups and then called a halt to rest and feed, himself keeping awatch round about. It was very hot and some of the rabbits were showing signs ofexhaustion. Woundwort formed these into a separate group and took charge of ithimself.
By the early evening -- about the same time as Dandelion was beginning thestory of Rowsby Woof -- the Efrafans had skirted an enclosure of pigs east ofCannon Heath Farm and were slipping into the combe south of Cannon HeathDown. Many were tired and, in spite of their tremendous respect for Woundwort,there was a certain feeling that they had come a long way from home. They wereordered to take cover, feed, rest and wait for sunset.
The place was deserted, except for yellowhammers and a few mice patteringabout in the sun. Some of the rabbits went to sleep in the long grass. The slopewas already in shadow when Campion came running down with the news that hehad come face to face with Blackavar and Holly in the upper part of the combe.
Woundwort was annoyed. "What made them come traipsing over here, Iwonder?" he said. "Couldn't you have killed them? Now we've lost surprise.""I'm sorry, sir," said Campion. "I wasn't really alert at the time and I'm afraidthey were a bit too quick for me. I didn't pursue them because I wasn't surewhether you'd want me to.""Well, it may not make much difference," said Woundwort. "I don't see whatthey can do. But they'll try to do something, I suppose, now they know we'rehere."As he went among his rabbits, looking them over and encouraging them,Woundwort considered the situation. One thing was clear -- there was no longerthe chance of catching Thlayli and the rest off their guard. But perhaps they werealready so much frightened that they would not fight at all? The bucks might giveup the does to save their own lives. Or they might already be on the run, in whichcase they must be followed and caught at once, for they were fresh and his ownrabbits were tired and could not pursue them far. He ought to find out quickly.
He turned to a young rabbit of the Neck Mark who was feeding close at hand.
"Your name's Thistle, isn't it?" he asked.
"Thistle, sir," answered the rabbit.
"Well, you're the very fellow I want," said Woundwort. "Go and find CaptainCampion and tell him to meet me up there by that juniper -- do you see where Imean? -- at once. You'd better come there, too. Be quick: there's no time to lose."As soon as Campion and Thistle had joined him, Woundwort took them up tothe ridge. He meant to see what was happening over at the beech hanger. If theenemy were already in flight, Thistle could be sent back with a message toGroundsel and Vervain to bring everyone up immediately. If they were not, hewould see what threats could do.
They reached the track above the combe and began to make their way along itwith some caution, since the sunset was in their eyes. The light west wind carrieda fresh smell of rabbits.
"If they are running, they haven't gone far," said Woundwort. "But I don'tthink they are running. I think they're still in their warren."At that moment a rabbit came out of the grass and sat up in the middle of thetrack. He paused for a few moments and then moved toward them. He waslimping and had a strained, resolute look.
"You're General Woundwort, aren't you?" said the rabbit. "I've come to talk toyou.""Did Thlayli send you?" asked Woundwort.
"I'm a friend of Thlayli," replied the rabbit. "I've come to ask why you're hereand what it is you want.""Were you on the riverbank in the rain?" said Woundwort.
"Yes, I was.""What was left unfinished there will be finished now," said Woundwort. "Weare going to destroy you.""You won't find it easy," replied the other. "You'll take fewer rabbits home thanyou brought. We should both do better to come to terms.""Very well," said Woundwort. "These are the terms. You will give back all thedoes who ran from Efrafa and you will hand over the deserters Thlayli andBlackavar to my Owsla.""No, we can't agree to that. I've come to suggest something altogether differentand better for us both. A rabbit has two ears; a rabbit has two eyes, two nostrils.
Our two warrens ought to be like that. They ought to be together -- not fighting.
We ought to make other warrens between us -- start one between here and Efrafa,with rabbits from both sides. You wouldn't lose by that, you'd gain. We bothwould. A lot of your rabbits are unhappy now and it's all you can do to controlthem, but with this plan you'd soon see a difference. Rabbits have enoughenemies as it is. They ought not to make more among themselves. A matingbetween free, independent warrens -- what do you say?"At that moment, in the sunset on Watership Down, there was offered toGeneral Woundwort the opportunity to show whether he was really the leader ofvision and genius which he believed himself to be, or whether he was no morethan a tyrant with the courage and cunning of a pirate. For one beat of his pulsethe lame rabbit's idea shone clearly before him. He grasped it and realized what itmeant. The next, he had pushed it away from him. The sun dipped into the cloudbank and now he could see clearly the track along the ridge, leading to the beechhanger and the bloodshed for which he had prepared with so much energy andcare.
"I haven't time to sit here talking nonsense," said Woundwort. "You're in noposition to bargain with us. There's nothing more to be said. Thistle, go back andtell Captain Vervain I want everyone up here at once.""And this rabbit, sir," asked Campion. "Shall I kill him?""No," replied Woundwort. "Since they've sent him to ask our terms, he'd bettertake them back. -- Go and tell Thlayli that if the does aren't waiting outside yourwarren, with him and Blackavar, by the time I get down there, I'll tear the throatout of every buck in the place by ni-Frith tomorrow."The lame rabbit seemed about to reply, but Woundwort had already turnedaway and was explaining to Campion what he was to do. Neither of thembothered to watch the lame rabbit as he limped back by the way he had come.
44. A Message from El-ahrairah
The enforced passivity of their defence, the interminable waiting, becameinsupportable. Day and night they heard the muffled thud of the picks above anddreamt of the collapse of the grotto and of every ghastly eventuality. They weresubject to "castle-mentality" in its most extreme form.
Robin Fedden, Crusader Castles"They've stopped digging, Hazel-rah," said Speedwell. "As far as I can tell,there's no one in the hole."In the close darkness of the Honeycomb, Hazel pushed past three or four of hisrabbits crouching among the tree roots and reached the higher shelf whereSpeedwell lay listening for sounds from above. The Efrafans had reached thehanger at early twilight and at once begun a search along the banks and amongthe trees to find out how big the warren was and where its holes were. They hadbeen surprised to find so many holes in such a small area, for not many of themhad had experience of any warren but Efrafa, where very few holes served theneeds of many rabbits. At first they had supposed that there must be a largenumber of rabbits underground. The silence and emptiness of the openbeechwood made them suspicious, and most kept outside, nervous of an ambush.
Woundwort had to reassure them. Their enemies, he explained, were fools whomade more runs than any properly organized warren needed. They would soondiscover their mistake, for every one would be opened, until the place becameimpossible to defend. As for the droppings of the white bird, scattered in thewood, it was plain that they were old. There were no signs whatever that the birdwas anywhere near. Nevertheless, many of the rank and file continued to lookcautiously about them. At the sudden cry of a peewit on the down, one or twobolted and had to be brought back by their officers. The story of the bird whichhad fought for Thlayli in the storm had lost nothing in the telling up and downthe burrows of Efrafa.
Woundwort told Campion to post sentries and keep a patrol round about,while Vervain and Groundsel tackled the blocked holes. Groundsel set to workalong the bank, while Vervain went into the wood, where the mouths of the holeslay between the tree roots. He came at once upon the open run. He listened, butall was quiet. Vervain (who was more used to dealing with prisoners than withenemies) ordered two of his rabbits to make their way down it. The discovery ofthe silent, open run gave him the hope that he might be able to seize the warrenby a sudden dash to the very center. The wretched rabbits, obeying his orders,were met by Silver and Buckthorn at a point where the run opened out. They werecuffed and mauled and barely got out with their lives. The sight of them didnothing to encourage Vervain's party, who were reluctant to dig and made littleheadway during the darkness before moonrise.
Groundsel, who felt that he ought to set an example, himself dug his way intothe loose, fallen soil of one of the bank runs. Plowing over the soft earth like a flyon summer butter and holding his head clear, he suddenly found himself face toface with Blackavar, who sank his front teeth into his throat. Groundsel, with nofreedom to use his weight, screamed and kicked out as best he could. Blackavarhung on and Groundsel -- a heavy rabbit, like all the Efrafan officers -- draggedhim forward a short distance before he could rid himself of his grip. Blackavarspat out a mouthful of fur and jumped clear, clawing with his front paws. ButGroundsel had already gone. He was lucky not to have been more severelywounded.
It became clear to Woundwort that it was going to be extremely difficult, if notimpossible, to take the warren by attack down the defended runs. There would bea good chance of success if several runs could be opened and then tackled at thesame time, but he doubted whether his rabbits would attempt it, after what theyhad seen. He realized that he had not given enough thought, earlier on, to whathe would have to do if he lost surprise and had to force an entry: he had bettergive it some thought now. As the moon rose, he called Campion in and talked itover with him.
Campion's suggestion was that they should simply starve the warren out. Theweather was warm and dry and they could easily stay two or three days. ThisWoundwort rejected impatiently. In his own mind, he was not altogether certainthat daylight might not bring the white bird down upon them. They ought to beunderground by dawn. But, apart from this secret anxiety, he felt that hisreputation depended on a fighting victory. He had brought his Owsla to get atthese rabbits, knock them down and beat them. A siege would be a miserableanti-climax. Also, he wanted to get back to Efrafa as soon as he could. Like mostwarlords, he was never very confident about what was going on behind his back.
"If I remember rightly," he said, "after the main part of the warren at NutleyCopse was taken and the fighting was as good as over, there were a few rabbitswho shut themselves into a smaller burrow where it was difficult to get at them. Isaid they were to be dealt with and then I went back to Efrafa with the prisoners.
How were they dealt with and who did it, do you know?""Captain Mallow did it," said Campion. "He's dead, of course; but I expectthere's someone here who was with him. I'll go and find out."He returned with a heavy, stolid Owsla sentry named Ragwort, who at first hadsome difficulty in understanding what it was that the General wanted to know. Atlast, however, he said that when he had been with Captain Mallow, more than ayear ago, the Captain had told them to dig a hole straight down into the ground.
In the end the earth had given way under them and they had fallen down amongsome rabbits, whom they had fought and beaten.
"Well, that's about the only way it can be done," said Woundwort to Campion.
"And if we get them all onto it, relieving each other in shifts, we should have away into the place before dawn. You'd better get your sentries out again -- notmore than two or three -- and we'll make a start at once."Soon after, Hazel and his rabbits, below in the Honeycomb, heard the firstsounds of scratching above. It was not long before they realized that the diggingwas going on at two points. One was at the north end of the Honeycomb, abovethe place where the tree roots formed a kind of cloister in the burrow. Here theroof, latticed through and through with fine roots, was very strong. The otherseemed to be more or less above the open center of the Honeycomb, but rathernearer to the south end, where the hall broke up into bays and runs with columnsof earth between. Beyond these runs lay several of the warren's burrows. One,lined with fur torn from her own belly, contained Clover and the pile of grass andleaves, covered over with earth, in which her newborn litter were sleeping.
"Well, we seem to be putting them to a great deal of trouble," said Hazel.
"That's all to the good. It'll blunt their claws and I should think they'll be tired outbefore they've done. What do you make of it, Blackberry?""I'm afraid it's a bad lookout, Hazel-rah," replied Blackberry. "It's true they'rein trouble up at the top end. There's a lot of ground above us there and the rootswill hold them up for a long time. But down this end it's easier for them. They'rebound to dig through fairly soon. Then the roof will come in; and I can't see thatwe can do anything to stop them."Hazel could feel him trembling as he spoke. As the sounds of diggingcontinued, he sensed fear spreading all through the burrow. "They'll take us backto Efrafa," whispered Vilthuril to Thethuthinnang. "The warren police--""Be quiet," said Hyzenthlay. "The bucks aren't talking like that and why shouldwe? I'd rather be here now, as we are, than never have left Efrafa."It was bravely said, but Hazel was not the only one who could tell her thoughts.
Bigwig remembered the night in Efrafa when he had calmed her by talking of thehigh downs and the certainty of their escape. In the dark, he nuzzled Hazel'sshoulder and pressed him over to one side of the wide burrow.
