The last remaining days of summer were fast approaching, but the weather wasn't entirely hot. Just warm enough to make it feel hot and it made the perfect time of day for the Owsla and their Chief Rabbit to go on Wide Patrol. Hazel and Bigwig made a solemn promise for Hickory and Marigold to train them for another lesson of living in Redstone with their friends on their own. Keeping a sight out for Efrafan patrol or elil was Kehaar, although he began acting strange to some of the rabbits. Usually, he kept a stern eagle eye out to scan for enemies, but today he started behaving differently like he never paid attention to instructions nor did he seem enthusiastic about a wide patrol.
Down below, the Watership Wide Patrol traveled through an open field of long grass to find Hickory and Marigold. Although, Bigwig disapproved of the idea of hopping within the tall grass, concerned that elil could be hiding and waiting to jump out at them any second now.
"For all we know, there's an army of elil in this field," he worried. "We should have skirted the edge."
"If there's any trouble, Kehaar will give us plenty of warning," reassured Hazel.
However, the gull had been bored circling the area and began singing to himself to lighten the mood. Then, a flock of familiar birds flew past him. Recognizing them as gannets, Kehaar exclaimed, "Hey, where you going? To big water? I come from big water, too!" He turned to follow them. "Hey, wait for Kehaar!"
Unbeknownst to Kehaar, he carelessly abandoned his job where he should have spotted a hungry fox at the edge of the open field. The fox's nose whiffed, catching the scent of rabbits close by and dove into the long grass, her paw crushed a twig in the process.
The sound of a breaking twig captured Bigwig's attention. Pausing in his tracks, he sniffed the air. "There's something in the field with us," he warned.
"That's strange. Kehaar should have warned us." Hazel wondered why their bird friend didn't warn them.
"Unfortunately, he's gone," Hawkbit pointed out, not seeing Kehaar anywhere.
"You don't suppose an owl or a hawk got him?" Bluebell began to worry. "Or do you think he got lost?"
"I'm sure he's fine," Hazel assured him. "Keep your ears up and go quietly."
The Chief Rabbit had taken not more than a few steps when he froze. There stood the fox as she emerged from the tall grass, snarling and licking her chops.
"Scatter!" shouted Hazel.
Everyone did scatter, separating as they plunged in the long grass for cover. The fox kept her attention sorely focused on Hazel, who dodged and maneuvered to avoid the snaps of the fox's sharp teeth. He felt her hot breath at his throat, and the rabbit knew he had to pick up speed to escape the fate of ending up as the fox's lunch.
Fiver and Bluebell jumped out of the tall grass, panting heavily. They found a small bush filled with thorns. It provided a good shelter and hiding spot from the fox.
"I thought we'd never find our way out," Fiver said.
"You took the words right out of my mouth," said Hawkbit, who had joined up with Bigwig, discovering the thorny bush as shelter before Fiver and Bluebell found it.
"But, where's Hazel?"
"Last I saw the fox was after him," Hawkbit explained.
"It wouldn't have happened if that idiot gull was doing his job!" Bigwig furiously cursed the gull's absence for the cause of their nearly getting killed.
Some leaves rustled, setting the rabbits on edge when they first believed the fox had tracked their hiding spot. Luckily for them, Hazel appeared. The rabbits let out a sigh of relief.
"I gave her the slip," Hazel gasped, "but let's not give her another chance."
It was decided to head back to Watership Down, putting their schooling Hickory and Marigold off for another time later. Hazel reminded himself to ask Trill and Warble, Pipkin's two bird friends, to deliver the message to the rabbit couple. Returning to the high hills, the patrol was lucky the fox had given up and never bothered to tail them back to their warren.
Just then, Kehaar came back. However, it was probably not a good idea considering how ticked off the Wide Patrol is over his abandonment.
"Where'd you go?" asked the gull. "I look, but you not where you were."
Hawkbit paused, then gave the bird a scathing glare. "I'll tell you where we nearly were; inside a Frithing fox! Where were YOU?!"
Shocked, Kehaar hovered in the air to avoid a possibly angry thrashing from the rabbits. How could he have failed to recognize the consequence of his recklessness? "I saw some gannets. Old friends from big water," he tried to explain himself.
"So, you thought you'd flounce off for a bit of a visit, did you?" Bigwig questioned, fumingly.
"Sorry," Kehaar apologized.
Hazel was clearly disappointed in him. Sure, he had a good reason for not showing up the first time at Efrafa to help the does escape, but this time, the gull's carelessness had made him unreliable in another dangerous situation. "We were counting on you," he scolded. "You let us down." And he left.
Kehaar felt the guilt sting him like a thousand bees. He apologized again, but it couldn't save him for letting down rabbits during their wide patrol. Disheartened, the gull thought it best to keep his distance away from everyone after Hawkbit told the inhabitants of what occurred. Some of the rabbits felt the patrol behaved harshly on Kehaar, whilst others expressed their disappointment in the gull's irresponsibility.
Hannah felt a tremendous sympathy towards the gull and tried to help cheer him up by gathering him some worms for the bird to eat. The little mouse tugged and pulled at the first worm she recently caught, as her captive struggled to free itself.
"Kehaar, I got a big worm for you! Help!" she called.
Nobody came to her assistance, and she lost her grasp. The worm instantly slithered back under the earth's surface. Hannah scowled, but then she noticed a sulking Kehaar leaning back against a rock, depressed and uninterested. Concerned, she came over to him.
"Kehaar, what's the matter with you?" Hannah asked. "Why don't you want to eat? Are you sick of summer?"
Kehaar sighed, before he answered solemnly, "Sick, yes." He rubbed his wing over his chest. "My heart is sore."
