Blackberry's Christmas
A Watership Down fan fiction by Bill Welch
Legal Notice, Lapine Vocabulary, and Chapter 1
Legal Notice
This Watership Down fan fiction ("Blackberry's Christmas") was completed in December 2000 by Bill Welch.
This fan fiction is based on the concepts and characters of the novel "Watership Down", (c) 1972 by Richard Adams. The characters of Blackberry, Hazel, Fiver, Vilthuril, Bigwig, Dandelion, Bluebell, Clover, Boxwood, Haystack, Laurel, Kehaar, General Woundwort, the Black Rabbit of Inlé, Frith, El-ahrairah, Bob, and the Cane family are copyrighted to Richard Adams. Ginger is based on a nameless cat in Adams' novel. Other characters were created by Bill Welch for this fan fiction. Any resemblance of characters in this fan fiction to any persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
The author of this fan fiction (Bill Welch) is not affiliated with either "Watership Down" or Richard Adams. The author of this fan fiction (Bill Welch) will not accept any form of financial compensation for this fan fiction
This fan fiction is in the public domain and can be reproduced without the author's consent, provided the following five conditions are met:
a) This Legal Notice is to accompany any and all reproductions of this fan fiction.
b) This Legal Notice is not to be subtracted from, added to, or edited in any form.
c) This fan fiction is not to be purchased or sold at any price.
d) The text of this fan fiction is not to be subtracted from, added to, or edited in any form.
e) Illustration(s) may accompany reproductions of this fan fiction provided that no person demands or receives a fee for said illustration(s), the said illustration(s) can legally be viewed by persons of any age, the said illustration(s) are within the context of said fan fiction, and any text appearing in/with said illustration(s) also appears in the text of said fan fiction. The artist's name/signature, the date of creation of said illustration(s), and an artist copyright notice may accompany said illustration(s).
If there is a situation where any of these five conditions are not met for any reason, then this fan fiction is not to be reproduced in said situation.
The author of this fan fiction (Bill Welch) reserves the sole right to edit the text of this Legal Notice and the text of this fan fiction in exception to conditions b) and d).
This Legal Notice is effective as of 12:00 P.M. Mountain Standard Time, Saturday, December 2, 2000 and has no expiry date.
Other Credits:
The Vanderbilt News Archive at the URL was used as a reference.
Special thanks to Kaia Vaught and Daniel Slatford for their help with editing and bettering the story.
End of Legal Notice Text
Lapine Vocabulary
Black Rabbit (of Inlé) = the rabbit who comes to claim those who die
Bobstones = rabbit guessing game (number and nature of pebbles covered by paws)
Efrafa = a hostile rabbit warren that was a virtual police state and that was run by General Woundwort
El-Ahrairah = rabbit folk hero
Elil = enemy of a rabbit (predator)
Embleer = stinking (smell of fox) - can be used as a curse
Flay = normal food (grass)
Flayrah = good food
Frith = the sun, rabbit god
Fu-Inlé = night time (after Inlé rises)
Hawk = any bird of prey
Hlessi = a rabbit without a warren to call home (plural is hlessil)
Homba = fox (plural is hombil)
Hrair = thousand; any number over four
Hraka = droppings - can be used as a curse
Hrududu = any motor vehicle (plural is hrududil)
Inlé = moon
Iron Road = railroad
Marli = mother rabbit
Ni-Frith = noon
Owsla = a rabbit warren's defence unit
Pfeffa = cat
Pylon Line = power lines
Rah = leader, Chief Rabbit
Silf = outdoors, on surface of ground (out of burrows)
Silflay = eat outside
Stop Running = die
Tharn = state of shock and paralysis
Zorn = destroyed, murdered
Chapter One - The Yarrow
"Frith and Inlé, Blackberry, will this never end? We shall be suffocated if this snow gets any deeper!"
Bigwig was barely able to keep his head clear of the rapidly-building blanket of snow. It was accumulating on his fur and whiskers, and he had to continually shake his head to clear it away. Blackberry was even worse off. He wouldn't have been able to make much progress at all, were he not following Bigwig's track.