"Listen, Hazel," he said, "we're not finished yet. Not by a long way. When theroof breaks, they'll come down into this end of the Honeycomb. But we can geteverybody back into the sleeping burrows behind and block the runs that lead tothem. They'll be no better off.""Well, if we do that, it'll last a bit longer," said Hazel. "But they'll soon be ableto break into the sleeping burrows, once they're in here.""They'll find me there when they do," said Bigwig, "and one or two morebesides. I shouldn't wonder if they didn't decide to go home."With a kind of wry envy, Hazel realized that Bigwig was actually lookingforward to meeting the Efrafan assault. He knew he could fight and he meant toshow it. He was not thinking of anything else. The hopelessness of their chanceshad no important place in his thoughts. Even the sound of the digging, cleareralready, only set him thinking of the best way to sell his life as dearly as he could.
But what else was there for any of them to do? At least Bigwig's preparationswould keep the others busy and perhaps do something to dispel the silent fearthat filled all the warren.
"You're quite right, Bigwig," he said. "Let's prepare a little reception. Will youtell Silver and the others what you want and get them started?"As Bigwig began to explain his plan to Silver and Holly, Hazel sent Speedwellto the north end of the Honeycomb to listen to the digging and keep reportingwhat he could make out about its progress. As far as he could see, it would makelittle difference whether the roof-fall came there or in the center, but at least heought to try to show the others that he was keeping his wits about him.
"We can't break these walls down to stop the run between, Bigwig," said Holly.
"They hold the roof up at this end, you know.""I know that," answered Bigwig. "We'll dig into the walls of the sleepingburrows behind. They'll need to be bigger anyway, if we're all going to get in theretogether. Then kick the loose earth back into the spaces between the columns.
Stop the whole thing right up."Since he had come out of Efrafa, Bigwig's standing was very high. Seeing himin good heart, the others set aside their fear as best they could and did as he toldthem, enlarging the burrows beyond the south end of the Honeycomb and pilingup the soft earth in the entry runs until what had been a colonnade began tobecome a solid wall. It was during a pause in this work that Speedwell reportedthat the digging above the north end had stopped. Hazel went and crouchedbeside him, listening for some time. There was nothing to be heard. He went backto where Buckthorn sat guarding the foot of the single open run -- Kehaar's run,as it was called.
"You know what's happened?" he said. "They've realized they're all among thebeech roots up there, so they've chucked it. They'll be going harder at the otherend now.""I suppose so, Hazel-rah," replied Buckthorn. After a little he said, "D'youremember the rats in the barn? We got out of that all right, didn't we? But I'mafraid we shan't get out of this. It's a pity, after all we've done together.""Yes, we shall," said Hazel, with all the conviction he could muster. But heknew that if he stayed he would not be able to keep up the pretense. Buckthorn --a decent, straightforward fellow if ever there was one -- where would he be by ni-Frith tomorrow? And he himself -- where had he led them, with all his cleverschemes? Had they come over the common, among the shining wires, through thethunderstorm, the culverts on the great river, to die at the claws of GeneralWoundwort? It was not the death they deserved; it was not the right end of theclever track they had run. But what could stop Woundwort? What could savethem now? Nothing, he knew -- unless some tremendous blow were to fall uponthe Efrafans from outside: and of that there was no chance. He turned away fromBuckthorn.
Scratch, scratch: scratch, scratch came the sound of the digging above.
Crossing the floor in the dark, Hazel found himself beside another rabbit, whowas crouching silently on the near side of the new-piled wall. He stopped,sniffing. It was Fiver.
"Aren't you working?" he asked listlessly.
"No," replied Fiver. "I'm listening.""To the digging, you mean?""No, not the digging. There's something I'm trying to hear -- something theothers can't hear. Only I can't hear it either. But it's close. Deep. Leaf-drift, deep.
I'm going away, Hazel -- going away." His voice grew slow and drowsy. "Falling.
But it's cold. Cold."The air in the dark burrow was stifling. Hazel bent over Fiver, pushing the limpbody with his nose.
"Cold," muttered Fiver. "How -- how. How -- how cold!"There was a long silence.
"Fiver?" said Hazel. "Fiver? Can you hear me?"Suddenly a terrible sound broke from Fiver; a sound at which every rabbit inthe warren leaped in dreadful fear; a sound that no rabbit had ever made, that norabbit had the power to make. It was deep and utterly unnatural. The rabbitsworking on the far side of the wall crouched terrified. One of the does began tosqueal.
"Dirty little beasts," yelped Fiver. "How -- how dare you? Get out -- out! Out --out!"Bigwig burst through the piled earth, twitching and panting.
"In the name of Frith, stop him!" he gasped. "They'll all go mad!"Shuddering, Hazel clawed at Fiver's side.
"Wake! Fiver, wake!"But Fiver was lying in a deep stupor.
In Hazel's mind, green branches were straining in the wind. Up and down theyswayed, thresh and ply. There was something -- something he could glimpsebetween them. What was it? Water he sensed; and fear. Then suddenly he sawclearly, for an instant, a little huddle of rabbits on the bank of a stream at dawn,listening to the sound of yelping in the wood above and the scolding of a jay.
"If I were you, I shouldn't wait until ni-Frith. I should go now. In fact, I thinkyou'll have to. There's a large dog loose in the wood. There's a large dog loose inthe wood."The wind blew, the trees shook their myriads of leaves. The stream was gone.
He was in the Honeycomb, facing Bigwig in the dark, across the motionless bodyof Fiver. The scratching from above was louder and closer.
"Bigwig," said Hazel, "do as I say at once, there's a good fellow. We've gothardly any time. Go and get Dandelion and Blackberry and bring them to me atthe foot of Kehaar's run, quickly."At the foot of the run Buckthorn was still in his place. He had not moved atFiver's cry, but his breath was short and his pulse very quick. He and the otherthree rabbits gathered about Hazel without a word.
"I've got a plan," said Hazel. "If it works, it'll finish Woundwort for good andall. But I've no time to explain. Every moment counts now. Dandelion andBlackberry, you come with me. You're to go straight up out of this run andthrough the trees to the down. Then northward, over the edge and down to thefields. Don't stop for anything. You'll go faster than I shall. Wait for me by theiron tree at the bottom.""But Hazel--" said Blackberry.
"As soon as we've gone," said Hazel, turning to Bigwig, "you're to block this runand get everyone back behind the wall you've made. If they break in, hold themup as long as you can. Don't give in to them on any account. El-ahrairah hasshown me what to do.""But where are you going, Hazel?" asked Bigwig.
"To the farm," said Hazel, "to gnaw another rope. Now, you two, follow me upthe run: and don't forget, you stop for nothing until you're down the hill. If thereare rabbits outside, don't fight -- run."Without another word he dashed up the tunnel and out into the wood, withBlackberry and Dandelion on his heels.
45. Nuthanger Farm Again
Cry Havoc! And let slip the dogs of war.
Shakespeare, Julius CaesarAt that moment General Woundwort, out on the open grass below the bank,was facing Thistle and Ragwort in the checkered yellow moonlight of the smallhours.
"You weren't put at the mouth of that run to listen," he said. "You were putthere to stop anyone breaking out. You had no business to leave it. Get back atonce.""I give you my word, sir," said Thistle querulously, "there's some animal downthere that is not a rabbit. We both heard it.""And did you smell it?" asked Woundwort.
"No, sir. No tracks or droppings either. But we both heard an animal and it wasno rabbit."Several of the diggers had left their work and were gathered nearby, listening.
A muttering began.
"They had a homba that killed Captain Mallow. My brother was there. He sawit.""They had a great bird that turned into a shaft of lightning.""There was another animal that took them away down the river.""Why can't we go home?""Stop that!" said Woundwort. He went up to the group. "Who said that? You,was it? Very well, go home. Go on, hurry up. I'm waiting. That's the way -- overthere."The rabbit did not move. Woundwort looked slowly round.
"Right," he said. "Anyone else who wants to go home can get on with it. It's anice long way and you'll have no officers, because they'll all be busy digging,including myself. Captain Vervain, Captain Groundsel, will you come with me?
You, Thistle, go out there and fetch Captain Campion. And you, Ragwort, get backto the mouth of that run you had no business to leave."Very soon the digging was resumed. The hole was deep now -- deeper thanWoundwort had expected and still there was no sign of a fall. But all three rabbitscould sense that not far below them there lay a hollow space.
"Keep at it," said Woundwort. "It won't take long now."When Campion came in, he reported that he had seen three rabbits runningaway over the down to the north. One appeared to be the lame rabbit. He hadbeen about to pursue them but had returned in response to the order brought byThistle.
"It doesn't matter," said Woundwort. "Let them go. There'll be three less whenwe get in. What, you again?" he snapped, as Ragwort appeared beside him. "Whatis it this time?""The open run, sir," said Ragwort. "It's been broken in and stopped from downbelow.""Then you can start doing something useful," said Woundwort. "Get that rootout. No, that one, you fool."The digging continued, as the first streaks of light began to come into the east.
-<*>-The great field at the foot of the escarpment had been reaped, but the strawhad not yet been burned and lay in long pale rows upon the darker stubble,tenting over the bristling stalks and the weeds of harvest -- knotgrass andpimpernel, fluellen and speedwell, heartsease and persicary -- colorless and stillin the old moonlight. Between the lines of straw the expanse of stubble was asopen as the down.
"Now," said Hazel, as they came out from the belt of hawthorn and dogwoodwhere the pylon stood, "are you both sure you understand what we're going todo?""It's a tall order, isn't it, Hazel-rah?" answered Dandelion. "But we've got to tryit, that's certain. There's nothing else that'll save the warren now.""Come on, then," said Hazel. "The going's easy, anyway -- half as far now thefield's been cut. Don't bother about cover -- just run in the open. Keep with me,though. I'll go as fast as I can."They crossed the field easily enough, Dandelion running ahead. The only alarmcame when they startled four partridges, which whirred away over the hedge tothe west and sailed down, spread-winged, into the field beyond. Soon theyreached the road and Hazel halted among the quickset on top of the nearer bank.
"Now, Blackberry," he said, "this is where we leave you. Lie close and don'tmove. When the time comes, don't break too soon. You've got the best head ofany of us. Use it -- and keep it, too. When you get back, go to ground in Kehaar'srun and stay there till things are safe. Have you got your line clear?""Yes, Hazel-rah," replied Blackberry. "But, as far as I can see, I may have to runfrom here to the iron tree without a check. There's no cover.""I know," said Hazel. "It can't be helped. If the worst comes to the worst, you'llhave to turn for the hedge and then keep popping in and out of it. Do whateveryou like. There's no time for us to stay and work it out. Only make sure you getback to the warren. It all depends on you."Blackberry burrowed his way into the moss and ivy round the base of thethorn. The other two crossed the road and made uphill toward the sheds besidethe lane.
"Good roots they keep there," said Hazel, as they passed them and reached thehedge. "Pity we've no time just now. When this is over we'll have a nice, quiet raidon the place.""I hope we do, Hazel-rah," said Dandelion. "Are you going straight up the lane?
What about cats?""It's the quickest way," said Hazel. "That's all that matters now."By this time the first light was clear and several larks were up. As theyapproached the great ring of elm trees, they heard once more the quick sighingand rustling above them and one yellow leaf came spinning down to the edge ofthe ditch. They reached the top of the slope and saw before them the barns andthe farmyard. Bird-song was breaking out all round and the rooks were callingfrom high in the elms, but nothing -- not even a sparrow -- moved on the ground.
Straight in front, on the other side of the farmyard, close to the house, stood thedog kennel. The dog was not to be seen, but the rope, tied to the eye bolt on theflat roof, trailed over the edge and disappeared across the straw-coveredthreshold.
"We're in time," said Hazel. "The brute's still asleep. Now, Dandelion, youmustn't make any mistake. You lie in the grass just there, opposite the kennel.
When the rope's gnawed through you'll see it fall. Unless the dog's ill or deaf, it'llbe alert by then; probably before, I'm afraid, but that's my lookout. It's up to youto attract it and make it chase you all the way down to the road. You're very fast.