Something is obviously wrong with him. Hannah knew she had to find some way or someone to help lift the gull's spirits. She lolloped back to circle of beech trees where the rabbits just silflayed, acting like Kehaar's feelings meant nothing to them. This angered Hannah, silently wishing she had pulled off either Bigwig's whiskers or Hawkbit's tail to teach them a lesson.
"Something's wrong with Kehaar," Hannah spoke to the first rabbits she came upon. "He's not himself, and you're just sitting here like neither of you don't care!"
"Maybe we were a bit harsh with him." Fiver listened, then recalled back to how his own brother bitterly ignored him at Cowslip's Warren when he grew aware of the danger. "I remember what that felt like."
"Oh, serves him right," Hawkbit scorned. "Letting a fox sneak up on us, all because of a flock of stupid gannets."
"If you don't care, then why don't you shut up?!" Hannah chided, placing her hands on her hips in disgust.
"You could have behaved nicely about how you reacted," Lily agreed, coming over to defend Kehaar and scold Hawkbit for his rudeness.
"That's right!" Pipkin entered the scene. "I'm sure he didn't mean it. I'll see if I can cheer him up." He started hopping over to the spot where the discouraged Kehaar sat. Upon arriving at Kehaar's spot, Pipkin placed his paws on the rock as he smiled sympathetically at him. "Hannah says you're down in the dumps. Anything I can do?"
"Can you give me big water?" Kehaar stood up, brokenly. He wandered aimlessly as he lamented, "Smell of salt air? Taste of sea fish? Can you give me..." he spread his wings out in a dramatic pose, "Katerina?"
"Katerina is Kehaar's lady bird," Hannah explained to the silently confused young kitten.
"Ohhh." Pipkin moved his head upward when he got the message. "You miss Katerina and the big water?"
"Yes, I miss," the gull replied, sadly. "I miss, I miss, I miss. Miss it all."
"Then you must go to the big water," Pipkin advised, believing it sounded like a good idea to help cure Kehaar's homesickness.
"Yeaaahhh!" Suddenly, Kehaar's depression had vanished. Transformed to enthusiasm and excitement. Why didn't he think of that before? "I go!" He was about to make a takeoff, until he screeched to a halt. If he returned to the big water, then he'd forget about his friends on Watership Down. "BUT... But I not want to go away from friends... from Pipkin. It too sad."
Pondering over how to solve this little dilemma, Pipkin thought hard and then his eyes lit up when an idea occurred to him. "I've got a brilliant idea!" As he explained his plan to Kehaar from which no other rabbit ears can hear, the gull immediately leapt for joy and flapped his wings, overjoyed.
His cries alerted the other rabbits, all confused by the unpredictable mood swings of Kehaar. Only Lily smiled proudly at her adopted son's kindhearted soul for bringing a smile back on Kehaar's face.
"He stopped sulking," Hawkbit said, baffled.
When Pipkin bounded back to the beech trees, he made his announcement to everyone else, "Guess what, everybody? I'm going with Kehaar to the big water!"
"Oh, that's ni-" Lily's words stumbled, trying to register what the little buck had just told her. "Wait, what?"
"I beg your pardon?" Hazel pops up from behind another tree (with Clover in his arms, hence he'd been making out with her in private) fixing a bewildered stare at the young buck.
"He's homesick for the big water," Pipkin explained. "And if he leaves us, he'll be homesick for Watership Down, so I'm going with him." He shrugged, making it sound like a trip to the ocean wasn't that big of a deal.
"You can't go on your own, Pipkin," Hazel stated, refusing to allow the little buck permission to leave.
"And from what I remember, it's very far away," Lily added, pointing out his inexperience in the wild. "And you wouldn't last five minutes on your own if left the high hills."
"Your mother's right, lad." Bigwig agreed with his mate. "If you tried going on your own, an elil would snatch you up in a matter of seconds."
For a second, Pipkin was dejected. However, another idea occurred to him. "Well, what if everybody goes?" he suggested.
"We can't go to the big water just like that!" Bigwig would hear none of it, sharing his concerns with Lily over his childlike nature and inability to be on his own.
"Why not?" Fiver interrupted, now seemingly interested.
"Well, we've heard enough about it," Hawkbit agreed, his interest piqued. "I wouldn't mind seeing it."
"All in favor of going to the big water, saw aye!" Obviously, Dandelion volunteered to come along.
"Aye!" said Bluebell.
"Aye!" said Silver.
"Aye!" said Lily.
"Aye!" said Blackberry.
"Aye!" said Hannah.
"Well..." Seeing he was outvoted, Hazel decided to give a visit to the big water a chance, "it might be fun at that."
The only rabbit who refused to give his approval was Bigwig, who stood silently with his arms folded.
"Come on, Father," Pipkin pleaded, desperately. "For Kehaar."
"Please, darling." Lily battered her eyelashes at him in a flirtatious manner. "He won't be of much good around here until he gets it out of his system."
Trying to resist the temptation, Bigwig finally relented with much reluctance, "Fine. The big water it is."
Thrilled, Pipkin turned to the awaiting gull and reported, "We're all going with you, Kehaar."
Hearing this, Kehaar let out a squawk of exhilaration and starts flying around in circles above the beech trees.
"After all, how far can it be?" Hazel added.
Preparations had been made before the group began their little holiday. Holly was to be left in charge of the warren until Hazel's return. Bigwig left strict instructions that bucks should go on Wide Patrol to keep watch over elil and send Pipkin's bird friends to send a message if there was any trouble, he and the others will return as soon as possible. Primrose, Hyzenthlay and the rest of the does are to take care of the kittens and keep them out of trouble. Clover said goodbye to Hazel, wishing him the best of luck on his adventure.
