Watership Down (Watership Down 1)

'Of course, there are some of us who ought to stay here,' said Hazel. 'The farm rabbits can't be expected to go: and I'm not asking anyone who went the first time to go back again.'

'I'll come, though,' said Silver. 'I hate General Woundwort and his Council with all my guts and if we're really going to make fools of them I want to be there, as long as I don't have to go back inside the place - that I couldn't face. But after all, you're going to need someone who knows the way.'

'I'll come,' said Pipkin. 'Hazel-rah saved my - I mean, I'm sure he knows what's -' He became confused. 'Anyway, I'll come,' he repeated, in a very nervous voice.

There was a scuffling in the run that led down from the wood and Hazel called, 'Who's that?'

'It's I, Hazel-rah - Blackberry.'

'Blackberry!' said Hazel. 'Why, I thought you'd been here all the time. Where have you been?'

'Sorry not to have come before,' said Blackberry. 'I've been talking to Kehaar, as a matter of fact, about the plan. He's improved it a good deal. If I'm not mistaken, General Woundwort's going to look remarkably silly before we've finished. I thought at first that it couldn't be done, but now I feel sure it can.'

'Come where the grass is greener,' said Bluebell,

'And the lettuces grow in rows,

'And a rabbit of free demeanour

'Is known by his well-scratched nose.'

'I think I shall have to come, just to satisfy my curiosity. I've been opening and shutting my mouth like a baby bird to know about this plan and no one puts anything in. I suppose Bigwig's going to dress up as a hrududu and drive all the does across the field.'

Hazel turned on him sharply. Bluebell sat up on his hind legs and said, 'Please General Woundwort, sir, I'm only a little hrududu and I've left all my petrol on the grass, so if you wouldn't mind eating the grass, sir, while I just give this lady a ride -'

'Bluebell,' said Hazel, 'shut up!'

'I'm sorry, Hazel-rah,' replied Bluebell in surprise. 'I didn't mean any harm. I was only trying to cheer everyone up a bit. After all, most of us feel frightened at the idea of going to this place and you can't blame us, can you? It sounds horribly dangerous.'

'Well, look here,' said Hazel, 'we'll finish this meeting now. Let's wait and see what we decide - that's the rabbits' way. No one has to go to Efrafa who doesn't want to, but it's clear enough that some of us mean to go. Now I'm off to talk to Kehaar myself.'

He found Kehaar just inside the trees, snapping and tearing with his great beak at a foul-smelling piece of flaking, brown flesh, which seemed to be hanging from a tracery of bones. He wrinkled his nose in disgust at the odour, which filled the wood around and was already attracting ants and blue-bottles.

'What on earth is that, Kehaar?' he asked. 'It smells appalling!'

'You not know? Heem feesh, feesh, come from Peeg Vater. Ees goot.'

'Come from Big Water? (Ugh!) Did you find it there?'

'Na, na. Men have heem. Down to farm ees plenty peeg rubbish place, all t'ings dere. I go for food, find heem, all smell like Peeg Vater, pick heem up, pring heem back: make me t'ink all about Peeg Vater.' He began to tear again at the half-eaten kipper. Hazel sat choking with nausea and disgust as Kehaar lifted it entire and beat it against a beech-root, so that small fragments flew round them. He collected himself and made an effort.

'Kehaar,'

he said, 'Bigwig says you told him you'd come and help us to get the mothers out of the big warren.'

'Ya, ya, I come for you. Meester Pigvig, 'e need me for 'elp 'im. Ven 'e dere, 'e talk to me, I not rabbit. Ees goot, ya?'

'Yes, rather. It's the only possible way. You're a good friend to us, Kehaar.'

'Ya, ya, 'elp you for get mudders. But now ees dis, Meester 'Azel. Alvays I vant Peeg Vater now - alvays, alvays. Ees hearing Peeg Vater, vant to fly to Peeg Vater. Now soon you go for get mudders, I 'elp you, 'ow you like. Den, ven you getting mudders, I leave you dere, fly avay, no come back. But I come back anudder time, ya? Come in autumn, in vinter I come live 'ere vid you, ya?'

'We shall miss you, Kehaar. But when you come back we'll have a fine warren here, with lots of mothers. You'll be able to feel proud of all you did to help us.'

'Ya, vill be so. But Meester 'Azel, ven you go? I vant 'elp you but I no vant vait for go Peeg Vater. Ees hard now for stay, you know? Dis vat you do, do heem queek, ya?'

Bigwig came up the run, put his head out of the hole and stopped in horror.

'Frith up a tree!' he said. 'What a fearful smell! Did you kill it, Kehaar, or did it die under a stone?'