General Woundwort's Folly Ch. 4
The General's underground movement grew in numbers as the weeks wore on. He began to understand how the resistance in Efrafa could have grown with the same frightening speed. As the weeks wore on, however, his rations got less and less and he was allowed to silflay for only minutes at a time. Days went by when he did not see Frith in the sky, and that again brought to mind his poor rabbits back in Efrafa. How had he not seen what he had been doing to those poor unfortunate souls under his protection? He was not fit to be called a Chief Rabbit.
It was true, he had begun to despair. And in his despair one evening- his last evening according to Sunflower, he called out to the Black Rabbit of Inle'. To his surprise, the Black Rabbit answered him, came hopping into the burrow that stank of the General's blood.
"You called me, O General?" The Rabbit's ears shown with a faint light.
"I did not expect you to come." The General was awed by the fact that he had indeed come. If the Rabbit wanted to take him with him, he would gladly go.
"I came because you intrigue me, General. I almost had you, you know. Almost. When the dog came and attacked you, you were almost mine then. But you amazed me, General. You escaped the dog- and therefore me. You escaped me before, too, when you were young. You weren't meant to be here this long. You have had much time, General. Some say too much time. The elil feared you. Not because you were fierce, but because you were uncanny! How could you have escaped me so many times?" The Black Rabbit looked the General full in the face, and a deep chill entered him as he stared back.
"I do not know, my Lord. I do not know. I only wish to serve you and El- ahrairah. What should I do, my Lord. I feel so tired."
"You have escaped me so many times. Now, I will do something I have never done before for any rabbit, not even El-ahrairah. Ask anything of me, and you shall have it. I respect you, General. I do, and when your time comes again, you shall be my Chief of Owsla. So I will grant you what you ask. as long as it's within my power to give."
Many things raced through the General's mind. the wish to go back and save his father from the farmer's gun, the wish to take back his decision about attacking Watership Down, the wish to agree to Hazel's vision, and the wish to have the strength to continue with Cypress' plan. Only one of these made any sense to the weakened General and it was the only one he dared to voice.
"My Lord, give me the strength to help this warren. I must right this wrong that I have committed unwittingly against these rabbits by just being myself, as I used to be. Give me the strength to be the General again, but not a General of war. I wish to correct this warren's sorrow. I want to lead again, and lead the right way this time."
"So be it." The General blinked and the Black Rabbit was gone. He found himself surging with newfound strength and determination. He would help this warren! He would be their Chief Rabbit! He would do it the right way! He climbed to all fours and did not find himself falling down again. He looked out of the burrow he was in, and saw only one guard posted. That guard was Cypress, who had never noticed the Black Rabbit, entering or leaving.
"Cypress! We can do it tomorrow night! Call all the rabbits together! Sunflower means to kill me tomorrow night. I know that. We will take the warren from him then!" The General saw light spring into Cypress's eyes.
"I will inform the others, General. Are you sure?" Cypress was taken aback. Just a few hours ago, he'd been sure the General was going to die.
"I have been shown the way, Cypress. Do not worry."
The General's underground movement grew in numbers as the weeks wore on. He began to understand how the resistance in Efrafa could have grown with the same frightening speed. As the weeks wore on, however, his rations got less and less and he was allowed to silflay for only minutes at a time. Days went by when he did not see Frith in the sky, and that again brought to mind his poor rabbits back in Efrafa. How had he not seen what he had been doing to those poor unfortunate souls under his protection? He was not fit to be called a Chief Rabbit.
It was true, he had begun to despair. And in his despair one evening- his last evening according to Sunflower, he called out to the Black Rabbit of Inle'. To his surprise, the Black Rabbit answered him, came hopping into the burrow that stank of the General's blood.
"You called me, O General?" The Rabbit's ears shown with a faint light.
"I did not expect you to come." The General was awed by the fact that he had indeed come. If the Rabbit wanted to take him with him, he would gladly go.
"I came because you intrigue me, General. I almost had you, you know. Almost. When the dog came and attacked you, you were almost mine then. But you amazed me, General. You escaped the dog- and therefore me. You escaped me before, too, when you were young. You weren't meant to be here this long. You have had much time, General. Some say too much time. The elil feared you. Not because you were fierce, but because you were uncanny! How could you have escaped me so many times?" The Black Rabbit looked the General full in the face, and a deep chill entered him as he stared back.
"I do not know, my Lord. I do not know. I only wish to serve you and El- ahrairah. What should I do, my Lord. I feel so tired."
"You have escaped me so many times. Now, I will do something I have never done before for any rabbit, not even El-ahrairah. Ask anything of me, and you shall have it. I respect you, General. I do, and when your time comes again, you shall be my Chief of Owsla. So I will grant you what you ask. as long as it's within my power to give."
Many things raced through the General's mind. the wish to go back and save his father from the farmer's gun, the wish to take back his decision about attacking Watership Down, the wish to agree to Hazel's vision, and the wish to have the strength to continue with Cypress' plan. Only one of these made any sense to the weakened General and it was the only one he dared to voice.
"My Lord, give me the strength to help this warren. I must right this wrong that I have committed unwittingly against these rabbits by just being myself, as I used to be. Give me the strength to be the General again, but not a General of war. I wish to correct this warren's sorrow. I want to lead again, and lead the right way this time."
"So be it." The General blinked and the Black Rabbit was gone. He found himself surging with newfound strength and determination. He would help this warren! He would be their Chief Rabbit! He would do it the right way! He climbed to all fours and did not find himself falling down again. He looked out of the burrow he was in, and saw only one guard posted. That guard was Cypress, who had never noticed the Black Rabbit, entering or leaving.
"Cypress! We can do it tomorrow night! Call all the rabbits together! Sunflower means to kill me tomorrow night. I know that. We will take the warren from him then!" The General saw light spring into Cypress's eyes.
"I will inform the others, General. Are you sure?" Cypress was taken aback. Just a few hours ago, he'd been sure the General was going to die.
"I have been shown the way, Cypress. Do not worry."