Afterward, the little band set off downhill for their journey to visit the big water. Kehaar lead the way by air and singing a joyful tune of his delightful return to the big water. Their traveling took them to Nuthanger farm, where Kehaar hovered over the stone fence.
"This way! Big water this way!" he directed. "We be there by next moon. Wait 'til you see. Waves and beach and... more waves!"
"By next moon?" Hawkbit stopped. "How far away is it?"
"Not far," Kehaar replied, taking a break to perch on the stone fence.
Hawkbit exchanged a concerned glance at Fiver, who seemed to share his thoughts over how far the big water really is, and then resumed hopping. Dandelion halted, his nose whiffing in the air.
"Smell that?" he asked.
Bigwig's nose twitched, and a huge grin spread across his lips. "Fresh flayrah!" The scent carried him to the secret passage embedded in the stone wall. He entered through the hole and discovered something that made his mouth water. "Come and see this," he beckoned.
Everyone crawled through the hole and found a truck parked just outside the farm house, where several wooden boxes filled with delicious vegetables had been stacked up and waiting to be taken to market. Some crates had been carelessly left open, exposing the scent of vegetables that drew in the hungry rabbits.
"Will you look at that?" Dandelion's tail wagged happily.
"I don't know about you guys, but I'd like a piece of those carrots!" Bluebell exclaimed.
"Seems a shame to let it go to waste," said Hazel.
"With a long trip ahead, a little snack might be just the thing," Hawkbit decided.
Then, an impatient Kehaar landed beside them. He looked very cross. "Sun don't sit still in sky, you know!" He folded his wings, frowning. "We do not get there if we do not go there! You see? Come along!"
"It's just a quick lunch break, Kehaar," Hannah tried to assure him.
"We're going to have a quick nibble," added Bigwig. "Keep an eye out. There's a good chap."
"And then we go to big water?" asked Kehaar, still a bit impatient.
"Be in and out before you can say Bob-Stones!" replied Silver.
No sooner spoke, the silver colored buck and the entire gang rushed toward the truck, using a crate as a staircase to hop up into the back and instantly start devouring the flayrah left in unopened boxes.
"Hawkbit, you stay here and keep your eyes peeled," ordered Bigwig, who paused at the top of the crate.
Hawkbit did not like this at all. "Oh, fine! You stuff yourselves and I stand watch!"
"You'll get your turn," Hazel told him at the entrance before moving back in.
Pouting, Hawkbit sat in front of the crate, wishing he had eaten a piece of flayrah. "There better be some lettuce left."
Unfortunately, Hawkbit was never good at standing guard. Kehaar had made amends for it when he noticed those two horrid dogs, Duster and Bob, trotting around the corner, heading straight for the truck where the rabbits are in.
"Oh, good! We're gone from five steps from Watership Down and we've got trouble!" The gull warned Hawkbit just in time. "Look out, Hawkbit! It's dogs! Hide!"
Alarmed, Hawkbit dove for cover under the truck at first. But then, he realized how dangerously close the dogs came. He had to get out of there and quick. The truck was the perfect hiding spot for a rabbit. Bob caught the scent of unwanted intruders first, signaling Duster of his discovery and their teeth bared.
Hawkbit had just entered the truck when he bumped face first into Bigwig's rear end, angering the lion buck as he scolded, "I thought I told you to-"
"Hide!" Hawkbit warned everyone to take cover behind the boxes.
The two dogs peered their great heads inside the truck, still growling. They looked around, wondering where the intruders are hiding. They noticed a few eaten carrots on the floor and a strong scent of rabbits close by. Duster tried to get inside the truck, but he clumsily lost his balance and fell. Bob was no klutz. He used the crate to lift himself up on the truck and began creeping his way inward, using stealth mode.
The rabbits held their breath, waiting for the huge dog to go away. Bob's giant shadow came closer and closer to one of their hiding spots in the right corner. Lily and Blackberry held each other, little Pipkin squished in the middle of their embrace (his smooshed face resembled a guppy fish) and Bluebell whimpering like a frightened child. The other helpless rabbits could do nothing but watch in horror as the monstrous Labrador unknowingly approached their friends.
A loud whistle captured Bob's attention, as well as Duster's. Their master was calling them. Bob refused to leave without catching the trespassers, but his master's shrill whistling told him he was needed right now. Duster left first, then a reluctant Bob climbed out of the truck. When the coast was clear, all of the rabbits sighed in great relief. Strange webbed feet sounded at the roof of the truck, slightly scaring the rabbits again.
Only this time, Kehaar's head stuck out from above and rather upside down. "Run! Get away!" he shouted, except it was too late as one of the farmhands came out of nowhere. "Don't stay there! Hide!" The gull was forced to flee.
John picked up the box that was left on the ground and loaded it into the back of the truck. He pushed up the lid to keep the boxes from flying out and closed the curtains, leaving the rabbits locked and shut up inside the darkened truck.
"I think we've got ourselves into a bit of trouble here," Bigwig worried to a distressed Hazel.
Cautiously approaching the curtains, Lily peeked out and saw Tom Cane pull up in his red car behind the truck. Winnifred and Lucy boarded the car, allowing Duster to ride in the back with the little girl. Lucy seemed to be very excited about something as she engaged in happy conversation with her mother, who's smile equaled that of her daughter. Everyone must be going to the market, but what could be so important to make them happy?
Lily's ears cocked when she heard Hazel and Bigwig had gasped when they could hear the two farmhands boarding up front. Bob got to sit on Billy's lap, whilst John took the wheel. He turned the key and started the engine, making it roar loudly.