"I have an idea, Bigwig. Let's get to that road and follow it for a way. I'm sure the snow-eating hrududu has taken the snow off of it; otherwise the other hrududil won't be able to run. It'll be faster going for us; at least we can get closer to the warren before having to go back into this."
Bigwig growled and drew on his greater Owsla experience. "That might be dangerous. It'll be faster going for us, but also for any elil that like to stalk the roads."
"I wouldn't expect any elil to be out in this weather," assured Blackberry, "Besides, we can't be home before it's completely dark now. And, I can sense that the storm is almost past us. On a clear night in deep snow, we really will be easy prey from the ground or the air." He paused, then urged, "Come on, let's go, then."
Bigwig hesitated for a moment, then looked up at the thick swirl of heavy, wet snowflakes cascading towards the ground in the failing light. "We should have listened to Fiver," he muttered, "When shall I learn to trust him?"
"Well, I guess we really thought he was delirious with his fever," Blackberry replied, "But, you're right, we should have heeded him. I guess this expedition seemed too important."
"Too embleer easy," added Bigwig, with growing frustration in his voice.
In reality, their expedition was for Fiver himself. Only days ago, when the worst spell of cold and snow of the winter had set in, Fiver had caught what seemed like a bad cold, but that soon turned into a high, burning fever. He was now unable to leave his burrow, and was under the constant watch of Vilthuril, his mate. It was Blackberry's idea to set out that morning to find any plants that may have any medicinal qualities - even when not in the lush green of summer - under the snow. Bigwig accompanied him for protection should they meet any elil on the way.
They had wandered quite some distance toward where the sun rises, but had planned on being back before dark. The going had been quick earlier in the day, when the windswept snow provided a hardened crust to support their weight. However, by dusk, the older snow was buried in a substantial blanket of wet snow. This new snow couldn't support the rabbits' weight, and served as a frozen quagmire which greatly impeded their progress.
Their mission had met with some success. Blackberry had sniffed out some yarrow by a river, and after some clawing and biting, the rabbits had freed from the ice what they hoped would be enough to help their friend.
"Well, are we going to the road or not?" Blackberry looked expectantly at Bigwig, as it was Bigwig that would be breaking the trail through the snow.
Bigwig wordlessly began to plow ahead through the snow in a new direction.
There was little light left by the time they reached the road. Just as Blackberry had said, the snow-eating hrududu had already been by, leaving the surface of the road virtually clear. The two rabbits set off quickly down the road, remaining ready to dash into the snowbound ditch at the slightest danger. After some time, they decided that they were as close to their home as they were going to get from the road. They would now have to return to the snowy fields.
Blackberry's strategy had succeeded. They would be back at Hazel's warren before the moon reached its highest peak. The moon was already visible as a disc behind a veil of parting clouds which were illuminated as though the moon were inside of them. Still, snow continued to fall, though at a lessened rate. It wouldn't be long before the air was completely clear and the hunters of the air and the ground would be active again.
"Let's leave the road now," said Blackberry. Just then, both rabbits paused and turned to look up the road.
The sound of the hrududu was evident even before the light beams of its glowing eyes stabbed upward into the lightening snowfall as it wound around a curve and rapidly climbed the opposite side of the hill from the rabbits.
"Stay by the side; don't move," cautioned Bigwig, "Trust me - it will go right by. They have no interest in us. They might not even be alive to see us; sometimes I wonder. How can a living thing move so quickly?"
Blackberry complied as the hrududu broke over the edge of the hill and began roaring down the road, straight towards them. The noise and light grew rapidly so that it seemed that the hrududu was indeed angry, and was about to strike them down. But, Bigwig remained still, and cautioned Blackberry to do likewise.
After what seemed an eternity, the giant creature rushed past them, kicking up a wind that whipped stinging snow into their faces and scattered the leaves that Blackberry had dropped out of his fear. The dark seemed more intense with the sudden absence of the piercing light, and the air fell silent.
"Embleer hrududu," grumbled Blackberry as he regained his composure. Half- blinded, he snuffled around the road to find as many of the leaves as he could. He was concentrating on his search, and barely heard Bigwig's urgent warning, and didn't at all hear the cause for the alarm.
