Tales From Watership Down (Watership Down 2)

"There must be a way in," he said to Rabscuttle, "or what's the good of it?"

Rabscuttle hadn't changed his first idea that they ought to let it alone, but the truth was that he was glad to see his master getting back some of his old spirits and evidently up for a bit of adventure or mischief, for he had been drained and low for many days since leaving the Black Rabbit. So he said nothing and followed obediently as El-ahrairah went along the hedge to the far end and turned the corner.

The first thing they saw when they got round the corner was a solitary rabbit feeding in a patch of short grass. His back was turned to them, and he took no notice as they made their way up to him. As soon as he became aware of them, he jumped and looked at them nervously. However, he did not run away but remained where he was, only trembling a little as El-ahrairah greeted him and wished him well. They could see now that he was old, with graying fur, peering

eyes and slow movements. In some curious way that he could not pin down, El-ahrairah found himself not much liking the look of him, but this, he thought, must be due to one of the odd, confused spells that had been coming upon him from time to time since leaving the Black Rabbit. He knew he was not altogether himself, but he had grown accustomed to paying little attention to these intermittent feelings.

The old rabbit told them that his name was Greenweed. He had lived here for a long time, he said. There were no other rabbits now, and he was quite alone. El-ahrairah asked him whether he wasn't afraid of elil, living so solitarily, but he answered that no elil ever troubled him. "I expect I'm too old and tough," he said. "I wouldn't be to their taste." El-ahrairah could not tell whether this was meant seriously or as a joke.

After sunset, when they were settling down together for the night, El-ahrairah asked Greenweed about the big, ruined house and whether he could remember a time when men had lived there.

"Indeed I can," replied Greenweed. "Once, there used to be any number of men."

"Why did they go?" asked El-ahrairah.

"That I can't tell," said he. "As I seem to recall, they went away a few at a time, until there was none left."

"And this strange place, this comical field of green paths: Do you know what it was for? What was the use of it?"

"It was of no practical use," answered Greenweed. "I've seen men go in there--wander about until they got to the middle, they used to--and then do their best to find their way out again. They did it just for sport; it was a kind of game they used to play. You ought to pay it a visit while you're here."

El-ahrairah was puzzled. "A game? That seems stupid."

"Well," said Greenweed, "that's only one of the stupid things men do to amuse themselves. If you'd lived as close to them as I have, you'd know that. But it's worth going into, all the same."

"Have you ever been in there?" asked El-ahrairah.

"Oh, yes; often, when I was young; but it's of no use to a rabbit."

"Well," said El-ahrairah, "perhaps we might take a look round it tomorrow, before we go on, as long as the weather stays fine and it doesn't rain."

The next morning was as fine as ever, and El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle began the day by finding their way into the deserted, overgrown garden. They were hoping that they might find something good to eat, but even in the vegetable garden they came upon nothing to attract them.

"It looks as though a lot of other rabbits have been here before us, master," said Rabscuttle. "We might as well leave it to the mice and the birds."

"Yes, we'll go back now," said El-ahrairah, "and see what we can find in that comical field."

"Somehow or other I don't much like that field," said Rabscuttle, "but I can't tell why."

"It's only because it's new to you," said El-ahrairah. "Natural rabbit suspicion. Anyhow, we won't stay there long. We have to be on our way."

Greenweed was waiting to encourage them and see them off. He showed them the way in and came a few yards with them into the comical field.

"Is there any particular way we ought to go to get to the middle?" asked El-ahrairah.

"Not that I know of," said Greenweed. "As I understood it, that was what the men found amusing. They had to find their own way in and out. If they got confused, that was all part of the game."

After he had left them they sat for a while, puzzling over which way to go. Finally they decided that one way was as good as another, and set off down one of the green paths leading between the hedges. For some time they seemed to be going round and round, and were beginning to find it monotonous. They were on the point of deciding to go back, when they unexpectedly found themselves at the center. There was a big, upright stone in the middle of a little grassy square, and to one side an old wooden seat.

"This must be the center, all right," said El-ahrairah, "because there's only one way in. We may as well lie in the sun for a bit before we go back."

They browsed awhile on the grass and then went to sleep in the sun. It was quiet and peaceful, and although El-ahrairah woke once or twice, he soon dropped off again.

When they finally woke, the sun had gone in. It was late in the afternoon and turning chilly.

"We'd better get back as quick as we can," said El-ahrairah. "That Greenweed'll be wondering where we've got to. We'd better stay the night with him now, and go on tomorrow."

They had supposed it would be easy to get out, but they soon found that it was nothing of the kind. They had no idea which way to go and wandered up and down the green paths until they felt quite bewildered.