Take care it doesn't lose you. Use the hedges if you want to; but remember it'll betrailing the rope. Get it down to Blackberry. That's all that matters.""If we ever meet again, Hazel-rah," said Dandelion, as he took cover in thegrass verge, "we ought to have the makings of the best story ever.""And you'll be the chap to tell it," said Hazel. He moved away in a half-circle tothe morning side and reached the wall of the farmhouse. Then he began to hopcautiously along the wall, in and out of the narrow flower bed. His head was atumult of smells -- phlox in bloom, ashes, cow dung, dog, cat, hens, stagnantwater. He came to the back of the kennel, reeking of creosote and of rank straw. Ahalf-used bale of straw stood against it -- no doubt clean bedding which, in thedry weather, had not been put back under cover. Here at least was one piece ofluck, for he had expected to have trouble in getting on the roof. He scrambled upthe straw. Across part of the felted roof lay a torn piece of old blanket, wet withdew. Hazel sat up, sniffing, and put his forepaws on it. It did not slip. He pulledhimself up.
How much noise had he made? How strong was his scent over the tar andstraw and farmyard? He waited, tense to jump, expecting movement below. Therewas no sound. In a terrible miasma of dog smell, which gripped him with fear andcalled "Run! Run!" down every nerve, he crept forward to where the eye bolt wasscrewed into the roof. His claws scraped slightly and he stopped again. Still therewas no movement. He crouched down and began to nibble and gnaw at the thickcord.
It was easier than he had thought it would be. It was a good deal easier thanthe cord on the punt, though about as thick. The punt cord had been drenchedthrough with rain, pliant, slippery and fibrous. This, though dewy on the outside,was dry-cored and light. In very little time the clean inside was showing. Hischisel-like foreteeth bit steadily and he felt the dry strands rip. The cord was asgood as half through already.
At that moment he felt the heavy weight of the dog move beneath him. Itstretched, shuddered and yawned. The rope moved a little and the straw rustled.
The foul smell of it came strong, in a cloud.
"It doesn't matter if it hears me now," thought Hazel. "If only I can get the ropebitten through quickly, it doesn't matter. The dog'll go to Dandelion, if only I canbe quick enough to make sure that the rope breaks when it begins to tug."He ripped at the cord again and sat back for a quick breath, looking across thetrack to where Dandelion was waiting. Then he froze and stared. A short distancebehind Dandelion, in the grass, was the white-chested tabby, wide-eyed, taillashing, crouching. It had seen both himself and Dandelion. As he watched, itcrept a length nearer. Dandelion was lying still, watching the front of the kennelintently, as he had been told. The cat tensed itself to spring.
Before he knew what he was doing, Hazel stamped on the hollow roof. Twicehe stamped and then turned to leap to the ground and run. Dandelion, reactinginstantly, shot out of the grass to the open gravel. In the same moment, the catjumped and landed exactly where he had been lying. The dog gave two quick,sharp barks and rushed out of the kennel. It saw Dandelion at once and ran to thefull extent of the rope. The rope went taut, held for an instant and then parted atthe point where Hazel had gnawed it to a thread. The kennel jerked forward,tilted, fell back and struck the ground with a jolt. Hazel, already off balance,clawed at the blanket, missed his footing and fell over the edge. He landed heavilyon his weak leg and lay kicking. The dog was gone.
Hazel stopped kicking and lay still. There was a spurt of pain along his haunch,but he knew that he could move. He remembered the raised floor of the barnacross the farmyard. He could limp the short distance, get under the floor andthen make his way to the ditch. He raised himself on his forelegs.
On the instant he was knocked sideways and felt himself pressed down. Therewas a light but sharp pricking beneath the fur across his back. He lashed out withhis hind legs, but struck nothing. He turned his head. The cat was on him,crouched half across his body. Its whiskers brushed his ear. Its great green eyes,the pupils contracted to vertical black slits in the sunshine, were staring into hisown.
"Can you run?" hissed the cat. "I think not".
46. Bigwig Stands His Ground
Hard pounding this, gentlemen. Let's see who will pound longest.
The Duke of Wellington (at Waterloo)Groundsel scrambled up the steep slope of the shaft and rejoined Woundwortin the pit at the top.
"There's nothing left to dig, sir," he said. "The bottom will fall in if anyone goesdown there now.""Can you make out what's below?" asked Woundwort. "Is it a run or a burrowwe shall be into?""I'm fairly sure it's a burrow, sir," answered Groundsel. "In fact, it feels to meas though there's an unusually big space underneath.""How many rabbits are in it, do you think?""I couldn't hear any at all. But they may be keeping quiet and waiting to attackus when we break in.""They haven't done much attacking up to now," said Woundwort. "A poor lot,I'd say -- skulking underground, and some of them running away in the night. Idon't fancy we'll have much trouble.""Unless, sir--" said Groundsel.
Woundwort looked at him and waited.
"Unless the -- the animal attacks us, sir," said Groundsel. "Whatever it is. It'snot like Ragwort to imagine anything. He's very stolid. I'm only trying to thinkahead," he added, as Woundwort still said nothing.
"Well," said Woundwort at last, "if there is an animal, it'll find out that I'm ananimal, too." He came out on the bank, where Campion and Vervain were waitingwith a number of the other rabbits.
"We've done all the hard work now," he said. "We'll be able to take our doeshome as soon as we've finished down below. The way we'll go about it is this. I'mgoing to break the bottom of the hole in and go straight down into the burrowunderneath. I want only three others to follow, otherwise there'll be completeconfusion and we shall all be fighting each other. Vervain, you come behind meand bring two more. If there's any trouble we'll deal with it. Groundsel, youfollow. But you're to stay in the shaft, understand? Don't jump down until I tellyou. When we know where we are and what we're doing, you can bring a fewmore in."There was not a rabbit in the Owsla but had confidence in Woundwort. As theyheard him preparing to go first into the depths of the enemy warren as calmly asthough he were looking for dandelions, his officers' spirits rose. It seemed tothem quite likely that the place would be given up without any fighting at all.
When the General had led the final assault at Nutley Copse he had killed threerabbits underground and no more had dared to oppose him, although there hadbeen some hard tussles in the outer runs the day before.
"Very well," said Woundwort. "Now, I don't want anyone straying away.
Campion, you see to that. As soon as we get one of the blocked runs opened frominside, you can fill the place up. Keep them together here till I let you know andthen send them in fast.""Best of luck, sir," said Campion.
Woundwort jumped into the pit, flattened his ears and went down the shaft.
He had already decided that he was not going to stop to listen. There was nopoint, since he meant to break in at once whether there was anything to be heardor not. It was more important that he should not seem to hesitate or causeVervain to do so; and that the enemy, if they were there, should have the shortestpossible time in which to hear him coming. Below, there would be either a run ora burrow. Either he would have to fight immediately or else there would first be achance to look round and sense where he was. It did not matter. What matteredwas finding rabbits and killing them.
He came to the bottom of the shaft. As Groundsel had said, it was plainly thin-- brittle as ice on a puddle -- chalk, pebbles and light soil. Woundwort scored itacross with his foreclaws. Slightly damp, it held a moment and then fell inward,crumbling. As it fell, Woundwort followed it.
He fell about the length of his own body -- far enough to tell him that he was ina burrow. As he landed he kicked out with his hind legs and then dashed forward,partly to be out of Vervain's way as he followed and partly to reach the wall andface about before he could be attacked from behind. He found himself against apile of soft earth -- evidently the end of a blocked run leading out of the burrow --and turned. A moment later Vervain was beside him. The third rabbit, whoever hewas, seemed to be in difficulties. They could both hear him scrabbling in thefallen soil.
"Over here," said Woundwort sharply.
The rabbit, a powerful, heavy veteran by the name of Thunder, joined them,stumbling.
"What's the matter?" asked Woundwort.
"Nothing, sir," answered Thunder, "only there's a dead rabbit on the floor andit startled me for a moment.""A dead rabbit?" said Woundwort. "Are you sure he's dead? Where is he?""Over there, sir, by the shaft."Woundwort crossed the burrow quickly. On the far side of the rubble that hadfallen in from the shaft was lying the inert body of a buck. He sniffed at it andthen pressed it with his nose.
"He's not been dead long," he said. "He's nearly cold but not stiff. What do youmake of it, Vervain? Rabbits don't die underground.
"It's a very small buck, sir," answered Vervain. "Didn't fancy the idea offighting us, perhaps, and the others killed him when he said so.""No, that won't do. There's not a scratch on him. Well, leave him, anyway.
We've got to get on, and a rabbit this size isn't going to make any difference, deador alive."He began to move along the wall, sniffing as he went. He passed the mouths oftwo blocked runs, came to an opening between thick tree roots and stopped. Theplace was evidently very big -- bigger than the Council burrow at Efrafa. Sincethey were not being attacked, he could turn the space to his own advantage bygetting some more rabbits in at once. He went back quickly to the foot of theshaft. By standing on his hind legs he could just rest his forepaws on the raggedlip of the hole.
"Groundsel?" he said.
"Yes, sir?" answered Groundsel from above.
"Come on," said Woundwort, "and bring four others with you. Jump to thisside" -- he moved slightly -- "there's a dead rabbit on the floor -- one of theirs."He was still expecting to be attacked at any moment, but the place remainedsilent. He continued to listen, sniffing the close air, while the five rabbits droppedone by one into the burrow. Then he took Groundsel over to the two blocked runsalong the eastern wall.
"Get these open as quick as you can," he said, "and send two rabbits to find outwhat's behind the tree roots beyond. If they're attacked you're to go and join in atonce.""You know, there's something strange about the wall at the other end, sir," saidVervain, as Groundsel began setting his rabbits to work. "Most of it's hard earththat's never been dug. But in one or two places there are piles of much softerstuff. I'd say that runs leading through the wall have been filled up very recently-- probably since yesterday evening."Woundwort and Vervain went carefully along the south wall of theHoneycomb, scratching and listening.
"I believe you're right," said Woundwort. "Have you heard any movement fromthe other side?""Yes, sir, just about here," said Vervain.
"We'll get this pile of soft earth down," said Woundwort. "Put two rabbits on it.
If I'm right and Thlayli's on the other side, they'll run into trouble before long.
That's what we want -- to force him to attack them."As Thunder and Thistle began to dig, Woundwort crouched silently behindthem, waiting.
-<*>-Even before he heard the roof of the Honeycomb fall in, Bigwig knew that itcould be only a matter of time before the Efrafans found the soft places in thesouth wall and set to work to break through one of them. That would not takelong. Then he would have to fight -- probably with Woundwort himself; and ifWoundwort closed with him and used his weight, he would have little chance.
Somehow he must manage to hurt him at the outset, before he expected it. Buthow?
He put the problem to Holly.
"The trouble is this warren wasn't dug to be defended," said Holly. "That waswhat the Slack Run was for, back at home, so the Threarah once told me. It wasmade so that if we ever had to, we could get down beneath an enemy and come upwhere he wasn't expecting us.""That's it!" cried Bigwig. "That's the idea! Look, I'm going to dig myself into thefloor of the run just behind this blocked opening. Then you cover me with earth.
It won't be noticed -- there's so much digging and mess in the place already. Iknow it's a risk, but it'll be better than just trying to stand up in front of a rabbitlike Woundwort.""But suppose they break through the wall somewhere else?" said Holly.
"You must try to make them do it here," replied Bigwig. "When you hear themon the other side, make a noise -- do a bit of scratching or something -- just abovewhere I am. Anything to get them interested. Come on, help me to dig. And,Silver, get everyone back out of the Honeycomb now and close this wallcompletely.""Bigwig," said Pipkin, "I can't wake Fiver. He's still lying out there in themiddle of the floor. What's to be done?""I'm afraid there's nothing we can do now," replied Bigwig. "It's a great pity,but we'll have to leave him.""Oh, Bigwig," cried Pipkin, "let me stay out there with him! You'll never missme, and I can go on trying--""Hlao-roo," said Holly as kindly as he could, "if we lose no one but Fiver beforethis business is ended, then the Lord Frith himself will be fighting for us. No, I'msorry, old chap, not another word. We need you, we need everyone. Silver, seethat he goes back with the others."When Woundwort dropped through the roof of the Honeycomb, Bigwig wasalready lying under a thin covering of soil on the other side of the south wall, notfar from Clover's burrow.
