CHAPTER ONE
THE RIVERFIELD WARREN
Fwee! What, you expected a real quote? -me
The sun rose high above the fields not far from Watership down. The lush emerald grass rippled in the wind as the flowers played hide and seek amongst the shadows of the occasional tree. A river, more of a stream, with quite a weak current, ran through the fields meadow.
Seeming to meterialise from a tree, a rabbit appeared with lush silver fur, bright amber eyes looking this way and that. The buck sat on his hind legs and looked around, then called in a loud voice,
"Ni-frith has come, No elil to be seen, Come out to silfay the grass so green!"
Almost immidiately, hundreds of rabbits appeared from almost the whole field- the tree roots, the riverbanks, all popping up from the cunningly hidden tunnels. The Riverfield Warren, as it was called, was the largest warren around these parts.
The silver buck, who was named Thyme, nibbled the grass. Suddenly a large, strong looking rabbit hopped over, with shinning brown fur and bright amber eyes. "Anything to report?"
"No, none at all, Sharathar-rah."
(sharathar = moonlight-midnight-soft- The soft moonlight at midnight.)
"Please, Thyme. Call me Sharath."
"Well, Sharatha- erm, Sharath, one of our runners has reported a warren called Watership Down not far."
Like Efrafra was before the death of Woundwort, the Riverfield warren had a different way of organising things. They had the chief rabbit, and the owsla. Then they also had Owslafa, but only few, to warn of elil. Then there were runners, to scout ahead and bring news from faraway places. Also there were Captains who all took orders from General Thyme, who took orders from Sharathar-rah. Unlike Efrafra, however, these rabbits were a happy society, enjoying their way of life.
"Send a party of runners to the Thear along with Captain Rosemary and and Captain Basil. You'll be there, too, I hope. Get up the Owslafa and tell them to watch for elil. I'm sure I spotted fox hraka awhile ago."
"Silfay Hraka, you embleer rah," murmured Thyme. Then he added quickly, "Consider it done." With that, the general scuttled off.
Sharath approached the Thear casually. The Thear was the only thear, or rowan tree, in the Riverfield lands. The unusual thing about it was the strange chamber that was dug around the trunk by the current generations ancestors. What seemed like an upturned dome dug into the land, clearly visible. They covred it with leaves and fastened them to the ground with stones, therefore resulting in a nice shelter. The entrance tunnel to the Thear is not far from the riverbank.
When Sharath entered, the others were there. They must have taken one of the other tunnels. He hopped up to a high flat stone in the chamber and began.
"One of our runners has reported a warren not far from here. We are to take a visit.and establish good relationship with them." at this, every one roared with laughter. Even though it was not natural in rabbits, the Riverfield have adapted to this way to showing humor. Sharath laughed along with them, and continued, "And further extend our warren!'
The party, without questions, immidiately made off for Watership Down, the runner in the lead.
The Riverfield warren were actually quite a wicked lot.the only reason why they were all so cheerful was the fact that all the rabbits.enjoyed it. Capturing rabbits as workers, or tying them to stones with thick plant ropes and drowning them in the river.these were all good sports to the warren. Sometimes the prisoners would be made to fight to the death in a special chamber underground.
Meanwhile, on Watership Down, Bigwig had been decided to be the new Chief Rabbit, with A rabbit named Krystallin (Krystallin= glitter-flow- water=flowing, shimmering river) had been decided to be the new captain because of his fighting powress.
Thlayli was now staring hard at Fiver, trying not to immitate Threarah, for now the rabbit was predicting something again.
"Our warrens are in danger. Efrafra, Watership and even Efradown (what I have dubbed the warren inbetween).they kill for sport, Thlayli rah. For sport! For sport! Oh, frith up in the sky, I see fields of blood, endless waters of blood, it's like being at this Big Water, except it's all blood.we will all be destroyed."
"Can we prevent it?" Bigwig asked, doing his best to understand.
Fiver had went tharn. Then, suddenly, still in a frozen state he recited,
The down and the Efrafrans merge into one, It will be done away with first. Strangers accoming with Shasharath-rah, You must beware! Beware! Ally and ally you seem to be, Another contribution to the family, Yet soon they will turn against ye, Destroy thee, destroy thee! Zorn, O zorn, then you will cry. Zorn, O zorn, O zorn! You will be the last left alive, To be drowned at the break of dawn,,, Heed my words and beware the fourth warren,. Or else gather help or perish.
Bigwig stared. "What?"
Fiver stared up modestly, twitching his whiskers. "What, Thlayli rah, what? Did I say something bad?"
"No, you didn't, just something about fields of blood and a fourth warren and."
"Rubbish, of course. Problably," Fiver said, tilting his head. "You need to clean your ears out, Thlayli-rah.mayhaps I can help you over some Ni- frith silfay?"
Before Bigwig could respond, Thethuthinnang ran into the burrow, yelling, "Frithrah! Rabbits coming up the combe! Rabbits coming up the combe!"
