Watership Down Page #4

---

No, we ain't.

Fiver, there's been some trouble.

Hazel's been shot.

No.

The Black Rabbit serves Lord Frith...

But he does no more

than his appointed task.

Hazel's not dead.

Perfect landing.

Hazel's been wounded.

The farm man shot him.

Come on, follow me.

Come on!

- You get black stones out?

- What do you mean?

Always with gun is coming

little black stones.

You never see?

Take out black stones, he get better.

Let me see leg.

Many stones.

Did you find anything on your flight?

- Efrafa.

- Can you guide us there?

Many rabbits.

Too many rabbits.

We wouldn't be enough

to fight one of their patrols.

What do you mean?

You see this? They did it to me.

It's an identification mark.

Tells you when you can be above ground.

- What do you mean? Who's to stop you?

- Their Owsla.

Their chief is called Woundwort.

General Woundwort.

I don't think even you would

match up to him, Bigwig.

Under him are captains,

each one in charge of a mark.

If you're found above ground

at the wrong time...

they take you before the council

for punishment.

Some of them must get away.

They caught one trying to run away

when I was there.

Blackavar was his name.

When they'd finished with him,

both his ears were ripped to shreds...

worse than this one of mine.

He was lucky not to have been killed.

There was another one, a doe, Hyzenthlay.

I couldn't have escaped without her help.

- Why didn't she go with you?

- She wouldn't go without the others.

Then some might be persuaded to leave?

Yes, but you'd never get them

out of Efrafa.

You got out.

Only because Lord Frith

sent one of his great messengers.

I didn't see what happened to them.

It must have cut them down.

It's not going to be easy,

but we don't have much choice.

- We'll start off as soon as I'm fit to travel.

- I don't like this idea of yours at all.

Holly, I want you to stay here.

You're known to them

and it could be dangerous for you.

I've been in Efrafa, and I tell you

you're making a bad mistake...

That might very well get you all killed.

There's a homba.

No one move. Keep still, all of you.

- What's he up to?

- Trying to draw it off, I suppose.

Frith and lnl!

Come on, let's get out of here.

Come on, hurry!

- Aren't you wounded?

- Never better! Let's go!

- What was that all about?

- I just lost my head, Hazel.

I've been strung up all day,

thinking about Efrafa.

Anyway, I feel a lot better now.

Why did you cry out, if you're all right?

I didn't. I just stopped limping,

you know, ready to run really fast...

When I bumped into

a group of rabbits, face to face.

I tried to warn them about the homba,

but all they did was try to stop me.

One of them said, "You stay here."

So I knocked him down, I had to,

and raced off.

- Next thing I heard was this dreadful squeal.

- So the homba got the other rabbit?

He must have.

After all, I led them right into it.

But I never saw what happened.

It's not to rest here, they come.

A patrol?

Yeah, yeah, is coming for find you, is go!

You go to river, then they not find you.

Come on, all of you, under that bridge

unless you want your ears chewed off.

Yeah, come along.

By other side Iron Road.

I think maybe they no like

for go across Iron Road.

Hazel, you go on.

This may be my chance to get into Efrafa.

But it's too...

All right, take care.

Now, Kehaar will meet you tomorrow,

in that kale field.

Tell him then what you've

been able to work out.

Mr. Hazel, what wait for?

He's right, Hazel, you must go now.

We'll go down to the river and wait there

for you to tell us what to do.

I want you to find some way

to keep them from following us.

Go on now, before we're all caught!

It's a wide patrol. Be careful, Hyzenthlay.

Sir, we've picked up this hlessi

and brought him in.

- Who are you?

- My name is Bigwig.

"Bigwig, sir!"

- What were you doing?

- I've come to join Efrafa.

- Why?

- Surprised you ask...

Sir.

Is there anything odd

about wanting to join?

I'll ask the questions. What can you do?

I can run and fight.

- Fight, can you?

- I've been an officer in an Owsla.

So, you came to join us.

I thought you might have

some use for me.

Well, for the time being,

you'll be assigned a post in the patrol.

You'll take orders from Captain Campion.

If you want a doe,

you have your choice here.

You're not an officer for nothing.

Thank you, sir.

And...

You'll be identified by your mark.

Those Efrafans will be fast and savage.

I need to find a way

to get away from them.

If what Holly says is true,

we couldn't possibly stand and fight them.

Then we'll have to find another way.

What on earth is that, Kehaar?

Him fish.

Hazel, come and look at this.

What is it?

Is boat. Man make them go on water.

It floats, Hazel.

It floats.

Aren't you going to silflay?

I don't silflay at this time, sir.

Tell him why you're here, Blackavar.

I come here for the mark to...

I come here for the mark to see me...

How I've been punished

for trying to leave the warren.

The council were merciful.

He keeps trying to run away.

Captain Campion caught him this time.

His ears were ripped

and he is to show himself...

At every morning and evening silflay

as an example to the others.

If you ask me, he won't last much longer.

He'll meet a blacker rabbit

than himself one of these nights.

That doe over there, what's her name?

Fancy her, do you?

She's called Hyzenthlay,

but look elsewhere, she's a troublemaker.

The council's got their eye on her.

You go now, talk to Bigwig.

Yeah, I go talk to Mr. Bigwig.

He'll be in field by arch on the Iron Road.

Go find him.

By the Iron Road? Yeah, I go and find him.

He'll tell you the plan.

He tell me the plan? I know the plan!

Now don't attract attention.

Of course not, of course not.

I be quiet. I be clever.

They no see me. Kehaar, Kehaar.

You wait here.

- Hyzenthlay.

- Sir?

I want to talk with you.

I am in the mark

and under your orders, sir.

Do you remember a pale gray rabbit

called Holly, you helped escape?

- You've made a mistake, sir.

- Listen, Hyzenthlay, listen carefully.

I'm from a warren where life is free,

where you can live as you wish.

I've come to bring you out of Efrafa,

as many as will come.

You might be a spy, sent by the council.

You know I'm not.

Will you join us,

and persuade your friends, as well?

Trust me. My friends are not far away.

My courage,

my spirit is so much less than it was.

We can escape from Efrafa, believe me.

Yes.

I think I do.

- Listen carefully.

- Yeah!

We're ready. We leave at sunset.

Ready good!

There will be lots of us.

We'll meet you at the iron bridge.

- When?

- Sunset.

Good! Good. Sunset.

Then you must guide us to the river.

- Plenty good trick.

- Trick, what trick?

Listen, if you see a patrol following us

you must drive them away, terrify them.

Yeah, I fly at them.

Remember:
sunset.

You plenty good fellow.

It's set.

When?

Get them to the near hind mark at sunset,

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes