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[spoke]

...so, by now everyone knows I'm a dork, right?

Just checking! ;p

Which really, to my mind, sounds like some exotic name for a spaceship - but it isn't!

Firstly, a cast of characters consisting only of the rabbits with distinct personalities -

Hazel - Ryo Leader-boy! Okay, so, eventually everyone listens to him! There.
Fiver - One to whom they also listen, because he has the gift of prophecy. Sadly, like many a being with this gift, he can't actually say what it is that's coming. Just that, omg, it's bad! ;p
Bigwig - Technically, his name is Thlayli and means Furhead, because he has an odd patch of thick fur there. But he's called Bigwig through most of the story, and it rather suits him.
Dandelion - Story-teller extraordinaire! Nobody tells a story good as Dandelion, nope.
Blackberry - Touma Teh genius rabbit. No, really - given rabbits' general level of intelligence, he's brilliant. Though it does make one wince when he invents the raft and the other rabbits are all "Duhhh - I don' get it."
Pipkin - The littlest of the first group, mostly noticeable for sticking to Hazel like glue. So, Jun

That's all from the first run - later on they pick up :
Blackavar - This is a twisty little chap - for further description, see below. ...is this remotely Seiji-like, or am I on crack?

Other notables :

Kehaar - A seagull. A seagull, to whom they speak through a hedgerow patois, and the object of Bigwig's hero-worship. >:)
Silverweed - The fey little poet in Cowslip's warren.
General Woundwort - For all he is as tough as they come, he's more than a little mad - but then, he is The Evil Dictator! He is required to be insane. ;p
Holly - ex-Captain of the Sandleford Warren
Bluebell - also from Sandleford, and a bit touched in the head I suspect. Talks in rhymes, all of the time

Secondly, a highlight of the bits I really liked. ^^

After leaving Sandleford Warren in a bit of a rush, because of Fiver's utter freakout (which, later on, is proven to be completely justified) Dandelion tell them the story of how rabbits became rabbits - by mouthing off to Frith. (the sun, personified as a god by rabbits - is what it says in the tiny dictionary in the back of the book) First, they multiply out of control - says Frith to the Prince of rabbits, El-ahrairah "Okay, enough already, knock it off."

Says El-ahrairah, all innocently uncomprehending (despite the world running out of grass) "But we are the strongest in the world, for we eat more and breed faster than any of the others. And see how much we love you, that no other animal responds to your warmth and brightness! *.* Surely you will not hinder my people in their lives."

And so Frith, seeing as how El-ahrairah was determined to be a smartass, set out to get them under control - by changing all the animals. By inviting them to a meeting where he would hand out blessings. >> Previously, all had eaten plants or bugs - now some of them would eat each other! And more importantly, rabbits.

El-ahrairah, being late to this meeting, learns what's happened from a bird who has left with his own gift, and figuring Frith means to kill him, tries to find a way out of it, ends up burrowing as best he can into a hillside, and having an entire conversation with Frith whilst he is headfirst in the ground. First he tries to make out like Frith has the wrong rabbit. Then he says he is too busy to be blessed, for the fox and the weasel are coming, and "If you want to bless me, you can bless my bottom, for it is sticking out of the hole."

And so Frith did.

And so it is that rabbits have huge butts, The End.



...I'm sorry, I had to. XD Actually, it describes how useful their long hind legs are and such, and how Frith told him to that rabbits could not rule the world because he would not have it so - but to be cunning and clever and fast, and they would never be destroyed. Then El-ahrairah felt that even though Frith would not be mocked, he still loved the rabbits, and it was all cool.

Except for the fact that everything in creation now ate rabbits. >:P


Next, they have to flee a lendri - badger - even though they're not sure it does eat rabbits. But it might! And they come to the river.

Hazel: Uhhh... now what, Fiver?

Fiver: We need to cross it. -.- Only I don't think I'm up to it, and Pipkin's injured besides...

Bigwig: wtf, are you crazy?! Why would we even want to cross it?! Why not just go downstream. >:/

Before things quite have a chance to get ugly, the sun starts to rise! mmm, sun. << >> Screw moving, food break!

And after they've all gotten settled out, the argument's about to come up again, when Blackberry shifts Bigwig off the argument by asking him to cross the river himself and see which would be the best way. And it's a rather perfect bit of not-quite-flattery, to which Bigwig replies that he'll swim the embleer (stinking - and yes these words are important!) river as much as they want.