The truck's movement's shook violently, forcing some of the rabbits, Hannah included, to fall or tumble backwards. The truck drove out of the farmyard and out on the dirt road, followed by the Cane family in their red car. Kehaar looked on as the two hrududil carried his friends out of the farm. He determined to fly after the vehicles and catch up to his friends.
"HAZEL, COME BACK!" shrieked Kehaar.
The Cane family's truck and car entered the village and passed by a glistening water fountain where the statue of a naked child with angelic wings and holding a bow and arrow stood majestically on a large fish. The two vehicles pulled over to a stop inside a market, where Lucy and her mother climbed out of the car. Tom Cane and his loyal farmhands needed to unload their cargo to sell for customers, whilst Winnifred took the ecstatic Lucy to a nearby fair where the little girl planned to spend the entire day with her best friend, Jane Pocock, along with her parents.
Inside the truck, Bigwig's nose whiffed when he caught a familiar scent. "Man!" he gasped.
Fiver's nose twitched as well and his ears perked up when he heard strange animal sounds. "And other creatures... many other creatures."
"Can't say I much like this place," Hawkbit said, nervously.
"But you haven't even seen it yet," Pipkin told him, just as the sound of footsteps approached the vehicle, causing the rabbits to scatter back to their hiding spots.
Billy and John opened up the back of the truck, then started carrying two boxes to a stand close by. Tom Cane hauled out another box, unaware of the unwanted intruders hiding behind some of the crates, and began carrying the third box to the stand. Bob and Duster came over, then turned their attention to the truck. The dogs were still keenly interested in what lurked within the shadows, but their master gave out a shrill whistle. It made the reluctant canines obey their master's command and trailed him.
When the coast was clear, Hawkbit stuck his head out and looked around. "Well, now I've seen it and I still don't like it."
"Whoa!" Pipkin awed at the sights before him.
To the rabbits' surprise, they found themselves in a small village and several humans at present, making Lily recognize her surroundings when it occurred to her of which part of the town the farmer has driven them in: the market. Fortunately, nobody paid attention to the stowaways inside the truck. The humans were browsing around the market to look at food, clothes, household items, animals and other stuff. However, there was something very different about the village today. Part of the town had been transformed into a funfair.
Lily's heart leapt with joy as those precious memories flooded her brain like a tidal wave. People mingled together playing multiple game booths, winning adorable or fantastic prizes, eating all types of delicious food, participating in contests such as eating pies or a potato sack race, riding the Ferris wheel or the merry-go-round, buying colorful balloons and who knows what else could bring back such wonderful memories that she cherished forever.
"Are you okay, Lily?" Blackberry noticed her friend's strange grin and assumed something was wrong at first.
That little interruption of happy times forced Lily's mind to return to reality. "Uh, yes. I'm fine. It's just that I know this place."
Everyone whirled their heads in her direction, mildly started.
"You do?" Bluebell asked.
"Yes, this is the market," Lily explained. "Humans come here to buy food and things for themselves. Henry often brought me along whenever I need to go to the vet or to go shopping.
"What is a vet?" Fiver asked, puzzled.
"A human doctor who takes care of sick or injured animals."
Laughter burst out of Bigwig's mouth, finding the idea of humans healing sick or wounded animals to be quite ridiculous and unbelieving. "Since when do humans help animals?"
Lily scorned at her mate, angered by his rude remark. "You think it's funny?!"
The lion buck's amused chortle ended as he fiercely scowled at his mate.
"Let's be very careful," Hazel warned as he instantly put an end to what could have been an argument, whilst everyone else emerged from the shadows to gaze at their surroundings. "There's a lot we don't know about."
"Might be more accurate to say we don't know anything about it," added Fiver.
"I don't see Kehaar anywhere." Pipkin's eyes searched the sky above them to find their gull friend. "Do you think he'll go to the big water without us?"
"If he'd done that in the first place, we wouldn't be in this mess!" retorted Hawkbit, quite angrily.
"Hey, you voted to go on this little expedition!" Bigwig scolded, defensively.
"We better get away from this hrududu before those dogs come back." Hazel scanned the area for a place to hide until he found one. "Over there!"
He took the lead as the rabbits leapt out of the truck and made a dash for cover, whilst Bigwig commanded, "Right, everyone stick together!" The rabbits needed to stay close or else someone might wander off and get separated. Hannah had taken to riding Bigwig's back and clutched his mane for her to hold on.
Suddenly, a horse neighed and reared up his front legs when he almost stepped on Bluebell, terrifying the blue buck so much that his mind had gone tharn. Silver quickly caught hold of him by the scruff of his neck and yanked Bluebell out of harm's way, just as the horse's deadly hooves came close to stampeding him. With the frightened Bluebell beside him, Silver fled from the scene with Hawkbit and Dandelion close behind. The four bucks had taken cover beneath the Cane's truck and waited as the man calmed his horse down and ordered the beast to walk onward.
The rest of Hazel's group had taken shelter underneath a big green tent, standing on top of a smooth blue carpet to catch their breath where a few carpets were being displayed for customers. Luckily, the owner of the tent wasn't here.
"Where's Dandelion and Hawkbit?" questioned Fiver. "And where is Bluebell and Silver?"
"Blast those four idiots!" Bigwig shook his head in disgust. "Can't they do anything I tell them?"
Unknown to the rabbits, Kehaar had arrived in the village, except he had no idea where his long-eared friends could be. His sharp eyes scoured the market, but it proved very difficult to find them.
Back at the truck, Dandelion whined dejectedly, "I've lost sight of them!"
"Why did you have to go tharn in front of a horse?" Silver angrily chided directly at Bluebell, who looked ashamed.