Suddenly, blinding light again fell on them. Bigwig was still at the side of the road, but Blackberry was right in the middle of the road - and now he was stricken tharn by the angry lights and roar of this second monster. Bigwig could only watch helplessly as the next events unfolded.
Time seemed to stand still as the hrududu bore down on the petrified rabbit. Still, it was slowing as if it was afraid of rabbits, but when Blackberry regained his senses just then and tried to leap clear, he was struck by the front edge of the hrududu with a sickening thud. He was sent through the air some distance, tumbling along the road and into the bank of snow at the edge of the ditch. The hrududu itself continued down the road for some distance and finally stopped. Its eye-lights illuminated the snow in front of it with a glow more intense than Frith himself.
As a man got out of the hrududu, Bigwig crouched into the snow bank as best he could, but the human took no notice of him. The man seemed to be looking for something - perhaps Blackberry himself. A very young-looking human boy - probably the man's son - got out and ran over to where Blackberry was lying. The boy seemed upset as far as Bigwig could tell, although Bigwig couldn't guess why.
Yet another hrududu appeared from the same direction as the other two. This one came to a halt on the road just behind the other, and another man got out. Bigwig now ignored the hrududil and the men, and concentrated on the boy who was threatening his friend. He considered attacking the boy, but he then realized that this would be futile. If Blackberry was injured, he wouldn't be able to escape on his own. All Bigwig could do was wait and watch with increasing agony.
Bigwig suddenly focused his attention to the men again. The father called to the boy, who had spent the entire time poring over Blackberry. The boy picked him up, much to Bigwig's horror. The father seemed to be upset again, and the boy burst into tears. At this the second man walked over took Blackberry into his hands. After a quick look-over, he gave Blackberry back to the boy, who seemed happy again. Then, the humans all got back into their hrududil. To Bigwig's distress, the boy took Blackberry with him. The hrududil promptly roared back to life and slowly, over what seemed an eternity, disappeared down the road. Darkness and silence again fell upon the scene.
Bigwig, sick with grief, made his way over to where Blackberry had been lying. Fresh blood stained the snow, and Blackberry's scent mingled with that of the humans. After a few moments of shock and disbelief, Bigwig realized more fully what had happened. "My heart has joined the thousand, for my friend stopped running today," mumbled Bigwig. After a minute of further pondering the dire event that had just occurred, he made his way back towards home, carrying his share of the yarrow, and the terrible news that he now had to break to the others.
*** Friday, December 20, 1968
"Well, Josh, you made one great innkeeper tonight. I sure am proud of you." Greg Whitting, a high school teacher in Newbury, was returning to his home in Kingsclere with his wife, Karen, and their son Josh, their only child. They had been in Overton to attend a Christmas play put on by Josh's elementary school. Josh, seven years old and in the second grade, had been a very dramatic innkeeper..
It was Josh's first time in the play, and he had had only one line in the whole play - "There is no room at the inn". But, he had delivered it with as much professionalism as a seven-year-old could muster (he had still waved at his parents in the crowd much to the chagrin of the play's director). As far as Josh was concerned, he was a star now.
Josh had looked forward to the whole event with much enthusiasm. He had decided that he was going to be an actor when he grew up. In fact, a few weeks previously, he had dressed up as a fireman for the family's annual home fire drill. The only reason that they had had that drill was because Greg's father was a retired firefighter, who made annual visits to his children and grandchildren, and made sure there was a fire drill each time he was there. Josh had loved playing that role out, too.
Playing in the Christmas play had served not only to broaden Josh's experience, but to help take his mind off of the recent unfortunate death of his puppy, Rascal. According to the town vet, Mr. Clifton, it had died of a heart defect. Josh had been crushed, and his parents were considering getting another puppy for him for Christmas.
"I can't wait for Christmas, Daddy," piped up Josh.