THE RIVERFIELD WARREN
Fwee! What, you expected a real quote? -me
The sun rose high above the fields not far from Watership down. The lush emerald grass rippled in the wind as the flowers played hide and seek amongst the shadows of the occasional tree. A river, more of a stream, with quite a weak current, ran through the fields meadow.
Seeming to meterialise from a tree, a rabbit appeared with lush silver fur, bright amber eyes looking this way and that. The buck sat on his hind legs and looked around, then called in a loud voice,
"Ni-frith has come, No elil to be seen, Come out to silfay the grass so green!"
Almost immidiately, hundreds of rabbits appeared from almost the whole field- the tree roots, the riverbanks, all popping up from the cunningly hidden tunnels. The Riverfield Warren, as it was called, was the largest warren around these parts.
The silver buck, who was named Thyme, nibbled the grass. Suddenly a large, strong looking rabbit hopped over, with shinning brown fur and bright amber eyes. "Anything to report?"
"No, none at all, Sharathar-rah."
(sharathar = moonlight-midnight-soft- The soft moonlight at midnight.)
"Please, Thyme. Call me Sharath."
"Well, Sharatha- erm, Sharath, one of our runners has reported a warren called Watership Down not far."
Like Efrafra was before the death of Woundwort, the Riverfield warren had a different way of organising things. They had the chief rabbit, and the owsla. Then they also had Owslafa, but only few, to warn of elil. Then there were runners, to scout ahead and bring news from faraway places. Also there were Captains who all took orders from General Thyme, who took orders from Sharathar-rah. Unlike Efrafra, however, these rabbits were a happy society, enjoying their way of life.
"Send a party of runners to the Thear along with Captain Rosemary and and Captain Basil. You'll be there, too, I hope. Get up the Owslafa and tell them to watch for elil. I'm sure I spotted fox hraka awhile ago."
"Silfay Hraka, you embleer rah," murmured Thyme. Then he added quickly, "Consider it done." With that, the general scuttled off.
Sharath approached the Thear casually. The Thear was the only thear, or rowan tree, in the Riverfield lands. The unusual thing about it was the strange chamber that was dug around the trunk by the current generations ancestors. What seemed like an upturned dome dug into the land, clearly visible. They covred it with leaves and fastened them to the ground with stones, therefore resulting in a nice shelter. The entrance tunnel to the Thear is not far from the riverbank.
When Sharath entered, the others were there. They must have taken one of the other tunnels. He hopped up to a high flat stone in the chamber and began.
"One of our runners has reported a warren not far from here. We are to take a visit.and establish good relationship with them." at this, every one roared with laughter. Even though it was not natural in rabbits, the Riverfield have adapted to this way to showing humor. Sharath laughed along with them, and continued, "And further extend our warren!'
The party, without questions, immidiately made off for Watership Down, the runner in the lead.
The Riverfield warren were actually quite a wicked lot.the only reason why they were all so cheerful was the fact that all the rabbits.enjoyed it. Capturing rabbits as workers, or tying them to stones with thick plant ropes and drowning them in the river.these were all good sports to the warren. Sometimes the prisoners would be made to fight to the death in a special chamber underground.
Meanwhile, on Watership Down, Bigwig had been decided to be the new Chief Rabbit, with A rabbit named Krystallin (Krystallin= glitter-flow- water=flowing, shimmering river) had been decided to be the new captain because of his fighting powress.
Thlayli was now staring hard at Fiver, trying not to immitate Threarah, for now the rabbit was predicting something again.
"Our warrens are in danger. Efrafra, Watership and even Efradown (what I have dubbed the warren inbetween).they kill for sport, Thlayli rah. For sport! For sport! Oh, frith up in the sky, I see fields of blood, endless waters of blood, it's like being at this Big Water, except it's all blood.we will all be destroyed."
"Can we prevent it?" Bigwig asked, doing his best to understand.
Fiver had went tharn. Then, suddenly, still in a frozen state he recited,
The down and the Efrafrans merge into one, It will be done away with first. Strangers accoming with Shasharath-rah, You must beware! Beware! Ally and ally you seem to be, Another contribution to the family, Yet soon they will turn against ye, Destroy thee, destroy thee! Zorn, O zorn, then you will cry. Zorn, O zorn, O zorn! You will be the last left alive, To be drowned at the break of dawn,,, Heed my words and beware the fourth warren,. Or else gather help or perish.
Bigwig stared. "What?"
Fiver stared up modestly, twitching his whiskers. "What, Thlayli rah, what? Did I say something bad?"
"No, you didn't, just something about fields of blood and a fourth warren and."
"Rubbish, of course. Problably," Fiver said, tilting his head. "You need to clean your ears out, Thlayli-rah.mayhaps I can help you over some Ni- frith silfay?"
Before Bigwig could respond, Thethuthinnang ran into the burrow, yelling, "Frithrah! Rabbits coming up the combe! Rabbits coming up the combe!"