Watership Down Page #2

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- We can't just sit here.

I know what we ought to be looking for.

A high, lonely place with dry soil...

Where we can see and hear all around,

and men hardly ever come.

- There's a dog loose in the wood.

- Well, that does it.

- A dog?

- Come on.

What do you think will happen

when he picks up our scent?

Those that can swim, swim.

The others will have to make out

the best they can.

That's not good enough.

We got into this together,

we'll get out of it together.

Hazel, look.

It floats.

That's it. That's it!

Fiver, get on, quickly.

Silver, Bigwig, get your nose under it.

Push it out.

Quickly!

Keep still!

- Are you all right?

- Of course.

That was a good idea of yours, Blackberry.

Yes. Let's try to remember it.

Might come in handy again.

- Does anyone know where we're going?

- Hazel does, I'm sure.

I've never seen anything like that before.

- The man-thing killed it.

- A man-thing?

A hrududu. It runs on it.

- The what?

- The hrududu.

- It runs on it?

- Yeah, faster than we can.

- It's dangerous, then. It could catch us.

- No, no.

It won't take any notice of us at all.

I'll show you.

Watch this.

See? It's not interested.

What are you waiting for?

Well? Come along, then.

They need to rest, Hazel.

Something's up ahead.

A warm, friendly burrow, perhaps?

No, not a burrow. A field.

A great field of scented plants

that will cover us until we're rested.

You're beginning to

sound like a chief, Hazel.

- Hazel-rah.

- Hazel-rah?

That'll be the day I call him chief, that will.

Violet's gone.

We'd better keep moving.

We'll have to stop soon, Hazel.

They're frightened and tired.

Over there. We'll rest there.

Can't rest there. That's a man-place.

There are no men there now.

It looks all right.

What's happening back home, I wonder.

Think, when we lived in our own burrows:

Dry, soft, warm bodies.

- Now, look, we can't go on like this.

- It gets worse the further we go.

Where are we going?

It won't be much longer.

Then we can all rest.

- How much longer?

- We never should have left.

- Suppose Fiver's all wrong?

- We want to go back and find out.

Go back? After all we've been through?

And probably get killed for wounding

Captain Holly, an Owsla officer?

- Talk sense, for Frith's sake.

- We must go on, until we reach the hills.

Those that go back will not...

Not safe...

I don't believe you know

where you're going.

Now, listen to me,

you bunch of mole-snouted, muckraking...

It looks like you've come a long way.

Do you live here?

Yes, this is our warren.

We need to stay here for a while.

Why not? We supposed you would.

But I don't think there are enough of you

to live very comfortably on your own.

There are enough of us

to protect ourselves.

Don't get upset.

Who are you? What do you want?

My name is Cowslip,

and I don't want anything.

Yeah, what about the others?

We have plenty of empty burrows,

if that's what you mean.

And now, if you'll excuse me,

I hate the rain.

Funny smell.

We ought to have nothing to do

with that Cowslip, or his warren.

It might be drier in there.

Whatever will he think of us

if we don't go in?

- I'll tell you. He'll think we're afraid.

- Afraid? Who's afraid?

He seemed friendly enough.

What has he got to gain

by asking us to join him?

We can't sit out here like fools.

Well, come along then.

They think I'm mad,

but you know I'm not...

And you still won't listen.

Hazel?

Come along, Fiver.

There's that smell again.

It's almost like man.

Oh, it's you, is it? How nice.

I'm so glad you've come.

This is rather a big warren.

Yes. Please, help yourself to flayrah.

There are fresh roots here daily.

The man throws it out.

Man? What man?

A lot of the burrows are lying empty,

you know...

So you're all welcome

to any that you choose.

Where are all the others?

Please, eat all you like.

We'll leave you to your...

Where are they all?

Where? Try asking Cowslip

"where" anything.

They seem sad.

Like trees in November.

Well, I still think we've made

a big change for the better.

Do you think the man puts the food

out there because of a kind heart?

It's not poison.

There's something unnatural

and evil and twisted about this place.

It feels like mist.

Like being deceived, and losing our way.

Some of us are gathering

and suggesting stories.

- We're hoping you'll tell one.

- Hazel can tell you about our adventures.

How we had the good luck to join you.

Surely, there's no harm in that.

Dandelion, why don't you tell us

the story of El-ahrairah?

El-ahrairah and his trickery don't really

mean very much to us, charming as it is.

Rabbits will always need tricks.

No, we need dignity,

and above all, the will to accept our fate.

As one of our poets is fond of saying,

if I may quote...

- Yes, of course.

- Please, do.

"Where are you going, stream?

"Far, far away

"Take me with you, stream

"Take me on your dark journey

"Lord Frith, take me far away

To the hearts of light

"The silence, I give you my breath

- "My life, the silence"

- I've had enough!

- Where are you going?

- Away, to the hills.

By yourself, alone? You'll die.

- You're closer to death than I.

- Determined to ruin it for us, aren't you?

No!

Me, me, me. All the time.

"But, I'm in a mist."

- Bigwig!

- "Everything's bad!"

- No!

- "I've a funny feeling in my toe."

- No, no!

- I'm finished with you.

What's more,

I'm going to make sure everyone else is.

Bigwig, listen. You're in a snare. A snare.

Now, what did they tell you in Owsla?

Think.

No good biting wire.

Run to the warren and get the others.

Blackberry, Silver and Cowslip.

Be quick. He'll die.

Blackberry! Dandelion! Come quickly!

Come on. Hurry up. It's Bigwig.

He's still breathing. What can we do?

- We've got to loosen the wire somehow.

- Yes, but how?

- Is Cowslip coming? Maybe he knows.

- He wouldn't come.

- He told me to stop talking about it.

- He told you what?

This is it. The wire's on a peg.

We've got to dig it out.

The peg's narrower down there. It tapers.

I can't get my teeth into it.

Pipkin, you go in.

The splinters prick you.

It's hard to breathe.

The peg's nearly through.

Fiver, you go in.

I can't hear him breathing.

It's broken in two. It's free.

Bigwig, the peg's out. You're free.

I think he's gone.

We've got you out, Bigwig.

You're free.

- Bigwig, please don't die.

- It's no use.

We got you out.

What shall we do without him?

"My heart has joined the thousand

For my friend stopped running today"

You pay for it. The food, the warren. But

no one must ever ask where anyone was...

Or speak of the wires.

The whole place is snared, everywhere.

- They left Bigwig to die.

- Silver's right.

Let's drive them out,

take their warren and live there ourselves.

Yes. Back to the warren.

- Back to the warren.

- Embleer Frith, you fools!

That warren's nothing but a death hole.

Let's help ourselves to a roof of bones.

Who killed them?

Bigwig! You're alive!

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