"I-I'm sorry," he apologized, meekly. "I never meant to-"
Hawkbit cut in, trying to maintain control of the situation. "All right, calm down! Let's not panic."
"Oh, fair enough." Dandelion scoffed. "What should we do?"
"Owsla rules; if you separate from your patrol, go to ground and wait till they come for you."
Just then, a bright red balloon floated out of nowhere and lingered in front of the puzzled rabbits. Silver approached it, caution mixed with curiosity, and stretched his head forward to sniff at this strange object. The balloon drifted to the ground, and suddenly it exploded in a loud pop. To the four rabbits, that deafening pop reminded them of Man's gun and it sent a wave of panic through their skulls as the bucks scurried for safety. They took shelter underneath a green and yellow striped cloth attached to a booth, all four of them panting heavily.
"I never touched it, I swear!" Silver massaged his ears, trying to rub out that fearful pop that still hurt his head.
"Well, that's torn it," Hawkbit sighed. "Hazel's never gonna find us now."
"I have this horrible vision of spending the rest of our lives lost in this place bolting at every turn!" Dandelion worried, his ears drooping. Then, his nose sniffed the air when he thought he smelled elil. An eerie growl made a shiver travel down his spine as the blonde buck gradually turned his head around. "Uhh, guys? Time to bolt again."
"What are you talking abo-" Bluebell's sentence trailed off when he came face-to-face with a pair of vicious snarling ferrets, though locked in a cage but still eager for a meal. "HOLY FRITH AND INLE!" he shrieked, as he and the bucks bolted out of the booth at top speed to escape the hungry ferrets.
Meanwhile, Hazel's group had returned to the truck where the scent of Hawkbit's group used to be, but it's occupants nowhere to be found. They almost frozen when humans came close, but luckily the humans walked past them and never took any notice of their presence, too preoccupied in their daily lives.
"They were here," Bigwig grumbled, irately. "Owsla rules; go to ground and wait. I drum that into their heads and what do they do?"
"It's not their fault!" Blackberry replied, defending their lost allies. "They're lost in the market, and who knows what could happen to them."
While Pipkin silently pondered over their dilemma, he saw bubbles come floating by from around the corner. The rays of the sun shimmered within the bubbles, creating miniature rainbows on the surface. His discovery filled the young kitten with joy as he cheered, "Look! Bubbles of rainbow!" A bubble popped when it touched Pipkin's nose, making Lily giggle when she found it adorable. "It's a message from Prince Rainbow! It has to be." He rushed forward in attempt to playfully grab the bubbles. "Don't you see? If we find where they came from, we'll find Hawkbit and the others."
After thinking it over, the rabbits began to understand the young kitten may be on to something.
"I do believe he's right," Fiver agreed.
"Then what are we waiting for, let's go!" Hannah exclaimed, as the rabbits took off in the direction where the drifting bubbles came from.
No sooner had the rabbits left, Kehaar landed at the very spot where his friends once stood. He complained for a while until he took to the skies again.
Around that time, Hawkbit's group remained hidden underneath another booth watching the humans stroll past them. Neither of them wanted to move an inch should they encounter another horse or more ferrets.
"One place is as bad as the next," Hawkbit trembled.
"What do we do now?" Silver asked, looking anxious.
Dandelion's head cocked to the side, listening to strange lively music in the distance. Then his eyes lit up when a river of bubbles floated by. Studying the tiny rainbows gleaming on their surfaces, the blonde buck felt a rush of relief sweep over him. "Look, it's a sign from Prince Rainbow!" he cried, happily. "He knows we're in trouble."
"Do you think...?" Bluebell peered his head out from the sheet, hopefully.
"No, I believe! C'mon!" This time, Dandelion took charge as he escorted his friends out from under the booth and followed the bubbles in the path where they came from.
Hazel's group had followed the bubbles all the way to the fair grounds, hiding underneath a wooden bench, and stared in bewilderment at where the source of Prince Rainbow's bubbles had come from; an orange mechanized bear blowing bubbles, with gentle music playing.
"Prince Rainbow works in strange ways," Fiver commented.
"Actually..." Lily was about to explain the bubble machine is not a device made by Prince Rainbow to guide them back to their friends, only for Hannah to shake her head disapprovingly at the doe, signaling her not to ruin the rabbits' faith and belief in Prince Rainbow.
"What a queer creature." Blackberry's paw tapped at the mechanized bear, trying to figure out what it is and why it creates bubbles.
"We're lost in a strange place," Bigwig agrees. "I suppose it makes some sort of sense."
"It makes perfect sense." Pipkin remained as optimistic as ever, and his prayers had been answered when he sighted some familiar faces trailing after the bubbles. "There they are! Guys, over here!"
Pipkin's voice got their attention as Hawkbit, Dandelion, Silver and Bluebell found their companions and joined them under the bench.
"You lot are a sight for sore eyes." Hawkbit was relieved to see his friends again.
"We thought we'd lost you forever." Even Bigwig didn't have the heart to lecture the four bucks for disappearing on them.
"Prince Rainbow was watching over us." Dandelion shared that same heartfelt belief like Pipkin did, that Lily decided not to ruin it when she wanted to explain the reality of bubble machines.
"Right, we're all together. Now let's plan a way out of this nightmare." No sooner did Hazel make this decision, an elderly human gentleman with a cane sat down on the bench.
"Let's get someplace safer first." Bigwig needed to find a way out, as the bench was no longer safe if another human came to sit down beside the old man and discovered their hideaway, when he discovered a tent where the man was selling flowers in pots. "There!" he gestured.
"As close to a burrow as I've seen around here. Come on." Hazel lead the way, as everyone hopped forward and headed for one of the huge flower crates for shelter.
