Watership Down (Watership Down 1)

'One night, in the second moon after the planting, El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle went to look at the carrots. No one had thinned them out and the tops were thick and green. El-ahrairah judged that most of the roots would be a little thinner than a fore-paw. And it was while he was looking at them in the moonlight that his plan came to him. He had become so cautious about Hufsa - and indeed no one ever knew where Hufsa would be next - that on the way back he and Rabscuttle made for a hole in a lonely bank and went down it to talk together. And there El-ahrairah promised Rabscuttle not only that he would steal Prince Rainbow's carrots, but also that between them they would see the back of Hufsa into the bargain. They came out of the hole and Rabscuttle went to the farm to steal some seed corn. El-ahrairah spent the rest of the night gathering slugs; and a nasty business it was.

'The next evening El-ahrairah went out early and after a little while found Yona the hedgehog pottering along the hedge.

' "Yona," he said, "would you like a whole lot of nice, fat slugs?"

' "Yes, I would, El-ahrairah," said Yona, "but they're not so easily found. You'd know that if you were a hedgehog."

' "Well, here are some nice ones," said El-ahrairah, "and you can have them all. But I can give you a great many more if you will do what I say and ask no questions. Can you sing?"

' "Sing, El-ahrairah? No hedgehog can sing."

' "Good," said El-ahrairah. "Excellent. But you will have to try if you want those slugs. Ah! There is an old, empty box, I see, that the farmer has left in the ditch. Better and better. Now you listen to me."

'Meanwhile, in the wood, Rabscuttle was talking to Hawock the pheasant.

' "Hawock," he said, "can you swim?"

' "I never go near water if I can avoid it, Rabscuttle," said Hawock. "I dislike it very much. But I suppose if I had to, I could make shift to keep afloat for a little while."

' "Splendid," said Rabscuttle. "Now attend. I have a whole lot of corn - and you know how scarce it is at this time of year - and you can have it all, if only you will do a little swimming in the pond on the edge of the wood. Just let me explain as we go down there." And off they went through the wood.

'Fu Inle, El-ahrairah strolled into his hole and found Hufsa chewing pellets. "Ah, Hufsa, you're here," he said. "That's fine. I can't trust anyone else, but you'll come with me, won't you? Just you and I - no one else must know."

' "Why, what's to be done, El-ahrairah?" asked Hufsa.

' "I've been looking at those carrots of Prince Rainbow's," replied El-ahrairah. "I can't stand it any longer. They're the best I've ever seen. I'm determined to steal them - or most of them, anyway. Of course, if I took a lot of rabbits on an expedition of this kind we'd soon be in trouble. Things would leak out and Prince Rainbow would be sure to get to hear. But if you and I go alone, no one will ever know who did it."

' "I'll come," said Hufsa. "Let's go tomorrow night." For he thought that that would give him time to tell Prince Rainbow.

' "No," said El-ahrairah, "I'm going now. At once."

'He wondered whether Hufsa would try to turn him against this idea, but when he looked at him he could see that Hufsa was thinking that this would be the end of El-ahrairah and that he himself would be made king of the rabbits.

'They set out together in the moonlight.

'They had gone a good way along the hedge when they came upon an old box lying in the ditch. Sitting on top of the box was Yona the hedgehog. His prickles were stuck all over with dog-rose petals and he was making an extraordinary squeaking, grunting noise and waving his black paws. They stopped and looked at him.

' "Whatever are you doing, Yona?" asked Hufsa in astonishment.

' "Singing to the moon," answered Yona. "All hedgehogs have to sing to the moon to make the slugs come. Surely you know that?

O Slug-a-Moon, O Slug-a-Moon,

O grant thy faithful hedgehog's boon!"

' "What a frightful noise!" said El-ahrairah and indeed it was. "Let's get on quickly before he brings all the elil round us," And on they went.

'After a time they drew near the pond on the edge of the wood. As they approached it they heard a squawking and splashing and then they saw Hawock the pheasant scuttering about in the water, with his long tail feathers floating out behind him.

' "Whatever has happened?" said Hufsa. "Hawock, have you been shot?"

' "No, no," replied Hawock. "I always go swimming in the full moon. It makes my tail grow longer and besides, my head wouldn't stay red, white and green without swimming. But you must know that, Hufsa, surely? Everyone knows that."

' "The truth is, he doesn't like other animals to catch him at it," whispered El-ahrairah. "Let's go on."

'A little farther on they came to an old well by a big oak tree. The farmer had filled it up long ago, but the mouth looked very deep and black in the moonlight.

' "Let's have a rest," said El-ahrairah, "just for a short time."