-<*>-Thunder sank his teeth into a piece of broken root and pulled it out. There wasan instant fall of earth and a gap opened where he had been digging. The soil nolonger reached to the roof. It was only a broad pile of soft earth, half filling therun. Woundwort, still waiting silently, could smell and hear a considerablenumber of rabbits on the far side. He hoped that now they might come into theopen burrow and try to attack him. But they made no move.
When it came to fighting, Woundwort was not given to careful calculation.
Men, and larger animals such as wolves, usually have an idea of their ownnumbers and those of the enemy and this affects their readiness to fight and howthey go about it. Woundwort had never had any need to think like this. What hehad learned from all his experience of fighting was that nearly always there arethose who want to fight and those who do not but feel they cannot avoid it. Morethan once he had fought alone and imposed his will on crowds of other rabbits.
He held down a great warren with the help of a handful of devoted officers. It didnot occur to him now -- and if it had, he would not have thought it mattered --that most of his rabbits were still outside; that those who were with him werefewer than those on the other side of the wall and that until Groundsel had gotthe runs open they could not get out even if they wanted to. This sort of thingdoes not count among fighting rabbits. Ferocity and aggression are everything.
What Woundwort knew was that those beyond the wall were afraid of him andthat on this account he had the advantage.
"Groundsel," he said, "as soon as you've got those runs open, tell Campion tosend everyone down here. The rest of you, follow me. We'll have this businessfinished by the time the others get in to join us."Woundwort waited only for Groundsel to bring back the two rabbits who hadbeen sent to search among the tree roots at the north end of the burrow. Then,with Vervain behind him, he climbed the pile of fallen earth and thrust his wayinto the narrow run. In the dark he could hear and smell the rustling andcrowding of rabbits -- both bucks and does -- ahead of him. There were two bucksdirectly in his path, but they fell back as he plowed through the loose soil. Heplunged forward and felt the ground suddenly turn beneath him. The nextmoment a rabbit started up from the earth at his feet and sank his teeth in the pitof his near foreleg, just where it joined the body.
Woundwort had won almost every fight of his life by using his weight. Otherrabbits could not stop him and once they went down they seldom got up. He triedto push now, but his back legs could get no purchase in the pile of loose, yieldingsoil behind him. He reared up and, as he did so, realized that the enemy beneathhim was crouching in a scooped-out trench the size of his own body. He struckout and felt his claws score deeply along the back and haunch. Then the otherrabbit, still keeping his grip under Woundwort's shoulder, thrust upward with hishind legs braced against the floor of the trench. Woundwort, with both forefeetoff the ground, was thrown over on his back on the earth pile. He lashed out, butthe enemy had already loosed his hold and was beyond his reach.
Woundwort stood up. He could feel the blood running down the inside of hisnear foreleg. The muscle was wounded. He could not put his full weight on it. Buthis own claws, too, were bloody and this blood was not his.
"Are you all right, sir?" asked Vervain, behind him.
"Of course I'm all right, you fool," said Woundwort. "Follow me close."The other rabbit spoke from in front of him.
"You told me once to start by impressing you, General. I hope I have.""I told you once that I would kill you myself," replied Woundwort, "There is nowhite bird here, Thlayli." He advanced for the second time.
Bigwig's taunt had been deliberate. He hoped that Woundwort would fly athim and so give him a chance to bite him again. But as he waited, pressed to theground, he realized that Woundwort was too clever to be drawn. Always quick tosize up any new situation, he was coming forward slowly, keeping close to theground himself. He meant to use his claws. Afraid, listening to Woundwort'sapproach, Bigwig could hear the uneven movement of his forepaws, almostwithin striking distance. Instinctively he drew back and as he did so the thoughtcame with the sound: "The near forepaw's dragging. He can't use it properly."Leaving his right flank exposed, he struck out on his near side.
His claws found Woundwort's leg, ripping sideways; but before he could drawback, Woundwort's whole weight came down on him and the next moment histeeth had met in his right ear. Bigwig squealed, pressed down and thrashing fromside to side. Woundwort, feeling his enemy's fear and helplessness, loosed hishold of the ear and rose above him, ready to bite and tear him across the back ofthe neck. For an instant he stood above the helpless Bigwig, his shoulders fillingthe run. Then his injured foreleg gave way and he lurched sideways against thewall. Bigwig cuffed him twice across the face and felt the third blow pass throughhis whiskers as he sprang back. The sound of his heavy breathing came plainlyfrom the top of the earth pile. Bigwig, the blood oozing from his back and ear,stood his ground and waited. Suddenly he realized that he could see the darkshape of General Woundwort faintly outlined where he crouched above him. Thefirst traces of daylight were glimmering through the broken roof of theHoneycomb behind.
47. The Sky Suspended
Ole bull he comes for me, wi's head down. But I didn't flinch... I went fo 'e.
'Twas him as did th' flinchin'.
Flora Thompson, Lark RiseWhen Hazel stamped, Dandelion leaped instinctively from the grass verge. Ifthere had been a hole he would have made for it. For the briefest instant helooked up and down the gravel. Then the dog was rushing upon him and heturned and made for the raised barn. But before he reached it he realized that hemust not take refuge under the floor. If he did, the dog would check: very likely aman would call it back. He had to get it out of the farmyard and down to the road.
He altered direction and raced up the lane toward the elms.
He had not expected the dog to be so close behind him. He could hear itsbreath and the loose gravel flying under its paws.
"It's too fast for me!" he thought. "It's going to catch me!" In another momentit would be on him and then it would roll him over, snapping his back and bitingout his life. He knew that hares, when overtaken, dodge by turning more quicklyand neatly than the pursuing dog and doubling back on their track. "I shall haveto double," he thought desperately. "But if I do, it will hunt me up and down thelane and the man will call it off, or else I shall have to lose it by going through thehedge: then the whole plan will fail."He tore over the crest and down toward the cattle shed. When Hazel had toldhim what he was to do, it had seemed to him that his task would consist ofleading the dog on and persuading it to follow him. Now he was running simplyto save his life, and that at a speed he had never touched before, a speed he knewhe could not keep up.
In actual fact Dandelion covered three hundred yards to the cattle shed in agood deal less than half a minute. But as he reached the straw at the entrance itseemed to him that he had run forever. Hazel and the farmyard were long, longago. He had never done anything in his life but run in terror down the lane,feeling the dog's breath at his haunches. Inside the gate a big rat ran across infront of him and the dog checked at it for a moment. Dandelion gained thenearest shed and went headlong between two bales of straw at the foot of a pile. Itwas a narrow place and he turned round only with some difficulty. The dog wasimmediately outside, scratching eagerly, whining and throwing up loose straw asit sniffed along the foot of the bales.
"Sit tight," said a young rat, from the straw close beside him. "It'll be off in aminute. They're not like cats, you know.""That's the trouble," said Dandelion, panting and rolling the whites of his eyes.
"It mustn't lose me; and time's everything.""What?" said the rat, puzzled. "What you say?"Without answering, Dandelion slipped along to another crack, gatheredhimself a moment and then broke cover, running across the yard to the oppositeshed. It was open-fronted and he went straight through to the boarding along theback. There was a gap under the broken end of a board and here he crept into thefield beyond. The dog, following, thrust its head into the gap and pushed, barkingwith excitement. Gradually the loose board levered open like a trapdoor until itwas able to force its way through.
Now that he had a better start, Dandelion kept in the open and ran down thefield to the hedge beside the road. He knew he was slower, but the dog seemedslower, too. Choosing a thick part, he went through the hedge and crossed theroad. Blackberry came to meet him, scuttering down the further bank. Dandeliondropped exhausted in the ditch. The dog was not twenty feet away on the otherside of the hedge. It could not find a big enough gap.
"It's faster than ever I thought," gasped Dandelion, "but I've taken the edge offit. I can't do any more. I must go to ground. I'm finished."It was plain that Blackberry was frightened.
"Frith help me!" he whispered. "I'll never do it!""Go on, quick," said Dandelion, "before it loses interest. I'll overtake you andhelp if I can."Blackberry hopped deliberately into the road and sat up. Seeing him, the dogyelped and thrust its weight against the hedge. Blackberry ran slowly along theroad toward a pair of gates that stood opposite each other further down. The dogstayed level with him. As soon as he was sure that it had seen the gate on its ownside and meant to go to it, Blackberry turned and climbed the bank. Out in thestubble he waited for the dog to reappear.
It was a long time coming; and when at last it pushed its way between thegatepost and the bank into the field, it paid him no attention. It nosed along thefoot of the bank, put up a partridge and bounced after it and then began toscratch about in a clump of dock plants. For some time Blackberry felt tooterrified to move. Then, in desperation, he hopped slowly toward it, trying to actas though he had not noticed that it was there. It dashed after him, but almost atonce seemed to lose interest and returned to its nosing and sniffing over theground. Finally, when he was utterly at a loss, it set off over the field of its ownaccord, padding easily along beside one of the rows of threshed straw, trailing thebroken cord and pouncing in and out at every squeak and rustle. Blackberry,sheltering behind a parallel row, kept level with it. In this manner they coveredthe distance to the pylon line, halfway to the foot of the down. It was here thatDandelion caught up with him.
"It's not fast enough, Blackberry! We must get on. Bigwig may be dead.""I know, but at least it's going the right way. I couldn't get it to move at all, tostart with. Can't we--""It's got to come up the down at speed or there'll be no surprise. Come on, we'lldraw it together. We'll have to get ahead of it first, though."They ran fast through the stubble until they neared the trees. Then they turnedand crossed the dog's line in full view. This time it pursued instantly and the tworabbits reached the undergrowth at the bottom of the steep with no more thanten yards to spare. As they began to climb they heard the dog crashing throughthe brittle elders. It barked once and then they were out on the open slope withthe dog running mute behind them.
-<*>-The blood ran over Bigwig's neck and down his foreleg. He watchedWoundwort steadily where he crouched on the earth pile, expecting him to leapforward at any moment. He could hear a rabbit moving behind him, but the runwas so narrow that he could not have turned even if it had been safe to do so.
"Everyone all right?" he asked.
"They're all right," replied Holly. "Come on, Bigwig, let me take your placenow. You need a rest.""Can't," panted Bigwig. "You couldn't get past me here -- no room -- and if I goback that brute'll follow -- next thing you'd know he'd be loose in the burrows.
You leave it to me. I know what I'm doing."It had occurred to Bigwig that in the narrow run even his dead body would be aconsiderable obstacle. The Efrafans would either have to get it out or dig round itand this would mean more delay. In the burrow behind him he could hearBluebell, who was apparently telling the does a story. "Good idea," he thought.
"Keep 'em happy. More than I could do if I had to sit there.""So then El-ahrairah said to the fox, 'Fox you may smell and fox you may be,but I can tell your fortune in the water.'"Suddenly Woundwort spoke.
"Thlayli," he said, "why do you want to throw your life away? I can send onefresh rabbit after another into this run if I choose. You're too good to be killed.
Come back to Efrafa. I promise I'll give you the command of any Mark you like. Igive you my word.""Silflay hraka, u embleer rah," replied Bigwig.
"'Ah ha,' said the fox, 'tell my fortune, eh? And what do you see in the water,my friend? Fat rabbits running through the grass, yes, yes?'""Very well," said Woundwort. "But remember, Thlayli, you yourself can stopthis nonsense whenever you wish.""'No,' replied El-ahrairah, 'it is not fat rabbits that I see in the water, but swifthounds on the scent and my enemy flying for his life.'"Bigwig realized that Woundwort also knew that in the run his body would benearly as great a hindrance dead as alive. "He wants me to come out on my feet,"he thought. "But it's Inlé, not Efrafa, that I shall go to from here."Suddenly Woundwort leaped forward in a single bound and landed full againstBigwig like a branch falling from a tree. He made no attempt to use his claws. Hisgreat weight was pushing, chest to chest, against Bigwig's. With heads side by sidethey bit and snapped at each other's shoulders. Bigwig felt himself sliding slowlybackward. He could not resist the tremendous pressure. His back legs, with clawsextended, furrowed the floor of the run as he gave ground. In a few moments hewould be pushed bodily into the burrow behind. Putting his last strength into theeffort to remain where he was, he loosed his teeth from Woundwort's shoulderand dropped his head, like a cart horse straining at a load. Still he was slipping.