His father had been thinking the same thing about this day. Finally, Christmas break had arrived - twelve days off while the high school was closed for Christmas was always welcome relief for Greg, although he did have to grade some papers during that time. The weeks before Christmas were always busy ones: taking Josh to and from practice for the play, decorating the house and garden, and attending various Christmas events and parties.
To help make the busyness easier to handle, he and his wife had finished their Christmas shopping in November - well ahead of the main holiday shopping crunch. They had the gifts wrapped in the store, so that when Josh eventually would find the hidden gifts, he still wouldn't know what they were. The presents weren't to come out until the tree was put up.
"Slow down, dear - the road is getting icy," cautioned Karen.
The drive back had been made somewhat treacherous by a snowstorm which had buried the area for most of the day. The roads had been plowed, but still were slick. Greg was already doing well under the speed limit, but just to satisfy his wife's fears, he slowed down a few more miles per hour.
As the car topped yet another hill, the ever-watchful wife blurted out, "Watch out for that rabbit, dear." Indeed, a rabbit was right in the middle of the road, sniffing about for something. Greg didn't want to run down an animal if he could help it, especially with his animal-loving son in the car, and he wasn't able to swerve thanks to the tire grooves in the snow. He applied the brakes as much as he dared without losing control of the car. The tires didn't catch enough though, and the car obviously wasn't going to stop before running over the rabbit.
The rabbit tried jumping out of the way at the last second, but it was clipped by the front of the car. Greg didn't see where it ended up after that, and Josh gasped at the prospect of a rabbit being killed.
After the car was stopped, Greg muttered, "That bloody rabbit!". He was going to just drive on, but then felt that he should at least check to make sure there was no damage to the car. The headlights were still working, but the glass could have been cracked.
"We hit it - I heard it!" said Josh, looking back on the road.
"Well, I hope it's dead," grumbled Greg, getting out of the car to see if there was indeed any damage.
While Greg was out looking at the front of the car, Josh shouted, "I see it!", then got out and ran to the other side of the road. He knelt down beside the rabbit that had just been hit by the car, to see if it was still alive, but he couldn't tell. He remembered some rudimentary first aid from his grandfather, so he didn't move it at all, but covered a cut on the rabbit's head with some tissues.
While Josh tended to the unconscious rabbit, Greg was satisfied that the rabbit had done no damage. He was about to call Josh back to the car when another car appeared over the hill, slowed, and stopped behind the Whitting's car.
"Need a hand, Greg?" It was Mr. Clifton, the vet.
"Nay, just hit a bloody rabbit," replied Greg, "I'm just about to be off again. Thanks anyhow, Jack."
"I was just coming back from that play," replied the vet, "And a fine job your little one did. You should be proud of him."
"Aye, I am; Josh is going to be performing for the Queen someday."
Jack concurred, "I wouldn't be surprised. He's got natural talent, I can tell."
"Thank you." Greg paused. "Well, we've got to get home to dinner," said Greg, then called over to Josh, "Come on now, Josh, leave that bloody thing alone and let's go."
"But, Daddy, it's still alive. Can't I keep it?"
"Keep it! Are you daft? It's dead, can't you see? And I don't want one of those filthy things as a pet! They're wild animals!"
At this Josh promptly looked at the rabbit and burst into tears.
Jack walked over and took the rabbit from Josh. "There, there, lad, let me see it." He felt around for broken bones, and observed some blood on its head. "Looks like a concussion of sorts to me. It'll be fine again with some rest." He gave the rabbit back to the boy, and called out, "No, Greg, it is alive."
"Please, Daddy, please?"
"I'm sure it'll be fine to take it home, Greg," said Karen, who was now poking her head out of the car, "Besides, with Rascal gone, we could use a pet."
Greg rolled his eyes and sighed. "Oh, all right, you can keep it for now," he conceded, "But if we have any trouble with it, we're getting rid of it."
With that, Josh giggled with delight, bounded over to the car with his new friend and got in. Jack and Greg also got back in their cars. "I mean it, Josh, any trouble and it's gone," Greg repeated as he drove along the road again behind Jack.
"Don't worry, Daddy, he'll make a good pet."
"I'm sure he'll grow on us, dear," added Karen.
Greg simply mumbled something and drove on.