"But that's not anywhere close to a burrow!" Lily protested, but Blackberry gently shoved her to go on.
Underneath the crate, the rabbits were nearly crammed in, but it seemed like a suitable hiding spot for them to discuss their way of escaping the market. Lily found herself squeezed in-between Blackberry and Pipkin, finding it hard to move around.
"Right, we can't stay here and we can't find a way out," said Hazel.
"That's a cheery summing up," complained Hawkbit, sarcastically.
"So what do we do?" Bigwig asked, frowning. "Hope Prince Rainbow steps in again?"
"Hold on!" Blackberry interrupted, after carefully thinking the matter over silently. "A hrududu brought us here, so maybe one can take us away."
"That's an excellent idea, Blackberry." Hazel praised at the doe's smarts.
"I know what Captain Broom would say to that..." Dandelion chuckled, then his voice began an imitation of the elderly captain, "Daring strategy, my boy!"
"Me, I'd just say it's mad." Hawkbit sounded rather annoyed by the idea.
"And in the Owsla, we have a saying; Who dares wins?" Silver reminded, up and ready for anything.
"Then it's settled." Hazel made his decision. "We find an open hrududu and trust in Frith."
Suddenly, the sound of an engine roaring and chugging captured their attention as Hawkbit said, "Now, what?"
A pallet-jack approached them, using its strong arms to lift the crate the rabbits were hiding under and it carried the crate away, leaving the group exposed out in the open. The florist had just turned to see one of his crates being moved when he discovered the trespassers. Angered, he began throwing empty plant pots at them.
"I've had enough of this place!" A scared Dandelion dodged the pots when they broke on impact they hit the ground.
"Hop it!" Bigwig shouted.
"Follow me!" Lily gestured to the open entrance of the funfair, leading the rabbits away from the enraged florist.
The group squeezed under the gates and dashed across the fair grounds, searching for shelter and safety. They didn't like being out in the open. People strolled by, with not the slightest idea of what creatures rushed past their feet. While dodging a ring toss area, two colored rings landed on Dandelion's ears, but when he resumed running, the rings fell off, although the rabbits' presence startled a few families playing the game and alerted the barker, whom attempted to capture the intruders, instead tripping over his feet and fell over.
After escaping the barker, the rabbits found themselves concealed within a small hut of a puppet stand. They stared at these strange hand-gloved puppets with confusion and fear, believing that because their faces resemble Man, they could wake up and attack them at any second now.
"This might not be the best place to hide." Dandelion shuddered, nervously.
"It definitely isn't." Fiver agreed.
"In case you are wondering, these are puppets," Lily explained, calmly. Her words made the rabbits stare at her, baffled. "Humans use puppets to control them by hand. They call themselves puppeteers. Sometimes the humans do it for amusement." Seeing how more confused they are, she tried to explain it with a different approach. "Think of Woundwort as a puppeteer. He controlled his Owsla through abuse and oppressiveness."
Pipkin was the first to understand what his adopted mother was teaching them. "Oh! I see what you mean now."
Bigwig peered through an opening in the curtain, hoping to find a way of escape, but more humans came and go. "We're stuck."
"In here!" Hazel directed the group to take cover within the wheel barrow of odd puppets.
The man finished the little puppet show as the children applauded and cheered. He tossed his two puppets onto the cart, forcing the rabbits to duck down. He carried the wheel barrow outside and passed a nearby petting zoo where children were softly stroking the fur of adorable little animals like ducklings, chicks, lambs, piglets, baby goats, guinea pigs and baby bunnies.
"What in Frith's name are they doing?" wondered Blackberry, as she gazed at a little boy and his sister cuddling a little bunny, who seemed to be milking in all the affection.
"It's called a petting zoo," said Lily. "Humans often bring their children here to pet or feed animals with great care."
To Hawkbit, the idea of a human touching him sounded quite ridiculous. "I certainly would never want a human putting his hands on me!"
"Me neither!" Bigwig snorted in agreement, and so did the other rabbits, much to Lily's chagrin.
Hazel's head poked out of the puppet material when he recognized the sounds of cows mooing and horses neighing. They were no longer in the petting zoo, now finding themselves in a County Farm and Show, where farm animals had been given ribbons, medals or trophies for winning the best in the contest. "We're in a farm," he guessed.
"We know a lot about farms." Bigwig smiled. "Come on, you lot."
"This isn't a farm!" Lily protested, but it fell on deaf ears as the rabbits leapt out and she had to join them.
The rabbits took shelter behind a wooden stall, where it belonged to a very round and obese female pig with pink skin and bright blue eyes. She had spotted the rabbits hiding in the puppeteer's cart and watched them with great interest. Surprisingly, the pig wasn't threatened nor bothered by their visit, being very lonely herself despite being known as a winner of five first place ribbons.
"Lost, are you?" asked the pig.
"Yes, we are." Pipkin answered. "How did you know?"
"Wild rabbits on the loose in the market, you're quite different from the hutch rabbits in the petting zoo. And a small mouse on one of your backs. Logical, really."
"We're sorry to intrude on you," Lily apologized, politely. "But we're in a dreadful fix uhhh…"
"Call me Hyacinth," the pig introduced herself kindly. "I might be a prize winner, but I don't stand on ceremony."
"Miss Hyacinth," Hazel began explaining their dilemma, "we've been out looking for a hrududu to take us out of here, but... well it's a confusing place."
Fiver elbowed his brother in the arm, reminding him of the pig's unfamiliarity of the Lapine tongue. "Hazel, she doesn't know what a hrududu is."
His words received a snort from Hyacinth, obviously she was truly familiar with the rabbit language. "Oh, don't I? Well, that's rabbit language for a van, a truck, and a car. And I've been in all of them, and boats and planes."