Then, very gradually it seemed, the terrible pressure began to slacken. His clawshad a hold of the ground. Woundwort, teeth sunk in his back, was snuffling andchoking. Though Bigwig did not know it, his earlier blows had torn Woundwortacross the nose. His nostrils were full of his own blood, and with jaws closed inBigwig's fur he could not draw his breath. A moment more and he let go his hold.
Bigwig, utterly exhausted, lay where he was. After a few moments he tried to getup, but a faintness came over him and a feeling of turning over and over in a ditchof leaves. He closed his eyes. There was silence and then, quite clearly, he heardFiver speaking in the long grass. "You are closer to death than I. You are closer todeath than I.""The wire!" squealed Bigwig. He jerked himself up and opened his eyes. Therun was empty. General Woundwort was gone.
-<*>-Woundwort clambered out into the Honeycomb, now dimly lit down the shaftby the daylight outside. He had never felt so tired. He saw Vervain and Thunderlooking at him uncertainly. He sat on his haunches and tried to clean his face withhis front paws.
"Thlayli won't give any more trouble," he said. "You'd better just go in andfinish him off, Vervain, since he won't come out.""You're asking me to fight him, sir?" asked Vervain.
"Well, just take him on for a few moments," answered Woundwort. "I want tostart them getting this wall down in one or two other places. Then I'll come back."Vervain knew that the impossible had happened. The General had come offworst. What he was saying was, "Cover up for me. Don't let the others know.""What in Frith's name happens now?" thought Vervain. "The plain truth is thatThlayli's had the best of it all along, ever since he first met him in Efrafa. And thesooner we're back there the better."He met Woundwort's pale stare, hesitated a moment and then climbed on theearth pile. Woundwort limped across to the two runs, halfway down the easternwall, which Groundsel had been told to get open. Both were now clear at theentrances and the diggers were out of sight in the tunnels. As he approached,Groundsel backed down the further tunnel and began cleaning his claws on aprojecting root.
"How are you getting on?" asked Woundwort.
"This run's open, sir," said Groundsel, "but the other will take a bit longer, I'mafraid. It's heavily blocked.""One's enough," said Woundwort, "as long as they can come down it. We canbring them in and start getting that end wall down."He was about to go up the run himself when he found Vervain beside him. Fora moment he thought that he was going to say that he had killed Thlayli. A secondglance showed him otherwise.
"I've -- er -- got some grit in my eye, sir," said Vervain. "I'll just get it out andthen I'll have another go at him."Without a word Woundwort went back to the far end of the Honeycomb.
Vervain followed.
"You coward," said Woundwort in his ear. "If my authority goes, where willyours be in half a day? Aren't you the most hated officer in Efrafa? That rabbit'sgot to be killed."Once more he climbed on the earth pile. Then he stopped. Vervain and Thistle,raising their heads to peer past him from behind, saw why. Thlayli had made hisway up the run and was crouching immediately below. Blood had matted thegreat thatch of fur on his head, and one ear, half severed, hung down beside hisface. His breathing was slow and heavy.
"You'll find it much harder to push me back from here, General," he said.
With a sort of weary, dull surprise, Woundwort realized that he was afraid. Hedid not want to attack Thlayli again. He knew, with flinching certainty, that hewas not up to it. And who was? he thought. Who could do it? No, they would haveto get in by some other way and everyone would know why.
"Thlayli," he said, "we've unblocked a run out here. I can bring in enoughrabbits to pull down this wall in four places. Why don't you come out?"Thlayli's reply, when it came, was low and gasping, but perfectly clear.
"My Chief Rabbit has told me to defend this run and until he says otherwise Ishall stay here.""His Chief Rabbit?" said Vervain, staring.
It had never occurred to Woundwort or any of his officers that Thlayli was notthe Chief Rabbit of his warren. Yet what he said carried immediate conviction. Hewas speaking the truth. And if he was not the Chief Rabbit, then somewhere closeby there must be another, stronger rabbit who was. A stronger rabbit thanThlayli. Where was he? What was he doing at this moment?
Woundwort became aware that Thistle was no longer behind him.
"Where's that young fellow gone?" he said to Vervain.
"He seems to have slipped away, sir," answered Vervain.
"You should have stopped him," said Woundwort. "Fetch him back."But it was Groundsel who returned to him a few moments later.
"I'm sorry, sir," he said, "Thistle's gone up the opened run. I thought you'd senthim or I'd have asked him what he was up to. One or two of my rabbits seem tohave gone with him -- I don't know what for, I'm sure.""I'll give them what for," said Woundwort. "Come with me."He knew now what they would have to do. Every rabbit he had brought mustbe sent underground to dig and every blocked gap in the wall must be opened. Asfor Thlayli, he could simply be left where he was and the less said about him thebetter. There must be no more fighting in narrow runs, and when the terribleChief Rabbit finally appeared he would be pulled down in the open, from all sides.
He turned to re-cross the burrow, but remained where he was, staring. In thefaint patch of light below the ragged hole in the roof, a rabbit was standing -- noEfrafan, a rabbit unknown to the General. He was very small and was lookingtensely about him -- wide-eyed as a kitten above ground for the first time -- asthough by no means sure where he might be. As Woundwort watched, he raised atrembling forepaw and passed it gropingly across his face. For a moment someold, flickering, here-and-gone feeling stirred in the General's memory -- the smellof wet cabbage leaves in a cottage garden, the sense of some easy-going, kindlyplace, long forgotten and lost.
"Who the devil's that?" asked General Woundwort.
"It -- it must be the rabbit that's been lying there, sir," answered Groundsel.
"The rabbit we thought was dead.""Oh, is that it?" said Woundwort. "Well, he's just about your mark, isn't he,Vervain? That's one of them you might be able to tackle, at all events. Hurry up,"he sneered, as Vervain hesitated, uncertain whether the General were serious,"and come on out as soon as you've finished."Vervain advanced slowly across the floor. Even he could derive littlesatisfaction from the prospect of killing a tharn rabbit half his own size, inobedience to a contemptuous taunt. The small rabbit made no move whatever,either to retreat or to defend himself, but only stared at him from great eyeswhich, though troubled, were certainly not those of a beaten enemy or a victim.
Before his gaze, Vervain stopped in uncertainty and for long moments the twofaced each other in the dim light. Then, very quietly and with no trace of fear, thestrange rabbit said,"I am sorry for you with all my heart. But you cannot blame us, for you came tokill us if you could.""Blame you?" answered Vervain. "Blame you for what?""For your death. Believe me, I am sorry for your death."Vervain in his time had encountered any number of prisoners who, before theydied, had cursed or threatened him, not uncommonly with supernaturalvengeance, much as Bigwig had cursed Woundwort in the storm. If such thingshad been liable to have any effect on him, he would not have been head of theOwslafa. Indeed, for almost any utterance that a rabbit in this dreadful situationcould find to make, Vervain was unthinkingly ready with one or other of a stockof jeering rejoinders. Now, as he continued to meet the eyes of this unaccountableenemy -- the only one he had faced in all the long night's search for bloodshed --horror came upon him and he was filled with a sudden fear of his words, gentleand inexorable as the falling of bitter snow in a land without refuge. The shadowyrecesses of the strange burrow seemed full of whispering, malignant ghosts andhe recognized the forgotten voices of rabbits done to death months since in theditches of Efrafa.
"Let me alone!" cried Vervain. "Let me go! Let me go!"Stumbling and blundering, he found his way to the opened run and draggedhimself up it. At the top he came upon Woundwort, listening to one ofGroundsel's diggers, who was trembling and white-eyed.
"Oh, sir," said the youngster, "they say there's a great Chief Rabbit bigger thana hare; and a strange animal they heard--""Shut up!" said Woundwort. "Follow me, come on."He came out on the bank, blinking in the sunlight. The rabbits scattered aboutthe grass stared at him in horror, several wondering whether this could really bethe General. His nose and one eyelid were gashed and his whole face was maskedwith blood. As he limped down from the bank his near foreleg trailed and hestaggered sideways. He scrambled into the open grass and looked about him.
"Now," said Woundwort, "this is the last thing we have to do, and it won't takelong. Down below, there's a kind of wall." He stopped, sensing all around himreluctance and fear. He looked at Ragwort, who looked away. Two other rabbitswere edging off through the grass. He called them back.
"What do you think you're doing?" he asked.
"Nothing, sir," replied one. "We only thought that--"All of a sudden Captain Campion dashed round the corner of the hanger. Fromthe open down beyond came a single, high scream. At the same moment twostrange rabbits, running together, leaped the bank into the wood and disappeareddown one of the blocked tunnels.
"Run!" cried Campion, stamping. "Run for your lives!"He raced through them and was gone over the down. Not knowing what hemeant or where to run, they turned one way and another. Five bolted down theopened run and a few more into the wood. But almost before they had begun toscatter, into their midst bounded a great black dog, snapping, biting and chasinghither and thither like a fox in a chicken run.
Woundwort alone stood his ground. As the rest fled in all directions heremained where he was, bristling and snarling, bloody-fanged and bloody-clawed.
The dog, coming suddenly upon him face to face among the rough tussocks,recoiled a moment, startled and confused. Then it sprang forward; and even asthey ran, his Owsla could hear the General's raging, squealing cry, "Come back,you fools! Dogs aren't dangerous! Come back and fight!"
48. Dea ex Machina
And as I was green and carefree, famous among the barnsAbout the happy yard and singing as the farm was home,In the sun that is young once only...
Dylan Thomas, Fern HillWhen Lucy woke, the room was already light. The curtains were not drawn andthe pane of the open casement reflected a gleam of sun which she could lose andfind by moving her head on the pillow. A wood pigeon was calling in the elms. Butit was some other sound, she knew, that had woken her -- a sharp sound, a part ofthe dream which had drained away, as she woke, like water out of a washbasin.
Perhaps the dog had barked. But now everything was quiet and there was only theflash of sun from the windowpane and the sound of the wood pigeon, like the firststrokes of a paint brush on a big sheet of paper when you were still not sure howthe picture was going to go. The morning was fine. Would there be anymushrooms yet? Was it worth getting up now and going down the field to see? Itwas still too dry and hot -- not good mushroom weather. The mushrooms werelike the blackberries -- both wanted a drop of rain before they'd be any good.
Soon there'd be damp mornings and the big spiders would come in the hedges --the ones with a white cross on their backs. Jane Pocock running off to the back ofthe schoolbus when she brought one in a matchbox to show Miss Tallant.
Spider, spider on the bus,Soppy Jane that made a fuss,Spider got th' eleven-plus.
Now she couldn't catch the reflection in her eyes any more. The sun hadmoved. What was going to happen today? Thursday -- market day in Newbury.
Dad would be going in. Doctor was coming to see Mum. Doctor had funny glassesthat pinched on his nose. They'd made a mark each side. If he wasn't in a hurryhe'd talk to her. Doctor was a bit funny-like when you didn't know him, but whenyou did he was nice.
Suddenly there was another sharp sound. It ripped through the still, earlymorning like something spilled across a clean floor -- a squealing -- somethingfrightened, something desperate. Lucy jumped out of bed and ran across to thewindow. Whatever it was, it was only just outside. She leaned well out, with herfeet off the floor and the sill pressing breathlessly across her stomach. Tab wasdown below, right by the kennel. He'd got something: rat it must be, squealinglike that.