*grump snark swim*

Hazel: Well I'm glad he's here and - hey, what? He's coming back already? O.o

Bigwig: *climbing out* Okay, we need to move now. Like, right now. Like, before the dog loose in the woods eats us, now. >.<

Crisis moment for Hazel. In front of him is Bigwig, soaking wet and mad determined that they should go now, everyone who can swim at least. But Hazel won't leave Fiver and Pipkin and that's... really all he has. His mind is actually blanking, this is all he's got. And Bigwig in front of, and Fiver at his side, and Blackberry even further to the side, waiting on his lead and ignoring Bigwig's. And he sticks to the one point he has.

Bigwig: AUGH!! Idiot, we'll all die if you stay here!

Hazel reluctantly noting that while he's lost his temper, Bigwig isn't actually moving. Seems the least frightened out of all of them. Thus he draws the conclusion that while Bigwig sucks, he is also too brave and therefore rocks as well.

And while the drama's been happening, Blackberry has run off to save the day! :D Witness the invention of the raft, rabbit-style!

Blackberry: Okay, okay - this piece of wood? Like that one piece the other time, remember it was on the water? We need to put Pipkin and Fiver on it and push it in the river and then if it floats, they float, they might float across the river! Got that?

All rabbits: O.o

Hazel in particular: Bigwig is po'd at me and in my face. Pipkin is terrified. There's a dog about to eat us all!!! And the smartest rabbit here has just snapped. >.< Why, Frith, why?!

Fiver: *think, think, think* :O Wait, I get it!! Hurry Hazel, get Pipkin on!

Hazel: o.o;;; Fiver too?!

Blackberry: *gets Pipkin, as Hazel is clearly useless*

Fiver follows, and then Blackberry turns and tries to get help, telling the stronger rabbits to push it. But nooo, they are still watching him, caught between their fear of the dog and the fascination of his insanity.

Blackberry: >.< Fine, just fine!! *pushes it himself*

As they float out into the river, the rabbits stare in wonder. Seriously. Personified by Dandelion : O.O Frith and Inle! They're sitting on the water! Why don't they sink? O.o

Blackberry: x.x The wood floats, they're on the wood, they float, can we go now? Hazel! Can we go now?

Hazel: Huh what? *snaps out of it enough to understand this is his leader-type cue* Everyone swim!

And so, they do. And Hazel, making a headcount on the other side, asks - Where's Bigwig?

Blackberry: Behind you.

Bigwig is pushing the raft. ^_^ And he says, when he gets them across, that he got the idea once Blackberry showed them, but it's hard to push in the water.

And then they push on a bit and crash in some thorns. Where it is said that most of the rabbits never got the whole raft concept (even Pipkin, who was on the bloody thing) and had already forgotten. But Fiver thanks him for it and Blackberry says it's useful and they should remember in case they need it again.


The next thing is in Cowslip's warren, where the rabbits are all essentially tame - the human farmer next door is feeding them - but they're pretending they're still free, ignoring the wire snares the man has set out for them. Mostly it has to do with how the free rabbits where getting caught up in the tame ones' lives and losing their way, but the thing I liked best was this ...fey young rabbit, Silverweed. Who gets called forward, and Fiver, who had already been upset, insists that he smells : "Like barley rained down and left to rot in the fields. He smells like a wounded mole that can't get underground."

The wind is blowing, blowing over the grass.
It shakes the willow catkins; the leaves shine silver.
Where are you going, wind? Far, far away
Over the hills, over the edge of the world.
Take me with you, wind, high over the sky.
I will go with you, I will be rabbit-of-the-wind,
Into the sky, the feathery sky and the rabbit.

The stream is running, running over the gravel
Through the brooklime, the kingcups, the blue and gold of spring.
Where are you going, stream? Far, far away
Beyound the heather, sliding away all night.
Take me with you, stream, away in the starlight.
I will go with you, I will be rabbit-of-the-stream,
Down through the water, the green water and the rabbit.

In autumn the leaves come blowing, yellow and brown.
They rustle in the ditches, they tug and hang on the hedge.
Where are you going, leaves? Far, far away
Into the earth we go, with the rain and the berries.
Take me, leaves, O take me on your dark journey.
I will go with you, I will be rabbit-of-the-leaves,
In the deep places of the earth, the earth and the rabbit

Frith lies in the evening sky. The clouds are red about him.
I am here, Lord Frith, I am running through the long grass.
O take me with you, dropping behind the woods,
Far away, to the heart of light, the silence.
For I am ready to give you my breath, my life
The shining circle of the sun, the sun and the rabbit.