A Watership Down fan fiction by Bill Welch
Legal Notice, Lapine Vocabulary, and Chapter 1
Legal Notice
This Watership Down fan fiction ("Blackberry's Christmas") was completed in December 2000 by Bill Welch.
This fan fiction is based on the concepts and characters of the novel "Watership Down", (c) 1972 by Richard Adams. The characters of Blackberry, Hazel, Fiver, Vilthuril, Bigwig, Dandelion, Bluebell, Clover, Boxwood, Haystack, Laurel, Kehaar, General Woundwort, the Black Rabbit of Inlé, Frith, El-ahrairah, Bob, and the Cane family are copyrighted to Richard Adams. Ginger is based on a nameless cat in Adams' novel. Other characters were created by Bill Welch for this fan fiction. Any resemblance of characters in this fan fiction to any persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
The author of this fan fiction (Bill Welch) is not affiliated with either "Watership Down" or Richard Adams. The author of this fan fiction (Bill Welch) will not accept any form of financial compensation for this fan fiction
This fan fiction is in the public domain and can be reproduced without the author's consent, provided the following five conditions are met:
a) This Legal Notice is to accompany any and all reproductions of this fan fiction.
b) This Legal Notice is not to be subtracted from, added to, or edited in any form.
c) This fan fiction is not to be purchased or sold at any price.
d) The text of this fan fiction is not to be subtracted from, added to, or edited in any form.
e) Illustration(s) may accompany reproductions of this fan fiction provided that no person demands or receives a fee for said illustration(s), the said illustration(s) can legally be viewed by persons of any age, the said illustration(s) are within the context of said fan fiction, and any text appearing in/with said illustration(s) also appears in the text of said fan fiction. The artist's name/signature, the date of creation of said illustration(s), and an artist copyright notice may accompany said illustration(s).
If there is a situation where any of these five conditions are not met for any reason, then this fan fiction is not to be reproduced in said situation.
The author of this fan fiction (Bill Welch) reserves the sole right to edit the text of this Legal Notice and the text of this fan fiction in exception to conditions b) and d).
This Legal Notice is effective as of 12:00 P.M. Mountain Standard Time, Saturday, December 2, 2000 and has no expiry date.
Other Credits:
The Vanderbilt News Archive at the URL was used as a reference.
Special thanks to Kaia Vaught and Daniel Slatford for their help with editing and bettering the story.
End of Legal Notice Text
Lapine Vocabulary
Black Rabbit (of Inlé) = the rabbit who comes to claim those who die
Bobstones = rabbit guessing game (number and nature of pebbles covered by paws)
Efrafa = a hostile rabbit warren that was a virtual police state and that was run by General Woundwort
El-Ahrairah = rabbit folk hero
Elil = enemy of a rabbit (predator)
Embleer = stinking (smell of fox) - can be used as a curse
Flay = normal food (grass)
Flayrah = good food
Frith = the sun, rabbit god
Fu-Inlé = night time (after Inlé rises)
Hawk = any bird of prey
Hlessi = a rabbit without a warren to call home (plural is hlessil)
Homba = fox (plural is hombil)
Hrair = thousand; any number over four
Hraka = droppings - can be used as a curse
Hrududu = any motor vehicle (plural is hrududil)
Inlé = moon
Iron Road = railroad
Marli = mother rabbit
Ni-Frith = noon
Owsla = a rabbit warren's defence unit
Pfeffa = cat
Pylon Line = power lines
Rah = leader, Chief Rabbit
Silf = outdoors, on surface of ground (out of burrows)
Silflay = eat outside
Stop Running = die
Tharn = state of shock and paralysis
Zorn = destroyed, murdered
Chapter One - The Yarrow
"Frith and Inlé, Blackberry, will this never end? We shall be suffocated if this snow gets any deeper!"
Bigwig was barely able to keep his head clear of the rapidly-building blanket of snow. It was accumulating on his fur and whiskers, and he had to continually shake his head to clear it away. Blackberry was even worse off. He wouldn't have been able to make much progress at all, were he not following Bigwig's track.