"Tab!" called Lucy sharply. "Tab! Wha' you got?"At the sound of her voice the cat looked up for a moment and immediatelylooked back again at its prey. 'T'weren't no rat, though; 't'was a rabbit, layin' onits side by the kennel. It looked proper bad. Kicking out an' all. Then it squealedagain.
Lucy ran down the stairs in her nightdress and opened the door. The gravelmade her hobble and she left it and went on up the flower bed. As she reached thekennel the cat looked up and spat at her, keeping one paw pressed down on therabbit's neck.
"Git out, Tab!" said Lucy. "Crool thing! Let'n alone!"She cuffed the cat, which tried to scratch her, ears laid flat. She raised her handagain and it growled, ran a few feet and stopped, looking back in sulky rage. Lucypicked up the rabbit. It struggled a moment and then held itself tense in her firmgrip.
"'Old still!" said Lucy. "I ain't goin' 'urtcher!"She went back to the house, carrying the rabbit.
"What you bin up to, eh?" said her father, boots scratch-scratch over the tiles.
"Look at yore feet! En I told you -- Wha' got there, then?""Rabbit," said Lucy defensively.
"In yer nightdress an' all, catch yore bloomin' death. Wha' want with 'im,then?""Goner keep 'im.""You ain't!""Ah, Dad. 'E's nice.""'E won't be no bloomin' good t'yer. You put 'im in 'utch 'e'll only die. You can'tkeep woild rabbit. 'N if 'e gets out 'e'll do all manner o' bloomin' 'arm.""But 'e's bad, Dad. Cat's bin at 'im.""Cat was doin' 'is job, then. Did oughter've let 'im finish be roights.""I wanner show 'im to Doctor.""Doctor's got summin' better to do than bide about wi' old rabbit. You jus' give'im 'ere, now."Lucy began to cry. She had not lived all her life on a farm for nothing and sheknew very well that everything her father had said was right. But she was upset bythe idea of killing the rabbit in cold blood. True, she did not really know what shecould do with it in the long run. What she wanted was to show it to Doctor. Sheknew that Doctor thought of her as a proper farm girl -- a country girl. When sheshowed him things she had found -- a goldfinch's egg, a Painted Lady fluttering ina jam jar or a fungus that looked exactly like orange peel -- he took her seriouslyand talked to her as he would to a grown-up person. To ask his advice about adamaged rabbit and discuss it with him would be very grown-up. Meanwhile, herfather might give way or he might not.
"I on'y just wanted to show 'im to Doctor, Dad. I won't let 'im do no 'arm,honest. On'y it's nice talking to Doctor."Although he never said so, her father was proud of the way Lucy got on withDoctor. She was proper bright kid -- very likely goin' to grammar school an' all, sothey told him. Doctor had said once or twice she was real sensible with thesethings she picked up what she showed him. Comin' to somethin', though, bloodyrabbits. All same, would'n' 'urt, long's she didn' let 'un go on the place.
"Why don' you do somethin' sensible," he said, "'stead o' bidin' there 'ollerin'
and carryin' on like you was skimmish? You wants go'n get some cloze on, thenyou c'n go'n put 'im in that old cage what's in shed. One what you 'ad for theybudgies."Lucy stopped crying and went upstairs, still carrying the rabbit. She shut it in adrawer, got dressed and went out to get the cage. On the way back she stopped forsome straw from behind the kennel. Her father came across from the long barn.
"Did y'see Bob?""Never," said Lucy. "Where's 'e gone, then?""Bust 'is rope an' off. I know'd that old rope were gett'n on like, but I didn'treckon 'e could bust 'im. Anyways, I go' go in to Newbury s'mornin'. 'F'e turns upagen you'd best tie 'im up proper.""I'll look out fer 'im, Dad," said Lucy. "I'll ge' bi' o' breakfast up to Mum now.""Ah, that's good girl. I reckon she'll be right's a trivet tomorrer."Doctor Adams arrived soon after ten. Lucy, who was making her bed andtidying her room later than she should have been, heard him stop his car underthe elms at the top of the lane and went out to meet him, wondering why he hadnot driven up to the house as usual. He had got out of the car and was standingwith his hands behind his back, looking down the lane, but he caught sight of herand called in the rather shy, abrupt way she was used to.
"Er -- Lucy."She ran up. He took off his pince-nez and put them in his waistcoat pocket.
"Is that your dog?"The Labrador was coming up the lane, looking decidedly tired and trailing itsbroken rope. Lucy laid hold of it.
"'E's bin off, Doctor. 'Bin ever so worried 'bout 'im."The Labrador began to sniff at Doctor Adams' shoes.
"Something's been fighting with him, I think," said Doctor Adams. "His nose isscratched quite badly, and that looks like some kind of a bite on his leg.""What d'you reckon t'was, then, Doctor?""Well, it might have been a big rat, I suppose, or perhaps a stoat. Something hewent for that put up a fight.""I got a rabbit s'mornin', Doctor. Woild one. 'E's aloive. I took 'un off o' the cat.
On'y I reckon e's 'urt. Joo like see 'im?""Well, I'd better go and see Mrs. Cane first, I think." (Not "your mother,"thought Lucy.) "And then if I've got time I'll have a look at the chap."Twenty minutes later Lucy was holding the rabbit as quiet as she could whileDoctor Adams pressed it gently here and there with the balls of two fingers.
"Well, there doesn't seem to be much the matter with him, as far as I can see,"he said at last. "Nothing's broken. There's something funny about his hind leg,but that's been done some time and it's more or less healed -- or as much as itever will. The cat's scratched him across here, you see, but that's nothing much. Ishould think he'll be all right for a bit.""No good to keep 'im, though, Doctor, would it? In 'utch, I mean.""Oh, no, he wouldn't live shut up in a box. If he couldn't get out he'd soon die.
No, I should let the poor chap go -- unless you want to eat him."Lucy laughed. "Dad'd be ever s'woild, though, if I was to let 'im go anywheresround 'ere. 'E always says one rabbit means 'undred an' one.""Well, I'll tell you what," said Doctor Adams, taking his thin fob watch on thefingers of one hand and looking down at it as he held it at arm's length -- for hewas longsighted -- "I've got to go a few miles up the road to see an old lady at ColeHenley. If you like to come along in the car, you can let him go on the down andI'll bring you back before dinner."Lucy skipped. "I'll just go'n ask Mum."On the ridge between Hare Warren Down and Watership Down, Doctor Adamsstopped the car.
"I should think this would be as good as anywhere," he said. "There's not a lotof harm he can do here, if you come to think about it."They walked a short distance eastward from the road and Lucy set the rabbitdown. It sat stupefied for nearly half a minute and then suddenly dashed awayover the grass.
"Yes, he has got something the matter with that leg, you see," said DoctorAdams. "But he could perfectly well live for years, as far as that goes. Born andbred in a briar patch, Brer Fox."
49. Hazel Comes Home
Well, we've been lucky devils bothAnd there's no need of pledge or oathTo bind our lovely friendship fast,By firmer stuffClose bound enough.--Robert Graves, Two FusiliersAlthough Woundwort had shown himself at the last to be a creature virtuallymad, nevertheless what he did proved not altogether futile. There can be littledoubt that if he had not done it, more rabbits would have been killed thatmorning on Watership Down. So swiftly and silently had the dog come up the hillbehind Dandelion and Blackberry that one of Campion's sentries, half asleepunder a tussock after the long night, was pulled down and killed in the instantthat he turned to bolt. Later -- after it had left Woundwort -- the dog beat up anddown the bank and the open grass for some time, barking and dashing at everybush and clump of weeds. But by now the Efrafans had had time to scatter andhide, as best they could. Besides, the dog, unexpectedly scratched and bitten,showed a certain reluctance to come to grips. At last, however, it succeeded inputting up and killing the rabbit who had been wounded by glass the day before,and with this it made off by the way it had come, disappearing over the edge ofthe escarpment.
There could be no question now of the Efrafans renewing their attack on thewarren. None had any idea beyond saving his own life. Their leader was gone. Thedog had been set on them by the rabbits they had come to kill -- of this they weresure. It was all one with the mysterious fox and the white bird. Indeed, Ragwort,the most unimaginative rabbit alive, had actually heard it underground.
Campion, crouching in a patch of nettles with Vervain and four or five more, metwith nothing but shivering agreement when he said that he was sure that theyought to leave at once this dangerous place, where they had already stayed far toolong.
Without Campion, probably not one rabbit would have got back to Efrafa. As itwas, all his skill as a patroller could not bring home half of those who had come toWatership. Three or four had run and strayed too far to be found and whatbecame of them no one ever knew. There were probably fourteen or fifteenrabbits -- no more -- who set off with Campion, some time before ni-Frith, to tryto retrace the long journey they had made only the previous day. They were not fitto cover the distance by nightfall: and before long they had worse to face thantheir own fatigue and low spirits. Bad news travels fast. Down to the Belt andbeyond, the rumor spread that the terrible General Woundwort and his Owslahad been cut to pieces on Watership Down and that what was left of them wastrailing southward in poor shape, with little heart to keep alert. The Thousandbegan to close in -- stoats, a fox, even a tomcat from some farm or other. At everyhalt yet another rabbit was not to be found and no one could remember seeingwhat had happened to him. One of these was Vervain. It had been plain from thestart that he had nothing left and, indeed, there was little reason for him to returnto Efrafa without the General.
Through all the fear and hardship Campion remained steady and vigilant,holding the survivors together, thinking ahead and encouraging the exhausted tokeep going. During the afternoon of the following day, while the Off Fore Markwere at silflay, he came limping through the sentry line with a straggling handfulof six or seven rabbits. He was close to collapse himself and scarcely able to givethe Council any account of the disaster.
Only Groundsel, Thistle and three others had the presence of mind to dartdown the opened run when the dog came. Back in the Honeycomb, Groundselimmediately surrendered himself and his fugitives to Fiver, who was stillbemused from his long trance, and scarcely restored to his senses sufficiently tograsp what was toward. At length, however, after the five Efrafans had remainedcrouching for some time in the burrow, listening to the sounds of the dog huntingabove, Fiver recovered himself, made his way to the mouth of the run whereBigwig still lay half conscious, and succeeded in making Holly and Silverunderstand that the siege was ended. There was no lack of helpers to tear openthe blocked gaps in the south wall. It so happened that Bluebell was the firstthrough into the Honeycomb; and for many days afterward he was still improvingupon his imitation of Captain Fiver at the head of his crowd of Efrafan prisoners-- "like a tomtit rounding up a bunch of molting jackdaws," as he put it.
No one was inclined to pay them much attention at the time, however, for theonly thoughts throughout the warren were for Hazel and Bigwig. Bigwig seemedlikely to die. Bleeding in half a dozen places, he lay with closed eyes in the run hehad defended and made no reply when Hyzenthlay told him that the Efrafanswere defeated and the warren was saved. After a time, they dug carefully tobroaden the run and as the day wore on the does, each in turn, remained besidehim, licking his wounds and listening to his low, unsteady breathing.
Before this, Blackberry and Dandelion had burrowed their way in fromKehaar's run -- it had not been blocked very heavily -- and told their story. Theycould not say what might have happened to Hazel after the dog broke loose, andby the early afternoon everyone feared the worst. At last Pipkin, in great anxietyand distress, insisted on setting out for Nuthanger. Fiver at once said that hewould go with him and together they left the wood and set off northward over thedown. They had gone only a short distance when Fiver, sitting up on an anthill tolook about, saw a rabbit approaching over the high ground to the west. They bothran nearer and recognized Hazel. Fiver went to meet him while Pipkin raced backto the Honeycomb with the news.
As soon as he had learned all that had happened -- including what Groundselhad to tell -- Hazel asked Holly to take two or three rabbits and find out forcertain whether the Efrafans had really gone. Then he himself went into the runwhere Bigwig was lying. Hyzenthlay looked up as he came.
"He was awake a little while ago, Hazel-rah," she said. "He asked where youwere; and then he said his ear hurt very much."Hazel nuzzled the matted fur cap. The blood had turned hard and set intopointed spikes that pricked his nose.