"A thing can be true and still be desperate folly, Hazel." says Fiver, after he's fled the warren in a terror stricken panic.

Much later, after they are well out of that warren, Captain Holly shows up with Bluebell; so terrible sounding between his grief and his wounds that they think he's the Black Rabbit of Inle, come calling "Thlayli! O Thlayli" and Bigwig whispering in his terror that you have to go when he calls you. Hazel goes out instead, telling the other two with him to keep Bigwig from answering the call while he goes to see what kind of a rabbit this is. And they learn that what happened to the Sandleford warren was very much worthy of the way Fiver was freaking out. x.x

As they settle into their new home, Hazel comes up with the notion that they should befriend the local critters in order to get information. Especially birds, who learn a lot what with the flying.

I don't think any of them expected the seagull.

Bigwig and Silver, out eating, spot a white something that breathes funny. So they go in and investigate, and come to tell Hazel : "Well, I'm blessed if I know, to tell you the truth," replied Bigwig. "There's a great bird out there, like nothing I've ever seen."

And so, to the utter bewilderment of the seagull, they begin feeding it, ignoring it threats and talk of fighting. Lots and lots of talk of fighting, bird can shit-talk like whoa, most violent character we've met thus far. And boy does that make an impression. Because, you see, they coax into the warren for safety from predators. And Bigwig sort of stays with it, to keep it company, and by morning it's clear that he is in the grips of mad hero-worship.

See, Bigwig's big strength is his strength. He is teh badass, the fighter, and proud of it. So when he comes out for morning silflay, all : *.* Bird *.*

XD

And he starts going on about how he could listen to it all day, and Hazel makes the mistake of asking how it got injured. By fighting a cat, says Bigwig. About half the paragraph down, he sort of shifts from the exploits of the bird to "Think of standing up to a cat! I can see now that I haven't really started yet. Why shouldn't a rabbit stand up to a cat? Let's just suppose that - "

Here, Hazel wisely interrupts him. Because, really, he could have gone on all day like that. And don't think for a minute that's the last they've heard of rabbits fighting cats, either. XD

So they help Kehaar (as it turns out his name is - and means the sound of waves breaking. Oooh, shiny!) to recuperate, and eventually he agrees to the plan of helping them find does. (Bigwig having put it to him in some way that when he comes to talk to Hazel, it is clear Kehaar thinks this is his own idea - rather than Hazel's plan having been relayed through Bigwig)

Eventually, he comes back with the news of the warren of Efrafa, and that's to be gotten into in more detail later. The interesting thing in his returning, is that he looks at Fiver 'shrewdly' and says "Eh, Meester Liddle Von, you know vat I pring, ya?"

So they send out an embassy to this strange warren, asking for does to come to theirs, and what follows is rather a long bored spell, ending when Hazel goes out to a farm. Comes back and is warned by Fiver that there's something odd, something about Hazel specifically, that is troubling him. And as in Cowslip's warren, the idiot ignores him. >.< So they go back to this farm (to free the hutch-rabbits there), with Bigwig having them practice fighting cats by pretending he is one. XD

Well, after all is said and done, they get the hutchies out, but Hazel gets shot. x.x And just after everyone has been informed that Hazel is dead, the embassy comes back. -does, + wounded, mentally and physically. To the news of Hazel's loss.

I rather like Fiver's vision, that brings himself and Blackberry out to look for him. ^^ No one even noticed they were gone until Blackberry returns with the news that although Hazel's badly wounded, he is not dead. And it's Kehaar who makes sure the bullets are gotten out of him - the rabbits knew nothing of being shot.

Much quiet drama passes, in terms of reunioning with Hazel and proving to themselves that he really is alive. Then Hazel comes up with The Plan, or more accurately - turns to Blackberry and says 'Okay, here's what I want to do: 1. Get into Efrafa and bring does out 2. Put paid to the pursuit 3. Make us vanish. You are the genius rabbit, so you'll have to figure it out.'

Blackberry: *blink* *blinkity thoughtful blink* Well, I'll want to discuss things with Fiver. I think I see the first two, but that last.... >>;

So they finally set out, after setting up the running of the warren in the absence of the Chief Rabbit, and convincing Kehaar to help them just the one more time.

After this, everything just starts coming too fast, Bigwig requesting the story of El-ahrairah and the Black Rabbit of Inle - thereby utterly freaking out all the other rabbits. And while in Efrafa, for lo he is teh spy! (And this is why he was freaking out enough to want to hear the uber scary story. He's a fighter, not a spy.) ..where was I going?