"I have an idea, Bigwig. Let's get to that road and follow it for a way. I'm sure the snow-eating hrududu has taken the snow off of it; otherwise the other hrududil won't be able to run. It'll be faster going for us; at least we can get closer to the warren before having to go back into this."
Bigwig growled and drew on his greater Owsla experience. "That might be dangerous. It'll be faster going for us, but also for any elil that like to stalk the roads."
"I wouldn't expect any elil to be out in this weather," assured Blackberry, "Besides, we can't be home before it's completely dark now. And, I can sense that the storm is almost past us. On a clear night in deep snow, we really will be easy prey from the ground or the air." He paused, then urged, "Come on, let's go, then."
Bigwig hesitated for a moment, then looked up at the thick swirl of heavy, wet snowflakes cascading towards the ground in the failing light. "We should have listened to Fiver," he muttered, "When shall I learn to trust him?"
"Well, I guess we really thought he was delirious with his fever," Blackberry replied, "But, you're right, we should have heeded him. I guess this expedition seemed too important."
"Too embleer easy," added Bigwig, with growing frustration in his voice.
In reality, their expedition was for Fiver himself. Only days ago, when the worst spell of cold and snow of the winter had set in, Fiver had caught what seemed like a bad cold, but that soon turned into a high, burning fever. He was now unable to leave his burrow, and was under the constant watch of Vilthuril, his mate. It was Blackberry's idea to set out that morning to find any plants that may have any medicinal qualities - even when not in the lush green of summer - under the snow. Bigwig accompanied him for protection should they meet any elil on the way.
They had wandered quite some distance toward where the sun rises, but had planned on being back before dark. The going had been quick earlier in the day, when the windswept snow provided a hardened crust to support their weight. However, by dusk, the older snow was buried in a substantial blanket of wet snow. This new snow couldn't support the rabbits' weight, and served as a frozen quagmire which greatly impeded their progress.
Their mission had met with some success. Blackberry had sniffed out some yarrow by a river, and after some clawing and biting, the rabbits had freed from the ice what they hoped would be enough to help their friend.
"Well, are we going to the road or not?" Blackberry looked expectantly at Bigwig, as it was Bigwig that would be breaking the trail through the snow.
Bigwig wordlessly began to plow ahead through the snow in a new direction.
There was little light left by the time they reached the road. Just as Blackberry had said, the snow-eating hrududu had already been by, leaving the surface of the road virtually clear. The two rabbits set off quickly down the road, remaining ready to dash into the snowbound ditch at the slightest danger. After some time, they decided that they were as close to their home as they were going to get from the road. They would now have to return to the snowy fields.
Blackberry's strategy had succeeded. They would be back at Hazel's warren before the moon reached its highest peak. The moon was already visible as a disc behind a veil of parting clouds which were illuminated as though the moon were inside of them. Still, snow continued to fall, though at a lessened rate. It wouldn't be long before the air was completely clear and the hunters of the air and the ground would be active again.
"Let's leave the road now," said Blackberry. Just then, both rabbits paused and turned to look up the road.
The sound of the hrududu was evident even before the light beams of its glowing eyes stabbed upward into the lightening snowfall as it wound around a curve and rapidly climbed the opposite side of the hill from the rabbits.
"Stay by the side; don't move," cautioned Bigwig, "Trust me - it will go right by. They have no interest in us. They might not even be alive to see us; sometimes I wonder. How can a living thing move so quickly?"
Blackberry complied as the hrududu broke over the edge of the hill and began roaring down the road, straight towards them. The noise and light grew rapidly so that it seemed that the hrududu was indeed angry, and was about to strike them down. But, Bigwig remained still, and cautioned Blackberry to do likewise.
After what seemed an eternity, the giant creature rushed past them, kicking up a wind that whipped stinging snow into their faces and scattered the leaves that Blackberry had dropped out of his fear. The dark seemed more intense with the sudden absence of the piercing light, and the air fell silent.
"Embleer hrududu," grumbled Blackberry as he regained his composure. Half- blinded, he snuffled around the road to find as many of the leaves as he could. He was concentrating on his search, and barely heard Bigwig's urgent warning, and didn't at all hear the cause for the alarm.