"Well, Kehaar's told us about boats, but what's a plane?" Dandelion asked, puzzled.
The answer to his question came when a gigantic airplane thundered over their heads as it soared majestically in the sky above. Alarmed, the rabbits got down on all four legs and lowered themselves to the ground. Only Lily stood calmly while she gazed up at the plane with amazement.
"Frith in a pond!" Bigwig gasped, unable to believe what he was seeing. "A hrududu with wings!"
"And it sounds like thunder." Bluebell shivered, placing his paws over his ears.
"It's alright, everyone." Lily soothingly assured her friends, shaking her head at their naivety. "It's just flying to a faraway destination."
Hyacinth shrugged like it wasn't that big of a deal. "That's a plane, and it flies. It carries humans to places around the world. Oh, yes. The highest pig gets around, I'll tell you." Her kindhearted smile transformed into a frown of dejection. "Though I never get to go where I like."
"We're on our way to the big water," Pipkin told her, smiling. "Our friend, Kehaar, lives there."
"Must be wonderful to go where you want. I always wanted to wander in the high hills myself."
"Then why don't you?" asked Hazel.
"Because... well..." Hyacinth was lost in her words. "I'm sure I don't know."
"Maybe you can try to escape," added Hannah.
"You mean just go like now?"
"Well, why not? You big enough to bash through this fence." Hawkbit suggested.
Truthfully, Hyacinth had never thought about it before. She had always known she'd grown bigger as she grew up. Whatever food the farmer fed her only made her fatter and large enough to destroy anything in her path. "I suppose... I suppose I could." She made her decision. This was her chance. "I suppose I will!"
Eager to get out of the human village as soon as possible, Bigwig hopped in front of the pig to speak as politely as he could, "Uh, before you do, ma'am, do you suppose you could direct us to a hrududu? We really do want to get out of here."
"Of course, I might even sniff out the smell of the sea on one of them." Hyacinth was glad enough to lend her assistance. "You do want to go to the big water?"
"That was the plan, but right now anywhere will do," Hawkbit said. "Is your nose really that good?"
"A pig's nose is a wonder to behold. Now, stand back." With a determined frown, Hyacinth charged forward and used her enormous body weight to bust through the fence, destroying the gate in the process.
With the pig as their guide, the rabbits trailed after her as everyone raced in and out within the fair, startling the panicked humans when they realized a runaway pig was loose in the fair. This time, the rabbits were no longer terrified of being on their own as long as their new friend stayed close to them. However, Hyacinth accidently knocked the Cane's crates along the way, alerted the two dogs nearby nds they growled furiously upon recognizing the trespassing wild rabbits.
A familiar squawk caught their attention as Kehaar landed in front of the rabbits, all surprised to see him after all of their crazy adventures in the fair, they were truly glad to see him again. Unfortunately, Hyacinth had bounded off beyond the fairgrounds and the rabbits failed to notice this separation.
"Kehaar, you found us!" Pipkin cheered, happily.
"Where have you been, you crazy bird?" Hannah demanded, placing her small paws on her hips and frowned.
"Well, you make enough racket with pigs, a prickly mole could find you!" Kehaar scolded, irately. "Can we go to the big water now?"
"Hyacinth was going to show us a hrududu that will take us there," Hazel explained.
Kehaar scoffed in slight haughty disbelief that a pig could help them find a vehicle that can take them to the big water. "What do pigs know?"
"Well THAT one apparently knows a lot!" Silver defended, whilst the rest of the group nodded in agreement.
Suddenly, Bigwig's ears cocked up and his head whirled around to see Duster and Bob appear out of nowhere. "Look out!" he cried.
The dogs' presence caused Kehaar to fly off and the rabbits to scatter for cover, only to get trapped in one of the mini game arenas. They looked around, hoping to find another path of escape. But there was no possible way of outrunning those two beasts. The dogs had them cornered, helplessly.
"All those times we outfoxed these dogs at Nuthanger Farm," Hawkbit trembled, as he recalled all of those past times of outwitting Bob and Duster during their raid on the farm. "Now look at us."
"You'd think that wretched gull would lend a wing," Bigwig grumbled, searching the sky for Kehaar and his emergency assistance.
"He's the one that got us into this mess in the first place!" Dandelion agreed, laying the blame on the gull.
Lily scorned at the bucks, fed up with them making a scapegoat out of Kehaar for all their troubles. "STOP IT! Need I remind you all that you decided to go see the big water in the first place! I'll cuff the next buck who speaks ill of Kehaar again!" Her disciplinary words didn't work much to make the irked bucks feel ashamed, but it deeply affected Bluebell, Hazel, Fiver, Pipkin and Blackberry.
The dogs moved closer and closer, at last finally earning the kill they had been denied for a long time.
"I'd just like to say it's been a joy knowing you all of you... especially being your brother, Hazel." As Fiver spoke like this would be the last time he lived, everyone grew touched by his parting words as they prepared to accept their fate, although Bigwig was the only one standing his ground and ready to defend his loved ones.
"Same to you, little brother." Hazel gave his little brother a genuine smile. His thoughts briefly drifted to his loved ones back home. And I hope to Frith that Clover, my children, and all our friends on the down will remain forever safe.
A miraculous rescue arrived just in the nick of time. Kehaar releasing a heroic squawk as he came soaring through the air, leading an angry Hyacinth to come charging into view. She bravely tackled Duster, knocking him to the ground and slightly injuring him. The pig snorted furiously like an enraged bull seeing red. Scared, Duster whimpered and started to retreat, leaving the scene. The pig's strength and brutality was too much for him.