Oooh yeah, Blackavar. Blackavar was an attempted escapee, and they had the poor guy beat down. And Bigwig is offended and horrified and just takes it on himself that he's going to bring Blackavar out too if he can manage it. ^_^

...weeell, adopting someone that way is not always the best idea, but he wasn't to know that until much later. Whilst being shown up by Blackavar's professionalism. ^^;

There is so much squee in the escape, in the midst of this horrible storm, to a boat of all things, that some men had conveniently left about. Woundwart in the pursuit himself, and his threats and his vows to kill Thlayli. (Also important - I suspect Woundwart of also being Scorpio? But the totally, off-his-rocker power-mad sort.)

Blackavar, scouting after the great escape. Blackavar in general, who is rather unique amongst the rabbits, personality-wise. "There was a great deal more to him than anyone could have guessed. When Bigwig had determined not to come out of Efrafa without Blackavar, he had been moved entirely by pity for a miserable, helpless victim of Woundwart's ruthlessness. It turned out, however, that Blackavar, when not crushed by humiliation and ill-treatment, was a good cut above the ordinary. His story was an unusual one. His mother had not been born an Efrafan. She had been one of the rabbits taken prisoner when Woundwart attacked the warren at Nutley Copse. She had mated with an Efrafan captain and had had no other mate. He had been killed on Wide Patrol. Blackavar, proud of his father, had grown up with the resolve to become an officer in the Owsla. But together with this - and paradoxically - there had come to him from his mother a certain resentment against Efrafa and a feeling that they should have no more of him than he cared to give them."

"- had not failed to notice the proud detachment of his nature."

Back on Watership Down, a short time of peace and security, before the Efrafans come. Rather than abandon their warren, and the does already pregnant or nursing kittens (yes, that's baby rabbits too ;p) the Watershippers dig in to fight. Except, really? They're digging in to go down fighting. Blocking up the burrows, compressing in and in on their warren, and then Hazel has the stroke of genius - leaves Bigwig in charge and goes off to do what he has no time to say.

Fiver is down, so overwhelmed by his visions of what's coming that it's rendered him comatose.

And Bigwig has to figure out how to hold off Woundwart long enough for Hazel to save them. So. He digs himself into a tiny pit in the floor of the run (tunnel) and has the others make noise to lure Woundwart down. And it works, allowing him to come up under the monster and deal a critical blow. But it still a long and ugly fight, and switches between them and Hazel's flight with Dandelion and Blackberry, to free the dog from Nuthanger Farm and lure it to the woods.

Hazel, falling and stunned in Nuthanger Farm, while Dandelion and Blackberry are left to the frantic and terrifying job of bringing the dog. And even though I feel for Hazel? I love the cat. The cat sniffing at him and pinning him and hissing at him in hedgerow "Can you run? I think not." >:D

The moment when Woundwart realizes that Bigwig has won - because he doesn't have the will to go back at it.

"Silflay hraka, U embleer rah." replied Bigwig.
(roughly, "Eat shit, the stinking - prince, lord, leader-rabbit" The last word kind of throws the mood of the translation, no? ;p)

In the end, it is the dog that kills some of the Efrafans and drives the others away. Dogs, if I have failed to mention, are flat-horrifying to the rabbits. Worse than cats, as I suppose they should be, considering how much bigger they are. Woundwart, stark raving as he was at the end, tried to get them to fight it. >.<

And if the cat hadn't been playing with Hazel, his squeals wouldn't have woken up the little girl living on the farm, and he wouldn't have ended up being brought out to the Downs. So I guess it was good that the cat got him, huh? ;p
>:D

And they all lived happily ever after, and even at the end of Hazel's life - El-ahrairah himself showed up, to ask Hazel to join his Owsla. ^_^

...this only leaves me thinking about the Black Rabbit of Inle, and his Owsla, and what may have happened to Silverweed after he died, and what about Bigwig?!

It occurs to me, besides all of this, that there's a very general reason that I love this story. It's the way Adams conveys sense-of-time. That is... take Good Omens. The bits with the Them, where they're trying to convey this childlike sense of time, where a day is forever and a year is eternity. I don't think it quite comes off, though. It's there and you can see it? But you can't feel it.

Watership Down immerses you in it. I honestly lost track of how long the rabbits had been in any one place in the story, and kept getting jarred when it mentioned one or two days having passed. It never feels like one or two days. It feels like years, like we've been with Hazel and the others for all their lives or nearly that - but the whole story takes place over maybe two months. It's beautiful.

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