Suddenly, blinding light again fell on them. Bigwig was still at the side of the road, but Blackberry was right in the middle of the road - and now he was stricken tharn by the angry lights and roar of this second monster. Bigwig could only watch helplessly as the next events unfolded.
Time seemed to stand still as the hrududu bore down on the petrified rabbit. Still, it was slowing as if it was afraid of rabbits, but when Blackberry regained his senses just then and tried to leap clear, he was struck by the front edge of the hrududu with a sickening thud. He was sent through the air some distance, tumbling along the road and into the bank of snow at the edge of the ditch. The hrududu itself continued down the road for some distance and finally stopped. Its eye-lights illuminated the snow in front of it with a glow more intense than Frith himself.
As a man got out of the hrududu, Bigwig crouched into the snow bank as best he could, but the human took no notice of him. The man seemed to be looking for something - perhaps Blackberry himself. A very young-looking human boy - probably the man's son - got out and ran over to where Blackberry was lying. The boy seemed upset as far as Bigwig could tell, although Bigwig couldn't guess why.
Yet another hrududu appeared from the same direction as the other two. This one came to a halt on the road just behind the other, and another man got out. Bigwig now ignored the hrududil and the men, and concentrated on the boy who was threatening his friend. He considered attacking the boy, but he then realized that this would be futile. If Blackberry was injured, he wouldn't be able to escape on his own. All Bigwig could do was wait and watch with increasing agony.
Bigwig suddenly focused his attention to the men again. The father called to the boy, who had spent the entire time poring over Blackberry. The boy picked him up, much to Bigwig's horror. The father seemed to be upset again, and the boy burst into tears. At this the second man walked over took Blackberry into his hands. After a quick look-over, he gave Blackberry back to the boy, who seemed happy again. Then, the humans all got back into their hrududil. To Bigwig's distress, the boy took Blackberry with him. The hrududil promptly roared back to life and slowly, over what seemed an eternity, disappeared down the road. Darkness and silence again fell upon the scene.
Bigwig, sick with grief, made his way over to where Blackberry had been lying. Fresh blood stained the snow, and Blackberry's scent mingled with that of the humans. After a few moments of shock and disbelief, Bigwig realized more fully what had happened. "My heart has joined the thousand, for my friend stopped running today," mumbled Bigwig. After a minute of further pondering the dire event that had just occurred, he made his way back towards home, carrying his share of the yarrow, and the terrible news that he now had to break to the others.
*** Friday, December 20, 1968
"Well, Josh, you made one great innkeeper tonight. I sure am proud of you." Greg Whitting, a high school teacher in Newbury, was returning to his home in Kingsclere with his wife, Karen, and their son Josh, their only child. They had been in Overton to attend a Christmas play put on by Josh's elementary school. Josh, seven years old and in the second grade, had been a very dramatic innkeeper..
It was Josh's first time in the play, and he had had only one line in the whole play - "There is no room at the inn". But, he had delivered it with as much professionalism as a seven-year-old could muster (he had still waved at his parents in the crowd much to the chagrin of the play's director). As far as Josh was concerned, he was a star now.
Josh had looked forward to the whole event with much enthusiasm. He had decided that he was going to be an actor when he grew up. In fact, a few weeks previously, he had dressed up as a fireman for the family's annual home fire drill. The only reason that they had had that drill was because Greg's father was a retired firefighter, who made annual visits to his children and grandchildren, and made sure there was a fire drill each time he was there. Josh had loved playing that role out, too.
Playing in the Christmas play had served not only to broaden Josh's experience, but to help take his mind off of the recent unfortunate death of his puppy, Rascal. According to the town vet, Mr. Clifton, it had died of a heart defect. Josh had been crushed, and his parents were considering getting another puppy for him for Christmas.
"I can't wait for Christmas, Daddy," piped up Josh.
His father had been thinking the same thing about this day. Finally, Christmas break had arrived - twelve days off while the high school was closed for Christmas was always welcome relief for Greg, although he did have to grade some papers during that time. The weeks before Christmas were always busy ones: taking Josh to and from practice for the play, decorating the house and garden, and attending various Christmas events and parties.