The ever ferocious Bob stood his ground, baring his teeth as he lunged at the pig and sank his jaws into her back. Hyacinth let out a painful squeal when she felt a hot, stinging pain enter her back. She tried to shake him off, but the dog buried his teeth further into her flesh and his claws began scratching against her pink skin. Hyacinth reached forward to bite one of the dog's back legs, trying to force him to let release her to no avail.
With an enraged squawk, Kehaar swooped down and struck his sharp beak in the dog's forehead with incredible force. The gull's fierce attack took the dog by surprise that he released his hold on the pig's body, stumbling backwards and landed on four legs. Kehaar circled back and dive bombed the dog in the face, pecking at his face and scratching his claws from his webbed feet at the Labrador's snout. Bob cried out in agony when he felt his fur tugged at and his face pierced by the bird's sharp beak. At last, he retreated back to the truck where Duster returned.
"I don't know why Man keeps dogs around," Hyacinth panted, tired from the confrontation. "Pigs are ever so much smarter."
The rabbits approached the courageous pig and gull. For a moment, they grew stunned by the unexpected cavalry whom threw great savagery at the dogs to chase them away, deeply grateful for their rescue.
"That was a near thing," Hazel said with gratitude. "Thank you, Hyacinth."
"You should thank the gull," Hyacinth replied. "I was practically gone until I realized you were out of my sight."
Even Bigwig had to admit he was wrong to doubt the gull's loyalty. "You're a fine friend in a sticky situation, Kehaar."
Seeing the injuries on the pig's back, Lily gasped in mortified shock. "Hyacinth, you're hurt!"
But Hyacinth didn't seem too worried about her injuries as she waved off the doe's concern. "No worries, lass. It's just a few scratches. Right, we still have to find you a ride out of here."
The pig lead the group out of the fairgrounds and out of the market, taking them to a small parking lot beyond the town square where plenty of cars and buses stood, getting a whiff of the first smell from an orange bus that she examined, trying to figure out which vehicle of transportation will take the rabbits, the gull and the mouse to the seaside.
"No, this one is from horse country," she said. "Up north."
"I don't believe it." Bigwig doubted, astonished that a pig correctly deduced the scent of a vehicle's whereabouts.
"I've been everywhere," Hyacinth explained, walking further up ahead a bit as Fiver tagged along. "Dropped off from one fair to the next. Every place has it's own particular smell."
"And you remember them all?" Fiver asked.
Hyacinth took a good whiff at Fiver's small body, then said, "You are from the high hills, along the path of the setting sun." She sniffed at him again. "You've recently been at a farm..."
"Amazing!" Hazel praised.
"You ate some lettuce and a beetroot."
"That's right!" Fiver smiled, impressed at her abilities.
"So let's have no more doubts about my nose, shall we?" Hyacinth stole a brief scowl at Bigwig for his doubting her high sense of smell, as the lion buck felt embarrassed and Hazel couldn't help snickering. The pig came to a red bus and sniffed it, her eyes widened at the smell she recognized all too well. "Sand... seaweed... salt water, ooh! Here we are. A bus from the seaside. On, you get."
"So, I see you at the big water, then?" Kehaar asked, hopefully.
Hazel chuckled, as he smiled with reassurance. "That's where we said we were going, Kehaar, so that's where we'll go."
"You also said how far can it be?" Hawkbit pointed it, after cautiously sniffing at the luggage trunk opening.
"It's as far as it is," Bigwig said, gruffly. "Get on!"
One by one, the rabbits started to climb aboard the bus's bottom luggage trunk. The last to board were Lily, Hazel and Fiver, wishing to say their goodbyes and thanks to Hyacinth for her kindness and assistance.
"We would have been in a sticky situation without you, Hyacinth," Hazel said, gratefully. "Thank you."
"And I'd still be in my pen, waiting to get carted off to the next fair without you," Hyacinth replied, just as grateful to the rabbits for giving her the freedom she deserved.
"You'll like the high hills, Hyacinth," Fiver said. "We do."
"I hope to see you again someday," Lily added, hopefully. "It's been a long time since I've talked to pigs."
This made Hyacinth's eyebrows raise up. "You know any other pigs?"
"I used to live on a farm with humans as a pet, until my farm was burned down and the humans perished, except for the little boy who raised. I don't know what happened to the farm animals."
Her words made Fiver lower his ears, remembering that dreadful vision of Henry's murder. How could he tell her the truth he had been concealing for so long?
"Oh, I'm so sorry, dearie." As Hyacinth expressed her condolences to the doe, her ears cocked when she heard a man's voice shouting at Tom Cane, accusing him of allowing his dogs to attack his prized pig and demanding her whereabouts. "I'd best be off before Man finds me. Good luck, rabbits! I hope we meet again."
After wishing the rabbits the best of luck, the pig bounded off on her way to the countryside. Kehaar flew off, just as the bus driver picked up some leftover luggage and loaded them inside the trunk, causing the rabbits to avoid being squished by the large amounts of baggage. The driver closed the trunk door shut and locked it.
"The big water better be worth it," Hawkbit hoped, "if we ever get there."
"We'll get there, Hawkbit. After all, how far can it be?" Hazel assured him, though in the back of his mind, he wondered just as far is the big water.
The driver started up the engine, the bus began to move as it left the village parking lot and the village itself, and the rabbits knew at once they were finally on their way to the big water at last. Who knows what will happen when they reach their destination. Kehaar had to stay close to the bus while the vehicle drove onward down a road across the county.
At the same time, Hyacinth was making the most of it as she lavished in the spectacular view of the high hills before her, breathing in that fresh air. "I'll never go back to a pen again, no," she sang joyously, "it's the lonely high hills for me."
