"Blackberry." Hazel said softly, "It is late, and the night is cold, as it
is this time of year. What do you say to gathering our rabbits and bringing
them into the Honeycomb for a story?"
Blackberry, growing old, but still eager to tell the tales of El-ahrairah , nodded and pushed off with his back legs, darting into the warren with such speed it seemed he was a young rabbit again.
Hazel took the time to search and bring every last rabbit feeding on the Down into the warren, all gathered together, with room to spare, they settled down and gazed longingly at Blackberry, who was silent.
A young buck, Twilight, one of Fiver's children, questioned Blackberry quietly. "Aren't you going to tell us a story, Blackberry?"
The rest of the yearlings nodded their heads in agreement and continued to beg their elder. "Pleeeeease?"
A knowing look passed in between Hazel and Blackberry. The latter turned to face his audience, puffed out his chest, and stared at them wisely. He seemed to take on a godly presence. Though these rabbits knew not what a god was, they were still awed by the power Blackberry seemed to hold.
"Now." Blackberry started. "How many of you have heard the tale of El- ahrairah and the Leaves in the Dirt?"
Puzzled, the younger bucks and does whispered to each other, and shook their heads at Blackberry's question. None of them had heard such a tale. Though, a great deal of the older rabbits looked at Blackberry gratefully. They were familiar with this story, it had been told to them by their mother does from the Sandleford warren, back when they were just kittens.
"This story." Continued Blackberry. "Is about how El-ahrairah succeeded yet again to trick Prince Rainbow, and it takes place soon after he had gotten back from his journey to visit the Black Rabbit of Inle.
"El-ahrairah was out feeding in the fields, on the alert for one of the Thousand, as rabbits always are, when Prince Rainbow came from the sky.
"'El-ahrairah' Prince Rainbow said, 'I have planted a garden of lettuces out beyond the fields.' El-ahrairah looked up and perked his ears, listening to Prince Rainbow whole-heartedly.
"'Many of those lettuces are missing, and I am afraid to say that many of Frith's creatures have branded you the culprit of the crime. They say they had seen you running through these very same fields to steal from my garden, is this true, El-ahrairah?'
"But El-ahrairah would not hear it. 'Prince Rainbow.' He said, 'I have not stolen any lettuces from your garden, if I had, wouldn't there be rabbit tracks in the dirt?'
"'I will admit, I had seen no rabbit tracks in the dirt around my garden, but perhaps I had overlooked them. We shall go now and check again.' Prince Rainbow ordered El-ahrairah.
"They both made their way across the fields to Prince Rainbow's half eaten garden of lettuce and they both searched the dirt for rabbit tracks. Finding none, Prince Rainbow looked at El-ahrairah.
"'El-ahrairah' he said, 'I see no rabbit tracks in my dirt, and it is true, that they would be here, clear for me to see, if you had been the one that stole my lettuce. You are free to go.'
"'Thank you' El-ahrairah said, and ran back to the fields to feed and pass hraka. When night came again, El-ahrairah went to his friend Rabskuttle. 'Rabskuttle' he said, 'Prince Rainbow suspects me of stealing his lettuces, yet he could find none of my tracks in the dirt around his garden. We were lucky the rain from the morning had washed them away.'
"Rabskuttle nodded. 'Yes, El-ahrairah' he agreed, 'But how will we get the rest of the lettuces tonight?'
"But El-ahrairah, as always, had a plan. All the way across the fields to Prince Rainbow's garden, El-ahrairah gathered many of the leaves that had fallen from the trees when the air had gotten colder and held them in his mouth, he told Rabskuttle to do the same. When they got to Prince Rainbow's garden, they had more leaves in their mouths then was comfortable, and as it is hard for any rabbit to carry anything in it's mouth for long distances, they gladly dropped them in the dirt before them.
"'Now Rabskuttle' El-ahrairah told his friend, 'The leaves are still wet from the rain this morning, spread them out, and step on four of them, one for each paw, the dampness will stick the leaf to the soft pads on the bottom of your paws, and we can walk across the dirt in Prince Rainbow's garden without leaving tracks.'
"Rabskuttle did as he was told, and soon, they were both raiding Prince Rainbow's garden. Each and every last lettuce Prince Rainbow had planted was stripped clean from the ground to take back to El-ahrairah's warren to eat in the cold winter months coming.
"In the morning, Prince Rainbow was shocked to find all of his carefully planted lettuce gone from his garden, and no rabbit tracks anywhere. He came to El-ahrairah's warren, to find El-ahrairah and Rabskuttle nibbling on the grass nearby.
"'El-ahrairah!' Prince Rainbow addressed him, El-ahrairah looked up from his feeding, and anwered Prince Rainbow innocently, 'Yes, Prince Rainbow?' he asked.
"'All of the lettuce are now gone from my garden, do you know what has happened to them? I am still questioning your honesty.' he questioned El- ahrairah.
"'Why, of course not!' El-ahrairah said, sounding astonished at Prince Rainbow's accusation. 'How could I have stole them? My honesty is true! I was here inside my warren all night! You didn't see any rabbit tracks in the dirt, this time, did you?'
"And of course, there were no rabbit tracks in the dirt where Prince Rainbow's lettuces once grew, and though he still suspected El-ahrairah to have stolen them, there was nothing he could do to prove it, and El- ahrairah, Rabskuttle, and the other bucks and does of El-ahrairah's warren ate the lettuces during the cold days and grew to be fat, pudgy rabbits! And Prince Rainbow never doubted El-ahrairah's talent at trickery again."
