It had been nearly a year and a half since the original eleven rabbits,
Hazel, Fiver, Bigwig, Silver, Pipkin, Dandelion, Blackberry, Hawkbit,
Speedwell, Buckthorn, and Acorn, set out from the doomed warren of
Sandleford, first set foot on Watership Down, and claimed it as their new
warren. The warren grew rapidly, and very prosperous. Its chiefs, Hazel-rah
and Hyzenthlay-rah, and growing Owsla led by the honorable Captain Thlayli
helped it grow and become a strong and dominant warren. It was one of the
strongest warrens around, and could only be compared to the militaristic
warren Efrafa, ruled by the powerful Campion-rah, whom Watership became
allies with shortly after the fall of Efrafa's cruel former chief General
Woundwort. Still, even with their great numbers and overpowering strength,
overcrowding was an important issue in both warrens, and Vleflain Warren
was created between Watership and Efrafa to diminish the problem. The only
thing besides the worries of their everyday lives that the rabbits had to
fear now was the memory of the great General Woundwort and the possibility
that he could still be alive, watching both warrens and planning an attack
on them. It seemed highly unlikely, but when rumors like this are flying
around, paranoia could overthrow even the strongest of rabbits.
* * *
It was a warm, early November day. The asters were beginning to wilt and there was the fresh scent of pine in the air. Hazel, Bluebell, and Blackberry were sitting in a tall patch of grass and listening to a "debate" Bigwig was having with about six kittens, while nibbling at one of the few patches of clovers that remained. "I had him beat before the dog even set foot on the Down," they overheard Bigwig saying to the kittens. "There is no way Woundwort could have survived his fight with the dog."
"But maybe he didn't fight it," said one of the kittens. "Maybe he just scratched it a little and then ran off."
"Yes," began Bigwig, "but-"
"Did you hear him yell?" asked another.
"No, but-"
"Maybe he didn't want to fight."
"But-"
"Maybe he was to tired to fight."
"Maybe he did beat it."
"Maybe he's a ghost."
"Maybe-"
"All right, all right," yelled Bigwig. "Look hear. It's not like the General to run away from elil, and he couldn't have beaten the dog in the state he was in. And Threar, I think Dandelion's telling you too many stories. He's not a ghost."
"But my parli said he senses he's coming to the Down," replied Threar (Fiver's son), "and you said he was killed, so that means he's a ghost."
"Listen," Bigwig sighed. "I know it's not like Fiver to be wrong with things like this. He knew Hazel-rah was alive when we all thought he was dead, but he has to be wrong this time. And even if Woundwort were alive, why would that concern us? He can't harm us now. Not without an Owsla.
"But-" started Threar, but Bluebell cut him off.
"Why don't we go to the Honeycomb?" he said as he walked over to them. "I could tell you the story about what happened to me last summer. It's quite an interesting tale, you know. I was able to ride in a black blossoming hrududu and meet three of its mates!" All the kittens followed Bluebell into the burrow. Bigwig looked over, saw Blackberry and Hazel listening, and went over to them.
"So you were listening to that, were you?" Bigwig asked Hazel and Blackberry. "I swear, sometimes those kittens scare me more than Efrafa did. What do you two think about this whole Woundwort thing? Could Fiver be right? Could the General still be out there somewhere? He is unbeatable, but I don't think there's anyway he could be."
"I don't know," said Hazel. "Fiver's never been wrong, but what are the odds of him still being alive." "Unfortunately," said Blackberry, "pretty good. The General was very strong and we never saw any large amount of his blood on the Down. He could have known the dog was to powerful and left it there. We all just figured he fought it and died in the struggle."
"But the General's not like that," said Bigwig. "He wouldn't have given up without a fight."
"He would if he knew the dog was too strong," said Blackberry. "He does know his own limits. I'm not saying you're wrong, Bigwig, I'm just saying that Fiver may be right." "What's the difference?" asked Bigwig impatiently. While they were talking, Pipkin came running towards them.