"You've done it, Bigwig," he said. "They've all run away."For several moments Bigwig did not move. Then he opened his eyes and raisedhis head, pouching out his cheeks and sniffing at the two rabbits beside him. Hesaid nothing and Hazel wondered whether he had understood. At last hewhispered, "Ees finish Meester Voundvort, ya?""Ya," replied Hazel. "I've come to help you to silflay. It'll do you good and wecan clean you up a lot better outside. Come on: it's a lovely afternoon, all sun andleaves."Bigwig got up and tottered forward into the devastated Honeycomb. There hesank down, rested, got up again and reached the foot of Kehaar's run.
"I thought he'd killed me," he said. "No more fighting for me -- I've hadenough. And you -- your plan worked, Hazel-rah, did it? Well done. Tell me whatit was. And how did you get back from the farm?""A man brought me in a hrududu," said Hazel, "nearly all the way.""And you flew the rest, I suppose," said Bigwig, "burning a white stick in yourmouth? Come on, tell me sensibly. What's the matter, Hyzenthlay?""Oh!" said Hyzenthlay, staring. "Oh!""What is it?""He did!""Did what?""He did ride home in a hrududu. And I saw him as he came -- that night inEfrafa, when I was with you in your burrow. Do you remember?""I remember," said Bigwig. "I remember what I said, too. I said you'd better tellit to Fiver. That's a good idea -- let's go and do it. And if he'll believe you, Hazel-rah, then I will."
50. And Last
Professing myself, moreover, convinced that the General's unjust interference,so far from being really injurious to their felicity, was perhaps rather conducive toit, by improving their knowledge of each other, and adding strength to theirattachment, I leave it to be settled by whomsoever it may concern....
Jane Austen, Northanger AbbeyIt was a fine, clear evening in mid-October, about six weeks later. Althoughleaves remained on the beeches and the sunshine was warm, there was a sense ofgrowing emptiness over the wide space of the down. The flowers were sparser.
Here and there a yellow tormentil showed in the grass, a late harebell or a fewshreds of purple bloom on a brown, crisping tuft of self-heal. But most of theplants still to be seen were in seed. Along the edge of the wood a sheet of wildclematis showed like a patch of smoke, all its sweet-smelling flowers turned to oldman's beard. The songs of the insects were fewer and intermittent. Greatstretches of the long grass, once the teeming jungle of summer, were almostdeserted, with only a hurrying beetle or a torpid spider left out of all the myriadsof August. The gnats still danced in the bright air, but the swifts that had swoopedfor them were gone and instead of their screaming cries in the sky, the twitteringof a robin sounded from the top of a spindle tree. The fields below the hill were allcleared. One had already been plowed and the polished edges of the furrowscaught the light with a dull glint, conspicuous from the ridge above. The sky, too,was void, with a thin clarity like that of water. In July the still blue, thick ascream, had seemed close above the green trees, but now the blue was high andrare, the sun slipped sooner to the west and, once there, foretold a touch of frost,sinking slow and big and drowsy, crimson as the rose hips that covered the briar.
As the wind freshened from the south, the red and yellow beech leaves raspedtogether with a brittle sound, harsher than the fluid rustle of earlier days. It was atime of quiet departures, of the sifting away of all that was not staunch againstwinter.
Many human beings say that they enjoy the winter, but what they really enjoyis feeling proof against it. For them there is no winter food problem. They havefires and warm clothes. The winter cannot hurt them and therefore increasestheir sense of cleverness and security. For birds and animals, as for poor men,winter is another matter. Rabbits, like most wild animals, suffer hardship. True,they are luckier than some, for food of a sort is nearly always to be had. But undersnow they may stay underground for days at a time, feeding only by chewingpellets. They are more subject to disease in winter and the cold lowers theirvitality. Nevertheless, burrows can be snug and warm, especially when crowded.
Winter is a more active mating season than the late summer and the autumn, andthe time of greatest fertility for the does starts about February. There are finedays when silflay is still enjoyable. For the adventurous, garden-raiding has itscharms. And underground there are stories to be told and games to be played --bob-stones and the like. For rabbits, winter remains what it was for men in themiddle ages -- hard, but bearable by the resourceful and not altogether withoutcompensations.
On the west side of the beech hanger, in the evening sun, Hazel and Fiver weresitting with Holly, Silver and Groundsel. The Efrafan survivors had been allowedto join the warren and after a shaky start, when they were regarded with dislikeand suspicion, were settling down pretty well, largely because Hazel wasdetermined that they should.
Since the night of the siege, Fiver had spent much time alone and even in theHoneycomb, or at morning and evening silflay, was often silent and preoccupied.
No one resented this -- "He looks right through you in such a nice, friendly way,"as Bluebell put it -- for each in his own manner recognized that Fiver was nowmore than ever governed, whether he would or no, by the pulse of that mysteriousworld of which he had once spoken to Hazel during the late June days they hadspent together at the foot of the down. It was Bigwig who said -- one eveningwhen Fiver was absent from the Honeycomb at story time -- that Fiver was onewho had paid more dearly than even himself for the night's victory over theEfrafans. Yet to his doe, Vilthuril, Fiver was devotedly attached, while she hadcome to understand him almost as deeply as ever Hazel had.
Just outside the beech hanger, Hyzenthlay's litter of four young rabbits wereplaying in the grass. They had first been brought up to graze about seven daysbefore. If Hyzenthlay had had a second litter she would by this time have leftthem to look after themselves. As it was, however, she was grazing close by,watching their play and every now and then moving in to cuff the strongest andstop him bullying the others.
"They're a good bunch, you know," said Holly. "I hope we get some more likethose.""We can't expect many more until toward the end of the winter," said Hazel,"though I dare say there'll be a few.""We can expect anything, it seems to me," said Holly.
"Three litters born in autumn -- have you ever heard of such a thing before?
Frith didn't mean rabbits to mate in the high summer.""I don't know about Clover," said Hazel. "She's a hutch rabbit: it may benatural to her to breed at any time, for all I know. But I'm sure that Hyzenthlayand Vilthuril started their litters in the high summer because they'd had nonatural life in Efrafa. For all that, they're the only two who have had litters, asyet.""Frith never meant us to go out fighting in the high summer, either, if thatcomes to that," said Silver. "Everything that's happened is unnatural -- thefighting, the breeding -- and all on account of Woundwort. If he wasn't unnatural,who was?""Bigwig was right when he said he wasn't like a rabbit at all," said Holly. "Hewas a fighting animal -- fierce as a rat or a dog. He fought because he actually feltsafer fighting than running. He was brave, all right. But it wasn't natural; andthat's why it was bound to finish him in the end. He was trying to do somethingthat Frith never meant any rabbit to do. I believe he'd have hunted like the elil ifhe could.""He isn't dead, you know," broke in Groundsel.
The others were silent.
"He hasn't stopped running," said Groundsel passionately. "Did you see hisbody? No. Did anyone? No. Nothing could kill him. He made rabbits bigger thanthey've ever been -- braver, more skillful, more cunning. I know we paid for it.
Some gave their lives. It was worth it, to feel we were Efrafans. For the first timeever, rabbits didn't go scurrying away. The elil feared us. And that was on accountof Woundwort -- him and no one but him. We weren't good enough for theGeneral. Depend upon it, he's gone to start another warren somewhere else. Butno Efrafan officer will ever forget him.""Well, now I'll tell you something," began Silver. But Hazel cut him short.
"You mustn't say you weren't good enough," he said. "You did everything forhim that rabbits could do and a great deal more. And what a lot we learned fromyou! As for Efrafa, I've heard it's doing well under Campion, even if some thingsaren't quite the same as they used to be. And listen -- by next spring, if I'm right,we shall have too many rabbits here for comfort. I'm going to encourage some ofthe youngsters to start a new warren between here and Efrafa; and I think you'llfind Campion will be ready to send some of his rabbits to join them. You'd be justthe right fellow to start that scheme off.""Won't it be difficult to arrange?" asked Holly.
"Not when Kehaar comes," said Hazel, as they began to hop easily back towardthe holes at the northeast corner of the hanger. "He'll turn up one of these days,when the storms begin on that Big Water of his. He can take a message toCampion as quickly as you'd run down to the iron tree and back.""By Frith in the leaves, and I know someone who'll be glad to see him!" saidSilver. "Someone not so very far away."They had reached the eastern end of the trees and here, well out in the openwhere it was still sunny, a little group of three young rabbits -- bigger thanHyzenthlay's -- were squatting in the long grass, listening to a hulking veteran,lop-eared and scarred from nose to haunch -- none other than Bigwig, captain ofa very free-and-easy Owsla. These were the bucks of Clover's litter and a likely lotthey looked.
"Oh, no, no, no, no," Bigwig was saying. "Oh, my wings and beak, that won'tdo! You -- what's your name -- Scabious -- look, I'm a cat and I see you down atthe bottom of my garden chewing up the lettuces. Now, what do I do? Do I comewalking up the middle of the path waving my tail? Well, do I?""Please, sir, I've never seen a cat," said the young rabbit.
"No, you haven't yet," admitted the gallant captain. "Well, a cat is a horriblething with a long tail. It's covered with fur and has bristling whiskers and when itfights it makes fierce, spiteful noises. It's cunning, see?""Oh, yes, sir," answered the young rabbit. After a pause, he said politely, "Er --you lost your tail?""Will you tell us about the fight in the storm, sir?" asked one of the otherrabbits, "and the tunnel of water?""Yes, later on," said the relentless trainer. "Now look, I'm a cat, right? I'masleep in the sun, right? And you're going to get past me, right? Now then--""They pull his leg, you know," said Silver, "but they'd do anything for him."Holly and Groundsel had gone underground and Silver and Hazel moved outonce more into the sun.
"I think we all would," replied Hazel. "If it hadn't been for him that day, thedog would have come too late. Woundwort and his lot wouldn't have been aboveground. They'd have been down below, finishing what they'd come to do.""He beat Woundwort, you know," said Silver. "He had him beat before the dogcame. That was what I was going to say just now, but it was as well I didn't, Isuppose.""I wonder how they're getting on with that winter burrow down the hill," saidHazel. "We're going to need it when the hard weather comes. That hole in the roofof the Honeycomb doesn't help at all. It'll close up naturally one day, I suppose,but meanwhile it's a confounded nuisance.""Here come the burrow-diggers, anyway," said Silver.
Pipkin and Bluebell came over the crest, together with three or four of thedoes.
"Ah ha, ah ha, O Hazel-rah," said Bluebell. "The burrow's snug, it hath beendug, t'is free from beetle, worm and slug. And in the snow, when down we go--""Then what a lot to you we'll owe," said Hazel. "I mean it, too. The holes areconcealed, are they?""Just like Efrafa, I should think," said Bluebell. "As a matter of fact, I broughtone up with me to show you. You can't see it, can you? No -- well, there you are. Isay, just look at old Bigwig with those youngsters over there. You know, if he wentback to Efrafa now they couldn't decide which Mark to put him in, could they?
He's got them all.""Come over to the evening side of the wood with us, Hazel-rah?" said Pipkin.
"We came up early on purpose to have a bit of sunshine before it gets dark.""All right," answered Hazel good-naturedly. "We've just come back from there,Silver and I, but I don't mind slipping over again for a bit.""Let's go out to that little hollow where we found Kehaar that morning," saidSilver. "It'll be out of the wind. D'you remember how he cursed at us and tried topeck us?""And the worms we carried?" said Bluebell. "Don't forget them."As they came near the hollow they could hear that it was not empty. Evidentlysome of the other rabbits had had the same idea.
"Let's see how close we can get before they spot us," said Silver. "Real Campionstyle -- come on."They approached very quietly, upwind from the north. Peeping over the edge,they saw Vilthuril and her litter of four lying in the sun. Their mother was tellingthe young rabbits a story.
