For a week, Watership Down rested, but it was not a fulfilling rest.
The information that Colonel Thornfoot may have survived had leaked
out to the rest of the warren somehow. Everyone was tense, but no
violence came.
Fiver and Pipkin were the only rabbits in the entire Down who had not heard the news, and so were very befuddled about why everyone was so nervous. Well, it didn't bother them. They were quite happy not knowing. So they were presently just fine the way everything was. They weren't troubled.
It was in the afternoon that Pipkin couldn't help overhearing a conversation two female rabbits were having.
"It it true?"
"Well, that's what Captain Holly-rah said."
"So he is.?"
"Yes."
"Who is this Colonel Thornfoot anyway?"
"The chief said that he is a very evil rabbit, who fell into the rapids. But now he thinks that he may have survived."
"Oh no!"
"Oh no!" whispered Pipkin. He hurried off through the tunnel he was in, to the left, then down, then up, then right, and up, and finally into sunlight.
"Fiver!" he called. "Fiver!"
"I'm here," said Fiver behind him. Pipkin turned, and there was Fiver, ambling up towards him. "What's the trouble?"
Pipkin told Fiver what he had overheard.
"He might be alive?" gasped Fiver.
"Yes," Pipkin squeaked.
"I've met him, and I know what he's like," said Fiver. "He is pure evil. There's not an ounce of good in him."
"Well, perhaps we'll be safe this time," said Pipkin, "if we stay inside the warren."
"But if he defeats the Owsla," Fiver pointed out, "he'll come into the warren, and probably kill everyone in it!"
For a while, Pipkin and Fiver just sat there, staring at each other's tense faces. It was a bad time to live at the down.
* * *
The week was past. Watership Down was in more of a state of anxiety and nervousness than it had been before. Though the wall was built, guards were on patrol duty day and night, and three watch rabbits were poised at the top of the hill, no one felt safe.
It was morning on the first day of the next week, when a watch rabbits came down and informed Captain Holly that a small army of rabbits was nearing Watership Down. He led the captain to the top of the watch hill, where he could see that the watcher was correct. There was an Owsla moving in on the Down. Most of them were grey; some were brown and two were white.
"Prepare to fight!" Holly commanded his troops. The rabbits reached the wall, and stopped. Captain Holly waited, and then they called out to him.
"Captain Holly-rah!" the leader cried. It was a female, by the sound of it. "We come to fight alongside you!"
This was new to the wary captain.
"Efrafa approaches!" the leader continued. "They are led by a black rabbit, who looks to be more dangerous than any other."
"That is Colonel Thornfoot," said Holly, to the new rabbits. "He is very powerful. I will trust you, for you seem to know about him, but he is not amongst you. There is an escape tunnel west of here. You should be able to get through. The guards will guide you through our warren and into the Down."
"We will fight to the death for you, Captain Holly-rah!" the leader called back. "I am Captain Iris-rah."
"We welcome you, Iris-rah," said Captain Holly. "Come! The Efrafans will approach swiftly. Hurry!"
So Captain Iris-rah and her rabbits made their way round the back of the wall. They disappeared into the hole with a brown guard, and were not seen for ten minutes, at which point they emerged into Watership Down.
Through the morning, two more small armies arrived to help. A third army came, but was attacked by a band of ferrets, which killed all but six of them.
It seemed that Efrafa had gained themselves a bad reputation in the area. At noon, the watch rabbits reported Efrafa approaching on the north horizon. Captain Iris-rah and the other captains lead their armies out into the Down, where they prepared themselves to fight. Iris-rah and her soldiers poised themselves on the hill, from where they would jump and attack. Captain Holly-rah, Captain Broom, and Lieutenant Pinecone prepared their Owsla, and joined with the foreign armies.
With all the armies they had gathered, there wasn't a chance they would lose. But as they waited, they began to see that Efrafa had made some friends as well as enemies, who had banded with them. Their forces were about equal, so this fight would be unpredictable.
Again it was seen that Colonel Thornfoot was leading them. He was indeed powerful, and he would now be very angry.