To help make the busyness easier to handle, he and his wife had finished their Christmas shopping in November - well ahead of the main holiday shopping crunch. They had the gifts wrapped in the store, so that when Josh eventually would find the hidden gifts, he still wouldn't know what they were. The presents weren't to come out until the tree was put up.
"Slow down, dear - the road is getting icy," cautioned Karen.
The drive back had been made somewhat treacherous by a snowstorm which had buried the area for most of the day. The roads had been plowed, but still were slick. Greg was already doing well under the speed limit, but just to satisfy his wife's fears, he slowed down a few more miles per hour.
As the car topped yet another hill, the ever-watchful wife blurted out, "Watch out for that rabbit, dear." Indeed, a rabbit was right in the middle of the road, sniffing about for something. Greg didn't want to run down an animal if he could help it, especially with his animal-loving son in the car, and he wasn't able to swerve thanks to the tire grooves in the snow. He applied the brakes as much as he dared without losing control of the car. The tires didn't catch enough though, and the car obviously wasn't going to stop before running over the rabbit.
The rabbit tried jumping out of the way at the last second, but it was clipped by the front of the car. Greg didn't see where it ended up after that, and Josh gasped at the prospect of a rabbit being killed.
After the car was stopped, Greg muttered, "That bloody rabbit!". He was going to just drive on, but then felt that he should at least check to make sure there was no damage to the car. The headlights were still working, but the glass could have been cracked.
"We hit it - I heard it!" said Josh, looking back on the road.
"Well, I hope it's dead," grumbled Greg, getting out of the car to see if there was indeed any damage.
While Greg was out looking at the front of the car, Josh shouted, "I see it!", then got out and ran to the other side of the road. He knelt down beside the rabbit that had just been hit by the car, to see if it was still alive, but he couldn't tell. He remembered some rudimentary first aid from his grandfather, so he didn't move it at all, but covered a cut on the rabbit's head with some tissues.
While Josh tended to the unconscious rabbit, Greg was satisfied that the rabbit had done no damage. He was about to call Josh back to the car when another car appeared over the hill, slowed, and stopped behind the Whitting's car.
"Need a hand, Greg?" It was Mr. Clifton, the vet.
"Nay, just hit a bloody rabbit," replied Greg, "I'm just about to be off again. Thanks anyhow, Jack."
"I was just coming back from that play," replied the vet, "And a fine job your little one did. You should be proud of him."
"Aye, I am; Josh is going to be performing for the Queen someday."
Jack concurred, "I wouldn't be surprised. He's got natural talent, I can tell."
"Thank you." Greg paused. "Well, we've got to get home to dinner," said Greg, then called over to Josh, "Come on now, Josh, leave that bloody thing alone and let's go."
"But, Daddy, it's still alive. Can't I keep it?"
"Keep it! Are you daft? It's dead, can't you see? And I don't want one of those filthy things as a pet! They're wild animals!"
At this Josh promptly looked at the rabbit and burst into tears.
Jack walked over and took the rabbit from Josh. "There, there, lad, let me see it." He felt around for broken bones, and observed some blood on its head. "Looks like a concussion of sorts to me. It'll be fine again with some rest." He gave the rabbit back to the boy, and called out, "No, Greg, it is alive."
"Please, Daddy, please?"
"I'm sure it'll be fine to take it home, Greg," said Karen, who was now poking her head out of the car, "Besides, with Rascal gone, we could use a pet."
Greg rolled his eyes and sighed. "Oh, all right, you can keep it for now," he conceded, "But if we have any trouble with it, we're getting rid of it."
With that, Josh giggled with delight, bounded over to the car with his new friend and got in. Jack and Greg also got back in their cars. "I mean it, Josh, any trouble and it's gone," Greg repeated as he drove along the road again behind Jack.
"Don't worry, Daddy, he'll make a good pet."
"I'm sure he'll grow on us, dear," added Karen.
Greg simply mumbled something and drove on.