Blackberry, growing old, but still eager to tell the tales of El-ahrairah , nodded and pushed off with his back legs, darting into the warren with such speed it seemed he was a young rabbit again.
Hazel took the time to search and bring every last rabbit feeding on the Down into the warren, all gathered together, with room to spare, they settled down and gazed longingly at Blackberry, who was silent.
A young buck, Twilight, one of Fiver's children, questioned Blackberry quietly. "Aren't you going to tell us a story, Blackberry?"
The rest of the yearlings nodded their heads in agreement and continued to beg their elder. "Pleeeeease?"
A knowing look passed in between Hazel and Blackberry. The latter turned to face his audience, puffed out his chest, and stared at them wisely. He seemed to take on a godly presence. Though these rabbits knew not what a god was, they were still awed by the power Blackberry seemed to hold.
"Now." Blackberry started. "How many of you have heard the tale of El- ahrairah and the Leaves in the Dirt?"
Puzzled, the younger bucks and does whispered to each other, and shook their heads at Blackberry's question. None of them had heard such a tale. Though, a great deal of the older rabbits looked at Blackberry gratefully. They were familiar with this story, it had been told to them by their mother does from the Sandleford warren, back when they were just kittens.
"This story." Continued Blackberry. "Is about how El-ahrairah succeeded yet again to trick Prince Rainbow, and it takes place soon after he had gotten back from his journey to visit the Black Rabbit of Inle.
"El-ahrairah was out feeding in the fields, on the alert for one of the Thousand, as rabbits always are, when Prince Rainbow came from the sky.
"'El-ahrairah' Prince Rainbow said, 'I have planted a garden of lettuces out beyond the fields.' El-ahrairah looked up and perked his ears, listening to Prince Rainbow whole-heartedly.
"'Many of those lettuces are missing, and I am afraid to say that many of Frith's creatures have branded you the culprit of the crime. They say they had seen you running through these very same fields to steal from my garden, is this true, El-ahrairah?'
"But El-ahrairah would not hear it. 'Prince Rainbow.' He said, 'I have not stolen any lettuces from your garden, if I had, wouldn't there be rabbit tracks in the dirt?'
"'I will admit, I had seen no rabbit tracks in the dirt around my garden, but perhaps I had overlooked them. We shall go now and check again.' Prince Rainbow ordered El-ahrairah.
"They both made their way across the fields to Prince Rainbow's half eaten garden of lettuce and they both searched the dirt for rabbit tracks. Finding none, Prince Rainbow looked at El-ahrairah.
"'El-ahrairah' he said, 'I see no rabbit tracks in my dirt, and it is true, that they would be here, clear for me to see, if you had been the one that stole my lettuce. You are free to go.'
"'Thank you' El-ahrairah said, and ran back to the fields to feed and pass hraka. When night came again, El-ahrairah went to his friend Rabskuttle. 'Rabskuttle' he said, 'Prince Rainbow suspects me of stealing his lettuces, yet he could find none of my tracks in the dirt around his garden. We were lucky the rain from the morning had washed them away.'
"Rabskuttle nodded. 'Yes, El-ahrairah' he agreed, 'But how will we get the rest of the lettuces tonight?'
"But El-ahrairah, as always, had a plan. All the way across the fields to Prince Rainbow's garden, El-ahrairah gathered many of the leaves that had fallen from the trees when the air had gotten colder and held them in his mouth, he told Rabskuttle to do the same. When they got to Prince Rainbow's garden, they had more leaves in their mouths then was comfortable, and as it is hard for any rabbit to carry anything in it's mouth for long distances, they gladly dropped them in the dirt before them.
"'Now Rabskuttle' El-ahrairah told his friend, 'The leaves are still wet from the rain this morning, spread them out, and step on four of them, one for each paw, the dampness will stick the leaf to the soft pads on the bottom of your paws, and we can walk across the dirt in Prince Rainbow's garden without leaving tracks.'
"Rabskuttle did as he was told, and soon, they were both raiding Prince Rainbow's garden. Each and every last lettuce Prince Rainbow had planted was stripped clean from the ground to take back to El-ahrairah's warren to eat in the cold winter months coming.
"In the morning, Prince Rainbow was shocked to find all of his carefully planted lettuce gone from his garden, and no rabbit tracks anywhere. He came to El-ahrairah's warren, to find El-ahrairah and Rabskuttle nibbling on the grass nearby.
"'El-ahrairah!' Prince Rainbow addressed him, El-ahrairah looked up from his feeding, and anwered Prince Rainbow innocently, 'Yes, Prince Rainbow?' he asked.
"'All of the lettuce are now gone from my garden, do you know what has happened to them? I am still questioning your honesty.' he questioned El- ahrairah.
"'Why, of course not!' El-ahrairah said, sounding astonished at Prince Rainbow's accusation. 'How could I have stole them? My honesty is true! I was here inside my warren all night! You didn't see any rabbit tracks in the dirt, this time, did you?'
"And of course, there were no rabbit tracks in the dirt where Prince Rainbow's lettuces once grew, and though he still suspected El-ahrairah to have stolen them, there was nothing he could do to prove it, and El- ahrairah, Rabskuttle, and the other bucks and does of El-ahrairah's warren ate the lettuces during the cold days and grew to be fat, pudgy rabbits! And Prince Rainbow never doubted El-ahrairah's talent at trickery again."