Watership Down (Watership Down 1)

'As he spoke, a most curious-looking creature came out of the grass. It looked something like a rabbit, but even in the moonlight they could see that it had a red tail and long green ears. In its mouth it was carrying the end of one of the white sticks that men burn. It was Rabscuttle, but not even Hufsa could recognize him. He had found some sheep-dip powder at the farm and sat in it to make his tail red. His ears were festooned with trails of bryony and the white stick was making him feel ill.

' "Frith preserve us!" said El-ahrairah. "What can it be? Let's only hope it isn't one of the Thousand!" He leapt up, ready to run. "Who are you?" he asked, trembling.

'Rabscuttle spat out the white stick.

' "So!" he said commandingly. "So you have seen me, El-ahrairah! Many rabbits live out their lives and die, but few see me. Few or none! I am one of the rabbit messengers of Lord Frith, who go about the earth secretly by day and return nightly to his golden palace! He is even now awaiting me on the other side of the world and I must go to him swiftly, through the heart of the earth! Farewell, El-ahrairah!"

'The strange rabbit leapt over the edge of the well and disappeared into the darkness below.

' "We have seen what we should not!" said El-ahrairah in an awe-stricken voice. "How dreadful is this place! Let us go quickly!"

'They hurried on and presently they came to Prince Rainbow's field of carrots. How many they stole I cannot say; but of course, as you know, El-ahrairah is a great prince and no doubt he used powers unknown to you and me. But my grandfather always said that before morning the field was stripped bare. The carrots were hidden down a deep hole in the bank beside the wood and El-ahrairah and Hufsa made their way home. El-ahrairah collected two or three followers and stayed underground with them all day, but Hufsa went out in the afternoon without saying where he was going.

'That evening, as El-ahrairah and his people began to silflay under a fine red sky, Prince Rainbow came over the fields. Behind him were two great, black dogs.

' "El-ahrairah," he said, "you are under arrest."

' "What for?" asked El-ahrairah.

' "You know very well what for," said Prince Rainbow. "Let me have no more of your tricks and insolence, El-ahrairah. Where are the carrots?"

' "If I am under arrest," said El-ahrairah, "may I be told what for? It is not fair to tell me I am under arrest and then to ask me questions."

' "Come, come, El-ahrai

rah," said Prince Rainbow, "you are merely wasting time. Tell me where the carrots are and I will only send you to the great North and not kill you."

' "Prince Rainbow," said El-ahrairah, "for the third time, may I know for what I am under arrest?"

' "Very well," said Prince Rainbow, "if this is the way you want to die, El-ahrairah, you shall have the full process of law. You are under arrest for stealing my carrots. Are you seriously asking for a trial? I warn you that I have direct evidence and it will go ill with you."

'By this time all El-ahrairah's people were crowding round, as near as they dared for the dogs. Only Rabscuttle was nowhere to be seen. He had spent the whole day moving the carrots to another, secret hole and he was now hiding, because he could not get his tail white again.

' "Yes, I would like a trial," said El-ahrairah, "and I would like to be judged by a jury of animals. For it is not right, Prince Rainbow, that you should both accuse me and be the judge as well."

' "A jury of animals you shall have," said Prince Rainbow. "A jury of elil, El-ahrairah. For a jury of rabbits would refuse to convict you, in spite of the evidence."

'To everyone's surprise El-ahrairah immediately replied that he would be content with a jury of elil: and Prince Rainbow said that he would bring them that night. El-ahrairah was sent down his hole and the dogs were put on guard outside. None of his people was allowed to see him, although many tried.

'Up and down the hedges and copses the news spread that El-ahrairah was on trial for his life and that Prince Rainbow was going to bring him before a jury of elil. Animals came crowding in. Fu Inle, Prince Rainbow returned with the elil - two badgers, two foxes, two stoats, an owl and a cat. El-ahrairah was brought up and placed between the dogs. The elil sat staring at him and their eyes glittered in the moon. They licked their lips: and the dogs muttered that they had been promised the task of carrying out the sentence. There were a great many animals - rabbits and others - and every one of them felt sure that this time it was all up with El-ahrairah.

' "Now," said Prince Rainbow, "let us begin. It will not take long. Where is Hufsa?"

'Then Hufsa came out, bowing and bobbing his head, and he told the elil that El-ahrairah had come the night before, when he was quietly chewing pellets, and terrified him into going with him to steal Prince Rainbow's carrots. He had wanted to refuse but he had been too much frightened. The carrots were hidden in a hole that he could show them. He had been forced to do what he did, but the next day he had gone as quickly as possible to tell Prince Rainbow, whose loyal servant he was.

' "We will recover the carrots later," said Prince Rainbow. "Now, El-ahrairah, have you any evidence to call or anything to say? Make haste."

' "I would like to ask the witness some questions," said El-ahrairah; and the elil agreed that this was only fair.

' "Now, Hufsa," said El-ahrairah, "can we hear a little more about this journey that you and I are supposed to have made? For really I can remember nothing about it at all. You say we went out of the hole and set off in the night. What happened then?"

' "Why, El-ahrairah," said Hufsa, "you can't possibly have forgotten. We came along the ditch, and don't you remember that we saw a hedgehog sitting on a box singing a song to the moon?"

' "A hedgehog doing what?" said one of the badgers.

' "Singing a song to the moon," said Hufsa eagerly. "They do that, you know, to make the slugs come. He had rose petals stuck all over him and he was waving his paws and -"

' "Now steady, steady," said El-ahrairah kindly, "I wouldn't like you to say anything you don't mean. Poor fellow," he added to the jury," he really believes these things he says, you know. He doesn't mean any harm, but -"