"So after they had swum the river," said Vilthuril, "El-ahrairah led his peopleon in the dark, through a wild, lonely place. Some of them were afraid, but heknew the way and in the morning he brought them safely to some green fields,very beautiful, with good, sweet grass. And here they found a warren; a warrenthat was bewitched. All the rabbits in this warren were in the power of a wickedspell. They wore shining collars round their necks and sang like the birds andsome of them could fly. But for all they looked so fine, their hearts were dark andtharn. So then El-ahrairah's people said, 'Ah, see, these are the wonderful rabbitsof Prince Rainbow. They are like princes themselves. We will live with them andbecome princes, too.'"Vilthuril looked up and saw the newcomers. She paused for a moment andthen went on.
"But Frith came to Rabscuttle in a dream and warned him that that warren wasenchanted. And he dug into the ground to find where the spell was buried. Deephe dug, and hard was the search, but at last he found that wicked spell anddragged it out. So they all fled from it, but it turned into a great rat and flew at El-ahrairah. Then El-ahrairah fought the rat, up and down, and at last he held it,pinned under his claws, and it turned into a great white bird which spoke to himand blessed him.""I seem to know this story," whispered Hazel, "but I can't remember where I'veheard it."Bluebell sat up and scratched his neck with his hind leg. The little rabbitsturned round at the interruption and in a moment had tumbled up the side of thehollow, squeaking "Hazel-rah! Hazel-rah!" and jumping on Hazel from all sides.
"Here, wait a minute," said Hazel, cuffing them off. "I didn't come here to getmixed up in a fight with a lot of roughs like you! Let's hear the rest of the story.""But there's a man coming on a horse, Hazel-rah," said one of the youngrabbits. "Oughtn't we to run into the wood?""How can you tell?" asked Hazel. "I can't hear anything.""Neither can I," said Silver, listening with his ears up.
The little rabbit looked puzzled.
"I don't know how, Hazel-rah," he answered, "but I'm sure I'm not mistaken."They waited for some little time, while the red sun sank lower. At last, just asVilthuril was about to go on with the story, they heard hooves on the turf and thehorseman appeared from the west, cantering easily along the track towardCannon Heath Down.
"He won't bother us," said Silver. "No need to run: he'll just go by. You're afunny chap, though, young Threar, to spot him so far off.""He's always doing things like that," said Vilthuril. "The other day he told mewhat a river looked like and said he'd seen it in a dream. It's Fiver's blood, youknow. It's only to be expected with Fiver's blood.""Fiver's blood?" said Hazel. "Well, as long as we've got some of that I dare saywe'll be all right. But, you know, it's turning chilly here, isn't it? Come on, let's godown, and hear the rest of that story in a good, warm burrow. Look, there's Fiverover on the bank now. Who's going to get to him first?"A few minutes later there was not a rabbit to be seen on the down. The sunsank below Ladle Hill and the autumn stars began to shine in the darkening east-- Perseus and the Pleiades, Cassiopeia, faint Pisces and the great square ofPegasus. The wind freshened, and soon myriads of dry beech leaves were fillingthe ditches and hollows and blowing in gusts across the dark miles of open grass.
Underground, the story continued.
EpilogueHe did look farInto the service of the time, and wasDiscipled of the bravest: he lasted long,But on us both did haggish age steal on,And wore us out of act....
Shakespeare, All's Well That Ends WellHe was part of my dream, of course -- but then I was part of his dream, too.
Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking-Glass"And what happened in the end?" asks the reader who has followed Hazel andhis comrades in all their adventures and returned with them at last to the warrenwhere Fiver brought them from the fields of Sandleford. The wise Mr. Lockley hastold us that wild rabbits live for two or three years. He knows everything aboutrabbits: but all the same, Hazel lived longer than that. He lived a tidy fewsummers -- as they say in that part of the world -- and learned to know well thechanges of the downs to spring, to winter and to spring again. He saw more youngrabbits than he could remember. And sometimes, when they told tales on a sunnyevening by the beech trees, he could not clearly recall whether they were abouthimself or about some other rabbit hero of days gone by.
The warren prospered and so, in the fullness of time, did the new warren onthe Belt, half Watership and half Efrafan -- the warren that Hazel had firstenvisaged on that terrible evening when he set out alone to face GeneralWoundwort and try to save his friends against all odds. Groundsel was the firstChief Rabbit; but he had Strawberry and Buckthorn to give him advice and he hadlearned better than to mark anyone or to order more than a very occasional WidePatrol. Campion readily agreed to send some rabbits from Efrafa and the firstparty was led by none other than Captain Avens, who acted sensibly and made avery good job of it.
General Woundwort was never seen again. But it was certainly true, asGroundsel said, that no one ever found his body, so it may perhaps be that, afterall, that extraordinary rabbit really did wander away to live his fierce lifesomewhere else and to defy the elil as resourcefully as ever. Kehaar, who wasonce asked if he would look out for him in his flights over the downs, merelyreplied, "Dat damn rabbit -- I no see 'im, I no vant I see 'im." Before many monthshad passed, no one on Watership knew or particularly cared to know whether hehimself or his mate was descended from one or two Efrafan parents or from noneat all. Hazel was glad that it should be so. And yet there endured the legend thatsomewhere out over the down there lived a great and solitary rabbit, a giant whodrove the elil like mice and sometimes went to silflay in the sky. If ever greatdanger arose, he would come back to fight for those who honored his name. Andmother rabbits would tell their kittens that if they did not do as they were told,the General would get them -- the General who was first cousin to the BlackRabbit himself. Such was Woundwort's monument: and perhaps it would nothave displeased him.
One chilly, blustery morning in March, I cannot tell exactly how many springslater, Hazel was dozing and waking in his burrow. He had spent a good deal oftime there lately, for he felt the cold and could not seem to smell or run so well asin days gone by. He had been dreaming in a confused way -- something about rainand elder bloom -- when he woke to realize that there was a rabbit lying quietlybeside him -- no doubt some young buck who had come to ask his advice. Thesentry in the run outside should not really have let him in without asking first.
Never mind, thought Hazel. He raised his head and said, "Do you want to talk tome?""Yes, that's what I've come for," replied the other. "You know me, don't you?""Yes, of course," said Hazel, hoping he would be able to remember his name ina moment. Then he saw that in the darkness of the burrow the stranger's earswere shining with a faint silver light. "Yes, my lord," he said, "Yes, I know you.""You've been feeling tired," said the stranger, "but I can do something aboutthat. I've come to ask whether you'd care to join my Owsla. We shall be glad tohave you and you'll enjoy it. If you're ready, we might go along now."They went out past the young sentry, who paid the visitor no attention. Thesun was shining and in spite of the cold there were a few bucks and does at silflay,keeping out of the wind as they nibbled the shoots of spring grass. It seemed toHazel that he would not be needing his body any more, so he left it lying on theedge of the ditch, but stopped for a moment to watch his rabbits and to try to getused to the extraordinary feeling that strength and speed were flowinginexhaustibly out of him into their sleek young bodies and healthy senses.
"You needn't worry about them," said his companion. "They'll be all right --and thousands like them. If you'll come along, I'll show you what I mean."He reached the top of the bank in a single, powerful leap. Hazel followed; andtogether they slipped away, running easily down through the wood, where thefirst primroses were beginning to bloom.
Lapine GlossaryBob-stones A traditional game among rabbits.
Crixa, the The center of Efrafa, at the crossing point of two bridle paths.
Efrafa The name of the warren founded by General Woundwort.
El-ahrairah The rabbit folk hero. The name (Elil-hrair-rah) means"Enemies-Thousand-Prince" = the Prince with a Thousand Enemies.
Elil Enemies (of rabbits).
Embleer Stinking, e.g. the smell of a fox.
Flay Food, e.g. grass or other green fodder.
Flayrah Unusually good food, e.g. lettuce.
Frith The sun, personified as a god by rabbits. Frithrah! = the lordSun -- used as an exclamation.
Fu Inlé After moonrise.
Hlao Any dimple or depression in the grass, such as that formedby a daisy plant or thistle, which can hold moisture. The name of a rabbit.
Hlao-roo "Little Hlao." An affectionate diminutive of the name ofHlao, one of the rabbits in the story.
Hlessi A rabbit living above ground, without a regular hole orwarren. A wandering rabbit, living in the open. (Plural, hlessil.)Homba A fox. (Plural, hombil.)Hrair A great many; an uncountable number; any number overfour. U Hrair = The Thousand (enemies).
Hrairoo "Little Thousand." The name of Fiver in Lapine.
Hraka Droppings, excreta.
Hrududu A tractor, car or any motor vehicle. (Plural, hrududil.)Hyzenthlay Literally, "Shine-dew-fur" = Fur shining like dew. Thename of a doe.
Inlé Literally, the moon; also moonrise. But a second meaningcarries the idea of darkness, fear and death.
Lendri A badger.
Marli A doe. Also carries the meaning "mother."M'saion "We meet them."Narn Nice, pleasant (to eat).
Ni-Frith Noon.
Nildro-hain "Blackbird's Song." The name of a doe.
Owsla The strongest rabbits in a warren, the ruling clique.
Owslafa The Council police (a word found only in Efrafa).
Pfeffa A cat.
Rah A prince, leader or chief rabbit. Usually used as a suffix. E.g.
Threarah = Lord Threar.
Roo Used as a suffix to denote a diminutive. E.g. Hrairoo.
Sayn Groundsel.
Silf Outside, that is, not underground.
Silflay To go above ground to feed. Literally, to feed outside. Alsoused as a noun.
Tharn Stupefied, distraught, hypnotized with fear. But can also, incertain contexts, mean "looking foolish," or again "heartbroken" or "forlorn."Thethuthinnang "Movement of Leaves." The name of a doe.
Thlay Fur.
Thlayli "Fur-head." A nickname.
Threar A rowan tree, or mountain ash.
Vair To excrete, pass droppings.
Yona A hedgehog. (Plural, yonil.)Zorn Destroyed, murdered. Denotes a catastrophe.
Grateful acknowledgment is made to the following publishers, agents andother copyright holders for permission to reprint copyrighted material:
"The Witnesses," Copyright 1945 by W.H. Auden; reprinted from CollectedShorter Poems 1927-1957, by W.H. Auden, by permission of Random House, Inc.,and Faber and Faber Ltd.
The Ascent of F6 by W.H. Auden and Christopher Isherwood, Copyright 1936,1937 and renewed 1964 by W.H. Auden and Christopher Isherwood; reprinted bypermission of Random House, Inc., and Curtis Brown, Ltd.
"The Pilgrim," "Dame Hickory," and "Napoleon" by Walter de la Marereprinted by permission of The Literary Trustees of Walter de la Mare and TheSociety of Authors as their representative.
"Two Fusiliers" from Fairies and Fusiliers by Robert Graves, Copyright ? 1917by Robert Graves. All rights reserved; reprinted by permission of Collins-Knowlton-Wing, Inc.
"Who's in the Next Room?" from Collected Poems of Thomas Hardy, Copyright1925 by Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc.; reprinted by permission of MacmillanPublishing Co., Inc., Macmillan Co. of Canada Ltd., the Trustees of the HardyEstate and Macmillan, London and Basingstoke.
"Hurt Hawks," Copyright 1928 and renewed 1956 by Robinson Jeffers,reprinted from The Selected Poetry of Robinson Jeffers by permission of RandomHouse, Inc.
"Fern Hill" from The Poems of Dylan Thomas, Copyright 1946 by NewDirections Publishing Corporation, reprinted by permission of New DirectionsPublishing Corporation, J.M. Dent & Sons Ltd., and the Trustees for theCopyrights of the late Dylan Thomas.
"A Woman Young and Old" from The Collected Poems of W.B. Yeats,Copyright 1933 by Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., renewed 1961 by BerthaGeorgia Yeats; reprinted by permission of Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., M.B.
Yeats and Macmillan Co. of Canada Ltd.
Richard Adams is the author of many bestselling novels, includingWatership Down (1972), Shardik (1974), The Plague Dogs (1977), The Girl in aSwing (1980), Maia (1984), and Traveller (1988), as well as several works ofnonfiction, including his autobiographical The Day Gone By (1991). He and hiswife live in the south of England.

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