They couldn't take any chances this time. Someone had to kill Thornfoot, or again risk his wrath.
Fiver and Pipkin were the only rabbits in the entire Down who had not heard the news, and so were very befuddled about why everyone was so nervous. Well, it didn't bother them. They were quite happy not knowing. So they were presently just fine the way everything was. They weren't troubled.
It was in the afternoon that Pipkin couldn't help overhearing a conversation two female rabbits were having.
"It it true?"
"Well, that's what Captain Holly-rah said."
"So he is.?"
"Yes."
"Who is this Colonel Thornfoot anyway?"
"The chief said that he is a very evil rabbit, who fell into the rapids. But now he thinks that he may have survived."
"Oh no!"
"Oh no!" whispered Pipkin. He hurried off through the tunnel he was in, to the left, then down, then up, then right, and up, and finally into sunlight.
"Fiver!" he called. "Fiver!"
"I'm here," said Fiver behind him. Pipkin turned, and there was Fiver, ambling up towards him. "What's the trouble?"
Pipkin told Fiver what he had overheard.
"He might be alive?" gasped Fiver.
"Yes," Pipkin squeaked.
"I've met him, and I know what he's like," said Fiver. "He is pure evil. There's not an ounce of good in him."
"Well, perhaps we'll be safe this time," said Pipkin, "if we stay inside the warren."
"But if he defeats the Owsla," Fiver pointed out, "he'll come into the warren, and probably kill everyone in it!"
For a while, Pipkin and Fiver just sat there, staring at each other's tense faces. It was a bad time to live at the down.
* * *
The week was past. Watership Down was in more of a state of anxiety and nervousness than it had been before. Though the wall was built, guards were on patrol duty day and night, and three watch rabbits were poised at the top of the hill, no one felt safe.
It was morning on the first day of the next week, when a watch rabbits came down and informed Captain Holly that a small army of rabbits was nearing Watership Down. He led the captain to the top of the watch hill, where he could see that the watcher was correct. There was an Owsla moving in on the Down. Most of them were grey; some were brown and two were white.
"Prepare to fight!" Holly commanded his troops. The rabbits reached the wall, and stopped. Captain Holly waited, and then they called out to him.
"Captain Holly-rah!" the leader cried. It was a female, by the sound of it. "We come to fight alongside you!"
This was new to the wary captain.
"Efrafa approaches!" the leader continued. "They are led by a black rabbit, who looks to be more dangerous than any other."
"That is Colonel Thornfoot," said Holly, to the new rabbits. "He is very powerful. I will trust you, for you seem to know about him, but he is not amongst you. There is an escape tunnel west of here. You should be able to get through. The guards will guide you through our warren and into the Down."
"We will fight to the death for you, Captain Holly-rah!" the leader called back. "I am Captain Iris-rah."
"We welcome you, Iris-rah," said Captain Holly. "Come! The Efrafans will approach swiftly. Hurry!"
So Captain Iris-rah and her rabbits made their way round the back of the wall. They disappeared into the hole with a brown guard, and were not seen for ten minutes, at which point they emerged into Watership Down.
Through the morning, two more small armies arrived to help. A third army came, but was attacked by a band of ferrets, which killed all but six of them.
It seemed that Efrafa had gained themselves a bad reputation in the area. At noon, the watch rabbits reported Efrafa approaching on the north horizon. Captain Iris-rah and the other captains lead their armies out into the Down, where they prepared themselves to fight. Iris-rah and her soldiers poised themselves on the hill, from where they would jump and attack. Captain Holly-rah, Captain Broom, and Lieutenant Pinecone prepared their Owsla, and joined with the foreign armies.
With all the armies they had gathered, there wasn't a chance they would lose. But as they waited, they began to see that Efrafa had made some friends as well as enemies, who had banded with them. Their forces were about equal, so this fight would be unpredictable.
Again it was seen that Colonel Thornfoot was leading them. He was indeed powerful, and he would now be very angry.
They couldn't take any chances this time. Someone had to kill Thornfoot, or again risk his wrath.