"Hazel-rah! Hazel-rah!" he panted. "There's a rabbit coming this way." "Where is he?" asked Hazel as he stood up and looked into the horizon. "On the northern side of the Down," said Pipkin. "He's alone." "Is it the General?" asked Blackberry automatically. "I don't know," he said. "I couldn't tell. He was too far away, but I thought it would be better if I informed you before he reached Watership." "I'll go take a look," said Bigwig, and ran off. A few minutes later, Bigwig returned with the rabbit, but it wasn't Woundwort. It was a beautiful doe. Hazel could tell instantly that she was a hutch rabbit. She was black and white with bright red eyes, which had a sense of weariness in them.
* * *
It was a warm, early November day. The asters were beginning to wilt and there was the fresh scent of pine in the air. Hazel, Bluebell, and Blackberry were sitting in a tall patch of grass and listening to a "debate" Bigwig was having with about six kittens, while nibbling at one of the few patches of clovers that remained. "I had him beat before the dog even set foot on the Down," they overheard Bigwig saying to the kittens. "There is no way Woundwort could have survived his fight with the dog."
"But maybe he didn't fight it," said one of the kittens. "Maybe he just scratched it a little and then ran off."
"Yes," began Bigwig, "but-"
"Did you hear him yell?" asked another.
"No, but-"
"Maybe he didn't want to fight."
"But-"
"Maybe he was to tired to fight."
"Maybe he did beat it."
"Maybe he's a ghost."
"Maybe-"
"All right, all right," yelled Bigwig. "Look hear. It's not like the General to run away from elil, and he couldn't have beaten the dog in the state he was in. And Threar, I think Dandelion's telling you too many stories. He's not a ghost."
"But my parli said he senses he's coming to the Down," replied Threar (Fiver's son), "and you said he was killed, so that means he's a ghost."
"Listen," Bigwig sighed. "I know it's not like Fiver to be wrong with things like this. He knew Hazel-rah was alive when we all thought he was dead, but he has to be wrong this time. And even if Woundwort were alive, why would that concern us? He can't harm us now. Not without an Owsla.
"But-" started Threar, but Bluebell cut him off.
"Why don't we go to the Honeycomb?" he said as he walked over to them. "I could tell you the story about what happened to me last summer. It's quite an interesting tale, you know. I was able to ride in a black blossoming hrududu and meet three of its mates!" All the kittens followed Bluebell into the burrow. Bigwig looked over, saw Blackberry and Hazel listening, and went over to them.
"So you were listening to that, were you?" Bigwig asked Hazel and Blackberry. "I swear, sometimes those kittens scare me more than Efrafa did. What do you two think about this whole Woundwort thing? Could Fiver be right? Could the General still be out there somewhere? He is unbeatable, but I don't think there's anyway he could be."
"I don't know," said Hazel. "Fiver's never been wrong, but what are the odds of him still being alive." "Unfortunately," said Blackberry, "pretty good. The General was very strong and we never saw any large amount of his blood on the Down. He could have known the dog was to powerful and left it there. We all just figured he fought it and died in the struggle."
"But the General's not like that," said Bigwig. "He wouldn't have given up without a fight."
"He would if he knew the dog was too strong," said Blackberry. "He does know his own limits. I'm not saying you're wrong, Bigwig, I'm just saying that Fiver may be right." "What's the difference?" asked Bigwig impatiently. While they were talking, Pipkin came running towards them.
"Hazel-rah! Hazel-rah!" he panted. "There's a rabbit coming this way." "Where is he?" asked Hazel as he stood up and looked into the horizon. "On the northern side of the Down," said Pipkin. "He's alone." "Is it the General?" asked Blackberry automatically. "I don't know," he said. "I couldn't tell. He was too far away, but I thought it would be better if I informed you before he reached Watership." "I'll go take a look," said Bigwig, and ran off. A few minutes later, Bigwig returned with the rabbit, but it wasn't Woundwort. It was a beautiful doe. Hazel could tell instantly that she was a hutch rabbit. She was black and white with bright red eyes, which had a sense of weariness in them.