Chapter Three
The Guide
Ginger awoke when Lord Frith was highest up in the sky. He felt better from his nap, but still tired. However he knew he had to get further away so that the Nuthanger cats (if they should come looking for him), would find him gone. With these thoughts strongly in mind, Ginger heaved his tired body up and out of the ditch.
Here he stayed for a while. Enjoying the peace and serenity of early mid-noon while still watching out for elil. Carefully Ginger grazed by the entrance to the ditch, ready to bolt back in if he should smell the elil coming. And though he was sure he had had one, Ginger could not remember his dream.
He had dreamed as he often did, except this time the images were more vivid and sharp, and he could sometimes see Lord Frith, Prince Rainbow, and El-ahrairah playing with and advising the wild rabbits as the played their lives. At the end of the dream, Rabscuttle's voice sounded yet again, this time without any of the others: "Ginger, why do you wait? Have you forgotten about me already? You will have to hurry to get at us." And then it had just ended.
A westerly breeze was blowing toward him, and far off a yellowhammer sang, his voice whisked away before any could hear it. A rustling in the bushes behind him sent Ginger scurrying back into the ditch, but it was just a young rat foraging about for something good to eat.
The creature paid him no attention whatsoever and gradually Ginger came back out again. Side by side, the two creatures foraged and ate, until finally the rat asked him, "You go to the warren on the top of the hill?"
"Huh?" said Ginger, and then he realized what the rat had asked him. "Um, there a warren on the top of the hill? I didn't know that. But I suppose I'll go there." With that he left the rat at the side of the ditch.
And so off he went, to the warren at the top off the down. First he went down the road until came to the point where the road swerved away from the beginnings of the downs. Pausing, he took his breath and gazed admirably at the slope that led to the top of the down. And there to the warren that he sought.
While he caught his breath, Ginger gazed at the sky. It was a rainbow of colors during the sunset, really something to lift your spirits.
Staring at the sky, Ginger gazed his way along the foot of the hill until he reached a likely place to stop and put in for the night (Ginger had never really traveled as far as he had today since he was a kitten). He settled into the hollow quite well and sat there for a while chewing pellets until he fell asleep, murmuring his thanks to El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle.
As Ginger slept, he really was thankful to El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle. But he was also excited. Tomorrow he would reach the warren!
